Upper Dolpo Trek

Also known as Upper Dolpo Circuit via Shey Gompa (Kang La – Saldang La – Jeng La).

Upper Dolpo Trek is an advanced 20-27-day camping trek in the Dolpo region of Nepal, reaching 5,306 m. It starts at Juphal and ends at Juphal.

Key facts

Region
Dolpo (Dolpa)
Duration
20-27 days, 5-7 hours walking per day
Distance
270 km
Maximum altitude
5,306 m
Difficulty
Advanced — 20-27 days in one of Nepal's most remote trans-Himalayan regions with three passes around or above 5,000 m (Kang La ~5,306 m, Saldang La ~4,785 m, Jeng La ~4,845 m), full camping logistics, no rescue infrastructure and many consecutive nights above 4,000 m. Not technical, but expedition-style commitment and weather-exposed flights in/out push it to Advanced.
Trek type
Camping, loop route
Best season
Late spring to early autumn (May-Oct); Dolpo lies in the Himalayan rain shadow so mid-summer is also feasible
Guide
Mandatory. Restricted-area rule: permits issued only through a registered trekking agency with a licensed guide; the long-standing minimum is 2 trekkers per permit. One 2026 blog (nepalpyramids.com) claims the 2-trekker minimum was removed in March 2026 with guide still mandatory — unverified against the Department of Immigration, so treat minimum 2 + guide as the operative rule.
Restricted area
Yes — special permit required
Budget cost
NPR 490,000–630,000
Comfortable cost
NPR 630,000–800,000
Guided cost
NPR 560,000–910,000
Getting there
Kathmandu → Nepalgunj (flight, 1h) → overnight Nepalgunj → Juphal 2,475 m (STOL flight, 35-45 min) → trail; reverse on return. A rough road now reaches Dunai from the Terai (multi-day jeep) but almost all trekkers fly.
Altitude sickness
Sustained travel above 4,000 m with three ~4,800-5,300 m passes gives significant AMS exposure; the profile rises gradually from Juphal, which helps, but descent options between passes are limited.

Weather

Trans-Himalayan rain-shadow climate: little monsoon rain north of the main range, but the Juphal flight sector and lower valleys can be disrupted by monsoon cloud. Passes hold snow into late May and again from November; winter closes the high passes entirely. Strong wind and intense sun at altitude.

Permits

Itinerary

  1. Day 1: Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, 0 h, 150 m — Transfer to Terai staging town
  2. Day 2: Nepalgunj to Dunai, 2-3 h, 2,052 m — STOL flight into Juphal (2,475 m), descend Thuli Bheri valley to district HQ
  3. Day 3: Dunai to Ankhe, 5-6 h, 2,660 m — Suli Gad river gorge, entry into Shey Phoksundo NP
  4. Day 4: Ankhe to Renje, 5-6 h, 3,104 m — Forest gorge, repeated river crossings
  5. Day 5: Renje to Phoksundo Lake (Ringmo), 5-6 h, 3,611 m — First view of turquoise Phoksundo Lake and Nepal's highest waterfall
  6. Day 6: Ringmo to Ringmo, 2-3 h, 3,611 m — Acclimatization: Tshowa Bon gompa, lakeside walks
  7. Day 7: Ringmo to Phoksundo Khola camp, 4-5 h, 3,507 m — Cliff-hung 'Devil's Trail' above the lake's western shore
  8. Day 8: Phoksundo Khola to Phoksundo Bhanjyang (Kang La BC), 5-6 h, 4,402 m — Glacial valley scenery below Kang La
  9. Day 9: Phoksundo Bhanjyang to Shey Gompa, 6-7 h, 4,126 m — Cross Kang La 5,306 m; descend to the 'Crystal Monastery' of Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard
  10. Day 10: Shey Gompa to Shey Gompa, 2-3 h, 4,126 m — Rest day: Shey monastery, Crystal Mountain kora
  11. Day 11: Shey Gompa to Namgung, 6-7 h, 4,400 m — Cross Saldang La (Shey La) ~4,785 m; barren trans-Himalayan plateau
  12. Day 12: Namgung to Saldang, 3-4 h, 3,903 m — Largest village of inner Dolpo, terraced barley fields, Tibetan culture
  13. Day 13: Saldang to Sibu, 4-5 h, 3,942 m — Namdo village, mani walls, Nam Khong valley
  14. Day 14: Sibu to Jeng La Phedi, 5-6 h, 4,900 m — Yak pastures, approach to Jeng La
  15. Day 15: Jeng La Phedi to Tokyu, 6-7 h, 4,240 m — Cross Jeng La ~4,845 m; Dhaulagiri massif views; descend into Tarap valley
  16. Day 16: Tokyu to Dho Tarap, 2-3 h, 4,090 m — One of the world's highest permanently inhabited valleys; Bon and Buddhist gompas
  17. Day 17: Dho Tarap to Serkam, 6-7 h, 3,630 m — Tarap Khola gorge
  18. Day 18: Serkam to Khani Gaon, 5-6 h, 2,550 m — Narrow gorge trail, seasonal bridges
  19. Day 19: Khani Gaon to Tarakot, 4-5 h, 2,281 m — Old fortress village above Thuli Bheri
  20. Day 20: Tarakot to Dunai, 5-6 h, 2,052 m — Return to district HQ
  21. Day 21: Dunai to Juphal, 2-3 h, 2,475 m — Short climb back to airstrip
  22. Day 22: Juphal to Kathmandu, 0 h, 1,400 m — Two-leg return flight
  23. Day 23: Kathmandu to Kathmandu, 0 h, 1,400 m — Contingency/buffer day for Juphal flight delays

More Dolpo treks