| Group size: | Min 2 pax | Max-Altitude: | 4,465m/14,645ft |
| Destination: | Nepal | ||
| Arrival on: | Kathmandu | Departure from: | Kathmandu |
| Meals: | All meals during trek | ||
| Accommodation: | Hotels/Mountain Lodges | ||
| Fitness level: | Moderate | ||
Situated north of Dhaulagiri, in the rain-shadow of the Himalayas, the Lower Dolpa is a remote trekking destination in Nepal. The Shey-Phoksundo Lake- one of the deepest Himalayan lakes inside the Shey-Phoksundo National Park- that preserves Trans-Himalayan ecosystem, blue sheep, wolves, Himalayan black bear and exclusive snow leopard and the Tarap Valley- one of the highest human settlement in the world and their Bon PO tradition are some of the major attractions of the Lower Dolpo Trek. Beautiful views of the peaks like Kanjiroba and Dhaulagiri, barren slopes, deep gorges, pristine villages, ancient Buddhist monasteries and high passes like Numa La and Baga La make Lower Dolpa trekking 18 days experience more enjoyable and thrilling. The area was opened to foreigners only in the year 1990. Since then, the area has become a very popular destination of trekkers, who are interested in exploring the remote lands of Nepal.
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,300m/4,264ft)
Day 02: Kathmandu valley sightseeing tour and trek preparation (1,300m/4,264ft)
Day 03: Fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj (150m/492ft) 1 hour
Day 04: Fly from Nepalgunj to Jhupal (Dolpa) and trek to Dunai (2140m/7,021ft) 2-3 hour
Day 05: Trek form Dunai to Tarakot (2,537m/8,323ft) 5-6 hour
Day 06: Trek from Tarakot to Laini (3,370m/11,056ft) 6-7 hour
Day 07: Trek from Laini to Nawarpani (3,475m/11,400ft) 5-6 hour
Day 08: Trek from Nawarpani to Dho Tarap (3,944m/12,939ft) 7-8 hour
Day 09: Acclimatization day at Dho Tarap (3,944m/12,939ft)
Day 10: Trek from Dho Tarap to Numa La Base Camp (4,440m/14,563ft) 6-7 hour
Day 11: Cross Numa La (5,238m) and trek to Phelung Tang (4,465m/14,645ft) 6-7 hour
Day 12: Cross Baga La (5,070m) and trek to Dajok Tang (4,080m/13,382ft) 6-7 hour
Day 13: Trek from Dajok Tang to Ringmo (3,600m/11,808ft) 5 hour
Day 14: Exploration day at Ringmo and a hike to Phoskundo (3,600m/11,808ft)
Day 15: Trek from Ringmo to Shyanta (2,520m/8,265ft) 5-6 hour
Day 16: Trek from Shyanta to Jhupal (2,475m/8,120ft) 4-5 hour
Day 17: Fly from Jhupal to Nepalgunj and then to Kathmandu (1,300m/4,264ft) 1 hour 45 mins
Day 18: Departure day (1,300m/4,264ft)
Welcome to Kathmandu – the capital city of Nepal. Today is your first day with Treks Planner Nepal; therefore, we send one of our company representatives to receive you at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), who will further escort you to a tourist standard hotel, booked for you in Kathmandu. If possible, we also schedule a meeting at our office for the briefing regarding the trek followed by an introduction session with other team members (especially Sherpas and guides). Today, we also arrange a welcome dinner in one of the most popular local restaurants, where you can also enjoy the ethnic dance and cultural music along with great Nepali food. If your flight arrives late, both the meeting and the dinner can be scheduled for the following day.
The capital, Kathmandu valley itself, is a big storehouse of exclusive natural, cultural and historical sites. Therefore, today, we take you on a few hour tours of the major attractions of the Kathmandu valley. After spending few hours observing these wonderful sites, we again meet for a few hours to finalize your clothing and trekking gears (down jacket, trekking boots, sleeping bags etc.), required during the trek. The night will be spent at a hotel in Kathmandu.
Nepalgunj is the destination set for the day. You will be escorted to the airport to catch a flight to Nepalgunj from Kathmandu. After one hour’s scenic flight, the plane lands the Nepalgunj Airport, from where you will be transferred to the hotel. As this interesting Terai town of Nepal offers a number of sightseeing locations like the mini zoo, Muslim bazaar and interesting Tharu villages, the remaining day will be spent exploring the area. Later in the evening, we make preparations for the next day’s flight to Jhupal. The night will be spent at a hotel in Nepalgunj.
Dunai, the district headquarter of Dolpa, is the destination set for the day. After breakfast, an early morning flight, over the high mountains, will first take us to Jhupal from Nepalgunj, where we meet the rest of the crew members (especially porters), awaiting our arrival. The luggage will be prepared for the porters, while you enjoy your lunch. Once everything is set, the adventure begins downhill towards the Thuli Bheri River, past a beautiful village and terraced fields. Once we reach the Thuli Bheri river, we continue on a flat trail, along the river, until we reach Dunai. It will only take about 2-3 hour to reach Dunai; therefore, the remaining day can be spent exploring the settlement, lifestyle and the monasteries in Dunai. The night will be spent at a lodge in Dunai.
Tarakot is the destination set for the day. Initially following the south bank of the Thuli Bheri River, we head east, out of Dunai. The trail gradually ascends upstream to cross the bridge to get to the north bank of the river. We further continue along the deep gorges and remote villages in the shades of pine trees; about seven meters above the river, until we reach Lawan, where we crosses another bridge to get to the south bank of the river again. As we continue, we will be greeted with beautiful terraced fields of Tarakot and the village of Tarakot, standing on the mound located south of the Bheri River. The village was built as a fortress by the local people. The remaining day can be spent exploring the village of Tarakot. The night will be spent at a lodge in Tarakot.
Laini is the destination set for the day. Leaving Tarakot, we first cross the bridge over the river and gently climb through the fields of buckwheat. Taking a long, roundabout route, south into the side valley, we head forward to cross another bridge across the Yalankot River. We then climb towards the south bank of the Thulo Bheri River. We head further, crossing cypress trees and a white chorten, towards 120m long high-suspension bridge at Laisicap. Before crossing the bridge, we can also see the confluence of the Bharbun River and the Tarap River. After crossing the bridge, we can spot the village of Kanigaon high above the trail and some white-breasted dippers (only found in the western Nepal) down below the trail, along the river. If time permits, we can also visit Chhedhul Gompa, which is just a 15 minute climb from the main trail. We now continue through the cedar forest and the steepest part of the gorge to finally reach the destination, Laini. The night will be spent in a basic teahouse.
Nawarpani is the destination set for the day. After about five minutes of flat trail walk, we make a sharp ascent to the mini pass. We then walk across the steep gorge and descend crossing the waterfall created by the Tilba River. Next, we climb one more ridge and then descend to the Chyangru River, spotting some Eurasian Crag Martin, flying high above us. We now cross the river to get to the east bank, continue following the river, cross a side stream - the Chaya Khola and continue to Thanjam; crossing the bridge across the Tarap Khola one more time. Following the riverside trail, we now walk up to Nawarpani. Overnight at Nawarpani.
Dho Tarap is the destination set for the day. Starting Nawarpani, we continue on the west bank of the river, crossing the small cave, campsite and the most thrilling section of the trail, up till another bridge over the Tarap River; enjoying the barren canyon walls. We then climb the east bank of the river and through an eroded Trans-Himalayan landscape, we climb the ridge at Serkam that greets us with a chorten. We descend from Serkam and after walking for about a kilometer, we cross the bridge across the Sisaul River. We further walk towards another bridge at Langa to push ourselves to the east of the river. The walk continues on a rocky trail beneath the cliff. Then, climbing gradually alongside the river past mani walls and eroded cliffs, we ascend to a line of ancient chortens. From here, after about 20 minutes walk, we reach the settlement of Dho Tarap, which greets us with beautiful crops in the field and the monastery with colorful praying Buddhist flags. The night will be spent at a lodge in Dho Tarap.
Dho Tarap is a village of several clusters of closely packed stone houses and corrals surrounded by the fields of barley. The village is inhabited by a few Tibetans, and more Magars, who are both Bon PO and Nyingma followers. The offers a good number of attractions to spend a worthy day. Therefore, the day will be spent exploring the nearby monasteries like Doro and Shipchhong and the settlement of Dho Tarap. The night will be spent at a lodge in Dho Tarap.
Numa La Base Camp is the destination set for the day. Although, the distance is comparatively short, we make a lot of detours to visit gompas and villages, before reaching the destination. Leaving Dho Tarap, we head towards the century-old Mekyem Gompa, explore and get back to the main trail and continue uphill till Gakar village and Dorje Phurba Gompa. We continue further on the trail along the river, enjoying the plain valley with yaks and horses grazing the patches of thick green grasses, to cross the bridge across the River. This is the most beautiful part of the entire region. Crossing the bridge, we walk towards another bridge that is also a trail junction, from where we continue following the southern trail heading towards the Numa La base camp. The walk continues until we reach the Numla base camp. The night will be spent in a tented camp beneath Numa-la.
Today is going to be the toughest day of the entire trek. As we plan to cross Numa La, we start early in the morning. We first climb the ridge on a yak trail up a grassy slope that greets us with a number of Mani walls and a Chorten. We further climb up to the ridge to a grassy mound and a tiny stream, from where a long climb up a moraine will take us to Numa La. The top presents an amazing view of the surrounding mountains and the panoramic view of the barren mountains of Dolpa. We also climb the crest for the best views of the trek. After enjoying the view, we climb down from the pass into a U-shaped, rocky valley. We cross the stream, scree slopes and head towards the point, where the valley meets another valley. We then follow the river downstream past eroded cliffs and gently climb up enjoying the view of river disappearing into the gorge until we reach Phelung Tang. The night will be spent in a tented camp in Phelung Tang.
Dajok Tang is the destination set for the day. Crossing the stream, we switchback up a slope to a small meadow after which, the trail hitting the snowline climbs a ridge. We then climb up a moraine into a huge bowl that greets us with the chorten of overturned stones. Then a gentle arc around the bowl on a scree slope past several cairn will take us to another high pass of the trek, that is the Baga La. Leaving the pass, a steep descent at first and a gentle one will bring us high above the right bank of the stream. After crossing the two large streams, the trail enters a huge valley from where, a steep descent will take us to Dajok Tang. Overnight at Dajok Tang.
Ringmo is the destination set for the day. Initially, we pass through the vegetations like pines, walnut, and willow oak; however, after walking about an hour, we need to continue through the narrow rocky cliffs for about 2-3 hour to reach Ringmogaon. The remaining day will be spent exploring the village of Ringmo. The night will be spent at a lodge in Ringmo.
The areas offer a lot for trekkers to spend a worthy day. Therefore, we take a relaxing walk part way round the lake to explore the lake area. We also visit the nearby temple as well as the Tibetan Buddhist monastery. If time permits, we spend the rest of the day exploring the Ringmo village. The night will be spent at a lodge in Ringmo.
Shyanta is the destination set for the day. Leaving Ringmo, following the Phoskundo River we walk towards the bridge across Pugma Khola past Polam (a winter settlement), and Amchi Hospital. An easy walk along the east bank of the Phoksundo river, through the forest, will bring us to Chhepka before climbing to Shyanta. Overnight at Shyanta.
Jhupal is the destination set for the day. From Shyanta following the river bank, we descend to Sulighat past Raktang. From Sulighat, we cross the bridge across the Thuli Bheri River and head west enjoying the villages until we reach Jhupal. The remaining day can either be spent enjoying the market of Jhupal and surrounding areas or can be spent resting at the lodge relaxing the tired muscles. The night will be spent at a lodge in Jhupal.
Kathmandu is the destination set for the day. It is our last day in Dolpa. Therefore, leaving Dolpa, we board an early morning flight to Nepalgunj. After reaching Nepalgunj Airport, we take the next available flight to Kathmandu. On reaching Kathmandu, you will be transferred to the hotel, where you can rest for some time. In the evening, we again meet for the farewell dinner. The night will be spent at a hotel in Kathmandu.
This day is the last day of your trip in Nepal with Treks Planner Nepal. If your flight is scheduled early morning, then one of our company representatives will escort you to the airport as per your flight departure time. But, if the flight is scheduled later in the evening, you can go shopping and collect a few mementos or simply hang around shopping areas in Kathmandu. However, if you are planning to spend some extra days in Nepal, Treks Planner Nepal can also make the arrangements for some other top adventurous activities that you can attend while you are in Nepal.
During the trip weather, local politics, transport or a multitude of other factors that are beyond our control can result in a change of itinerary. It is, however, very unlikely that the itinerary would be substantially altered, if alterations are necessary the leader will decide what is the best alternative, taking into consideration the best interests of the whole group. Where a change does occur, we do everything we can to minimize its effect, but we cannot be responsible for the results of changes or delays.
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Walking in higher altitudes is more physically demanding than walking in the lower altitudes, however, if we are in excellent health with average physical fitness, have a positive attitude, self confidence and strong determination, we can accomplish the trek successfully. Exercising and jogging regularly for some weeks prior to the trip is good idea to enhance our strength and stability. Past hiking experience would be an asset but no technical skill is required for this trip. It is important that we consult with our doctor before we decide and set up for the Everest Base camp trek. Participants with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart, lung, and blood diseases should inform Treks Planner Nepal before booking the trek.
Trekking in the Himalayan region goes through unexpected complication like natural and health challenges resulting changes in the itinerary for your own security reason, If such incident happens during the trek our professional Guide, Porters and leader take you to final point safely for evacuation so, please be friendly with your guide for more achievements and protections. Flights in the Himalayan region often get cancelled even in the best season due to bad weather so we request our travelers to carry luggage for extra days.
Our website contains as much information as possible about this trip but if you want, we can still customize the itinerary according to your wish and preferable time for visit. Feel free to write to us or you can even give us a call if you would like to discuss any aspect regarding the trip.
During the trip weather, local politics, transport or a multitude of other factors that are beyond our control can result in a change of itinerary. It is, however, very unlikely that the itinerary would be substantially altered, if alterations are necessary the leader will decide what is the best alternative, taking into consideration the best interests of the whole group. Where a change does occur, we do everything we can to minimize its effect, but we cannot be responsible for the results of changes or delays.