🚩 Upper Dolpo Circuit: Counter-Clockwise

• Route: Dunai ➔ Tarakot ➔ Dho Tarap ➔ Jeng La ➔ Saldang ➔ Shey Gompa ➔ Kang La ➔ Phoksundo Lake ➔ Dunai.

• Duration: 22–25 Days.

• Difficulty: Very Strenuous (3 High Passes over 5,000m).

• Permits: Lower Dolpo ($20/week) + Upper Dolpo ($500/10 days) + Shey Phoksundo National Park ($30).

• Accommodation: Camping is highly recommended (mandatory for 4-5 nights in high camps). Some basic teahouses exist in villages but are not reliable.

Detailed Itinerary (24 Days)

Phase 1: The Tarap Valley Ascent (The Acclimatization Leg)

The goal here is to gain altitude slowly while following the ancient trade route.

• Day 1: Fly Nepalgunj to Juphal (2,475m) → Drive/Trek to Dunai (2,140m)

  • 35-min flight. Take a jeep (1 hr) or walk (3 hrs) to Dunai.

  • Stay: Blue Sheep Inn or similar lodge.

• Day 2: Dunai to Tarakot (2,540m)

  • The Trail: Follow the Bheri River upstream. The path is now a jeep track in parts, so stay on the southern bank trail to avoid dust where possible.

  • Highlight: Tarakot is an ancient fortress village (Dzong) built on a hill. Visit Sandul Gompa across the river.

  • Stay: Teahouse or Camp.

• Day 3: Tarakot to Laini (3,370m)

  • The trail enters the Tarap Gorge. It’s a dramatic narrow canyon. You cross suspension bridges over the roaring Tarap Khola. The climb is steep.

  • Stay: Camping (Laini Odar) or very basic shelter.

• Day 4: Laini to Nawarpani (3,475m)

  • A thrilling day walking on paths carved into sheer cliffs. The gorge is so narrow in places you can almost touch both sides.

  • Stay: Camping/Basic Shelter.

• Day 5: Nawarpani to Dho Tarap (4,080m)

  • The valley suddenly opens up into a vast, arid plain. You arrive at Dho Tarap, a major trading hub with stone houses and many Gompas.

  • Stay: Local Lodge (e.g., Tara Guest House) or Camp.

• Day 6: Rest Day in Dho Tarap

  • Crucial for acclimatization. Visit Ribo Bumpa Gompa and explore the Magar/Tibetan culture.

Phase 2: Into Inner Dolpo (Crossing Jeng La)

Entering the restricted Upper Dolpo region.

• Day 7: Dho Tarap to Tokyu (4,200m)

  • Short 2-hour walk up the valley to Tokyu, the last permanent settlement. Visit the Crystal Mountain School.

  • Stay: Camp.

• Day 8: Tokyu to Jeng La Phedi (Low Camp) (4,900m)

  • Leaving civilization, head north towards the pass.

  • Stay: Camping (Cold night!).

• Day 9: Cross Jeng La (5,110m) → Saldang (3,770m)

  • The Pass: A steep climb rewards you with views of the Dhaulagiri massif.

  • The Descent: Drop into the Panzang Valley to reach Saldang, the largest village in Inner Dolpo. This village is close to the Tibet border and prosperous from the salt trade.

  • Stay: Homestay or Camp.

Phase 3: The Spiritual Heart (Shey Gompa)

Traversing the high desert plateau.

• Day 10: Rest Day / Day Hike to Yangze Gompa

  • Optional hike to Yangze Gompa (Bon Monastery), one of the oldest in the region.

• Day 11: Saldang to Namgung (4,360m)

  • The trail traverses high arid landscapes. Visit Namgung Gompa, spectacularly built into a vertical red cliff.

  • Stay: Camping (or very basic room in monastery guest house).

• Day 12: Namgung to Shey Gompa (4,340m) via Shey La (5,100m)

  • Cross the Shey La pass.

  • Arrive at the legendary Shey Gompa (Crystal Monastery), made famous by the book The Snow Leopard. It sits at the base of Crystal Mountain.

  • Stay: Camping.

• Day 13: Rest Day at Shey Gompa

  • Explore the hermitage at Tsakang Gompa (perched on a cliff). This is a spiritual sanctuary where hunting is banned, so you may see herds of Blue Sheep.

Phase 4: The Grand Exit (Kang La & Phoksundo)

The most dramatic scenery of the trip.

• Day 14: Shey Gompa to Kang La Phedi (4,500m)

  • Head south into a narrow canyon to the base of the Kang La pass.

  • Stay: Camping (Riverbed).

• Day 15: Cross Kang La (5,350m) → Phoksundo Khola

  • The Challenge: Kang La (or Nagdalo La) is the highest point. The climb is on loose slate scree.

  • The Reward: Stunning views before a long, steep descent to the river valley floor.

  • Stay: Camping (Lar Tsa).

• Day 16: Phoksundo Khola to Ringmo / Phoksundo Lake (3,640m)

  • The Trail: Walk the famous "Demon’s Trail" — a narrow wooden walkway built on vertical cliffs above the lake.

  • Arrival: You arrive at the north shore of the turquoise Phoksundo Lake and walk around to Ringmo Village.

  • Stay: Teahouse.

• Day 17: Rest Day at Phoksundo

  • Enjoy the lake, visit the Bon monastery, and relax.

Phase 5: Return to Dunai

• Day 18: Ringmo to Chhepka (2,670m)

  • Descend past the huge waterfall and follow the Suligad river down.

• Day 19: Chhepka to Juphal (2,475m)

  • Final walk to the airstrip.

• Day 20: Fly Juphal → Nepalgunj → Kathmandu

Logistics Summary

The Upper Dolpo Circuit is a restricted area trek that can be done in two directions. Based on your interest in the Dunai to Tarakot trail, you are looking at the Counter-Clockwise Route.

This direction is often preferred by experts because it allows for better acclimatization. You ascend gradually up the Tarap Valley (easy gradient) to 4,000m, rather than shooting straight up to Phoksundo and confronting the massive Kang La pass (5,350m) too early in the trip.

Upper Dolpo Circuit (Counter-Clockwise)

• Route: Dunai ➔ Tarakot ➔ Dho Tarap ➔ Jeng La ➔ Saldang ➔ Shey Gompa ➔ Kang La ➔ Phoksundo Lake ➔ Dunai.

• Duration: 22–25 Days.

• Difficulty: Very Strenuous (3 High Passes over 5,000m).

• Permits: Lower Dolpo ($20/week) + Upper Dolpo ($500/10 days) + Shey Phoksundo National Park ($30).

• Accommodation: Camping is highly recommended (mandatory for 4-5 nights in high camps). Some basic teahouses exist in villages but are not reliable.

Important Note on "Tarakot Road"

As of early 2026, the jeep track from Dunai extends past Tarakot.

• Pros: You can skip the first day's dusty walk by taking a jeep from Dunai to Laisicap (near Tarakot).

• Cons: It reduces the "wilderness" feel of the first 2 days.

• Recommendation: Take a jeep to Laisicap to save a day and start hiking where the real trail begins.