Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trek

When you land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, our Himalayan Adventure Treks personnel will warmly welcome you.

They will assist you in loading your luggage into our company’s van and escorting you to your 3-star hotel on the busy Thamel Street.

You can then settle in and make yourself comfortable. After some time, you can go outside your hotel and explore Thamel Street, visiting cafes, restaurants, shops, and others that you like.

Afterward, you can return to your hotel to get a good night’s sleep on this Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa journey.

On this second day of the 24-day Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa itinerary, you will have a guide with you at all times who will help you tour the Kathmandu Valley until late afternoon.

The primary key attractions that you will visit today are Patan Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, and Kathmandu Durbar Square.

Following a half-day sightseeing tour, you will visit our company, Himalayan Adventure Treks, for a brief introduction to the Upper Dolpo Trek itinerary.

Then, you can go through your packing in your bag to see if you have all that is needed for this long journey in the Dolpo region.

Otherwise, you can spend your evening doing last-minute shopping for gear and clothes.

Today, we must get up early to take a flight to Nepalgunj on schedule. Our automobile will pick you up in the morning and take you to the airport.

Then we will fly to Nepalgunj Airport. After arriving at the destination, we will drive to the hotel for the night. Today, we will spend our day in this city before trekking to the Dolpo region.

We can spend our leisure time exploring Nepalgunj’s local markets or bazaars. Similarly, we can also visit some temples or the Gopal Baba Ashram to experience local culture.

There is also a lot of stuff we can do while we are in this city, like going for riverside walks, visiting small parks, or trying local Tharu or Nepali dishes.

On the fourth day of the Upper Shey Gompa Trek package, after breakfast at the hotel, we will travel to Nepalgunj Airport for a short, beautiful flight to Juphal, the trailhead for this exciting adventure in Nepal’s Dolpo district. Once we get to Juphal, we will continue our adventure downward to Kalaguada.

From here, we will continue our journey following the Thuli Bheri Khola River. After walking for three to four hours, we will reach Dunai, the administrative center of Dolpa.

Furthermore, this will be our first overnight stay on the walk, signaling the start of the actual adventure in the highlands on this Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trek journey.

Today, you will wake up breathing the fresh, crisp mountain air in the Dunai Village. We will proceed with our trek after a nourishing breakfast with a glass of hot tea.

The next stop on this Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa itinerary will be Chhepka Village. Along the way, we will enter the Shey Phoksundo National Park and stop at the Silughar checkpoint to obtain other required permits to continue our adventure.

Then, we will continue our trek along the Phoksundo Khola River, passing through verdant tropical woodlands where you can observe the gradual change in landscape.

On the way, we will also hike past the Kageni, Jutting, and Shangta villages and cross a bridge at the confluence of the Maiba and Phoksundo Khola rivers.

Afterward, we will head north to reach Chhepka village on this Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trek excursion.

On day 6 of the 24-day Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trek itinerary, we will walk on the route that passes lovely forests along a winding river, with a combination of some uphill and downhill sections.

Along the way, we will also hike past the Reechi Village, where you can witness dzopas, which are yak-cow crossbreeds.

After Reechi, the journey continues to the Palam. We will cross multiple small streams and terraces carved into the hillside.

Then, we will eventually arrive at Palam after six to seven hours, stretching from Chhepka Village.

You can also watch the sunset over the mountains from this beautiful spot to close out this day of the Upper Dolpo Trek package.

On this seventh day of the 24-day Upper Dolpo Trek itinerary, we will reach one of the highlights: Shey Phoksundo Lake, which you will take away from this journey.

We will walk the trail that takes us through the cedar forests, then to a viewpoint where you can see a striking waterfall.

From here, we will walk downhill through serene pine forests to Ringmo Village. The villagers living in this village follow the ancient Bon Po religion.

Afterward, we will cross a bridge below the village and proceed to head north to reach the shores of Phoksundo Lake, where we will set up a camp for the night.

The eighth day marks one of the unforgettable days that you will enjoy the most on this 24-day Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa trek package.

We will use our whole day to explore around Shey Phoksundo Lake after having a delicious breakfast in the tent.

You can see colorful flags waving along the lake’s vast shoreline, which adds spiritual charm to the atmosphere.

As we stroll throughout the area, we may come across a yak caravan, which will give you an idea of how people live in this region.

You can take your time to take in the surroundings and capture striking photos to preserve memories of the lake.

Afterward, we could visit nearby monasteries using the remaining time of our day. Tonight, we will spend one more night camping in a tent before continuing our journey the next day.

Today, we will officially enter the restricted region of Upper Dolpo, departing from Shey Phoksundo Lake in the morning after a hearty breakfast. We will follow the trail used by villagers to trade with Tibet.

As we reach higher, you can soak in the sweeping vistas of the Ringmo Valley. From here, the trail goes downhill before rising again through a wide-open valley.

Along the way, you may catch stunning views of Kanjirowa Himal, which stands at 6612 meters. We will continue on through the alpine zone, which is densely forested with juniper trees.

After walking for four to five hours, we’ll arrive at Salla Ghari, our overnight stop on this Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa itinerary excursion.

Our next stop of the day will be Lar Tsa, which is 4120 meters above sea level. We will trek through a valley, cross the east side of the Phoksundo Khola River, and continue along the main valley for about an hour until we reach Kang Gompa. From here, we will tackle up onto a grassy ridge.

Continuing the journey, we will follow the ridge crest at approximately 4200 meters before descending to Lar Tsa.

It is a riverside campsite ideal for acclimatization for trekkers. Then, our guides will set up tents to settle here for a night before we continue to our next highlight of the adventure, Shey Gompa.

On this eleventh day of the 24-day Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa itinerary, we will head to the upper section of the Phoksundo Khola River before we turn north toward Riwo Drugdra, which is also referred to as a Crystal Mountain.

At a trail junction, we will follow the pilgrim route that circles the mountain and leads to the Sela La Pass.

After a demanding ascent, we will arrive at Sela La Pass, also known as Mendok Ding La, at 5160 meters, where you will be treated to the breathtaking panoramic views of the wild upper Phoksundo Valley, snow-clad peaks of the Kanjirowa range, endless high-altitude ranges, and more. Then from this pass, we will scramble down into the Tar Valley.

As we approach the grassy lower slopes, we will hike along the side trail to Tsakang, an ancient gompa.

Following a 7- to 8-hour walk from Lar Tse, we will finally reach our destination. We will set up our camp just below Shey Gompa for the night.

On this twelfth day of the Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trek adventure, about half of our journey is completed. We will stay one more day at Shey Gompa to acclimate and explore.

We will visit the Shey Gompa Monastery in the morning, which is believed to be around 800 years old. Inside, you can see the paintings created in the 1970s.

The main altar features statues of the legendary Guru Rinpoche, Milarepa, and Sakyamuni. This monastery also houses an ancient Tibetan text that recounts the history of the Crystal Mountain and the monastery. After the monastery visit, we can explore the surrounding area.

We can go to Crystal Mountain, which is also referred to as the Kailash of Dolpo, known for its natural quartz crystal formations that shine in the sunlight.

During the full moon in July or August, many pilgrims come here to perform a kora (circumambulation) around the mountain. Then, after exploring this mountain also, we will head back to the tent for rest.

After a refreshing day yesterday, we will continue our journey after breakfast through juniper woodlands and rocky canyons, following the winding path toward Saldang La Pass.

The climb to the pass is tough but rewarding, with views of snow-capped mountains, villages, cliffs, and other Upper Dolpo scenery.

From the pass, we travel north to Namgung Village. Upon reaching this beautiful village, you can explore the Namgung Monastery.

You can also see the Chyangra, a Himalayan goat breed used for its fine pashmina wool. Tonight, we will settle for the night on this itinerary of the Upper Dolpo Trek package.

On this fourteenth day of the 24-day Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa itinerary, we will depart from Namgung Village and make our way to another beautiful village, Saldang.

We will follow the Namga Khola River and pass several traditional summer grazing areas used by local herders. Within 5 or 6 hours, we will finally arrive in this village.

Saldang is one of the largest and most picturesque villages in Upper Dolpo, surrounded by vast open fields and rolling hills.

We will check into the teahouse, where we will spend the night. You can take your time to explore the village and meet the friendly locals. The ancient Buddhist culture heavily influences this village.

Today, we will leave behind Saldang Village and march toward another charming village, Sibu, lying at an elevation of 4000 meters on this Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa journey.

The trail passes through a series of stupas, chortens, mani walls, and terraced fields. On the way, we would also have walked past several old villages.

Similarly, we will cross a knee-deep river twice before reaching the campsite. As we get closer to our destination, you can witness that the surrounding wide terrain is dotted with hardy, thorny juniper bushes.

By evening, we will finally reach Sibu village, where we will spend the night.

On day 16 of the 24-day Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trek itinerary, our next stop of the day will be Jeng La at 4480 meters.

We will begin our journey on a mild track that is suitable for a leisurely stroll in the morning.

We will hike for a few hours before crossing a small river and continuing on the meandering path that goes past a number of communities.

Upon reaching Jeng La, our guide will set up camp for the overnight stay. You can take in the peaceful ambiance of this location and rest for the next day’s adventure, which will take you to the peaceful Tokyu Gaon Village.

Today, our journey will take us toward the village of Tokyu Gaon at 4240 meters. After a tasty breakfast, we will continue our trek and ascend toward the summit to cross Jeng La Pass, which stands at 4,850 meters.

From the top of the pass, you will be rewarded with the panorama of the Dhaulagiri Massif, Tarap Valley, and high Himalayan ridges.

Heading onward, we will descend into the Tarap Valley and then enter the valley leading to the Tarap Chu River.

This valley stretches approximately 20 kilometers, lined up with ten villages, cultivated fields, chortens, and numerous gompas. Upon arrival at our location, we will set up a tent to spend a peaceful night.

On this eighteenth day of the 24-day Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa itinerary, we will begin the trek with an upward walk to Kamattarka, which sits at the confluence of the Lang Khola and Tarap Chu.

After a couple of hours, we will leave the narrow gorge and enter the dry inner mountain landscapes, walking above the tree line through juniper bushes and wild roses.

Eventually, the trail leads to Dho Tarap, where you can see the village surrounded by an irregular stone wall.

There is a small population of Tibetan people living here, while Magar families have long inhabited the area. Tonight, we will stay here before continuing to our next destination.

On our Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trek excursion, we will descend from Dho Tarap at 4,200 meters to the settlement of Serkam at 3,623 meters.

We will hike following the Tarap Khola River. The path passes between steep ridges and canyons where the river flows below. Along the way, you may encounter caravans of horses, yaks, and mules.

Moving forward, we will walk along the better trail, crossing a modern steel bridge. Following a 5- to 6-hour walk from Dho Tarap covering 13 kilometers, we will finally reach Serkam Village, where we will stay the night, savoring a delicious meal.

On day 20 of the Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trek, we’ll depart Serkam Village and continue towards Tarakot.

As we continue our journey through the gorgeous surroundings, we will reach the large and fertile Barbung Chu Valley. Then, continuing our trek, we will arrive at Tarakot after a 6- to 7-hour hike.

Today, we will stop at this Tarakot village before making our way back to Dunai on this Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trek journey.

Tarakot was an ancient fortress town once known as Dzong, which served as the capital before the Gorkha dynasty. You can explore this village at your own pace and soak in the breathtaking scenery of the nearby surroundings.

Following a full breakfast, we will return along a picturesque trail before hiking steeply above the Thuli Bheri Khola River.

The trek will be relaxing and refreshing, as you don’t have to walk steep uphill sections. After about a 5- to 6-hour hike from Tarakot, we will eventually reach the Dunai.

Then, you can settle in a teahouse and rest on this thrilling day of the Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trek journey.

After some relaxation, you can take your time exploring the surrounding area and reflecting on the fantastic experience we’ve had for nearly three weeks in the heart of the Dolpo Mountains.

On the 22nd day of the 24-day Upper Shey Gompa Trek itinerary, you will complete the final walking day as you head to Juphal, the trailhead for this incredible adventure.

We will proceed down, leaving the tree line behind. We will then walk along a rugged path that is easy to traverse, with no uphill sections.

Once we get to Juphal, we may relax at the teahouse after a long day of trekking in Nepal’s remote Dolpo region.

In the evening, we will celebrate our successful completion of the Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trekking adventure with all guides and porters by having a yummy dinner and drinks.

It’s time to conclude our unforgettable Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa Trek, as we will take a short mountain flight from Juphal to Nepalgunj.

Once we land at Nepalgunj Airport, we will then board a connecting flight to Kathmandu. By midday, we will have reached the lively capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu.

Then, we will drop you at your three-star hotel in Thamel, where you can take a shower or relax after a thrilling adventure that we embark on together on this Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa trek of a 24-day itinerary.

Later, you can wander the alleys of Thamel Street to shop for the souvenirs that you can take home.