Upper Dolpa – Shey Gompa Trek

Upon landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will be greeted by our representative from Tourist Link Treks & Expedition who will then convey you through the vibrant streets in Kathmandu to the hotel where you will receive a brief explanation regarding your trekking package. You will spend a pleasant night in the comfy bed.

Taking light breakfast early in the morning, our guide will then take you for a pleasant day tour inside Kathmandu which encompasses the UNESCO enlisted sites like the holiest shrine of Shiva at Pashupatinath Temple Complex, the Boudhanath Stupa, and Swayambhunath Temple aka Monkey Temple. The tour will conclude by taking you to Kathmandu Durbar Square which is a historical site. Home of Living Goddess- Kumari, Kasthamandap Temple, and Kal Bhairab are some must-see sites around Kathmandu Durbar Square.

An hour-long flight with a beautiful aerial view of mountains and terraces will lead us to the western central hub of Nepalgunj. Positioned in Western Terai, Nepalgunj is located near the Indian border which makes it an important trade center for Nepal.

45minutes of pleasant flight with aerial views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Mountains will take us to Airport at Juphal. Disembarking at Juphal, we will begin a 3hours trek through terraced fields and the roaring Bheri River to arrive at Dunai where we will be staying overnight.

Crossing the suspension bridge, we will choose the ascending trail towards Thulo Bheri Valley. Enjoying the scenic view of Kagmara peak, we will follow the trail which elongates through the villages and walnut trees towards the river. Crossing the river, we will make it to Dhera and Rahagaon from where we will choose the descending trail to Ankhe where lies the entrance to Shey Phoksundo National Park.

Climbing through the woods, we will pass through the plain land to arrive at a ridge. From the ridge, we will follow the stone steps towards the river which is located at 2950m altitude. The trail then proceeds upward to a bridge near Ryajik Village.

Crossing Phoksundo River, we will continue our trail through Pungmo River to arrive at Phoksundo Lake which lies adjoining to the village of Ringmo. The trail then stretches through cedar woods to Palam. Enjoying the view of beautiful Phoksundo Lake from the ridge, we will pass through the street lined with Mani walls at Ringmo Village to make it to Phoksundo Lake.

It will be taken as the rest day. We will take a rest from our long trekking and prepare ourselves for trekking to be taken in the upcoming days. Admiring the beauties of copper blue Phoksundo Lake, we will have a short side trip to Ringmo Village where we will be visiting Tibetan Buddhist Monastery.

Continuing our journey from the western edge of Phoksundo Lake, we will walk through the meadow full of lush green vegetation to arrive at Phoksundo Khola where we will be setting our camp at the bank of Phoksundo River to stay overnight.

Walking through the glacial valley, we will arrive at the confluence where the Phoksundo River meets with another river. Crossing the wooden river, we will clamber uphill through a meadow to the valley which offers the scenic view of Kang La Pass. We will be staying in Phoksundo Bhanjyang for the night.

Ascending the steep trail, we will conquer the Kang La Pass. Enjoying the spectacular view of the valley and river from the top of Kang La Pass existing at 5360m altitude, we will have a gentle descent to the river. Crossing the river through the wooden bridge, we will continue our trail to Shey Gompa.

Shey Gompa which is also known as ‘Crystal Mountain’ is the Bonpo monastery which locates itself at an altitude of 4500m height in the most isolated part of Dolpo where the locals still practice shamanism. Shey Gompa Monastery was built around 800years back and it belongs to Chaiba community. We will visit the Tsakang Gompa where Lama of Shey Gompa resides. One day is not enough to explore the beauty of Shey Gompa.

The track progresses through the rough surface to arrive at the apex of Saldang La which is positioned at 5200m altitude. Admiring the view of the valley from Saldang La, we will lower down to the meadow which further leads to Namduna Gaon (4800m). While at Namduna Gaon, we will pay a visit to Namgung Monastery.

Climbing the inclined plane, the trail follows the barren land for about 4hours to arrive at Saldang which is located above the Nam Khongmala at 3620m altitude height. Sladang is in fact the largest village in the Inner Dolpo Region. We will stay overnight in Saldang Village.

The trail on the 15th day progresses through the remote lands of Dolpo to the Nang Chu River. Undergoing through the series of ups and downs, we will make our way via the small villages of Tiling and Luri Gaon to arrive at Yangze. Crossing the Panzang River, we will make it to Yangze Monastery which is the ancient Bon Po Monastery.

Although multiple routes are available to walk to Sibu from Yangze Gompa, we will take the easy trail and head back to Saldang Village from where we will continue walking through the river and fields to Namdo Village. Lowering down from Namdo Village, we will move along the river to the village of Sibu.

Beginning with the walk along the Nam Khong Khola, we will arrive at the confluence from where we will choose the trail that escalates uphill to the foothill of Jeng La. From Jeng La, we will make it to Tokyu Gaon where we will be staying overnight.

Climbing the Jeng La Pass, we will enjoy the panoramic views of Dhaulagiri and other mountains. Lowering down from Jeng La, we will follow the rough course to Tarap Valley which holds the small village of Tarap Chu. While in Tarap Chu, we will visit the Tokyu Monastery.

Traveling east, we will cross the plain land of Tarap Chu and pass through the small settlements of Bon Po and Chaiba Sects to arrive at Dho Tarap (4040m) which is chiefly inhabited by Magar communities. We will set our camp at Dho Tarap for the night.

It will be the rest day. We will take this opportunity to visit the nearby village. We will have a peek into the ancient traditions, culture, and ways of living of the natives. We will visit the Buddhist Gompa which exists nearby the village. Bon Gompa locates within 40minutes of walking distance from our camp.

Lowering down from the wide valley, we will make our way through the gorge and juniper trees. Walking along the route that exists above the tree line, we will arrive at the confluence of Tarap and Lang Rivers. We will set our camp at Kamakharka which is a pasture land existing near the confluence.

Proceeding along the bank of the Tarap River, we will walk through the difficult land of deep gorges to arrive at the camping spot in Khani Gaon which is located at 3150m altitude height. It takes about 4-5 hours of trek to complete the journey for the day.

Making our way through Lalberi Village, we will cross the woods and arrive at the gorge. Walking along the river, we will ascend the hill to reach Tarakot which is the ancient fortress town. Sandul Gompa is located about 8km east of Tarakot at the confluence of Barbung River and Tarap River.

Beginning with the walk along the Bheri River, we will get engaged in about 6 hours of trekking along the path existing above the river to head towards Dunai which is located at 2140m altitude height where we will be staying overnight.

We will follow the short and easy trail all the way to Juphal which is located at 2345m altitude height. Since we will be catching the plane from Airport at Juphal only in the next day, we will stay in a lodge at Juphal for the night where we will be busy packing things for our departure to Nepalgunj and to Kathmandu.

A brief yet pleasant flight of about 30 minutes duration from the airstrip at Juphal will take us to Nepalgunj. We will then board another plane from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu.

This is taken as a leisure day. You can take a stroll around the freak streets of Thamel where you can select from a wide range of handicraft goods and other gift items to take along with you as a memoir of Nepal. A rickshaw ride especially in the evening will be fun.

The wonderful 28days ‘Upper Dolpa Shey Gompa Trek’ comes to an end on this day as you will be transferred back to Tribhuvan International airport by our representative. We are happy to serve you and we will be looking forward to your next visit.