Overview
The Upper Dolpo Trek is one of Nepal’s most challenging and rewarding trekking adventures. This restricted-area trek takes you through remote villages, ancient monasteries, hidden valleys, and high mountain passes while exploring the mystical landscapes made famous by the book and film The Himalayan Caravan (Himalaya). The journey offers breathtaking views of the Dhaulagiri range, Crystal Mountain, and untouched Tibetan culture.
What sets this trek apart, even from other restricted areas in Nepal, is how completely isolated it remains. Because Upper Dolpo requires a special government permit on top of the Shey Phoksundo National Park fee, and because the region only opened to trekkers in 1989, the villages along the route have kept traditions that have faded almost everywhere else in the Himalaya.
The landscape itself shifts dramatically across the trek, from green forested valleys near Phoksundo Lake to the stark, high desert plateau around Shey Gompa and Saldang, giving the sense of crossing several distinct worlds in a single journey.
Permits for this trek are issued under Nepal’s Department of Immigration Trekking Permit system, alongside the Upper Dolpo Restricted Area Permit.
For a shorter, more accessible version of this region, see our Lower Dolpo Trek and If you’d prefer a direct trip to the lake without the high passes, our Phoksundo Lake Trek is a good alternative.
Highlights
- Explore the hidden kingdom of Upper Dolpo
- Visit the sacred Shey Gompa Monastery
- Cross Kang La Pass (5,360 m)
- Discover Crystal Mountain
- Experience authentic Tibetan and Bon culture
- Trek through Shey Phoksundo National Park
- Visit the stunning Phoksundo Lake
