Phoksundo Lake Lower Dolpo Trek

Our airport representative will be waiting for you at the arrival gate of the Tribhuvan international airport with your name on the signboard. Upon receiving you then transfer to your hotel, it about 30 minutes' drive to town, depends on your hotel location. After room check-in have leisure time until official meeting at evening.

First day of the Phoksundo lake lower Dolpo trek, your guide come to receive you at your hotel. Then drive to domestic airport for Nepalgunj flight, an hour flight brings us west Nepal, near to India. Nepalgunj has a heavy density of both Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist. After room check-in short tour of Nepalgunj by rickshaw. Street market eg food and shopping is quite popular. Then we wait for our next thrilling flight to Juphal

We eat breakfast at the hotel then journey proceed to Nepalgunj airport for Juphal flight. We board on the small plan and then 35-minute flight approaches vivid sceneries including countryside landscapes, snow-clad mountains, and Snake River valley. Up arrival airstrip, you will be greeted by cold and mountainous terrain. From here our trek towards Dunai village the headquarter of Dolpa district. From Juphal airport our trek commences downhill through villages and crops field to Suligad on the bank of the Thulo Bheri river. Then remaining trekking route to Dunai village continue aside of the white-blue color wild river to Dunai Bazar. Since the guesthouse is in option, we stay in the tea house then cultural excursion on the village.

After breakfast, our lower Dolpo trek starts then walking aside of the Thulo Bheri river with crossing iron bridges several times. A path passing through different types of trees, villages, and great canyon. About 5-6 hours wild and off the beaten trekking bring us Tarakot village, which laying right above the confluence river of Barbung Khola and Tarup Chu. After room check-in at local tea house exploring colorful Nepalese village, it has a mixed culture flavor of Buddhism and Hinduism. There is a beautiful seasonal fruit garden of apple and apricot.

Another beautiful hike day on lower Dolpo trek, the trek featuring more wilderness skill in deep boulder gorge. A trail to Dho Tarap reaching on the less human residence and follows up and down the path on the Tarap Chu River. We frequently passing long suspension bridge and monsoon washed wooden bridge. Permanently less village en route because of the barren rocky land but during the peak season from April to November more people traveling that’s the reason villagers come down on the route and open seasonal tea shop for travelers. We also halt for night one of the seasonal tented camp and eat available foods like noodles, bread, rice, etc. We pass tiny village that occupied by indigenous people also visiting elaborate Sandul gompa before arriving our camp, Laini Odar. Griffin is often spotted in this region.

We eat our breakfast at the four seasonal tented camps then trek start. The trail continues following wild Tarap Chu River on the big gorge of the boulder. We often steeply climb on the stone stair trail above the Tarap Chu. Our trail often leading into the bonsai juniper, cedar, and pine forest. Few sections of the trail are pretty small with rocky where extra take-care is required. Then the environment more aridity because of the rain-shadow region. We stop at Chhyugar for lunch at the seasonal hut. The flapping Buddhist prayer flags and a series of fantastic ancient Buddhist stupa makes the trail more colorful. As we reaching higher and climb the ridge, the trail exposes Mountain View as well. Again we spend the night at tented camp the villager comes down on the route to Dho Tarap and running basic tea shop for the travelers. If the time allows we trek 1 and half hours further up to Toltol village, it is the seasonal settlement of Upper Dolpo people.

The most beautiful day on the lower Dolpo trek, the sceneries dramatically change from boulder to arid mountainous plateau. The first section of the path following along the Tarap Khola and narrow boulder canyon then exploring the attractive monastery at Ghyamghar. Repeatedly crossing saggy suspension and wooden bridge over the river and streams. The traditional style series of stupa and series of the stone cairn as well as the praying flags against the wind makes the path to Dho Tarap interesting and eye-catching. On arrival, the ridge with stone mani-wall has a striking view of the Dho Tarap village. We then gradual descending on the dusty path to Dho village, the iconic Tibetan style village of the Dolpo. Indigenous mountain tribal live here mainly Gurung, Magar, and Dalit. Most of them practicing pre-Buddhist Bon-Po religion thus have Bon-po pilgrimage sites. Here we stay at tea house also possible to have a hot shower.

Worthy spare day at Dho Tarap it is 5-days continues trekking with 5-6 hours averagely walking a day from Juphal. Then definitely made physically tired also requires extra rest day against the high altitude acclimatization. We suggest you explore the nearby cultural monuments and let your body get embroil with the local atmosphere. The colorful Tibetan style village surrounding by numerous of the monasteries, gompas, and stupas. Elaborate local culture is the charm of the village, the locals wearing very colorful and religious amulets with coral, amber, and turquoise. Next few nights sleeping higher elevation in harsh temperature in the tent camp. Dho Tarap village is one of the culturally rich human hamlets in our Lower Dolpo trek. While rest day at Dho Tarap, can do side trips around and explore a couple of the Buddhist monasteries including Ribo Bumpa Monastery, Kakar Gompa, Mekhying monastery, Dhoro monastery, and a Bon Shipcock Gompa. While entering the local monuments request you donate some cash that is really helpful to carry-on and support the gompas. An extra night gives you enough time to assume the surrounding atmosphere.

2-nights at Dho Tarap village refresh your body and feel comfy in this elevation, now leaving Dho Tarap village behind and trail upwards through buckwheat farm. About 60-minute alpine trekking brings us Tokyu village and then visit school and health post. The culturally unspoiled village also sightseeing to the gompas. The crystal mountain school is the biggest in the Dolpa district. We then steeply climbing on the barren alpine landscape where possible to encounter blue sheep, mountain goats, etc. If you hiking here around may can see the local people going to collect mountain caterpillar fungi called ophiocordyceps sinensis. About 3 hours wilderness and off the beaten trekking bring us our campsites Numa la base camp and then make tented camp at the good and comfortable ground. Then we do some warm-up hike a few hundred meters above the campsites for high altitude acclimatization. We eat early dinner and also early bed because leaving early morning for Numa la pass.

Most dramatic trekking day en route of Phoksundo lake lower Dolpo trek. We crossing the Numa la pass, the challenging high altitude pass that provides stunning Mountain View and vivid landscapes. As it is off the beaten path not well mark trail but provides thrilling sceneries of mountain Dhaulagiri and Churen Himal. We leaving an early morning by grabbing pack-lunch and sufficient drinking water in the day pack. As possible facing-windy climate over the pass must carry windbreaker equipment with you. Average trekkers require about 4 hours to reach Numa la pass summit. The pinnacle noticeable with a series of the stone cairn and Buddhist flags, it rewards magnificent sceneries of mountains and plateau. From the top rolling downhill on the pebble path aside of the Gyambo Khola. A trek continuous on the grassy mountain herb pasture and our camping sites is another end of the ground between Numa la pass and Bagala pass at Denighar. After reaching the camp area let your tire leg have a rest and prepare for the next venture for tomorrow morning.

Bagala pass comparatively lower altitude than Numa la pass but vertical climbing on the sharp rocky trail. It is quickly climbing to the Bagala pass summit then rapidly descend to Yak Kharka. You might feel tired going over this pass because nonstop crossing the mountains. The Bagala pass is marked with sacred Buddhist Chorten and a bunch of prayer flags. Bagala pass provides the most striking sights of complete Phoksundo Lake down on the valley and neighboring snow peaks. We, then follow the downhill trail to the deep gully then reaching open space and get back to lush green terrain, Maduwa. There are beautiful campsites middle of the pine forest and possible to spot animals and different species birds. There is no permanent human hamlet until we get Rike, if we can walk around 10-11 hours then can reach Rike from Denighar with crossing Bagala pass

There are multiple ways to go Ringmo village and taking the upper way that offers a stunning view of white color Suligad waterfall. It about 3 hours trekking down to Ringmo village.

From Phoksundo lake heading down to Chepka village, most of the time walking downhill and get an extraordinary view of the waterfall drain of Shey Phoksundo Lake. We continuously passing the village of the different ethnic groups also visit traditional Tibetan hospital "Amchi hospital'' where the local doctor made Ayurveda medicine from mountain herbs and it serves to needy people. Finally, get back tropical climate zone on lush and greeneries forestry, seasonal fruits are farming like chestnut, apple, and apricot. Now our trek lingers side of blue-green Stirring River to Chepka village.

It is pleasant walking on the tropical climate where nonstop passing through culturally rich villages. We also heard birds chirping and spotting several common animals. We make a loop of lower Dolpo trek at Suligad where exit Shey Phoksundo lake. From here around one and a half hour upward hike to Juphal airport. Here celebrate your trek succeed part with the crew.

After breakfast short walk to Juphal airport for Nepalgunj flight, a 35-minute flight offers Ariel mountain view. From Nepalgunj we follow a 60-minute spectacular flight to Kathmandu. Upon arrival Kathmandu transfer to your hotel. Have an enjoyable time yourself before meeting for fare-well dinner at an authentic Nepalese restaurant.

Your last day at Kathmandu, our airport transfer team are standby to deliver you international airport. You will 'be dropped to airport 4 hours before your flight scheduled. We hope to see you again someday. From here your onward journey by flight to next destination.