Lower Dolpo Trekking

On arrival, meet our TH staff for a courtesy transfer to your respective hotels in the heart of Kathmandu, in the Thamel area, a popular spot for shopping and dining at many world-class restaurants, pubs, and bakeries. Our guide will provide details about the trek from Beni to Lower Dolpo.

An early morning drive of about seven hours to Beni town via the popular tourist city of Pokhara. This scenic and interesting drive offers awesome vistas of the Mt. Annapurna-Manaslu and Mt. Dhaulagiri ranges, including the famous, majestic Machhapuchhre (Fish Tail) peak. On reaching Pokhara, the drive continues for another 04 hours to Beni town. Upon reaching Beni in the late afternoon or evening, transfer to the best tourist-standard hotel or lodge for an overnight stay. Beni is a large town and the headquarters of the Dhaulagiri and Myagdi districts.

Our journey starts with another short drive on the dirt road following the raging Myagdi River upstream, passing many farm villages and cultivated lands with terraces of rice, wheat or barley, and mustard, after three hours of good interesting drive reaching Darbang village like town an entrance or the gateway to Dhaulagiri and towards Dhorpatan and Dolpo area, after a stop for a lunch break, our first-day walk begins on the trails that wind up slowly for an hour to the hills, leaving the Myagdi river way down below, then heading towards cooler area after reaching the top ridge on the outskirt farm village on route Sibang village near Dharapani, this first overnight camping spot offers striking views of Putali and Ghurja Himal, adjoining Dhaulagiri massif chain of mountains.

From this wonderful campsite, morning walk leads near Muri and Takam villages of Magar ethnic tribe, walking through oaks, pines and rhododendron forest reaching near a large village of Muri village, after some breaks, walk continues towards Dhorpatan where around Dhaulagiri route branches off, our route heading further North West passing several scattered village and then reaching at Sibang for overnight camp, Sibang a small farm village with afternoon free at leisure to explore the surrounding area.

After Sibang, the walk leads on the North West route through several Pelma and Dhule farm villages and scattered farm hamlets, then walking on the gradual winding trail for a couple of hours, and then leading uphill with a climb passing some isolated villages, and then completing the walk of the day at Moreni for an overnight camp in this small farm village, with time for a short walk.

A morning walk from this village leads into the forest of rhododendron, oaks, and pine tree lines. With a climb to Jaljala hilltop which is a small pass at an elevation of 3,414 meters, the ridge top with an impressive panorama of Gurja Himal and Mt. Dhaulagiri mountain range, from here on the downhill to Jaljala village, from this village, our journey continues further towards the west with superb views of snow-capped peaks, then walking along Sen Khola (streams) and Source khola upstreams till Purbong village is reached for overnight camp after a long interesting walk of the day.

From Purbong, take a morning walk on a gradual, pleasant trail through nice farmland, with pine and rhododendron forests around. Look out for wildlife, including Blue Sheep. From this serene area, walk at ease, then complete this nice and scenic walk at Dhorpatan town–village for an overnight stop. This is an interesting, large village or town with an interesting bazaar, bordering many district zones of Mygdi – Dolpo – Gulmi – Agrkachi - Rukum in Mid and Far West Nepal. Dhorpatan, one of the first Nepal hunting and wildlife reserves declared in the late 1970s, is famous for Blue Sheep spotting and the elusive, rare snow leopard.

This is an ideal place for a rest day at altitude. There are many ways to spend the day at Dhorpatan, in this nice and interesting large village or town, visit the bazaar or take a short walk around the valley enriched with a mix of flora and fauna -hardwood forest of firs, pines, birch, rhododendron, hemlock, oaks, junipers and spruce tree lines. This reserve for hunting and wildlife consists of several rural farm villages and is home to a host of Tibetan-origin mid-hill tribes.

After a pleasant stay in Dhorpatan, our journey continues towards the Dolpo area. From here onwards, the walk is more with ups and downs passing Sheppard’s summer grazing pastures and then finally reaching our overnight camp at Phakunge Phedi at the bottom of  Phalunge pass, which is surrounded by rhododendron forest.

From this quiet and isolated spot, with a fine and nice morning, continue walking with a steep uphill climb with a grand stunning panorama of green rolling high hills and towering Dhaulagiri massif mountains, then gradually reaching the ridge top with overwhelming views of the surrounding landscapes with ever-present snow-capped peaks, after enjoying the vista, descend towards Thankur for an overnight camp after a nice walk of six hours.

Today a much longer hours of walking to Yamakhar, starting the morning trek in this quiet and wonderful wilderness away from human settlement and villages, The walk leads to several cattle herders and Sheppard’s huts and shades, around this area some wildlife-like snow leopards, musk deer’s and Danfe (National Bird of Nepal) pheasants can be spotted, the trek today leads to a long and gradual climb and with descend to our overnight camp at Yamakar a place in the middle of alpine forest in the harmony with nature.

From here on, the journey progresses closer to the Dolpo area. After a nice morning, we start the trek towards a steep, long uphill into a thick forest of oaks, hemlocks, and firs, then along a stream walking for a few hours to reach our overnight camp at Dhule, a place with some shade and huts of cattle herders on this small summer grazing area.

After a pleasant overnight stay in peaceful surroundings at Dhule, the morning walk starts on a gradual, pleasant path through a thick alpine forest, with small streams along the way. The walk leads to several short up-and-down hills until Phupa Phedi, where an overnight camp is set up. This is another summer grazing pasture for people from the Dullu and Dhorpatan area.

Today’s walk leads to an area, where the two area separates Dhorpatan and Dolpo region, morning walk continues reaching to the end of Dhorpatan area, on Dolpo area outer rim, walk continues with few ups and downs passing an area with small shades and huts on the green wonderful meadows and summer grazing field, our walk carry’s on towards Purbong for overnight stop, Purbong a small farm village of cattle herders and breeder located beneath of Jengla pass.

From this small and nice spot, our morning walks start with a few climbs, then descend into small, scattered huts and shade near Sumdeling village. The path leads to a climb on a grassy field at the base of Jengla pass and its ridgetop, and after a nice break continues with the climb on this long uphill walk few hours of strenuous walk to reach at Jang-la ridge top at 4,535 meters, which is the highest point of this awesome adventure, the top of the pass festooned with prayer flags, chortens, and mani prayer stones with fantastic views of surrounding vast landscapes and of Mt.Dhaulagiri I at 8,167m and Gurja Himal 7,195 at a mere distance, after a marveling the beautiful scenery, walk on the downhill path towards grassy fields with rhododendron and juniper bushes till the day ends at Phupal Khola for overnight camp within the Dollop area.

The journey from Beni onwards to Dhorpatan with one aim to reach Dolpo, one of the highlight of this magnificent trekking, from here onwards in Dolpo area, morning walks leads onwards through several small streams and then following Bheri and Barbung River and into a terrific gorge with pine trees, then continue walk on the pleasant, nice path above the river, after an interesting day trek finally reaching at Tarakot the first village of Dolpo region for overnight stop. This large village, lined with colourful terraced fields of barley, wheat, and buckwheat, was an old fortress town built as a Dzong (Fort). Over the past few hundred years, the Gorkha Shah Dynasty invaded this area and made Tarakot the capital of the North Western zone. Tarakot, a junction of Barbung khola and Tarup–chu, the village stands on a hillock to the south of the Bheri River. In earlier times, they supervised the collection of fees and tolls for trading caravans. Overnight camp by the river below the village; afternoon visit to this classic old village with chortens and a monastery on the grassy plateau, with a solitary tree.

This remarkable and finest journey slowly comes to an end at Jhupal, the gateway to Dolpo and many other destinations on this far west region, starting this final day walk to Dunai following several scattered farm villages and cattle herders shades and huts, then leading to a gradual uphill to a valley and then with a descend to the other side on the barren treeless landscapes at Thulo Bheri valley at Dunai area, from here walking past a hospital to cross the new suspension bridge then finally reaching at Dunai town, a large town area with an administrative headquarter of Dolpo zone, to make this walk shorter and to reach Jhupal on time to check with our flight taking a jeep ride for an hour drive on the dirt rough road to Jhuphal for the last and final overnight stop of this impressive journey at Jhupal with time for a short walk around this village.

Early morning, depending upon the flight time get in a small plane Dronier or Twin Otter or a similar type for a short scenic flight of 40 minutes to Nepalgunj with an awesome panorama of Mt. Annapurna and Mt. Dhaulagiri range of mountains, on reaching Nepalgunj depending upon the connecting flight to Kathmandu, with few hours of rest and refreshment at Nepalgunj, then connect the flight to Kathmandu which takes almost 50 minutes with sweeping panorama of mountain range from the plane, then finally concluding this fantastic journey in Kathmandu, on arrival transfer to respective hotel with afternoon free at leisure.

The morning after breakfast at a given time, our city and cultural guide will guide you in and around Kathmandu at places of interest and importance, as Kathmandu Valley is full of World Heritage Sites the holy Pashupatinath temple, Bouddhanath (Little Tibet), Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) & monasteries, ancient Kings' Palaces and courtyard in Kathmandu; after an interesting sightseeing, back to the hotel.

The last day in Nepal was a wonderful, memorable time in the Himalaya trekking from Beni to Lower Dolpo with Team Himalaya, and to the airport for the flight back home or to the respective destination.