Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu

Welcome to Kathmandu! A representative from Karma Eco Adventure will receive you at the airport and drop you off at your hotels. No plan is set aside for the day. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 02: Trek preparation and sightseeing

Although the trek requires preparation from a long back and almost everything is prepared by this day, you will do last-minute shopping if anything is required. Once you sort things out in the morning, you head out to see a couple of UNESCO heritage sites in the city. These sights are considered national heritage and exploring them is a beautiful way to get along the Nepalese way of life and culture. You will do last-minute packing in the evening. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 03: Kathmandu - Nepalgunj

Early morning flight to Nepalgunj

Day 04: Nepalgunj - Juphal - Chepka (2838 m)

The trek begins as soon as our flight lands at Ranjha Airport, Juphal. From Juphal you would embark on a motorable road where rarely you will come across a motor and within an hour you will hit the gates of Shey Phoksundo National Parks. After getting our permits checked we entered the restricted area. On this section of the trail, you will find teahouses in good amount, which is not the same in the days to come. You will stop in between either Khalaripi, Kageni, or Sangta. We will hike further down to Chepka and pin down our tents. Chepka is more densely populated and has better water as well as toilet facilities. Overnight in Chepka.

Day 05: Chepka - Chunuwar (3110 m) 6 - 7 hrs

Once out of Chepka, you will walk along the Phoksundo River upstream, through dense forest. The ascend is gradual in the beginning but soon it gets steep. The trail is amazing as it dramatically climbs up as well as goes as low as the river beds and touches the river as well. Furthermore, you will cross the river at several points on locally-made bridges. From the initial point to our final destination of the day, you will only find a couple of tent shops with basic food. Chunuwar houses a hotel as well as a campsite with a village water tap and well-managed public toilets. Overnight in Chunuwar.

Day 06: Chunuwar (3110 m) - Ringmo village (3641 m) 3 - 4 hrs

Straight out of Chunuwar, you will walk steep uphill on barren hills. These graystone hills have very little vegetation but offer a Hawkeye view of the terrains in the surroundings. After climbing for these 3 tedious hours you will reach a view tower, which is more of a rest area. Climbing to the top of the view tower you can see Phoksundo waterfall which is a 3-step waterfall that drops down over 150 meters to Phoksundo Lake. You will as well see the strikingly blue lake for the first time which gets closer and clearer once you start descending gradually from the view tower. Almost an hour down from the view tower you reach Ringmo village, located on the periphery of Phoksundo Lake. Overnight in Phoksundo Lake.

Day 07: Ringmo (3641 m) (rest day)

Ringmo village is located right on the shore of the famous Shey Phoksundo Lake. This lake is the deepest in the country and the second largest. Ringmo is worth exploring because it is a typical Tibetan village where locals are involved in making different kinds of handicrafts. Walking to the southern end of the village is a typical Bon Pal Sentan Thason Choling gompa which is also one of the attractions of this rest day. The way to the gompa is a beautiful mani wall and stones wrapped with prayer flags. Overnight in Ringmo.

Day 08: Ringmo (3641 m) - Forest camp (3730 m) 6 hrs

From Ringmo the trail climbs on a ledge rising above the Phoksundo lake. This climb offers beautiful views of the lake from three different corners. You will come across several streams that empty in the lake and would have to cross them on foot. It is recommended to keep a spare sandal in order not to have moist feet. The trail first climbs to an altitude of 4085 meters and then further descends gradually to your final destination. Once downhill bound you will walk through gorges with views of snow-clad mountains on both ends. Lookout for the views of Mount Kanjirowa and Sonam Kang. Finally, through the bushes and scrub trees, you will reach your final destination of the forest camp. An underdeveloped camp, which is also known as Chunemba, lies in the middle of a blue pine forest. Overnight in the forest camp.

Day 09: Forest camp (3730 m) - Kang da la low camp (4400 m) (6-7hrs)

The walk on this day is amazing. Right after forest camp, you will once again ascend but is not arduous as compared to the days that we spent on our way up or as days to come. Again, we would time and again cross the river and sometimes waist-deep. Depending on the conditions, we may take a packed lunch as the condition on this day does not support the crew to cook lunch in between. Most of the time, we remain along the Pisten River and we camp our tents at around 4400 meters on the shore of the same.

Day 10: Kang Da La Low Camp (4400 m) - Shey Gompa (4310 m) via Nagda La (5350 m)

This is going to be a long day and on a high altitude. Right from the beginning you need to be careful about the symptoms of altitude sickness although you would be properly acclimatized by now. Right from the beginning the walk is going to be strenuous and the walk is over a sandy path with a high possibility of legs sliding. After crossing the path, we walk over 4 hours to reach our final destination of Shey Gompa. Shey is regarded as the highest pilgrimage for Buddhists. Overnight in Shey Gompa.

Day 11: Shey Gompa (4310 m) (Rest day)

This mecca of Buddhism is worth spending a day and exploring. Shey Gompa is believed to have divine power and holds one of the most expensive statues. Along with Shey, there are 2 other sights worth exploring and they are Kagyupa Sect Gompa as well as the hermitage at Thaksang. There are several legends behind the erection of this shrine. However, this is considered one of the holiest regions and this is the reason why killing or slaughtering any animal is prohibited. This could be one of the reasons why you would witness blue sheep, yaks and even snow leopards. Overnight in Shey Gompa.

Day 12: Shey Gompa (4310 m) - Namgung (4430 m) via Shey La (5010 m) 6 - 7 hrs

A day in Shey Gompa works like a charm when you have to cross another pass back to back. On this day you will cross another pass to reach the final destination of the day. You embark on a very muddy trail in the beginning which inclines gradually. Slowly, time and again, the trail becomes steep as well as easy. After this repetitive process for around 3 hours, you drop down to a gorge with the Shallow River from where you climb on a dry rock to the Shey la pass. From the pass, you steeply descend through the trails which surprisingly are surrounded by colorful flowers sprouting from rocky ground. From here you will walk along Namga Khola for around another 3 hours to reach the campsite of Namgung. Overnight in Namgung.

Day 13: Namgung (4430 m) - Saldang (4060 m) 3-4 hrs

From Namgung we start ascending to a hilltop for around two hours which showcases beautiful green mountains in the distance. Once on the top, the way down is an easy stroll. Saldang is a very large settlement in comparison to other settlements in the region. This village has very fertile land and people harvest barley, potatoes and wheat. The village also houses a school, health post and a campsite with running water. This village also has a beautiful gumba namely Samiye Choying Gompa which is also the oldest gumba in the region and older than Shey Gompa. Overnight in Saldang.

Day 14: Saldang (4060 m) - Chagaon (3840 m) 4 hrs

You head out of Saldang on a comparatively easy trail and through sparse villages. Further down the road, you would reach a gorge and from where you will see dense fields of local barley. Once in Rakhyo, which usually is our lunch stop, you will see thorny junipers. Now, from here on, you will be walking on the trail that is used for trade with Tibet. The locals trade Yarsagumba with food, clothes and other household necessities. Just 3 hours from Saldang is Chagaon and this campsite can be easily spotted because of the gompa located by the shore of the river. Overnight in Chagaon.

Day 15: Chagaon (3840 m) - Jayanta La base camp (4550 m)

Leaving the villages and the vegetation behind, we follow the trail along the river into a gorge. Most of the time, the trail is very gradual until a point from where the trail becomes very stiff. We have our lunch at some barren cliff with no or very little vegetation before heading to Jayanta La base camp. This is the highest point of the trek that you will ever accommodate, throughout the Dolpo Circuit Trek to Shey Gompa. We call it a night in around 3-4 hours of walk and be prepared for a long next day. Overnight in Jayanta La base camp

Day 16: Jayanta La Base Camp (4550 m) - Tokyu (4210 m) via Jayanta La (5220 m)

You would begin your day by climbing a 500 meter ascends which would take around 2 hours. Once you reach the top of the pass you will start descending on an easy gradient for around 1 ½ hours to an end where you will see deposits of rocks and sand. From here the trail becomes easier. You further cross a river and then the walls of the trails open slowly and get wider and you will notice prayer flags and mani walls on either side. These indicate the arrival of Tokyu after walking for another hour and a half. Overnight in Tokyu.

Day 17: Tokyu (4210 m) - Dho Tarap (4080 m) 2 - 3 hrs

From Tokyu, the trail is almost horizontal and easy and an hour from here is a small settlement of Takshi. From Takshi, Dho Tarap is a mere 1 hour. Dho is considered the highest permanent settlement at an altitude of 4080 meters. People here in Dho still follow centuries-old culture and trends. As a part of culture, people still build their living space under the ground, whereas, only the tip of the house is seen above the ground. Dho is also the meeting point of trails that lead to Jomsom, Upper Mustang and Tibet. Overnight in Dho.

Day 18: Dho Tarap (4080 m) - Toltol (3523 m) 6 - 7 hrs

We embark on the same trail that we left on the previous day. Right after Dho, the trail leads into a windy gorge. The trail in the beginning is almost flat but we slowly and gradually start climbing on a steep rocky cliff. From the top, you can see the river changing course and making its way through the gorges and at times it even vanishes in between cliffs rising on either side. You will also come across some narrow valleys and if fortunate witness tents of horse caravans. However, you will walk further down to open junctions which are often used as rest areas for yaks and mules. One of these junctions is our destination of the day namely Toltol. Overnight in Toltol.

 Day 19: Toltol (3523 m) - Laina odar (3370 m) 6 - 7 hrs

From Toltol we reach Tangum, a meeting point of two rivers and a campsite. From here the trail inclines to 3800 meters, from where the river below is just a beautiful music. Once you begin your descent you will witness the sudden change in vegetation and from dry arid land you will witness pine trees. These pine trees in a matter of hours became pine forests. After around 3-4 hours of descending through beautiful gorges and a couple of waterfalls landing directly on the trail, you reach Laina Odar. Overnight in Laina Odar.

Day 20: Laina odar (3370 m) - Dunai(2390 m) 6 -7 hrs

You will be happy to walk most of the time on a horizontal surface and through the moist vegetation. There are lots of villages that you will walk through. These villages are very near each other and separated by only a narrow gap. From the first village of Tarakot, you will walk on the shore of the river. From here on, the trail sometimes climbs to the top of the hill and sometimes drops down to the river beds. Once crossing the village of Sahar Tara, you will directly stop in a well-facilitated town and headquarters of the Dolpa region namely Dunai. Overnight in Dunai.

Day 21: Dunai (2140 m) - Juphal (2475 m) 3 - 4 hrs

On the very last day of the trek, we are bound to walk uphill as Juphal is located on higher grounds when compared with Dunai. From Dunai the first two hours are almost horizontal and after that, it is a steep ascend for around another 2 hours. Once in Juphal we call it a night and catch a morning flight bound for Nepalgunj. Overnight in Juphal.

Day 22: Juphal - Nepalgunj - Kathmandu

You will board an early morning flight from Juphal to Nepalgunj. Later that day, you will board another flight from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu. Once in Kathmandu, we will transfer you to your hotel. In the evening, one last time, we will gather for a farewell dinner and over the dinner we will talk about the trek and your experience in Nepal.

Day 23: Farewell

Your Upper Dolpa circuit to Shey Gompa trek officially comes to an end when we drop you off at the airport.

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