Upper Dolpo vs Lower Dolpo: Which Dolpo Trek to Choose

Dolpo, in Nepal's far west, is one of the least-visited trekking regions in the country. It lies behind the Dhaulagiri and Kanjiroba ranges, in a rain shadow, and has Bon and Buddhist villages, high passes and almost no roads. There are two main ways to trek it. Lower Dolpo is a two-week loop through the Tarap valley to Phoksundo Lake. Upper Dolpo is a three-week journey that carries on north of Phoksundo to Shey Gompa and Saldang.

Short answer: choose Lower Dolpo if you have two weeks and want Phoksundo Lake, the Tarap valley and two high passes for a permit bill of about US$57. Choose Upper Dolpo if you have three weeks, are comfortable camping, and want the remote north, Shey Gompa and the Crystal Mountain country, and can budget about US$632 in permits.

Every figure below comes from our Upper Dolpo and Lower Dolpo trek pages, which were checked against the Nepal Tourism Board's fee tables and published route descriptions. Fees change, so confirm them with your agency before you pay.

Upper Dolpo and Lower Dolpo at a glance

The NPR 5,000 in both totals is the Shey-Phoksundo National Park fee (NPR 3,000) plus the TIMS card (NPR 2,000). Dollar figures are converted at about NPR 154 per US dollar.

The routes

Lower Dolpo: Tarap valley and Phoksundo Lake

From Juphal the trail follows the Thuli Bheri river to Dunai and Tarakot, then climbs a long gorge to Dho Tarap, a cluster of stone villages and gompas at around 4,000 m. After an acclimatisation day there, the route crosses Numa La and Baga La on consecutive days. Both are above 5,000 m and are the crux of the trek. It then drops through birch and juniper to Ringmo on the shore of Phoksundo Lake, and walks back out to Juphal.

Upper Dolpo: Phoksundo, Shey Gompa and the north

Upper Dolpo goes the other way round and much further. From Juphal it follows the Suli Gad valley to Phoksundo Lake, then heads up the Phoksundo Khola and over Kang La to Shey Gompa, the Crystal Monastery. From Shey it crosses Saldang La to the villages of Namduna and Saldang, loops east and south over Jeng La into the Tarap valley, and returns to Dunai. North of Phoksundo the country turns high and dry, with wide barley fields and long stretches with no settlement at all. Days often run above 4,000 m.

So Upper Dolpo sees almost everything Lower Dolpo does, Phoksundo and Tarap included, and adds the whole northern half of the region.

Permits and what they cost

Both routes are restricted areas. A registered trekking agency applies for the permit at the Department of Immigration, and a licensed guide must walk with you. You cannot buy the permit yourself. Since 22 March 2026 one trekker can hold a restricted-area permit alone; before that, applications needed at least two people.

The difference is how the restricted fee is charged:

• Upper Dolpo costs US$50 per person for every day inside the restricted zone. On a standard itinerary that is about 12 days, from the Phoksundo Khola to Dho Tarap, so about US$600. A day lost to weather inside the zone adds another US$50, so agree the full itinerary before the permit is issued.
• Lower Dolpa (the official spelling) costs US$20 for the first week, then US$5 for each further week. A two-week circuit pays US$25.

Both routes also need the Shey-Phoksundo National Park fee (NPR 3,000, about US$19) and a TIMS card (NPR 2,000, about US$13). Both are on the Nepal Tourism Board's list of routes that need a TIMS card and a licensed guide.

Going only to Phoksundo Lake? You still need a restricted-area permit. The Lower Dolpa zone covers Thuli Bheri municipality, which includes Dunai and the approach to the lake, so an out-and-back walk from Juphal to Ringmo needs the Lower Dolpa permit too.

Our Nepal trekking permits guide lists every rate and the totals for all our treks.

How hard are they?

Lower Dolpo is demanding but short. The two passes come after only a few nights at altitude, and the climbs are long on rough trail. Neither is technical, but you need good fitness, and snow can make them harder early and late in the season. The acclimatisation day in Dho Tarap matters.

Upper Dolpo is one of the harder treks in Nepal. It means three weeks on foot, several days above 4,000 m and two passes over 5,000 m, with long, cold days and simple camp food. Rest days at Phoksundo, Shey Gompa and Dho Tarap help with the altitude. It suits trekkers who have already done a multi-day high-altitude trek and are comfortable camping.

Camping, lodges and phone signal

Neither route is a teahouse trek in the Everest or Annapurna sense. On Upper Dolpo your team carries tents, a kitchen, food and fuel for most of the trek, with porters or mules. On Lower Dolpo you can sleep in lodges in Dunai and Ringmo and in homestays in some villages, but most nights between Dho Tarap and Phoksundo are spent camping.

Dunai has mobile coverage and electricity, and Ringmo has limited service. In the Tarap valley, on the passes and across the north there is little or no signal. Carry a power bank and expect to be out of contact for days at a time.

When to go

Dolpo lies in the rain shadow of the Dhaulagiri range, so it stays relatively dry during the summer monsoon, when most of Nepal is wet. That makes both treks possible from about May to October, and summer is when the high passes are most reliably open. Spring and autumn bring clearer skies. From late autumn to spring, snow can close Kang La, Jeng La, Numa La and Baga La. Our month-by-month guide shows how Dolpo compares with the rest of Nepal.

Getting there: the Juphal flight

Both treks start and finish at Juphal. You fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj (about an hour), usually overnight there, then take a 35–45 minute flight on a small plane to Juphal. These flights are often delayed or cancelled by weather, and the airstrip occasionally closes, so leave two or three spare days at the end of the trip and avoid tight international connections. Roads via Jumla or Dunai exist but are long and seasonal.

Which should you choose?

• You have two weeks or less: Lower Dolpo. Upper Dolpo needs at least three.
• Your budget is tight: Lower Dolpo. Its permits cost about a tenth of Upper Dolpo's.
• You want Shey Gompa and the remote north: only Upper Dolpo goes there.
• You'd rather sleep indoors where you can: Lower Dolpo has more lodge and homestay nights.
• This is your first high-altitude trek: neither is ideal. Consider a teahouse trek first, or talk to a guide about whether Lower Dolpo's passes suit you.

Two other routes also enter Dolpo: the Dolpo and Mustang trek, which crosses from Dolpo into Mustang, and the Rara Lake and Dolpo trek. All of them are listed on the Dolpa region page.

Finding a guide for Dolpo

Both treks need a licensed guide and an agency for the permit. Every guide on xTrekka has had their trekking licence and citizenship document checked by our team before their profile goes live. Browse guides by region and language, read reviews from trekkers they've led, and write to the guide directly to ask how they run the camping stretch, the passes and the flight back-up plan. You agree the route, dates and price with them, and xTrekka takes no cut of a trek you arrange that way.

Sources

• Nepal Tourism Board: restricted-area permits, park entry fees, TIMS card and guide requirement
• TAAN: trekking permit fees
• Kathmandu Post: solo trekkers in restricted areas, March 2026
• Nepal Rastra Bank: reference exchange rates
• Route descriptions: Third Rock Adventures, Upper Dolpo, kimkim, Upper Dolpo, Best Treks Nepal, Lower Dolpo, North Nepal Trek, Lower Dolpa
• Upper Dolpo distance: Himalayan Masters, Glorious Himalaya, Himalayan Ecological Trek
• Juphal flights: Onlinekhabar

Last checked 16 October 2026.