“The offbeat trek in Dolpo that treads on one of the least frequented trails of Dolpo, the West Dolpo Trek has not less amazing highlights than any other trekking adventures of Dolpo.”

The West Dolpo Trek with Explore Dolpo begins at Juphal, the ancient trading town in Lower Dolpo. Heading west of this fascinating district in the wild west of Nepal, the trek winds through several rural villages and highly revered Hindu Temple of Tripura Sundari.

As this wonderful trek in Dolpo goes further, it begins to gain elevation, which goes as high as the top of Kagmara Pass. The major challenge of West Dolpo Trek- Kagmara Pass leads us to the most beautiful lake in Nepal- Phoksundo. After Phoksundo, the West Dolpo Trek ends at Juphal via Chhepka.

The adventurous trek in Dolpo, West Dolpo Trek is a moderately challenging trek in Dolpo that caters the wonders of barren landscapes, the Himalayan panorama include Kanjiroba and Dhaulagiri and the cultural diversity include Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism and Bon Buddhism.

West Dolpo Trek with us is a fifteen days absolute adventure walking into the world’s one of the few least trodden trails.

Outline Itinerary

Day 01:Arrival in Kathmandu
Day 02:Kathmandu to Nepalgunj/ flight
Day 03:Nepalgunj to Juphal/ flight and camp at Tripurakot (2100m)/ 4 hrs
Day 04:Tripurakot to Kaliban/ 6hrs
Day 05:Kaliban to Kaigaon Village/ 7hrs
Day 06:Kaigaon Village to Toijem – Phoksundo National Park Post
Day 07:Toijem to Kagmara Base camp
Day 08:Kagmara Base Camp to Yak Kharka Camp / 6hrs Crossing Kagmara Pass (5115m)
Day 09:Yak Kharka to Pungmo Village/ 4 hrs
Day 10:Pungmo Village to Phoksundo lake/ 5 hrs
Day 11:Phoksundo Lake – rest day
Day 12:Phoksundo Lake to Chhepka
Day 13:Chhepka to Juphal
Day 14:Juphal to Nepalgunj/ flight and Nepalgunj to Kathmandu/ flight
Day 15:Depart Kathmandu

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu
As you fly into Kathmandu, the views of snow-capped mountain peaks greet you. A representative and driver from our office will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. The representative will help you check into your designated hotel. At the hotel you will be briefed about your daily activities.

Day 02: Kathmandu to Nepalgunj/ flight
From Kathmandu we take a bus or fly on any domestic carrier to Nepalgunj. Nepalgunj , a town in the western Terai , is very close to the Indian border and the Bardia Nationl Park. It is a major transport hub for western, mid-western and far-western regions of Nepal. Overnight at hotel or lodge.

 Day 03: Nepalgunj to Juphal/ flight and camp at Tripurakot (2100m)/ 4 hrs

Today we take a 35 minutes long flight to Juphal .Our trekking starts from Juphal .We follow the trail on the banks of the Thulo Bheri river till we reach Tibrikot, a village with an important Hindu shrine. Tibrikot is an old fortress town overlooking the Thulo Bheri Valley. The houses have carved wooden windows and a large shrine and temple is dedicated to the goddess Tripura Sundari Devi. We set up camp at Tibrikot.

Day 04: Tripurakot to Kaliban/ 6hrs
Today we hike up a treeless uninhabited ridge. On the way we pass through Para and a few small villages.We ascend up till we reach a forested area known as Kaliban, our camp for the night.

Day 05: Kaliban to Kaigaon Village/ 7hrs
From Kaliban we trek to Kaigaon village.The village has a veterinary station for cattle, a bhatti and shops.In this village the Hindu Chettri people practice Tibetan Buddhism and festoon their houses with prayer flags like the Buddhists.

Day 06: Kaigaon Village to Toijem – Phoksundo National Park Post
We trek on the west bank of the Bheri River, passing Hurikot to a sign which says the entrance to Shey Phoksundo National Park. The trail stays high above the river to the confluence where the Jagdula and Garpung rivers join to form the Bheri. We cross the Jagdula Khola and camp near the army post at Toijem (2920m).

 Day 07: Toijem to Kagmara Base camp
We follow the trail up the western side of the Garpung Khola to about 3650m, then cross to the eastern side and continue upstream. The valley narrows and the river becomes a series of waterfalls as the trail climbs to a moraine at 3900m.We make a camp at an elevation of about 4000m.The panoramic views of the peaks are sensational. Wildflowers abound and birds like snow pigeons, redstarts, ravens and griffons can be sighted.

 Day 08: Kagmara Base Camp to Yak Kharka Camp / 6hrs Crossing Kagmara Pass (5115m)

We start early and climb alongside the Kagmara glacier to the Kagmara Pass at 5115m., then descend about 900m alongside a stream to a camp on pastures in the Pungmo Khola valley.There are sweeping scree slopes and massive rock formations. We get spectacular views of the Kagmara Himal, Daulagiri, the Annapurnas, La Shamma and other snow-peaks, a fitting reward for our climb. We descend to a grazing ground called Yak Karka.

 Day 09: Yak Kharka to Pungmo Village/ 4 hrs
Today we follow a trail that stays high above the stream, which eventually becomes the Pungmo khola. The route enters birch and juniper forests. It gives way to blue pine as the trail crosses the river on a wooden bridge. There are views of the Kanjiroba peak in the horizon above the barley fields of Pungmo,a fortress like village. We camp at this village.

 Day 10: Pungmo Village to Phoksundo lake/ 5 hrs
From Pungmo village we continue downstream to the national park headquarters at Shumduwa. From here we follow the trail up the Phoksundo khola to Phoksundo Lake. We cross picturesque alpine meadows, flowered pastures, rivers, natural springs and soaring mountain views.

Day 11: Phoksundo Lake – rest day
Today we explore the area around the magnificent Phoksundo Lake. The lake is famous for its magnificent turquoise color and spectacular scenery. Ringmo village, which looks like a typical Tibetan village, is scenically nestled in the area. Many beautiful glaciers can be found near and above the lake area. There are many monasteries (Gompas ) and Bon-po religious sites at the park and we spend our time visiting some of these. The most famous, Shey Gompa was established in the 11th Century. Thashung Gompa located near Phoksundo Lake

 Day 12: Phoksundo Lake to Chhepka
After an insightful visit we leave Phoksundo and make our way towards Chhepka.The trail goes down hill through a narrow gorge of Suligad River. We pass Gurung and Tibetan villages surrounded by beautiful fields.

 Day 13: Chhepka to Juphal
Trek from Chhepka to Dunai (2150m.) takes about five hours. We trek along a gentle ascent path until we reach Raktang. On the way you come across forests covered by pine, oak, juniper, rhododendron, bamboo and other natural vegetation rich in wildlife. After leaving Raktang, we go down steeply for a few hours till our trail moves along a flat land. En route we cross several terraces, villages rich in typical culture, check post and grass land. Dunai is the headquarters of Dolpa. There are administrative offices, lodges, hotels, tea houses, market and many other places to be visited. We trek a few more hours to reach Juphal , our stop.

 Day 14: Juphal to Nepalgunj/ flight and Nepalgunj to Kathmandu/ flight
From Juphal we fly to Nepalganj and then finally to Kathmandu.

 Day 15: Depart Kathmandu
Our representative will drive you to the airport for your return flight