Dolpo is a remote high altitude region in Dolpa district, Karnali Province, in northwest Nepal, close to the border with Tibet. It is Nepal's largest district by area at 7,889 square kilometers, but one of the least populated, with around 40,000 people living across the whole district. Dolpo is a restricted area, which means trekkers cannot enter on a normal trekking permit alone. This area was closed to outsiders for a long time and only opened to foreign trekkers in 1989, and it still requires a special Restricted Area Permit along with a licensed guide to trek here. Because entry is controlled and so few visitors come here each year, the local Tibetan Buddhist culture, language, and way of life have stayed almost unchanged. Dolpo sits inside Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal's largest national park, where snow leopards, blue sheep, and musk deer live. The park is also home to Shey Phoksundo Lake, Nepal's deepest lake, sitting at 3,611 meters.
At Thamel Travels and Tours, we offer two Dolpo region trekking packages, Upper Dolpo Trek and Lower Dolpo Trek, each with its own best viewpoints. On the Upper Dolpo Trek, Kang La Pass at 5,306 meters gives wide views of the Dhaulagiri range and the Tibetan plateau, before the trail reaches the centuries old Shey Gompa monastery and Dho Tarap valley, one of the highest villages in the world at 4,080 meters. On the Lower Dolpo Trek, Numa La Pass at 5,309 meters and Baga La Pass at 5,169 meters are the top viewpoints, both looking out over the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges, while Ringmo village gives a calmer view straight down onto Phoksundo Lake. Since Dolpo sits in the rain shadow of the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges, the skies here often stay clear even during the monsoon, when most of Nepal is getting heavy rain. Our team takes care of the restricted area permit, National Park permit, and a licensed guide for every Dolpo trek, and we plan each route with safe acclimatization and clear communication from booking to the trail, so you know exactly what to expect at every stage.
