Fly in the morning through the Himalayan foothills to the airstrip at Juphal. Meet your Sherpa guide, cook, and mule/porter support team. Descend through terraced hillside fields to the Thuli Bheri riverbank, following the wide valley eastward to Dunai, the administrative center of Dolpa.

Cross the suspension bridge over the Thuli Bheri and head north, registering your national park entry pass at Sulighat. Walk alongside the rushing Suli Gad through forests of blue pine, spruce, and bamboo, crossing cantilever bridges over river rapids to arrive at Chhepka.

Ascend the forested river canyon through birch and cedar woodlands, crossing the Suli Gad repeatedly. Pass through the settlement of Rechi for lunch and continue to Chunuwar. Visit the traditional Tibetan Amchi herbal medicine clinic and explore the local Bonpo monastery.

Climb steep switchbacks through cedar groves to a ridge viewpoint overlooking Nepal's highest waterfall (167 m). Catch your first sight of the turquoise lake before descending gently into the Tibetan-origin village of Ringmo. Set up camp directly on the pristine shores of Shey Phoksundo Lake.

Spend the day resting and adapting to the elevation. Walk along the western shore, tour the ancient Tshowa Bon Gompa on a cliff above the lake, and absorb the pre-Buddhist Bonpo religious rituals, murals, and carved Mani stones in Ringmo.

Follow the cliffside 'Devil's Trail' carved into vertical rock faces rising directly out of Phoksundo Lake. Cross the lake's northern floodplain and follow the glacial Phoksundo Khola through birch and blue pine woods to set up camp at Sallaghari.

Leave the forested valley, climbing through a steep rocky gorge into the high alpine zone. The route crosses loose scree slopes and glacial streams beneath towering cliffs. Establish a high camp at the base of the pass at Phoksundo Bhanjyang.

Start before dawn to cross Kang La Pass (5,360 m) over steep scree and snow tracks. From the prayer-flag crest, take in sweeping views of the barren Tibetan plateau and the peaks of Inner Dolpo. Descend the northern valley past grazing yaks to the legendary Shey Gompa (Crystal Monastery).

Explore the 11th-century Shey Gompa, housing sacred scroll paintings, antique statues, and texts of the Kagyu sect. Observe the sacred Crystal Mountain (Shel-ri), a site for Buddhist pilgrims who complete a holy circuit (kora) around its base.

Trek east through an arid canyon, climbing the steady switchbacks of Sela La Pass (5,094 m). Savor panoramas stretching to Dhaulagiri and Mustang before descending across wind-swept pastures into the secluded canyon hamlet of Namgung.

Follow the high desert trail contouring above the Namga Khola, climbing rolling slopes with open views across the trans-Himalayan plateau. Descend into Saldang, the largest and most prosperous agricultural village in Upper Dolpo, with whitewashed stone houses and terraced barley fields.

Embark on a side-excursion along the northern trading trail toward the Tibetan border. Visit Yangze Gompa, one of the oldest Bonpo monasteries in Dolpo, housing ancient frescoes and statues. Return in the afternoon along the valley to Saldang.

Leave Saldang and head south along the riverbed through terraced fields, stupas, and Mani walls. Climb past the small settlement of Namdo before ascending a gentle eastern slope to the cliffside village of Komash to set up camp.

Trek through wild scrub and rocky ridgelines where blue sheep and snow leopard tracks are frequently spotted. Cross a minor ridge pass and descend into the Panjyang valley floor to the shaded riverside village of Shimen.

Walk along the wide Panjyang Khola river valley, passing ancient chortens and stone irrigation channels. Arrive in the large settlement of Tinje, which features extensive open grasslands historically used as airfields for trans-Himalayan supply flights.

Leave the main river system and branch southwest into the high alpine grazing pastures of Jeng La Phedi. Ascend alongside rocky stream banks past seasonal yak-herders' summer camps to pitch tents beneath the pass.

An early morning push up the steep switchback slopes of Jeng La Pass (5,110 m). The summit delivers views across the Dhaulagiri massif. Descend into the Tarap Valley, passing through the monastery settlement of Tokyu.

A short downhill walk down the flat valley floor to Dho Tarap—one of the highest permanently inhabited valley systems on Earth. Spend the afternoon visiting local Bon and Sakya Buddhist gompas and interacting with the resident Dolpo-pa communities.

Begin descending the deep, dramatic Tarap river canyon. The trail narrows into a gorge carved straight into vertical cliffs high above the roaring water. Cross steel bridges over narrow chasms to pitch camp at Kamakharka.

Continue descending the steep gorge as the arid desert climate gives way to pine, juniper, and wild rose forests. Cross suspension bridges over cascading waterfalls to reach the riverside village of Khanigaon.

Follow the river trail down through cedar woods to the historic fortress town of Tarakot. Cross the suspension bridge over the Thuli Bheri river and trace its banks past agricultural villages back to Dunai.

Climb out of the valley floor through terraced farming communities to the airstrip town of Juphal. Celebrate the completion of the 24-day Upper Dolpo circuit with your expedition guide, cook, and porter team.

Catch an early flight from Juphal to Nepalgunj, followed by a connecting flight back to Kathmandu. Meet our transfer vehicle for private hotel drop-off, concluding the Upper Dolpo expedition.