Districts
Karnali Province
Dolpa डोल्पा
Shey Phoksundo Lake, Dolpo trek, Crystal Mountain
Dolpa is Nepal's largest district by area, a remote high-altitude region behind the main Himalaya. It contains Shey Phoksundo — the country's deepest lake — and the trans-Himalayan Dolpo culture made famous by the film Himalaya. Trekking here is wild, restricted and rewarding.
About Dolpa
Dolpa is Nepal's largest district by area, a high, arid plateau country behind the main Himalayan chain that holds Shey Phoksundo — Nepal's deepest lake, its turquoise water sitting at 3,611 metres inside the Shey Phoksundo National Park. Trekkers divide the region into Lower Dolpo, which circles the lake and is relatively accessible, and Upper Dolpo, a wilder journey that passes Crystal Mountain, the monastery at Shey, and the high settlements of the Tarap valley at over 4,000 metres, crossing passes above 5,000 metres.
The people of Dolpo — Kaike and Tibetan-speaking communities — practise Bon, the pre-Buddhist faith of Tibet, giving the region a spiritual character unlike anywhere else in Nepal; its monasteries, some dating to the eleventh century, are still active. Upper Dolpo requires a restricted-area permit that is among the most expensive in Nepal, and group travel is compulsory; be prepared for multi-week itineraries, limited resupply, and schedules dictated entirely by weather and pass conditions.
At a glance
- Headquarters
- Dunai
- Known for
- Shey Phoksundo Lake, Dolpo trek, Crystal Mountain
Getting there
Nepalgunj is the gateway: fly there from Kathmandu (about an hour), then take a 35–45 minute flight on to Juphal Airport, near Dunai, on Tara Air or Nepal Airlines. Flights are weather-dependent and cancel often; allow spare days. A restricted-area permit is required for Upper Dolpo and must be arranged before travel.