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Phoksundo Lake in Dolpo

Western Nepal (Dolpo)

Phoksundo Lake

A week in Dolpo: from Juphal airstrip to Ringmo and Phoksundo Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in the Himalaya, staying in lodges and with no special permit.

  • Walking days 7 days
  • Highest point 3,680 m
  • Level Challenging
  • Permits 5,000 NPR (≈ €29)
  • Start Nepalgunj
  • Mandatory guide, checks vary

At a glance

From Juphal, you descend to Dunai, then head up the Suli Gad valley via Chhepka and Rechi to the great Phoksundo waterfall (167 m) and the Bön village of Ringmo, on the shore of Phoksundo Lake (3,611 m), an unreal turquoise blue.

The lake can be done in lodges, with no special permit. Beyond it, Lower Dolpo (Dho Tarap, Numa La and Baga La passes) requires a special permit and several nights camping.

Highlights

  • Phoksundo Lake, turquoise and 136 m deep
  • The 167 m waterfall, the highest in Nepal
  • Ringmo and the Bön monastery of Tshowa
  • Dolpo, a very rarely visited region, sheltered from the monsoon

Drawbacks

  • Nepalgunj–Juphal flights are expensive and often cancelled
  • Basic accommodation; little mobile signal
  • Beyond the lake, camping and a special permit (Lower Dolpo)

In pictures

The turquoise waters of Phoksundo Lake
The lake from above, towards Ringmo

Route

Out and back from Juphal via Dunai, Chhepka and Rechi, with a full day at the lake.

7 daysof walking
3,680 mhighest point
85 kmD+ 2,880 m D− 2,860 m
JuphalStart and finish
SulighatPhoksundo FallsRechiJuphal — 2,475 mDunai — 2,140 mChhepka — 2,700 mRingmo — 3,640 mTshowa — 3,680 mJuphal — Start: Juphal · Finish: JuphalJuphalTshowa 3,680 mDunaiChhepkaRingmoSulighatPhoksundo FallsRechiAirstrip — JuphalStart : JuphalStartFinish : JuphalFinishN
  • Airstrip
  • Chosen route
  • Other possible trails
  • Possible start or finish

Drag the “Start” and “Finish” labels to another served point, or tap a point. The “+” buttons add a side trip. Zoom with + and − (or Ctrl + scroll wheel), then drag the map to move around.

How do I use it in a hiking app?

The file contains the route you chose on the map (start, finish, side trips), with altitude, and a marker for each night, pass and viewpoint.

  • Organic Maps or Maps.me (free, offline): download the Nepal map before you leave, then open the GPX file from your phone and choose the app.
  • OsmAnd: menu “My places” → “Tracks” → “Import”.
  • Komoot, Gaia GPS, Wikiloc, Garmin: use the app's or website's “Import a GPX file” feature.

With no signal, your phone's GPS still works: you can see your position on the track. The track is indicative: on the ground, waymarks and advice from the lodges come first.

Itinerary
  1. D 0Juphal2,475 m
  2. D 1Dunai2,140 m−335 m10 km60 m460 m
  3. D 2Chhepka via Sulighat2,700 m+560 m15 km710 m120 m
  4. D 3Rechi3,080 m+380 m9 km530 m150 m
  5. D 4Ringmo via Phoksundo Falls3,640 m+560 m11 km730 m120 m
  6. D 5Ringmo via Tshowa 3,680 m rest and acclimatisation3,640 m±0 m3 km30 m30 m
  7. D 6Chhepka via Phoksundo Falls, Rechi2,700 m−940 m19 km280 m1,260 m
  8. D 7Juphal via Sulighat2,475 m−225 m19 km540 m720 m
Distances and elevation gain estimated from OpenStreetMap and a terrain model.
  • Juphal — Flight Nepalgunj → Juphal (25 to 45 min, ~200 to 220 USD (≈ €180 to €195)), around 6 am; frequent cancellations. Road possible as far as Dunai (bus from Nepalgunj, 1.5 days).
  • Juphal — Return the same way, then fly to Nepalgunj; keep a spare day.

Elevation

above 3,000 m: climb slowly1,0002,0003,0004,0005,000D 0 · Juphal — 2,475 mJuphal 2,475 mD 1 · Dunai — 2,140 mD 2 · Chhepka — 2,700 mD 3 · Rechi — 3,080 mD 4 · Ringmo — 3,640 mTshowa — 3,680 mTshowa 3,680 mD 5 · Ringmo — 3,640 m (rest and acclimatisation)D 6 · Chhepka — 2,700 mD 7 · Juphal — 2,475 mJuphal 2,475 mD 1234567
Altitude of each night, with the day's passes and viewpoints (red dots). Green dot: rest day.

Permits

The Shey-Phoksundo National Park entry fee. No special permit as far as the lake; Lower Dolpo, however, requires one: 20 USD (≈ €18) per person for the first week, then about 5 USD (≈ €4) per day, through a licensed agency and as a group.

National park

Shey-Phoksundo National Park

3,000 NPR (≈ €17)

At the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu or at the park entrance (Sulighat), in cash.

Trekker card

TIMS card

2,000 NPR (≈ €12)

Issued only by a licensed agency since April 2023: it goes hand in hand with hiring a guide. See the Guide and porter page.

The TIMS card is handled by the agency providing your guide. See Permits.

Guide

Mandatory guide, checks vary

A licensed guide has been mandatory in theory in national parks since 2023; enforcement on the way to the lake is uncertain.

See Guide and porter.

A guide for this trek? The Guides Nepal directory lists guides, porters and agencies who know this trek, with their licence checked, the languages they speak and traveller reviews.

See guides for this trek

Transport

Getting to the start

Nepalgunj → Juphal

Duration 25 to 45 minPrice ~200 to 220 USD (≈ €180 to €195)

Tara Air, Summit Air, Sita Air, Nepal Airlines; early-morning flights, frequent cancellations.

Getting back

Juphal → Nepalgunj

Duration 25 to 45 min

Same uncertainties as on the way out.

When to go

J: Not advisedF: Not advisedM: PossibleA: IdealM: IdealJ: PossibleJ: PossibleA: PossibleS: IdealO: IdealN: PossibleD: Not advised

IdealPossibleNot advised

April–June and September–November; Dolpo is partly sheltered from the monsoon.

Winter: snow, Ringmo lodges sometimes closed, flights heavily disrupted.

On the trail

AccommodationLodges in Dunai, Chhepka, Rechi and Ringmo.
BudgetAbout 25 to 40 USD (≈ €22 to €36) per day, excluding guide and flights.
MoneyWithdraw cash in Nepalgunj; the ATM in Dunai is unreliable.
Mobile signalRare after Dunai.

Good to know before you go

The lake is sacred to the Bön inhabitants: no swimming; in Ringmo, Bönpo walk around chortens anticlockwise.

What about the visa? A two-week trek plus a few days in Kathmandu and Pokhara quickly adds up to more than 15 days: get the 30-day visa. The calculator on our sister site Visa Nepal shows the cheapest length.

Which visa length?

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Preparing your trek

PermitsPrices, where to buy, documents needed, trek by trek.Guide and porterMandatory or not, region by region, and what it costs.TransportBuses, jeeps and flights to the start of each trek.Altitude and safetyAcclimatisation, altitude sickness, rescue, insurance.BudgetDaily costs, cash to bring, ATMs.FAQThe questions people ask before they go.