Trekking em Upper Dolpo Shey Phoksundo National Park

For my first solo trek, I chose to travel with Three Jewels Adventures in April 2026 for a Lower Dolpo / Phoksundo Lake trek in Nepal. Before booking, I requested quotations from three different agencies. Based on the communication, responsiveness, and overall pricing, I decided to go with Three Jewels Adventures. As a woman travelling alone and visiting Nepal for the first time, it was important for me to feel reassured that the agency was reliable and professional. Amber and Mani were always responsive by both email and phone, and communication throughout the process was smooth and clear. About the trek itself: I would describe it as moderate rather than difficult. I was not particularly physically prepared and have an average hiking pace, but I still managed well. There are some challenging sections, especially because the terrain is very dry and dusty, but overall it was manageable and enjoyable. There are no foreigners tourists there, 100% of the people are met were local tourists and there were only a handful of them. One thing to know is that the first days are mostly about reaching the region itself. The dramatic mountain scenery comes later in the journey. Personally, I found the beginning of the trek less interesting visually, but once reaching the higher areas around Ringmo and Phoksundo Lake, the landscape became absolutely stunning. My original itinerary was: 29 March: Arrival in Kathmandu Greeted by Amber and Pemba, my guide for the trip 30 March: Fly to Nepalgunj 31 March: Fly to Juphal Flight got cancel due to weather so we had to take a jeep for 12 hours Meet porter staff and trek to Kageni (4hr) and rest at local tea house. 01 April: Trekking to Chepka (4-5hr), rest at local tea house 02 April: Trekking to Jharana hotel (4-5hr), and rest at local teahouse 03 April: Trekking to Ringmo village (4-5hr) and rest at local lodge or homestay 04 April: Rest day – visit the lake side, monastery and local monuments related to Bon and Buddhist faith 05 April: Hike toward upper Dolpo along the lake side towards a vantage point from where most of the Y shaped lake can be views with Mt. Nurbu Khang on the backdrop and return to Ringmo (4-5hr) 06 April: Trekking down to Chhepka, and rest (6-7hr) 07 April: Trekking to Dunai via Suligad ghat. (6-7hr) 08 April: Trekking to Juphal (approx. 4hr) 09 April: Fly back to Nepalgunj Fly back to Kathmandu 10 April: Kathmandu valley sightseeing Visit with Mani which I loved, Kathmandu deserves to be visited for it's cultural sites and artisanal work 11 April: Departure During the trip, I personally felt that some parts of the itinerary were slightly repetitive and included more rest time than necessary for my own travel style. In the end, we adapted the schedule and returned to Juphal faster than initially planned. We spent two nights in Ringmo, explored the lake, monastery, and viewpoints toward Upper Dolpo, before trekking back down toward Juphal. Then, travelled by jeep to Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha near the Indian border, which ended up being a very interesting addition to the journey. Nepal itself was quite different from what I expected. I was surprised by the amount of rubbish in some areas, and honestly the first days were not easy for me. However, the further you go into the mountains, the more nature takes over and the more special the experience becomes. If I could suggest one improvement, it would be for the agency to provide more guidance beforehand regarding the different Dolpo options and pacing. Looking back, I think I would either have shortened the trip slightly if only visiting Phoksundo, or alternatively committed to a longer full Lower Dolpo circuit. Since travelling from far away and leaving my children behind was emotionally challenging, I wanted to make the most of the experience. That said, I still had a very positive experience with Three Jewels Adventures. Pemba, my guide, was truly lovely and very caring throughout the trip. You could clearly feel that he genuinely enjoys what he does and pays attention to all the small details that make a difference during a trek. Another important point: for the package offered, all expenses within Nepal were included (hotels, domestic flights, meals, transportation, etc.), so there were no hidden costs during the trip. Overall, I would recommend Three Jewels Adventures, especially for travellers looking for a serious and trustworthy local agency with good communication and caring guides.

We had only two weeks to go and Amber adjusted for us this trip. We asked him we wanted non-touristic area with culture experience. We did lower Dolpo your with two passes (5100/5400m) on the way for 14/15 days. Finally it was exactly, even more than we could waiting for. Our guides were nice, helping, friendly with always positive attitude. We were very well treated, with daily tea time, various delicious food (thank you Pemba!). No mental charge for us so we were totally opened to contemplation. Phoksundo lake, villages, mountains, landscape... Were precious beauty to handle. We had as well very pleasant time with local people, very open to share, dance, laugh...it was my childhood dream coming true. Simply. I recommend this tour +++ and will go again with Three jewels for the next tour in Nepal for sure.