Turquoise mountain lake ringed by pine forest and autumn shrubs below snow peaks

Karnali Province

Sherpa Family Owned • NEPAL'S NORTHWEST

Rara Lake and Dolpo

Karnali is one of the least visited parts of Nepal, and that is a large part of its appeal. The province sits in Nepal's northwest, where the altitude is high and the villages are old. Rough roads now reach every district town, but most trails start where the road ends, and many trips begin with a small-aircraft flight. Rara Lake, Nepal's largest, sits at 2,990 meters in quiet pine forest, a few hours' walk from the nearest road. Shey Phoksundo, the country's deepest lake, is a deep turquoise. The cultures here, Tibetan-influenced and largely unchanged by tourism, are among the oldest in Nepal. We are one of the few operators who guide regularly in Karnali. The logistics are complex, and we handle all of them.

Karnali Province Trips

Two trips into Nepal's most remote province, where very few operators go and we guide regularly.

  • Rara Lake and surrounding hills, Nepal.

    16 DaysModerate

    16-Day Rara Lake Trek Far West Nepal

    Fly to Jumla and walk through the old Malla kingdom of Sinja to Rara, Nepal's largest lake, at 2,990m in the far northwest of the country.

    From $4,975 per person

  • Turquoise mountain lake ringed by pine forest and autumn shrubs below snow peaks

    29 DaysStrenuous

    29-Day Upper Dolpo Trek Nepal

    Fly to Juphal and walk past Phoksundo Lake, the deepest in Nepal, and over passes above 5,000m to Shey Gompa in restricted Upper Dolpo.

    From $7,475 per person

Things Guests Ask Before Booking

Real questions about Nepal's remote northwest.

  • For the quiet. Karnali holds Rara, Nepal's largest lake, and the high Dolpo plateau, and its trails see a fraction of the visitors the classic routes do.

  • Very remote. Access is by internal flight and the infrastructure is simple, which is part of the appeal. We handle every connection and carry the logistics ourselves.

  • Yes, it is a restricted area with its own special permit, and we arrange it for you as part of the expedition.

  • Rara is a moderate wilderness walk. Upper Dolpo is a strenuous high-altitude expedition of four weeks, for trekkers who want a long route far from the usual trails.

  • Late spring through autumn. Dolpo sits partly in the rain shadow, so it stays walkable in summer when the classic routes are wet.

  • Few. These are the quietest regions we guide, and on most days you share the trail only with local herders.