Dunai Village Guide: Height, What Is There and the Trail North for 2027

Updated 25 October 2026.

Short answer: Dunai is the district headquarters of Dolpa, on the Thuli Bheri River in Karnali Province. Our itinerary puts it at about 2,100 m, Wikipedia says 2,000 m. It is a working government town with an office, a hospital, a campus, shops and basic lodges, and it is where the Lower Dolpo walk really starts. From Juphal airstrip it is 7 km and about 3 hours downhill. Our 15-day Lower Dolpo Circuit costs USD 3,470 Budget, USD 4,765 Standard and USD 6,735 Luxury per person for two to four people.

I am Shreejan. Most trekking pages mention Dunai in one line, as a place you pass on day 2. I want to say more, because it is the last place on the trip with a hospital and shops, and a bit of planning here saves trouble later.

I have already written about the airstrip side in my Juphal village guide, so I will not repeat the flight details. This one starts when you arrive in Dunai.

What is Dunai and how high is it?

Dunai is the headquarters of Dolpa District. It used to be its own village development committee and is now part of Thuli Bheri Municipality, according to Wikipedia. The Thuli Bheri River runs past it.

The height depends on who you ask. A tour operator's blog gives 2,140 m. Wikipedia gives 2,000 m. Our own itinerary says about 2,100 m, and that is the number I plan with.

Fact	Detail	Source
Role	District headquarters of Dolpa	Wikipedia
Height	About 2,100 m on our plan, 2,000 m on Wikipedia, 2,140 m on one operator's blog	Our itinerary, Wikipedia, Kantipur Holidays
Population	1,773 people in 334 households in the 1991 census. Nothing newer on that page	Wikipedia
Schools	Dolpa Campus (Tribhuvan University), Sarswoti Higher Secondary School	Wikipedia
Hospital	Dolpa District Hospital, listed with 15 beds (no citation on the page)	Wikipedia
Airport	Not in Dunai. Dolpa Airport is in Juphal, 7 km away	Wikipedia, our itinerary
Walk from Juphal	7 km, about 3 hours, down about 400 m	Our itinerary
Walk on to Tarakot	15 km, 6 to 7 hours, up about 440 m	Our itinerary

At about 2,100 m you are not high. It is a gentle first night, because the real height starts after Tarakot, and Tarakot itself is only 2,543 m.

What is there in Dunai for a trekker?

It is a small town, so do not expect much, but it is more than any village you will see for the next ten days. Wikipedia lists the campus, the school and the district hospital. One operator's blog says there are guesthouses, teahouses, camping sites, eateries and shops selling supplies and trekking gear. That blog is marketing, so I read it as "basic and available" and not as a guarantee of anything in particular.

Here is what I will not claim. I do not have a published list of lodge names or room prices in Dunai, so I will not give you one. I have not seen a source I trust for a bank in town. A travel guide dated 11 October 2026 says the ATMs in Dunai and Juphal are unreliable and may not take foreign cards. So I treat the town as having no cash machine you can count on.

That matters for one thing. Bring your pocket money in Nepali rupees from Kathmandu. Our package page suggests budgeting about USD 20 a day for personal spending. What you pay us is a separate matter, and foreign guests always pay us in USD or EUR.

The same guide notes that in May and June the yarsagumba collecting season raises demand for rooms in Dunai. That is one more reason to leave the booking of lodges to us and not turn up hoping for a bed in those months.

What happens on the day you reach Dunai?

On the 15-day plan, day 2 is a flight from Nepalgunj to Juphal, then the 7 km walk down to Dunai, where you sleep. The walk is short and downhill. It is an easy first day at height, and that suits a body that has just left the plains.

Registration is part of it. An operator's guide says the local police register foreign trekkers and their licensed guides in Dunai. I cannot find that on an official page, so take it as what operators report. What I can say is that the permits for Lower Dolpo are arranged by us before you travel, and a licensed guide is required.

Budget and Standard guests arrive differently. They come by road from Kathmandu: a public bus to Nepalgunj, then a shared local jeep via Jajarkot to Dunai, about two days each way. For them Dunai is where the road ends and the walking begins, so they never do the Juphal walk. Luxury flies, so Luxury follows the plan above exactly.

If you would rather fly on every tier, the Lower Dolpo Trek with Flights, 15 days does that.

Where does the trail go from Dunai?

North and uphill, a little at a time. The first day out of Dunai is long but not steep. This is the start of our plan, with heights from our itinerary.

Day	Route	Sleep
2	Juphal to Dunai, 7 km, about 3 hours	Dunai, about 2,100 m
3	Dunai to Tarakot, 15 km, 6 to 7 hours	Tarakot, 2,543 m
4	Tarakot to Laini, 12 km, 6 to 7 hours	Laini, 3,160 m
5	Laini to Nawar Pani, 10 km, 5 to 6 hours	Nawar Pani, 3,545 m
6	Nawar Pani to Dho Tarap, 18 km, 7 to 8 hours	Dho Tarap, 4,090 m

I wrote the Dunai to Tarakot day up in the Tarakot guide, and the high village in the Dho Tarap village guide. After Dho Tarap the route goes over Numa La (about 5,190 m) and Baga La (about 5,070 m) to Ringmo and Phoksundo Lake, then down to Shyanta and Juphal. So on the full circuit you sleep in Dunai once, on the way in.

If you are choosing between Upper and Lower Dolpo, my comparison of the two sets out the differences.

When is the best time to be in Dunai?

Dolpo sits in the rain shadow, but a travel guide dated October 2026 says the monsoon still brings heavy rain to the southern approaches, and that the Juphal to Dunai trail gets muddy and prone to landslides. This is what our package page and that guide say, month by month.

Months	What it is like
December to February	Very cold. High passes snowed shut. The guide says many lodges close
March to May	Clear and dry. Our page calls it a good second season. Late April to May is the pre-monsoon window
June to mid-September	Monsoon. Rain, cloud, leeches on the approach, and a high chance of flight cancellations. Our page says avoid
Late September to November	Clear and dry. Our page calls it the main season. November gets progressively colder

For 2027 I would plan October, or late April to May. I have not stayed in Dunai in winter, so I will not describe it.

What does it cost, and what do you need before Dunai?

Prices below come from our live package pages. They are per person for two to four people. What each tier includes is on the package page.

Trip	Budget	Standard	Luxury
Lower Dolpo Circuit Trek, 15 days	USD 3,470	USD 4,765	USD 6,735
Lower Dolpo Trek with Flights, 15 days	USD 4,680	USD 5,710	USD 6,735

The permits are the Lower Dolpo restricted-area permit (USD 20 per week, then USD 5 per day), the Shey Phoksundo National Park entry (NPR 3,000) and the TIMS card (NPR 2,000). Sources are the Department of Immigration and the Nepal Tourism Board, at ntb.gov.np. We arrange all three and they are in the price. My restricted-area permits guide compares the other regions.

Kathmandu and Nepalgunj hotels are not in any tier, so those are quoted separately. The deposit is 10% and the balance is paid in Kathmandu. Card on the balance carries 3.5%. Cash does not.

Insure to at least 5,500 m. The highest point is Numa La at about 5,190 m, rounded up to the next 500 m.

Frequently asked questions

How high is Dunai in Dolpo?

About 2,100 m on our itinerary. Wikipedia says 2,000 m and one operator says 2,140 m. All three are close, and I plan with 2,100 m.

Is Dunai the same as Juphal?

No. Juphal has the airstrip and sits at about 2,500 m. Dunai is the district town 7 km below it, about 3 hours on foot. Both are in Dolpa district.

Is there a road to Dunai?

Yes. A 118 km road reached the district in 2018, as I wrote in the Dho Tarap guide. Our Budget and Standard trips use it from Jajarkot. Floods closed that stretch in August and September 2026, and I cannot give you a dated source saying it is open for 2027. We check it before every departure and tell you before you travel if it is closed.

Is there an ATM or bank in Dunai?

I do not have a source I trust for a bank. A travel guide dated 11 October 2026 says the ATMs in Dunai and Juphal are unreliable and may not take foreign cards. Carry your pocket money in Nepali rupees.

Where do you sleep in Dunai?

In basic lodges or guesthouses, or in a tent if the plan is camping. I do not have a published lodge list or room prices, so I will not invent them. We book it as part of your trip.

Do I need a permit for Dunai?

You need the Lower Dolpo restricted-area permit for the trek, plus the park entry and TIMS. A licensed guide is required, and solo restricted-area permits have been possible since 22 March 2026 through an agency with a licensed guide. We handle the paperwork.

How many days should I allow for Dunai on a Lower Dolpo trek?

One night. On our 15-day plan you reach Dunai on day 2 and leave for Tarakot on day 3. If you go by road on Budget or Standard, add two to three days to the whole trip for the drive.

Can I visit Dunai without trekking to Dho Tarap?

You can, as it is a district town. But I have not put together a Dunai-only trip, and I know of nothing published that would justify one. People come here to walk on.

If you want to plan Lower Dolpo for 2027, message me on WhatsApp at +977 9810351300 and tell me your dates.