Tarakot on the Lower Dolpo Trek 2027: Day 3 Walk, the Fort Village and What It Costs

Updated 21 October 2026.

Short answer: Tarakot is the old fort village on the Bheri River, and it is the third night of our 15-day Lower Dolpo Circuit. On the 15-day plan you fly Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, then to Jhupal, walk to Dunai, and on day 3 walk about 15 km down the Bheri gorge to Tarakot (about 2,543 m) in six to seven hours. Luxury flies in. Budget and Standard drive to Dunai instead, which adds two to three days. It is the last place with a proper lodge and a real market feel before the trail climbs towards Dho Tarap. For two to four people the whole trek costs USD 2,590 Budget, USD 3,750 Standard and USD 5,095 Luxury per person. Best months for 2027 are May and June, then September and October.

I am Shreejan. Most people who write to me about Lower Dolpo ask about the passes and Phoksundo Lake. Very few ask about Tarakot, and that is a pity, because day 3 is where you stop being a tourist in a hurry and start walking the way people in Dolpo have always walked. This page is about that day and that village, what to expect, and what the first four days of the trek really ask of you.

What is Tarakot and why does the Lower Dolpo trek stop there?

Tarakot sits on a hillock south of the Bheri River in Dolpa District, in Karnali Province. The published accounts I have read describe it as an old fortress town that once worked as a toll point for trading caravans. I have not found a dated history of the fort or who built it, so I will not invent one. What I can tell you from walking there is what you see: a walled settlement above the river, stone houses, a few lodges, and a gompa and old temple nearby.

It matters for the trek for a plain reason. From Dunai the trail follows the Bheri gorge, and Tarakot is the natural end of that day. Beyond it the route turns north and climbs up the Tarap Chu valley, where villages are fewer and further apart. So Tarakot is both a good first night in Dolpo proper and your last easy night.

The heights on this page come from our own day-by-day plan and published trekking sources, not from a survey, so read them as approximate.

What does day 3, Dunai to Tarakot, feel like?

You leave Dunai, the district headquarters, and follow the Bheri downstream. Itineraries put the walk at about 15 km and five to seven hours, and ours says six to seven with a long lunch. The trail passes hanging bridges, a few small villages and stretches of dry, stony hillside. It is not steep. It is long, hot in the middle of the day, and there is very little shade. Start early, carry water and wear a hat.

Because the day is mostly level, it is the easiest hard day on the trek. It is also the first time the landscape changes. Down at Jhupal and Dunai there are still barley and apple fields. By Tarakot the air feels drier and the hills look more like Tibet than Nepal.

What are the first five days of the Lower Dolpo Circuit?

The full 15 days, including Numa La (5,190 m), Baga La (5,070 m) and Shey Phoksundo Lake, are on the Lower Dolpo Circuit trip page. For what comes after Tarakot, read the Dho Tarap village guide and the page on Shey Phoksundo Lake.

Is there a monastery near Tarakot?

Yes. Sandul Gompa is the one most operators mention. Sources disagree on where it is: one operator says it is about 8 km east of Tarakot, another places it near where the Barbung Khola meets the Tarap Chu. Because the accounts do not agree, it is not part of our standard plan. If you want to visit, tell me and we will ask the guide and the people in Tarakot on the day. Do not expect a museum. Gompas here are working places for the village.

How do you get to Tarakot?

The itinerary above is the flying version, and it is what Luxury includes: Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, a night there, then the short morning flight to Jhupal. On Budget and Standard we travel in by road instead: a public bus to Nepalgunj, then a shared local jeep via Jajarkot to Dunai, about two days each way. That adds two to three days to the trip, and it only runs in the autumn and spring seasons, because the road is unreliable in the monsoon. Flights on this route are small and weather-dependent, so delays happen. Whichever way you go, I tell people to leave a spare day at the end of the trip before an international flight. Nepalgunj itself is hot, flat and humid, which is a strange start for a trek to a dry high valley. I wrote about it in Nepalgunj, the gateway to Bardia and the flight hub.

What is the best time to go?

This is my own judgement from the region, not an official forecast. The passes decide the trek, and I confirm conditions with the guide before we leave Dho Tarap.

What does it cost in 2027?

These are the prices on the trip page today, in US dollars per person. The price falls as the group grows.

The price includes the permits, a licensed guide, rooms or tents on the trail, camp crew where we camp and the government taxes. Luxury includes the round-trip flights Kathmandu to Nepalgunj to Jhupal. Budget and Standard include the road journey to Dunai and back instead. Standard and Luxury include meals on the trail. Budget does not include meals. Kathmandu and Nepalgunj hotels are not in any tier, and I quote them separately.

A solo trekker on Standard has no porter, and the guide carries up to 10 kg. Luxury solo has a dedicated porter. The Lower Dolpo permit is USD 20 for the first week and USD 5 a day after that, and a restricted-area permit does not replace TIMS. Read restricted-area permits explained and Upper and Lower Dolpo compared.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Tarakot in Nepal? In Dolpa District, Karnali Province, on a hillock south of the Bheri River, a long day's walk below Dunai.

How far is Dunai to Tarakot on foot? About 15 km, six to seven hours on our plan, mostly along the Bheri gorge with gentle ups and downs.

How high is Tarakot? About 2,543 m on our itinerary. Published figures vary by a few metres, so treat it as approximate.

Do I need a permit for Tarakot? Yes. The Lower Dolpo restricted-area permit applies, plus the Shey Phoksundo National Park permit (NPR 3,000) and a TIMS card (NPR 2,000). We arrange all three and they are in the price. You trek with a licensed guide.

Can I do Lower Dolpo alone? Yes, as a solo trekker with your own guide. Since 22 March 2026 a restricted-area permit can be issued to one trekker through a registered agency. The solo price is higher because you carry the whole guide and flight cost.

Is Lower Dolpo very hard? It is graded very strenuous. The long days and two passes above 5,000 m are the reason. Read altitude sickness in Nepal and how to prevent it before you decide.

What insurance do I need? Cover bought at home. The highest point is Numa La at 5,190 m, and I round up to the next 500 m, so ask for cover to 5,500 m with helicopter evacuation.

What if the flight to Jhupal is cancelled? That only affects Luxury. We wait in Nepalgunj for the next window and tell you the plan the same day. This is why I suggest a spare day at the end.

How do payment and cancellation work?

You pay a deposit of 10 per cent to book and the balance when you meet us in Kathmandu, in US dollars or euros, in cash or by card. Cash carries no fee, and card carries a 3.5 per cent bank charge. We cannot take Nepali rupees from foreign guests.

The deposit is non-refundable, and there is no refund if you cancel yourself. I can move your trip free of charge to any date within one year, with at least 7 days notice for a restricted area. If we cannot run the trip, we refund what you have paid, less taxes, bank or card charges and any money already spent on your behalf.

What is the next step?

The full trip page is Lower Dolpo Circuit Trek, 15 Days. Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with your dates, group size and the high-altitude trekking you have done before. I will tell you honestly if Lower Dolpo suits you or if I would start you somewhere easier.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.