Phoksundo Lake Trek

Phoksundo Lake Trek is a moderate, remote trek in Nepal’s Dolpo district to Shey Phoksundo Lake — the deepest lake in Nepal at 145m depth and 3,611m altitude — inside the country’s largest trans-Himalayan national park, known for its ancient Bon and Buddhist culture.

Phoksundo Lake Trek in Dolpo is a remote and less-touristy lodge trek in Nepal’s Karnali region. The route offers basic facilities and a genuine wilderness experience. Many people call Dolpo the “Little Tibet of Nepal” because of its Tibetan-influenced culture and geography.

Phoksundo National Park covers a vast area of Nepal’s Dolpo region and extends toward the Tibetan border. The region preserves untouched landscapes, ancient Buddhist traditions, and a distinctive local way of life. Phoksundo Lake stands as one of the area’s most remarkable natural attractions.

Phoksundo Lake has also attracted international filmmakers and documentary producers. Eric Valli featured the region in the acclaimed film Caravan, bringing Dolpo’s remote landscapes and traditional lifestyle to a global audience.

Trekkers can explore the turquoise waters of Phoksundo Lake with the required special trekking permit for Lower and Upper Dolpo. The route passes through forests and remote mountain landscapes, with views toward the Kanjiroba Himal range and Dhaulagiri region. Along the way, trekkers encounter vibrant Buddhist culture and gain insight into traditional Dolpo life.

The trek offers a moderate level of difficulty but demands good preparation because of the remote terrain. It also costs more than many other lodge treks in Nepal. Domestic flights, limited infrastructure, remote locations, and special permits contribute to the higher overall cost.

Highlights of Phoksundo Lake Dolpo:

• Remote, less touristy trekking place in Nepal
• Explore ancient Buddhist culture and lifestyle of people
• Phoksundo Lake is the deepest lake in Nepal
• Hike through Phoksundo National Park
• Breathtaking views of Mt Kanjiroba and Mt Dhaulagiri

What Is the Phoksundo Lake Trek?

The Phoksundo Lake Trek is a moderate, guided trek to Shey Phoksundo Lake in Nepal’s Dolpo district — the deepest lake in the country, sitting at 3,611m inside Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal’s only trans-Himalayan national park. Accessible by domestic flight via Juphal, it’s one of the few moderate-grade treks in Nepal that offers true wilderness remoteness alongside rich Bon and Tibetan Buddhist cultural immersion.

About Shey Phoksundo Lake

Shey Phoksundo Lake is Nepal’s deepest and most visually striking high-altitude lake. The lake sits at an elevation of 3,611 meters, stretches approximately 5 km in length and 800 meters in width, and reaches a maximum depth of 145 meters — making it the deepest lake in Nepal and one of the deepest high-altitude lakes in the world.

The Y-shaped lake is formed by melting glaciers from the Kanjirowa range and is encircled by 20 sacred Buddhist stupas in the southern belt, with a gompa on the eastern side conducting yearly prayers and chants. The lake’s color shifts through the day — from a striking turquoise in morning light to deeper blue tones as the sun moves — set against dramatic limestone cliffs that rise directly from the shoreline.

What makes Phoksundo genuinely distinct from Nepal’s other famous lakes is the combination of altitude, depth, and cultural setting. The lake holds deep spiritual significance for both the Tibetan Buddhist and Bon communities whose villages border its shores.

Deepest Lake of Nepal

According to the Government of Nepal, Phoksundo Lake is the deepest in Nepal.

Culture and the Bon Tradition at Ringmo

The village of Ringmo, perched above the lake’s southern shore, is one of the last remaining strongholds of the Bon religion in Nepal — an ancient pre-Buddhist spiritual tradition that predates Tibetan Buddhism and shares many of its outward forms while differing in doctrine and ritual. At Ringmo, trekkers can visit the Tshowa (Bon) monastery, walk past mani walls, and observe traditional wooden homes — one of the richest cultural immersion experiences available on any moderate trek in Nepal.

The people of Dolpo have maintained their hundred-year-old cultural traditions largely intact due to the region’s natural isolation, and walking through the villages between Dunai and Ringmo gives trekkers a glimpse of a lifestyle that has changed little over generations.

Phoksundo Waterfall

One of the most photographed stops on the route is the Phoksundo Waterfall, a dramatic 167m waterfall with one of the most photogenic viewpoints of the entire trek, visible on the approach to the lake from Ringmo. The waterfall feeds directly from the lake’s outflow and is framed by the limestone cliffs and conifer forest that define the lower Phoksundo valley.

How to Reach Phoksundo Lake

To go to Phoksundo Lake, tourist required to take special non-tourist area trek permits from an authorized trekking Agency in Nepal. After getting the permit, you can simply fly to Nepalgunj or drive from Kathmandu. Take another flight from Nepalgunj to Juphal, and from Juphal start the trek. You need to pay Rupees 3,000 per person to enter Shey Phoksundo National Park for a week. Dolpo is still remote and still out of road connectivity from the Central Region. Trekking around Phoksundo Lake in Dolpo is picturesque.