Dolpa: Dunai, Juphal airport and Phoksundo Lake

Dolpa is the largest district in Nepal¹. Juphal airport, the road from Rukum and Jajarkot, and Shey Phoksundo National Park, which protects a large part of the district, are covered below^2,1. This page covers the district; the neighbouring ones are in the districts hub, and the walks have their own pages, starting with the Phoksundo Lake trek.

Where it is

Dolpa is the largest district of Nepal, covering 5.36% of the total landmass of the country¹. Dunai is the district headquarters, and the district covers 7,889 km2¹. It lies between latitudes 28°43’N and 29°43’N and longitudes 82°23’E and 83°41’E¹.

The district borders Tibet on the north and northeast, and Jumla and Mugu on the west¹. Elevation ranges from 1,525 m to 7,625 m¹. Wikipedia’s text also gives the range as a little over 1,500 m at Tribeni to 7,381 m at the peak of Churen Himal¹. It calls the district a labyrinth of often wide glacial valleys and ridges, and puts 70.2% of its area in the Trans-Himalayan zone¹. Kanjiroba at 6,221 m, Mukot at 6,638 m and Putha Hiunchuli at 7,246 m are among its renowned peaks¹.

The 2021 census counted 42,774 people¹. Wikipedia’s 2021 breakdown has Chhetri at 47.4%, Magar at 12.1% and Dolpo at 12.0%¹. Agriculture is the major occupation, at 79.5%¹. Khas people make up 68% of the population and Hill Janjatis 31%¹. The district has 8 municipalities, 2 urban and 6 rural¹. Its cultural traditions are basically linked with Tibetan culture¹.

Getting there

By air

Dolpa (Juphal) Airport is the gateway to Shey Phoksundo National Park, where Phoksundo Lake is the major attraction, and it also connects to the Upper Dolpa trek². The airport is a three-hour walk from the district headquarters, Dunai². It stands at 2,503 m², and has an asphalt runway². It began operating in 1975². The Civil Aviation Authority’s airport profile listed operating hours of 06:30 to 12:15 local time from 16 November to 15 February, and 06:00 to 12:15 from 16 February to 15 November². Dolpa Travel puts the Nepalgunj to Juphal flight at 35 to 45 minutes, usually in the morning, after a Kathmandu to Nepalgunj flight of about one hour⁷. Flights are weather-dependent and may be delayed or cancelled⁷.

The Civil Aviation Authority’s 2020 airport profile listed Tara Air, Sita Air, Nepal Airlines and Summit Air as the scheduled airlines, with connections to Nepalgunj and Surkhet². The aircraft types are the DHC6, L410 and Y12, flying under visual flight rules². Juphal is a village that is now part of Thuli Bheri Municipality³. See flights to Juphal for the operators.

In July 2016 flights to and from Jufal airport were affected for a week by bad weather, flights from Nepalgunj stopped because of incessant rainfall, and passengers were stranded by the closure of the airport⁴.

By road

In November 2012 Dolpa, despite being the largest district in area, had only 1 vehicle and no road links to other districts¹. A 118 km road linking Dunai with Rukum and Jajarkot was completed in 2018, which connected the district with the national road network¹.

Dunai

GLT UAE, a travel guide, places Dunai at 2,000 m, on the bank of the Thulo Bheri River, and gives it about 350 households⁸. It names Dunai the biggest town of Dolpo and the base for both Upper and Lower Dolpo⁸. Dolpa Travel’s routes run Nepalgunj to Juphal by air, then a one-hour jeep ride from Juphal to Dunai, then 2 to 3 days on foot from Dunai to Phoksundo Lake⁷. Its road alternative runs from Nepalgunj to Surkhet, then Jajarkot and Rukum, then a drive to Tripurakot or Dunai and a trek of 2 to 4 days to the lake⁷.

GLT UAE writes that the clouds, sky and mountains are worshipped at Dunai, and that visitors can see both Tibetan Buddhist and Bon practices⁸. Staple crops there include millet, pumpkin, potatoes, sweet corn and chilies⁸. It also reports that a track along the Tarpare cliff, on the Jajarkot-Dolpa road section, connects Dunai to the national road network⁸.

Shey Phoksundo National Park

A large portion of the district is protected by Shey Phoksundo National Park¹. The park’s name is derived from the 12th-century Shey Monastery and the deepest lake in Nepal, Phoksundo Lake, both of which lie in the district¹. The park protects endangered animals including the snow leopard, musk deer and Tibetan wolf¹. GLT UAE, a travel guide, adds blue sheep and Himalayan black bears⁸.

Phoksundo Lake is known for its turquoise waters and is a sacred site for local people, with deep spiritual importance and visits from pilgrims and spiritual seekers, as Dolpa Travel’s page puts it⁷. By local legend the lake was created when a demoness flooded a village⁷. The Suligad waterfall at the outlet is about 167 m, one of the highest in Nepal on the same operator’s account⁷. The lake features in local folklore, songs and rituals⁷. Dunai is the only gateway to Dolpo, per GLT UAE⁸.

Permits

Dolpa is split into a Lower and an Upper area for permits. In October 2026 the Department of Immigration’s fee table listed these⁵:

Lower Dolpa covers Thulibheri and Tripurasundari municipalities (wards 1 to 11), Dolpo Buddha RM (wards 1 to 3), Shey Phoksundo RM (wards 8 and 9), Jagdulla RM (wards 1 to 6), Mudkechula RM (wards 1 to 9) and Kaike RM (wards 1 to 7)⁵. Upper Dolpa covers Dolpo Buddha RM (wards 4 to 6), Shey Phoksundo RM (wards 1 to 7) and Charka Tangsong RM (wards 1 to 6)⁵. For Upper Dolpa, if the royalty paid for a mountain expedition is less than the trekking permit fee, the difference must be paid separately⁵.

Shey Phoksundo National Park also charges an entry fee. In October 2026 the Nepal Tourism Board’s park entry-fee table listed the following per person per entry, with children under 10 free⁶:

Rules for every permit area are collected in restricted-area permits, and park charges in national park fees.

Where to go next

Walking routes: Lower Dolpo trek, Upper Dolpo trek and the Phoksundo Lake trek. Jumla and Mugu, on the district’s western border¹, are covered in Jumla and Mugu. GLT UAE calls the Dunai to Phoksundo walk one of the region’s popular treks and says those wanting a longer trip often go on to Rara Lake in Jumla⁸.