A long restricted-area camping trek from Juphal past Phoksundo Lake, over the Kang La to Shey Gompa and Saldang, and back via the Jeng La and the Tarap valley.
- Days
- 20 days
- Maximum altitude
- 5,350 m
- Difficulty
- Challenging
Dolpoशे गुम्बा
Shey Gompa
A remote monastery in Upper Dolpo below Crystal Mountain, reached over the Kang La from Phoksundo Lake.
This is Shey Gompa in Upper Dolpo, Nepal, not Shey Monastery or Shey Palace near Leh in Ladakh, India.
- Altitude
- 4,340 m*
- Best months
- May-Oct
- Type
- Temple, monastery or heritage site
- District
- Dolpa, Karnali
- Permit
- Restricted-area permit
Higher seasonal exposure: other (Jun-Sep), altitude (All year), snow (Nov-Apr), cold (Nov-Mar).
Why go
Shey Gompa is a Buddhist monastery at about 4,300 m in Upper Dolpo, set in a green valley below the striped slopes of Crystal Mountain, the sacred peak circled by pilgrims. It lies inside Shey Phoksundo National Park and is reached from Phoksundo Lake over the Kang La, a pass of about 5,300-5,360 m, usually in three days.
For trekkers on the Upper Dolpo circuit it is the spiritual centre of the route and a common rest day. Nearby is the hermitage of Tsakang, built against the cliffs, and the trail onwards climbs over the Saldang La towards Namgung and Saldang. Facilities are minimal: groups camp near the monastery.
The landscape around Shey is high, open and treeless, with grassy slopes, braided streams and grey and ochre rock. Blue sheep graze the hillsides, and the area is known as snow leopard habitat, although sightings are rare. Because the approach crosses a pass above 5,000 m and there is no road or airstrip nearby, a visit needs a fully supported camping trek, good acclimatisation and spare days for weather on the Kang La.
History and culture
The name is usually translated as Crystal Monastery. Wikipedia dates its founding to the 11th century; the monastery belongs to the Kagyu tradition and has a red two-storey assembly hall with old paintings. A festival is held here every twelve years, connected in local tradition with the victory over malevolent spirits, and pilgrims walk a circuit around Crystal Mountain. Peter Matthiessen's book The Snow Leopard, about a 1973 journey to Shey, made the place widely known.
Things to do in Shey Gompa
Spend a rest day at Shey
Visit the monastery with your guide, asking permission before entering, and walk to the Tsakang hermitage.
Walk part of the Crystal Mountain kora
Follow the pilgrim path around the mountain, keeping it on your right; the full circuit is long and high.
Weather and the best time to visit Shey Gompa
Weather in Shey Gompa
Forecast for 4,340 m. Conditions change fast in the mountains.
Weather data: MET Norway, licensed CC BY 4.0. A forecast, not a guarantee.
Best time to visit
May-Oct
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- Good month: May
- Good month: Jun
- Good month: Jul
- Good month: Aug
- Good month: Sep
- Good month: Oct
- Nov
- Dec
- Autumn (Sep-Nov)
- September and October are clear and dry; by November the high passes become cold and snow is likely.
- Winter (Dec-Feb)
- December to February is very cold, the passes are usually snowbound and many people move to lower villages.
- Spring (Mar-May)
- April and May are possible, but snow can linger on the passes until late spring.
- Monsoon (Jun-Aug)
- June to August is a good season in this rain-shadow area, but flights to Juphal are often delayed by cloud and the lower trails can be wet.
Where to stay
Camping
No lodges; groups camp near the monastery.
No partner stays are listed here yet. List a property.
Getting there
Reached only on foot, about a week from Juphal via Dunai, Phoksundo Lake and the Kang La.
Nearest hub: Juphal
- trekFrom Ringmo at Phoksundo Lake, usually three days via the Phoksundo Khola and the Kang La.
- flightNepalgunj to Juphal, then the trek in.
Getting to Shey Gompa, by mode
Nearest hub: Juphal. Times are typical ranges, not schedules, and vary with roadworks, weather and the season.
By airfrom Nepalgunjabout 0.6-0.8 hDolpa (Juphal)often delayed or cancelled by weather
Small aircraft from Nepalgunj serve Dolpa (Juphal) airport at about 2,500 m, on a 663 m asphalt strip. Nepalgunj is the hub for the remote western airstrips, and the Juphal leg is weather-dependent.
When to set off: Morning flights only; most travellers fly Kathmandu to Nepalgunj the day before and allow spare days.
On footfrom Phoksundo LakeUsually three days from Ringmo at Phoksundo Lake, up the Phoksundo Khola and over the Kang La; about a week in total from Juphal.
There is no road and no airstrip near Shey. The crossing of the Kang La above 5,000 m is the normal approach, and it is a snow route outside the short summer and autumn window.
Where people go next
- Phoksundo Lakeon footBack south over the Kang La, usually three days.
- Saldangon footNorth-east over the Saldang La via Namgung, usually two days.
- Dolpoon footThe wider Upper Dolpo region.
Permits and fees
Restricted-area permit
Shey lies in the Upper Dolpa restricted area and inside Shey Phoksundo National Park: an Upper Dolpa restricted-area permit through a registered agency and a park entry permit are required. Restricted-area permits are issued only through a government-registered trekking agency, for trekkers with a licensed guide; a minimum group of two has long been required, and changes have been reported, so confirm the current rule.
- Upper Dolpa restricted-area permit: Issued through a registered trekking agency.
- Shey Phoksundo National Park entry permit: Checked at the park office on the way in.
- Guide rule: Since April 2023 foreign trekkers in national parks and conservation areas are generally required to go with a licensed guide; check the current rule.
Verify before travel: permit rules and fees change. Checked 2026-10-06 against Department of Immigration, Nepal: Trekking Route and Permit Fee.
On the trail
On the Upper Dolpo trek.
- Previous stop:
- High camp below the Kang La (from Phoksundo Lake)
- Next stop:
- Namgung via the Saldang La
- A typical day:
- From the high camp, about 6-7 hours over the Kang La with about 700 m of ascent and 1,000 m of descent.
Risks and conditions
Seasonal risks around Shey Gompa
What this place is typically exposed to, and when. These are seasonal patterns, not a report on conditions now.
Otherhigh in a typical yearJun-Sep
Access, not rain, is the monsoon problem: cloud on the Nepalgunj-Juphal leg frequently delays or cancels the flight into Dolpa, and spare days at either end are normal.
Altitudehigh in a typical yearAll year
Shey Gompa sits at about 4,340 m, well above the roughly 2,500 m at which altitude sickness becomes common, and most itineraries go higher still. General information, not medical advice: gain height slowly (a common guideline is no more than about 300 m a day in sleeping altitude once high), learn the symptoms, descend if they get worse, see a doctor before travelling, and carry insurance that covers helicopter evacuation.
Snowhigh in a typical yearNov-Apr
The Upper Dolpo routes cross passes above 5,000 m; these hold snow from late autumn into spring, and in deep winter they are not normally crossed.
Coldhigh in a typical yearNov-Mar
Winter at 3,800-4,200 m in Dolpo is severe and many families move with their animals to lower ground, so shelter and food along the route thin out.
Landslideslow in a typical yearJun-Sep
Dolpo is a trans-Himalayan rain-shadow region with under 500 mm of precipitation a year, so monsoon rain and landslide exposure in the upper valleys is low; the lower Suli Gad and Bheri trails are wetter.
Check current conditions before you travel
Roads, trails, passes and flights change with the weather and with roadworks, and nothing on this page describes conditions today. Before you set off, check the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology for weather and flood warnings, the Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Portal for incidents, and the local authority, police or your licensed operator for road, trail and flight status.
Practical tips
- At about 4,300 m after a pass above 5,000 m, altitude illness is a real risk. This is general information, not medical advice.
- There is no mobile signal; carry a satellite communicator.
- Ask before entering the monastery or photographing monks, and walk clockwise around religious structures.
- Expect cold nights even in summer.
Treks through Shey Gompa
Questions about Shey Gompa
How do I get to Shey Gompa?
Trek from Juphal via Phoksundo Lake and over the Kang La, usually about a week, with restricted-area and national park permits.
How old is Shey Gompa?
It is generally dated to the 11th century, although sources differ.
Can I stay at Shey Gompa?
There are no lodges; trekking groups camp nearby.
More in Dolpo
All of DolpoLake · 3,612 m
Phoksundo Lake
A deep turquoise alpine lake in Dolpo, dammed by an ancient landslide, with the Bon village of Ringmo on its shore.
Trek stop · 4,320 m
Chharka
A fortified-looking stone village in eastern Dolpo, a key stop on traverses between Dolpo and Mustang.
Trek stop · 4,080 m
Dho Tarap
A high farming village in the Tarap valley of Dolpo, a crossroads of treks between Phoksundo, Upper Dolpo and Mustang.
Trek stop · 2,090 m
Dunai
The district headquarters of Dolpa on the Thuli Bheri river, the first night for most treks into Dolpo.
Trek stop · 3,620 m
Saldang
The largest village of Upper Dolpo, scattered high above the Nankhang valley on the old salt-trade route to Tibet.
Nearby
Valley or region
Dolpo
A remote trans-Himalayan region of Bon and Buddhist villages, high passes and turquoise Phoksundo Lake, behind the Dhaulagiri and Kanjiroba ranges.
Editorial draft: facts are being checked against the sources below. Last checked 2026-10-06. Sources: Shey Gompa, Wikipedia, Dolpo, Wikipedia, Department of Immigration, Nepal: Trekking Route and Permit Fee, Shey, OpenStreetMap