Dudh Kunda Trek

Best season and weather

The best seasons for trekking the Dudh Kunda Trek are autumn and spring. These seasons are the 2 most popular options since they offer the best trekking conditions. For instance, autumn offers very minimal chances of rain, dry and non-slippery trails, and the best visibility in the air. Meanwhile, the spring season features great visibility, lush forests, and blooming flowers with clear skies for the most part. You can never go wrong with any of these options.

In general, we recommend not trekking this trek in the monsoon and winter seasons since those are the worst conditions to go on any trek. Monsoon is heavily leech-infested and very slippery, with increased chances of landslides. Meanwhile, winter is too cold to tolerate, and the trails are usually snow-covered, making it harder to navigate and trek.

Difficulty

This short 9-day trek is graded as moderately difficult, but our trek experts say it is actually on the easier side. Although there are steep ascents and descents that are sure to make you tired, they are actually very doable with proper rests and breaks. Except for the sharp inclines, there is not much that adds to the difficulty of this Dudh Kunda Trek. The highest elevation of this trek barely crosses 4500 meters, which is a considerable elevation, but we will spend about an hour there.

Altitude Sickness

The highest point of this trek is 4,560 meters at Dudh Kunda Lake, which is a great elevation, but we will not be spending the night there. This will be a short visit, making us climb high and sleep low, which is one of the best ways to avoid altitude sickness. Most of our nights on the trek will be spent below 3500 meters of elevation, the starting elevation of altitude sickness. We will only spend 2 nights at 3800 meters above sea level at Sarsar Beni.

Preparation and Fitness

Preparing for this trek takes about 6 to 8 weeks of physical training. We recommend trekkers, cardio, running, cycling, swimming, jogging, and other exercises that engage the whole body and increase your endurance. Strengthening your legs with lunges and squats is a great way to prepare, along with using a treadmill and ladder machine at the gym. You do not require prior trekking experience for this trek; you just have to be physically capable of walking 5 to 6 hours per day without any problem.

Food and Accommodation

Dal Bhat, momo, thukpa, rildok, syaphaley, veg stew, dry aged meat, etc, are the popular dishes in the region. You can also get western options such as pancakes, pasta, noodles, etc. At most of the tea houses, you will get to taste traditional Nepalese dishes and local dishes more than western ones, which is a good thing since tasting the local delicacies is a part of the trekking experience.

When it comes to accommodation, tea houses are the best options since they have grown to be a part of the trekking experience itself. They offer a bedroom, blankets, food, and a communal washroom. The living standard is very basic, which is expected in remote areas. Your accommodation expenses will be covered by the trek package, and 3 meals per day will be provided during the trekking days.

Transportation

All ground transportation will be covered by the trek package, along with a flight to and from Phaplu, the starting point of the Dudh Kunda Trek. You do not have to pay extra for transportation, and we will also pick you up and drop you off at the airport.

Communication

Unfortunately, you will not be able to communicate much during the trek since cell phone network reception is very poor in the region, and WiFi availability is not a luxury provided by the tea houses or eateries. If you really need to communicate back home or somewhere important, you can use the satellite phone to make a call. The guide keeps a satellite phone to contact the emergency services in case anyone needs immediate medical attention.

Permit

Trekkers need to have a TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) card and a Gaurishankar Conservation Area Entry Permit to do this trek legally. The fees related to these permits will be covered by our trek package, and the guides will help you obtain these permits.

Visa

Upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, you are expected to apply for a tourist visa at the immigration booth. Only after you get your visa will you be allowed to leave the airport premises. Depending on the intended duration of your stay, you will be charged a certain amount as visa fees. For this particular trek, a 15-day visa should be enough, which will cost you USD 30.

The banking counter beside the immigration booth accepts card payments, but it can sometimes take a long time to process or just not work at all because of maintenance issues. In such cases, you must have cash to pay your visa fees.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is a must for this trek since we will be reaching over 4500 meters, which might induce altitude sickness. Realistically, the chances of you having to be evacuated from any point of the trek are very, very low. But it is always better to be safe than sorry. Your travel insurance fee is not a part of the Dudh Kunda Trek package.

Extra Expenses

The extra expenses that you must pay separately are extra meals, sightseeing entrance fees, additional night stays, lunch and dinner during your time in Kathmandu, visa fees upon entry, travel and medical insurance fees, international flight to and from Nepal, any kind of beverages, etc.

Private vs. group trek

Group treks are supposed to be for random trekkers who want to do the Dudh Kunda Trek at around the same time. This group is a bunch of random trekkers who have the same availability. Meanwhile, a private trek only has people whom you know and whom you want to invite. This can be more exciting for you since you enjoy the serene hills and exciting mountains with your loved ones and close ones. A private trek will cost your more in comparison.