Bhutan Trekking Tour

Transfers from Kathmandu Airport are provided. Meet group at hotel in Kathmandu.

We transfer to the airport for the Druk Air flight to Bhutan’s only airport, at Paro. The flight from Kathmandu to Bhutan is one of the most spectacular of all mountain flights. From the left side of the plane Everest, Makalu and Kanchenjunga, three of the world’s highest mountains, are clearly visible. The total flying time is only 45 minutes and soon we are descending into the Paro Valley, enjoying the splendid views of alpine forests, small monasteries, temples and flat-roofed farmhouses. The first free gift from Bhutan will be the cool, clean fresh air as you step out of the plane, and the warm welcome from our Bhutanese hosts. After being welcomed by our Bhutanese guide, we will check in to our accommodation in Paro with time to stroll and acclimatize to the thinner air.

We start the morning with a visit to Paro Dzong and the start of our trek. The road head is at an altitude of 2300 metres close to the fascinating Bhutanese National Museum. This is housed in Ta Dzong, the ancient watch-tower situated above Paro Dzong. Depending on the time we may be able to have a quick tour of the museum before setting off on trek. We meet our trek crew and the horses just above the Ta Dzong and we begin trekking through apple orchards and cultivated terracing. We take lunch before continuing our steady climb through temperate forest up to the Jili La (pass) at 3490m. We camp just below the pass in a meadow on the ridge. This is a splendid spot to camp high above the Paro Valley.

We follow the ridge to the remote Jili Dzong which in ancient times was one of the shelters on the main route between Paro and Thimpu. There are great views from the ridge of Chomolhari and the slender Jitchu Drake. Our trail is undulating today as we cross several spurs sometimes plunging through thick forest and at others in meadows above the tree line. We make our second camp along the ridge in a meadow at 3780m.

A little longer hike today but a delightful day’s walking, first through coniferous forests, then rhododendron forest and finally through more open country and fields of wild onions, some of which our cooks will crop for tonight’s dinner. We reach the Jangchu la (3880m.) from where we have a sensational view of the valleys below and weather permitting, of the distant Himalayan peaks. We can also see journey’s end for the day below us at Jimilangtso Lake. There is a trail junction here with a well beaten path leading into the mountains and over passes to the dzong at Lingshi. Our trail descends to the valley floor and on to the lake where we make camp at 3780m. Legend has it that the lake is home to a mystical ox and local farmers bring their cows to the lake in the hope that they can produce the strong and valuable offspring of such a creature.

Today’s hike is on good trail with several small passes to cross. We begin with a steady climb passing a small lake before reaching the larger Simkotra Lake where we stop for lunch. After lunch we reach a saddle at 4180m below some rocky peaks. The peaks are sacred and are used for ‘sky burial’. Finally we reach Phumela pass (4210m) with its unmistakable stone cairn decorated with colourful prayer flags. In clear weather we are rewarded with a splendid Himalayan panorama including Gangar Puensum, the world’s highest unclimbed mountain. We also have a bird’s eye view of Thimphu which is now directly below us. We descend to a camp near Phajoding monastery (3960m).

Today is short and all downhill through a forest of blue pine. At a leisurely pace, it will take no more than 2 hours to reach the road where our vehicle will be waiting to take us the last mile or so into Thimpu. We check into our hotel and have lunch. The afternoon is free for sightseeing and for shopping. There is a variety of crafts and garments for sale and also highly decorative postage stamps of which Bhutan is quite famous.

We set off on the exciting drive to Punakha on Bhutan’s east-west highway. The road winds its way up to the Dochu La (3050m), passing through Hongsto, an ancient village founded in 1525 by the 14th Drukpa hierarchy of Tibet. We also drive through some magnificent temperate forest, with an abundance of rhododendron and magnolia. We may be lucky enough to see several species of deer and monkeys. Many prayer flags and a large chorten mark the pass. A viewpoint just above the chorten offers one of the finest panoramas in the Eastern Himalaya, stretching out over Lunana and the peaks of – Masangang (7158m), Tsendagang (6960m), Terigang (7060m. and Gangkar Puensum (7497m.. After 3 hours, we reach the Punakha Valley and turn north to reach another most impressive dzong at the junction of the Mo and Po (mother and father) rivers. This is Punakha, the traditional winter capital of Bhutan. Punakha Dzong is the winter home for over 1000 monks. Every year the Punakha Festival celebrates the famous victory over the Tibetans, who were repulsed whilst trying to recapture the sacred statue of Avalokiteshvara, brought to Bhutan by Shabdrung in 1637. This is a fascinating and highly photogenic monastery and we shall spend some time here before making our way on to Wangdi, home of yet another incredible monastery, also known as Wangdue Phodrang, dramatically situated on the bend of a river.

We make the return drive from Wangdi passing the turn-off for Punaka and climbing to cross the Dorchu La. If the weather is clear we will certainly make a stop here and walk along the ridge for a superb view of the Himalayan chain. Descending Thimpu we will stop here for lunch before continuing to Paro where we check into the group hotel.

We have a day for sightseeing, including the hike up to Taktsang Monastery. The Taktsang or ‘Tiger’s Nest’ Monastery has a most stunning location, perched on a ledge of a cliff high above the Paro Valley. The monastery was partly destroyed by a fire in 1998 but, thanks in part to international aid, is now completely restored to its former magnificence. To reach the monastery involves a return trek of around 5 hours. High up, there is a classic viewpoint for Taktsang, looking across the gorge to the monastic buildings which cling, seemingly impossibly, to the cliff wall opposite. There is a small café located at this viewpoint and this makes a great lunch spot. This evening will be our last in Bhutan and we will celebrate by sampling some excellent Bhutanese cuisine.

We have an early transfer to Paro Airport for the morning flight to Kathmandu. The flight takes only 45 minutes and on arrival we transfer to our comfortable hotel. The remainder of the day is free to explore the city or for shopping in the bazaars.