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Bhutan
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Your Trans Bhutan Trail hiking holiday begins with a spectacular flight over the mountains. Make sure to nab a window seat to soak up the views of major Himalayan peaks including Everest, Kanchenjunga and Makalu, as well as Bhutan’s own snowy peaks, the sacred Jhomolhari, Jichu Drake and Tserimgang.
On arrival at Paro airport, you will be met by your guide and driven one-and-a-half hours from Paro to Thimphu, the modern capital of Bhutan. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure. You may choose to rest at your hotel or set off for a stroll through the lively town centre.
In the evening, if there is time, visit the impressive Trashicho Dzong fortress which houses the throne room of the king and various government offices. It is also the summer residence of the Chief Abbot and the central monk body. If your visit falls on a working weekday, arrive in time to watch the hoisting of the National Flag and the March of the Guards. Afterwards, return to your hotel for a hearty dinner and overnight stay in Thimphu.
This morning you will set off from your hotel for a tour of Punakha Valley. During the tour you will visit the Sangchen Dorji Lhendrup Nunnery, a temple perched on a ridge with spectacular views of the Punakha and Wangdue valleys. The temple houses a 14-foot bronze statue of Avalokiteshvara - one of the biggest in the country, which was handcrafted by local artisans – as well as a complex for higher studies and a meditation centre for local nuns.
You will also explore the picturesque villages of Talo and Nobgang, which are scattered along a ridge above the Punakha Valley at an altitude of around 9,100 feet.
Enjoy a packed picnic lunch among the pine trees (weather permitting) before continuing the tour with a visit to the Nalanda Monastery to meet the monks pursuing higher Buddhist studies and learning English. You’ll get the chance to chat with them and perhaps join a short meditation session.
Return to your hotel this evening for an overnight stay in Punakha.
This morning you will head out after breakfast for a tour of Trongsa Dzong, which was first built by Ngagi Wangchuck as a small meditation room in 1541 and later enlarged. The fortress is home to some 450 district monks who spend their winters in Trongsa and their summers in Bumthang. You will visit a selection of the Dzong’s 23 lhakhangs (temples), before heading to the Trongsa Ta Dzong (watchtower), which now houses the Royal Heritage Museum.
Afterwards, join your vehicle for a 45-minute transfer to the Yotongla Pass (11,270 feet), where you will re-join the Trans Bhutan Trail. Historically, this section of the trail was closely associated with the royal family, who would have used it regularly to travel between royal residences in Trongsa and Bumthang. From Yotongla, the trail descends through meadows and open forest until it meets Gyeltsachhu (Gyeltsa River). From there, enjoy a scenic walk along the river as far as Geytsa Village, where you will meet your vehicle for a transfer to Bumthang. A picnic lunch will be served at a suitable point on the trail.
On arrival in Bumthang, check into your hotel and relax for the remainder of the day. Your guide will arrange for dinner either at your hotel or a local restaurant.
Today’s six-mile trek will take around five hours and includes 164 feet of elevation.
Once you’ve had breakfast, join your vehicle which will transfer you to the village of Babzur, where you will re-join the trail for a pleasant half-day excursion. The trail will first take you past the Pema Choling Nunnery. Women and girls who enrol here follow a nine-year course in the Nyingma Peling Buddhist tradition and are known for a particular drum ceremony known as ‘chod’.
After your visit to the nunnery, head south along the trail towards the sacred Mebartsho (the Burning Lake), where, in the 15th century, the great treasure hunter Pema Lingpa is said to have discovered several of Guru Rinpoche’s hidden treasures. From here, continue to the nearby village of Phomdrong where you can enjoy a typical Bhutanese lunch at a local farmhouse and learn how to make Bumthap Putha, a special type of buckwheat noodle, traditional to the Bumthang region.
After lunch, return to Bumthang, where you will visit the Bumthang Brewery, producers of Bhutan’s celebrated Red Panda Beer. Nearby is Bhutan’s only commercial cheese factory, and both the brewery and the cheese factory are legacies of a Swiss-run development project called Swiss Farm, which introduced distinctive European farming and production techniques into the Bumthang area.
End the day with a delicious dinner at a local restaurant and an early night ready for another busy day tomorrow.
Today’s two-and-a-half-mile trek will take around three hours and includes 656 feet of elevation.
This morning you will re-join your vehicle for a two-and-a-half-hour transfer back to Trongsa where you will set off from the Trongsa Ta Dzong watchtower to begin your last section of trekking on your Trans Bhutan Trail hiking holiday. The trail still heads right through the centre of Trongsa and today you will head through Trongsa Dzong fortress, crossing the old bridge over Mangde River, before heading up the other side of the valley for a steep climb up to the Trongsa viewpoint where you can enjoy fantastic views back over the Dzong (fortress).
Meet your vehicle at the viewpoint and head to the town of Punakha, where you will check into your hotel and enjoy a hearty dinner.
Today’s two-and-a-half-mile trek will take around four hours and includes 1,148 feet of elevation.
After breakfast at your hotel, head to the Punakha Dzong. Built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in around 1637 at the confluence of the Phochhu (male river) and the Mochhu (female river), the fortress served as the capital and seat of the Bhutanese Government until the early 1950s and is currently used as the winter residence for the monastic body. This is arguably the most beautiful Dzong in the country and is home to Bhutan’s most treasured relic, the Rangjung Kharsapani - an image of Chenresig - which has survived Tibetan invasions, numerous fires, floods and a glacial lake burst, so is kept away from the public in the utse (tower).
After your visit, you will be transferred three hours west to the city of Paro. On arrival in Paro, visit the Ta Dzong watchtower, which was originally built in 1649 to protect Paro Dzong from the Tibetan military before becoming Bhutan’s National Museum. It is now home to a number of exhibitions showcasing sculptures, paintings and artifacts that depict Bhutan’s magical past.
Afterwards, continue to the stunning Paro Rinpung Dzong, meaning ‘Fortress on a Heap of Jewels’. The original construction of this fortress is believed to have been completed in 1458 and it was restored to its present glory by His Majesty the Third of Bhutan, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, to mark his royal wedding in 1951.
After your visits, head to your hotel in Paro where we recommend booking yourself in for a relaxing session in a traditional Bhutanese hot stone bath, before enjoying dinner with your guide at the hotel.
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
