Eastern Bhutan Tour

• Altitude in Ura: 3,200 m (10,498 ft)

This morning we will take a scenic domestic flight from Paro to Bumthang, offering spectacular aerial views of Bhutan’s diverse mountain landscapes. Upon arrival, you will drive approximately 1.5 hours to reach Ura village – your gateway to authentic rural Bhutan.

At 3,200 m (10,498 ft) above sea level, Ura showcases some of Bhutan’s most stunning mountain scenery. This picturesque settlement is surrounded by lush woodlands and features traditional farmhouses, ancient watermills, and sacred temples scattered throughout the landscape. The village takes its name from Ugyen Guru Rinpoche, and according to local legend the revered Buddhist master passed through the Ura valley in the 8th century, blessing it as one of his sacred hidden valleys.

Next, visit the historic Ura Lhakhang, believed to have been built in the 19th century, though its exact origins remain uncertain. The temple’s most treasured possession is a bronze statue of Guru Rinpoche, crafted by the renowned 17th-century artisan Pentsadeva. This sacred relic draws pilgrims from across Bhutan and represents one of the finest examples of traditional Buddhist art in the region.

Tonight you will stay with a local family in a traditional homestay, experiencing authentic Bhutanese hospitality firsthand. This accommodation allows you to share meals with your hosts, learn about rural life, and gain insight into customs that have remained unchanged for generations.

You will stay at the homestay in Ura village.

• Altitude in Mongar: 1,600 m (5,249 ft)
• Distance: 145 km (90 mi)
• Estimated travel time: 5 hrs

The journey continues eastward, winding through rugged terrain to Thrumsingla Pass. At 3,780 m (12,402 ft), it stands as one of the highest points on Bhutan’s road network. The road then descends into Sengor valley, renowned for its spectacular views of cascading waterfalls and the lush hills of eastern Bhutan.

The drive to Mongar offers one of the most stunning road experiences in the country. The road winds through terrain that few travellers ever see, revealing waterfalls that thunder down from hidden valleys and pristine rhododendron forests that explode in colour during the blooming season. Sharp cliff edges drop into misty gorges below, while ancient fir forests stretch toward snow-capped peaks.

Arriving in Mongar, you will discover a charming town where traditionally painted and decorated shops line the main street. Rows of eucalyptus trees frame this peaceful settlement, which has gained recognition for its high-quality lemongrass cultivation used in essential oil production.

You will then visit Mongar Dzong, one of Bhutan’s newest fortress-monasteries, constructed in the 1930s. Despite being relatively modern, the dzong was built using traditional methods without any architectural plans or metal nails, demonstrating how Bhutanese building techniques have been preserved through the centuries. Unlike other dzongs positioned on strategic hilltops, Mongar Dzong sits on a gently sloping area overlooking the town below.

You will stay overnight at a hotel in Mongar.

• Altitude in Lhuntse: 1,500 m (4,921 ft)
• Distance: 75 km (47 mi)
• Estimated travel time: 3 hrs

Saying goodbye to tranquil Mongar, we journey to Lhuntse, the ancestral homeland of Bhutan’s royal family and a region dotted with sacred pilgrimage sites. Lhuntse’s dramatic landscape features towering cliffs that plunge into deep river gorges, all cloaked in dense coniferous forest.

Along the route there is a stop at a traditional clay-pot making factory, where you can watch artisans crafting earthenware using techniques passed down through generations.

Lhuentse Dzongkhag spans approximately 2,808 km² and borders Bumthang to the west, Mongar to the south, Trashiyangtse to the east, and Tibet to the north. Although it serves as the ancestral home of Bhutan’s rulers, it remains one of the country’s most distant and least developed regions. The dzongkhag is renowned for its traditional weaving of silk textiles sold throughout Bhutan.

Eastern Bhutan was once governed by various small kingdoms and served as a vital trade route between India and Tibet. Merchants transported goods from Bhutan to the Tibetan town of Lhodrak via Singye Dzong in the Lhuentse region.

You will explore Lhuntse Dzong, popularly known as Lhundub Rinchentse. This ancient structure stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the fertile Kuri Chhu valley, with near-vertical drops on all sides. The dzong was established in 1654 by Trongsa Penlop Mingyur Tenpa, on the site where Pema Lingpa’s son Kuenga Wangpo had previously erected a small monastery.

Next, you will marvel at the giant statue of Guru Padmasambhava in Takila. Standing 52.7 m (173 ft) tall on the Takila mountain slope overlooking the green Tangmachu valley, this imposing figure was built following prophecies that such a statue should be erected to prevent war and ensure continued prosperity in Bhutan and the world.

Your journey continues to Khoma village, a clustered settlement approximately 13 km from Lhuentse town. Situated at 1,350 m on the banks of the Khoma Chhu, this village is famous for weaving Kush Thara, an intricately detailed and valuable women’s garment.

According to legend, an evil spirit once entered the village to escape the wrath of Khando Machi Choden after causing the death of a young prince believed to be a brother of Songsen Goenpo. Ugyen Guru Rinpoche arrived in Khoma and defeated the spirit with his powers, making him the local god Nyapo Dabo Gyeltshen.

Before the day ends, you will discover the two-storey Khoma Lhakhang, built in the 12th century by Gelong Kado and Lam Zhangpa. This temple features unique stone flooring on both levels rather than wooden planks, and houses an eleven-faced statue of Chenrezig and an image of the local god Yanag Tinkar. On the 15th and 16th days of the 6th lunar month, an annual invocation ritual called Neypo Soelni is performed over two days.

You will stay overnight at a homestay in Khoma village.

• Altitude in Trashiyangtse: 1,850 m (6,069 ft)
• Distance: 190 km (118 mi)
• Estimated travel time: 6 hrs

Today we have a longer drive to Trashiyangtse, one of Bhutan’s most remote dzongkhags. You will stop at the sacred Gomphu Kora (820 m – 2,690 ft), where Guru Rinpoche once meditated in a cave that pilgrims now circle for blessings. The temple stands on a gentle hill above the Drangme Chhu river, marking the place where Guru Rinpoche defeated the demon Myongkhapa.

Trashiyangtse Dzongkhag borders Lhuentse to the east, Mongar to the south, and Trashigang to the southeast. The district was formed in 1992 when the larger Trashigang District was split, and it remains predominantly rural. The region sits approximately 530 km from Thimphu, making it the most distant dzongkhag from the capital.

Perched at elevations of 1,750–1,880 m (5,742–6,168 ft), Trashiyangtse is a sacred land filled with natural and man-made wonders. Many sites here received Guru Rinpoche’s blessings. The area also gave rise to some of Bhutan’s most prized traditional crafts – local artisans excel at carving wooden bowls and producing handmade Dashi paper.

You will stay overnight at a hotel in Trashiyangtse.

Your exploration begins with a drive from Chorten Kora to Dongdi Dzong, a fortress-monastery perched dramatically where two rivers collide. This ancient stronghold commands the rocky confluence of the Dongdi Chu and Kholong Chu, offering mesmerising views of their turbulent meeting. Inside the dzong you will encounter the sacred relic Chugchi Zhey – an eleven-faced deity of compassion that legend says was discovered by a woman following mysterious forest whispers.

Next, venture down to the hidden sanctuary of Dechen Phodrang, roughly an hour’s drive through winding mountain roads. The final approach requires an hour’s walk to Womanang Primary School, followed by crossing a suspension bridge that sways gently over the valley below. This secluded monastery, blessed by Guru Rinpoche himself, sits tucked in a pristine valley surrounded by towering sacred rocks and a crystal-clear mountain stream.

The monastery holds fascinating mysteries – including a tiny rock pool believed to be as deep as the surrounding giant cypress trees are tall. Climb another 30 minutes to reach the main sacred site, where over 100 traces of Guru Rinpoche’s presence remain: his handprints pressed into stone, sacred springs bubbling with blessed water, and chakra marks in the rock.

Standing sentinel beside the monastery is a magnificent 78.9 m cypress tree, believed to be Guru Rinpoche’s walking stick transformed into living wood. At this very spot the great master once summoned two kings, compelling them to leave their handprints in a stone monument that endures today.

Your day ends at the College of Zorig Chusum, where students preserve Bhutan’s traditional thirteen arts. This vocational institute teaches 10 ancient crafts, including thangka painting, embroidery, sculpture, metalwork, and woodcarving. You will watch young artisans demonstrate remarkable skill while keeping centuries-old techniques alive for future generations.

You will stay overnight at the hotel in Trashiyangtse.

After breakfast we take a 40-minute drive from your hotel to one of Bhutan’s most remarkable wilderness areas – Bumdeling Valley. This valley forms part of the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1994 as the country’s largest protected area, spanning 1,520.61 km² across the Trashiyangtse, Lhuentse, and Mongar districts.

The sanctuary showcases an extraordinary range of ecosystems, from warm broadleaved forest at lower elevations to alpine meadow and rocky scree slopes near the peaks. This diverse landscape shelters vulnerable species including Royal Bengal tiger, snow leopard, red panda, and Himalayan musk deer. Rare birds such as the rufous-necked hornbill and Pallas’s fish eagle soar through these protected skies, while the world’s only endemic butterfly – Ludlow’s Bhutan Swallowtail – flutters exclusively within these boundaries.

Your first stop will be a traditional handmade paper factory where artisans craft Deh sho paper from the bark of Daphne and Dhekap trees. You will witness the complete papermaking process, observing techniques that monasteries have used for centuries to create pages for woodblock printing, manuscripts, and prayer books.

Later, you will explore the impressive Chorten Kora, a massive stupa that mirrors Nepal’s famous Boudhanath. Local residents requested this sacred structure to subdue demons that once plagued the area known as Dhuerong – the valley of demons. Construction spanned 12 years, beginning in the 1740s, with consecration ceremonies held on the 30th day of the first Bhutanese month.

The chorten continues to draw thousands of pilgrims for annual festivals. Dhagpakora falls on the 15th day of the first month, attracting members of the Dhagpa community from distant Tawang, while Drukpakora is celebrated on the 30th day with elaborate ceremonies and prayers.

You will stay overnight at a hotel in Trashiyangtse.

• Distance: 60 km (37 mi)
• Estimated travel time: 2 hrs

Our morning drive to Trashigang includes a delightful stop at Kheni village near Doksum town. This model village sits just 20 minutes from the main junction, offering a glimpse into authentic rural Bhutan. The cluster of traditional houses amid emerald fields presents a picture-perfect scene that feels untouched by time. Locals originally called this settlement Khi Nye – meaning sleeping dog – because the village layout resembles a resting canine when seen from the surrounding hills.

Upon reaching Trashigang, you will marvel at the imposing Trashigang Dzong, aptly named the Fortress of Auspicious Hill. Built in 1667 by Mingyur Tenpa, Bhutan’s third desi, this architectural masterpiece stands on a knife-edge promontory where two powerful rivers – the Drangme Chhu and Gamri Chhu – crash together far below. The fortress appears virtually unconquerable when viewed from the narrow gorge, its walls rising like natural extensions of the cliff face. Ancient stories tell of Tibetan invaders who fled in terror, convinced they faced a supernatural Sky Dzong floating impossibly in the clouds.

After exploring Trashigang, we take a scenic two-hour drive towards Merak village, winding through Rangjung town and Radhi village as the landscape grows wilder and more remote with each mile.

Following lunch, you will experience the enchanting Mendrula Trail. This gentle 4.5 km descent begins at Mendrula Pass (3,340 m – 10,958 ft) and drops gradually through spectacular rhododendron forest to 3,200 m (10,498 ft). The trail offers easy walking through pristine woodland that explodes with crimson and pink blossoms during the flowering season.

Your path leads to the enigmatic Merak Black Stupa (Chorten Nakpo), built to commemorate an epic battle between two ancient kingdoms. The conflict erupted between Yue Pema Chen and Yue Mendel Gang after a demoness named Duem Haacham seized control of Mendel Gang and imprisoned her former husband, King Kala Wangpo. Consumed by jealousy over his new family – Queen Khando Drowa Zangmo and their children, Princess Lhachi Kuenzang and Prince Lhasey Kintu Lekpa – the demoness pursued them with murderous intent. Through divine intervention and their mother’s sacrifice, the royal children escaped to Yue Pema Chen, where Prince Kintu Lekpa eventually claimed his destined throne.

You will spend the night at a homestay in Merak village.

• Altitude in Merak: 3,500 m (11,482 ft)

Today you will immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Merak village, perched at 3,500 m (11,482 ft) in one of Trashigang’s most remote corners. This settlement of approximately 30 traditional houses is home to the Brokpas – semi-nomadic highlanders whose livelihood centres on yak herding. The village name Merak literally means Set on Fire, referring to how their ancestors cleared the land with flames when they first arrived under the guidance of their local deity, Aum Jomo.

The Brokpas trace their origins to southern Tibet, where they once lived under a tyrannical king in Tshona who tormented his subjects with impossible demands – including ordering them to remove an entire mountain that blocked sunlight from his palace. When the people could not accomplish this feat despite endless toil, Aum Jomo conspired with them to end the king’s reign. She then led the Brokpas south into Bhutan, where the strongest among them climbed to establish Merak while others settled in the lower village of Sakteng.

These highland people maintain their semi-nomadic lifestyle, taking their yak herds to high grazing grounds called Tsamdro for four months each year from late April through August. Their distinctive culture shines through their language – an intriguing blend of Kurtoep, Tibetan, and Sharchop – and their remarkable traditional dress.

The women’s attire creates a stunning visual spectacle: layers of red Bura cotton and silk dress called Shingka, secured with a thick black woollen Meykhem pushed to the back, complemented by a colourful tego and topped with an intricately designed red jacket called Todung. The ensemble concludes with the distinctive felt hat, the Tsetpu Zham. Men wear thick red woollen coats called Tshokham Chuba, often made from sheepskin.

You will spend time with local families, learning about their daily customs, traditional crafts, and the rhythms of highland life that have remained unchanged for generations.

You will stay overnight at a local house in the village of Merak.

• Distance: 18 km (11 mi)
• Duration: 8 hrs 30 mins
• Difficulty: Moderate to challenging

We will have an early breakfast before setting off, as today is the longest day of the journey.

In the morning you will take on the Jomo Panda Trail, an 18 km (11 mi) hike from Merak village to Sakteng village, crossing the Nyakchungla Pass at 4,153 m (13,625 ft) through the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary. The trail involves several sustained climbs and descents throughout the day, so a good level of fitness is required. The best time to walk this trail is between March and May when the rhododendrons are in bloom, or October to November for clear skies and stable conditions.

From Merak village the trail climbs uphill for 45 minutes to the Merak Viewpoint, then continues uphill for another two hours to Nyakchungla Pass – the highest and most demanding section of the day. From the pass the trail descends for 45 minutes to the lunch point, then continues downhill for two more hours through the sanctuary to Meserteng Resting Place. The final stretch climbs uphill for two hours to Laptsa before a last 45-minute descent brings you down into Sakteng village.

Sakteng village, like Merak, is home to the Brokpa community. The valley sits within the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary – the second largest of Bhutan’s four protected areas at 740 km², spreading across Trashigang and Samdrupjongkhar. Covering eight different forest types from warm broadleaved forest to alpine meadow, the sanctuary is home to snow leopard, red panda, and Himalayan black bear, and is considered something of a rhododendron paradise, harbouring 41 of the country’s 46 known species. Between April and August the trail is lined with blooms and alpine wildflowers, while red panda sightings, though always luck-based given the species’ shy nature, are most likely between October and February.

For those unable to complete the full hike, an alternative road transfer from Merak to Sakteng village is available – approximately 100 km, taking 3 to 4 hours by car. Please note that road conditions along this route can be rough.

You will spend the night in Sakteng village.

Today is a rest day from the trail. You will remain at your local homestay in Sakteng village and spend the day exploring the village and the culture of the Brokpa community at a slower pace.

The Brokpa are a semi-nomadic people with roots tracing back to Tibet, from where they migrated some 500 years ago. They continue to move through the seasons with their yaks and still practise the barter system, trading cheese, butter, and dried meat for grains and goods not readily available in the highlands. Spending a day in the village offers a rare window into a way of life that has changed very little over the centuries.

You will stay another night in Sakteng village.

After breakfast we head to Yonphula Airport and fly to Paro. The flight takes 45 minutes.

Once in Paro, you will visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the 108 temples built across the Himalayas. Legend tells that the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo constructed these temples in a single day to subdue a demon tigress that was trying to prevent the spread of Buddhism throughout the region. This sacred temple also received Guru Padmasambhava during the 8th century, and is considered one of the most magnificent temples in the valley.

You will stay overnight at a hotel in Paro.

• Altitude at Taktsang: 3,120 m (10,236 ft)
• Distance: 4.5 km (2.8 mi) one way
• Elevation gain: 900 m (2,952 ft)

This morning you will embark on Bhutan’s most iconic adventure – hiking to Taktsang Monastery, famously known as Tiger’s Nest. This sacred temple clings to a sheer cliff face at an altitude of 3,120 m (10,236 ft). The trek covers 4.5 km (2.8 mi) one way with a 900 m (2,952 ft) elevation gain, typically taking 2–3 hours in each direction.

The trail winds through pristine pine forest, offering shade and tranquillity. Along the way you will pause at several viewpoints to admire the spectacular Paro valley spread below. The monastery itself represents one of Bhutan’s most important pilgrimage sites, and no visit to the kingdom feels complete without experiencing this remarkable heritage monument.

After descending from your hike, you can unwind with a traditional hot stone bath at a local farmhouse. This ancient therapeutic practice uses heated river stones to warm the water, creating a perfect remedy for tired muscles.

Your evening concludes with a special dinner at a traditional farmhouse, where you will share authentic Bhutanese cuisine with a local family. This intimate experience allows you to connect with some of the warmest people you will ever meet while savouring home-cooked regional specialities.

You will stay overnight at a hotel in Paro.

It is time to say farewell to Paro and to the beautiful kingdom of Bhutan. We hope that, with the assistance of our guide and driver, you have had a wonderful trip, and we hope to welcome you back to our country. Tashi Delek!