Day 01: Arrival in Paro
Bhutan will welcome you with a marvelous view of the snowcapped Himalayan range from above as your plane approaches Paro airport. Take a deep breath of the clean fresh air once you step outside! Our representative will escort you from the airport to your hotel in Paro.
At 2,300m, Paro is one of the most scenic valleys in Bhutan, a perfect place to start your journey. First, we will visit the National Museum of Bhutan (Ta Dzong) to get an insight about the Bhutanese life. The museum used to be a watchtower, standing atop of the hill above Paro Rinpung Dzong and the entire valley. Displayed inside is a massive collection of Bhutanese items, from antique thangka paintings to textiles and weapons, giving you a nice run through their history and society.
Paro Rinpung Dzong (Fortress of The Heap of Jewels), which is located close to the national museum, is the next stop. This dzong is ranked high in Bhutanese architecture for its spectacular design and is a great location to get the breathtaking pictures of Paro valley. The famous Paro Tsechu festival is also held here and sees thousands of participants every year.
We will stay overnight at the hotel in Paro.
Day 02: Discover Paro
If you are in Paro, you cannot miss visiting Taktsang Monastery, or commonly known as ‘Tiger’s Nest’, one of the holiest sites in Bhutan. The striking monastery perches on a cliff at an altitude of 3,120m, overlooking the picturesque Paro.
We will start hiking to see the elegant structure in the morning. The walk is 4.5km one way, with an elevation of 900m. There will be multiple stops for refreshments during the hike, which will be about 4-5 hours. The view along the path is also remarkable and it will only get better the further you hike. You will be walking under thousands of prayer flags and look out to see the lush forests and the great mountains.
Later on, on our way back, we will visit the renowned Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the 108 ancient temples built by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in 659. The temple was erected to pin down the left foot of a giant ogress that tried to prevent the establishment of Buddhism in the Himalaya. Kyichu Lhakhang is also famous for its enchanting scene of elderly pilgrims spinning the temple’s prayer wheels.
We will spend another night at the hotel in Paro.
Day 03: Sharna Zampa– Soi Thangthangkha
- Distance: 22km
- Estimated time: 7- 8hrs
- Ascent: 770m, descent: 10m
- Camp altitude: 3,610m
In the early morning, we will drive for 2 hours to Shana, the starting point of our scenic trek. From there, the trail will continue with lots of ups and downs, through the river valley and beautiful pine and rhododendron forests. The path will then become narrower and descend to a lovely meadow, where we will set up the camp. If the weather permits, you will have a nice view of Mount Jomolhari from our camp.
Day 04: Soi Thangthangkha – Jangothang
- Distance: 19km
- Estimated time: 5-6hrs
- Ascent: 480m
- Camp altitude: 4,080m
You can enjoy the view of Mount Jomolhari again in the morning before we get on the trek. The path will run up Paro valley, follow the river, and widen into patches of alpine meadow and scanty growths of woodland. We will pass an army checkpoint after a while. Views of high ridges and beautiful snowcapped mountain peaks can be seen on all sides of the trail. Also, in this area, you will easily see the yaks and their herder’s homes.
Later we will pass the villages of Soe, Takethang and Dangochang, which is another asset of the day. Jangothang is one of the most stunning campsites of the Himalayas, which will offer you the spectacular view of Mount Jomolhari from another angle.
Day 05: Rest day at Jangothang
The rest of the day provides a great opportunity to explore the pristine landscape of Jangothang. On the upper slopes of this valley, you may see some blue sheep, it is common to encounter the animals on the treks in Bhutan. Jangothang is a perfect place for your acclimatization. It is also possible to walk to Tsophu (sacred lakes) or hike around the area. You can hike in the direction towards Mount Jomolhari and its subsidiary to the west, or to Mount Jichu Drake to the north. Furthermore, there are a number of unclimbed summits and ridges to the east if you are interested.
Day 06: Jangothang – Lingshi
- Distance: 17km
- Estimated time: 6-7hrs
- Ascent: 810m, descent: 1,090m
- Camp altitude: 4,010m
The trail today will gradually ascend towards Nyili La pass at 4,680m. From here, you will have an astonishing view of Mount Jomolhari and Mount Jichu Drakey side by side with Mount Tshering Gong on the other side of the pass. We will trek downhill from the pass until we reach the campsite at Shodu.
Day 07: Lingshi – Shodu
- Distance: 22km
- Estimated time: 8-9hrs
- Ascent: 940m, descent: 920m
- Camp altitude: 4,080m
The route will lead us up to Yali La pass at 4,820m, from where Mount Jomolhari, Mount Tserim Gang, and Mount Masas Gang can be seen from this site on a clear day. We will trek downhill from the pass until we reach the campsite at Shodu.
Day 08: Shodu – Domshisa
- Distance: 16km
- Estimated time: 5-6hrs
- Ascent: 250m, descent: 670m
- Camp altitude: 3,710m
The trail will follow the Thimphu Chhu River through dense forests of rhododendron, passing picturesque waterfalls. We will gradually hike up to the ruins of Barshong Dzong. After that, the path will descend for a few hours, leading us through rhododendron forests before emerging into pastureland at Domshisa, where the campsite will be.
Day 09: Domshisa to Dolam Kencho and drive to Thimphu
- Distance: 16km
- Estimated time: 5-6hrs
We will continue to follow the Thimphu Chhu River, walking through forests of rhododendron, birch, conifer, maples, and mountain meadow in about an hour. After trekking up for 45 minutes over a small pass, our trail will go downhill until we get to Dolam Kencho, a car will wait there to take us to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.
We will stay overnight at the hotel in Thimphu.
Day 10: Thimphu to Paro
In the morning, we will visit the National Memorial Chorten. This site was erected as a dedication to world peace and prosperity and also a memorial to Bhutan’s Third King, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. Once we are here, you will catch the sight of locals circumambulating, reading mantras in murmur and spinning their prayer wheels at the chorten throughout the day.
After lunchbreak, we will head to the National Insitute for Zorig Chusum, or ‘The Arts and Craft School’-‘The Painting School’. The school is famous for teaching courses about Bhutan’s traditional arts, and the art demonstration here is any photographer’s dream. It is captivating to see the young students practicing the skills of painting, wood-carving, clay arts and other arts with great focus and discipline.
The next destination is Buddha Point (Buddha Dordenma Statue), a giant 51.5m statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. The figure is located on top of a hill overlooking Thimphu, so you can also enjoy the incredible view of the beautiful town from here. Inside the structure, there are 125,000 smaller Buddha statues, all cast in bronze and gilded.
From the giant statue, we will go and explore Tashichho Dzong (The Fortress of The Glorious Religion), an iconic construction of Thimphu. This place has been the seat of the Bhutan government since 1952 until now. The remarkable dzong stands next to the bank of Wang Chhu river, surrounded with green lawns and lovely gardens. The dances of the annual Thimphu Tshechu take place in the large open-air courtyard on the north side of the site.
Eventually, we will drive back to Paro and stay there overnight. The evening can be spent exploring vibrant local pubs or strolling through bustling streets of Paro at night.
Day 11: Depart Paro
After breakfast at the hotel, your guide will accompany you to the airport for flight to your onward destination. Tashi Delek (goodbye and good luck) and hope to see you again!
