Into The Wild

Trekking In Bhutan

Bhutan has been closed to outsiders until recently, the first Bhutan trekking tours started in western Bhutan in 1978 and central Bhutan in 1982. Trekking in Bhutan is different from other regions of the Himalayas as it is mostly remote, off the beaten track and very pristine. Therefore, we use a fully-supported camping system with porters - horses, yaks and mules to take care of all the camping equipment, food, and luggage. We can take care of every meal so that you only need to worry about hiking and enjoying our beautiful nature.

We provide experienced guides and cooks, assistant cooks during the trip. There are horses or yaks to transport your luggage. You just need to carry your day backpack only. You will have egg, cheese, fresh vegetables and fruits regularly during the trekking, except trekking lasts more than 2 weeks, fresh foods cannot be transported successfully due to remoteness.

We, at Bhutan trekking tours do not provide travel insurance so we strongly recommend you to purchase comprehensive insurance. Long treks require an insurance certificate and contact details for next of kin. Insurance must cover medical evacuation by helicopter, accident, illness, and expenses for medical or hospital treatment.

The most popular time for Bhutan trekking holidays are spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). However, with climate change, the seasonal patterns are becoming less predictable. In summer (June to August), monsoons can make trekking less appealing due to slippery trails, leeches, and obscured Himalayan views. While the winter months can witness heavy snowfall blocking some high-mountain trails. The temperatures during the day are perfect at between 16°C - 22°C (60°F - 71°F), while early mornings, evenings and nighttime can drop down to as low as 0°C (32°F).

We will provide you essential equipment like a sleeping tent with air mattresses, pillow, eating utensils and kitchen equipment. Nights are much colder and below freezing so please make sure you bring suitable sleeping bag and warm clothes. We will list out below the recommended things to bring along for your high-altitude treks in Bhutan.

To help you get ready and prepare for your Bhutan trekking tours, here is our suggested equipment and clothing list. The list includes everything you may need for a long and high-altitude trek. Depending on the trek route and difficulty, you may opt out the items that you wouldn’t need.

Equipment & Clothing List

General

Strong kit bag with simple design without wheels and foldable to keep overnight trekking kit for horses or yaks to carry.
Day backpack to put personal items you will need during the day.
Sleeping bag: a 3 season bag up to above 3,000 m (9,842 ft), a 4-5 season bag for high altitude and in winter. Fleece or silk liner for extra warmth.
Inflatable camping pillow (If you find it more comfortable when sleeping).
Waterproof sac to put over your day pack and plastic bags or big plastic bags to keep things and spare clothes dry.
Thermarest inflating mattress (if you feel you need extra padding on your Bhutan trekking holidays).

Foot wear

Hiking boots (should be water repellent)
Sandals/ light shoes/ trainers/ flip- flops to wear around the campsite.
Thick to trekking socks reduce risk of blisters
Gaiters can be very useful for trekking in snow or close to the monsoon season.

Clothing

Waterproof jacket and trousers.
Fleece pants.
T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts.
Thermal shirts/underwear.

Outerwear

Down jacket can be very useful on cold evenings.
Fleece jacket/ vest.
Waterproofs/ Wind jacket
Fleece gloves/ Warms mittens/ gloves.

Headwear

Sun hat.
Bandana or scarf.
Wool/fleece hat or balaclava.
Sunglasses.

Other

Headtorch or small hand-held torch with spare batteries and bulbs.
Sunscreen and lip balm with a high SPF.
Moisturiser (A small tube for sensitive or well cared for skins, since the air is dry and the sun is quite harsh.)
Trekking poles.
Washing line.
Pocket knife.
Earplugs.
Metal water bottles (Should be one liter or more in capacity, to take boiling water and be leak-proof).
Favorite snack food, energy drinks
Snack bars and energy drinks.
Whistle.
Binoculars.
Umbrella.

Medicines

Any personal medicine.
Analgesics (paracetamol, ibuprofen, nurofen and aspirin).
Sting relief and Insect repellent.
Plasters, zinc oxide tape and compeed patches.
Strepsils, Lemsip, cold and flu medicine
Diamox (helps with acclimatization)
Medicine for diarrhea eg Imodium.
Antiseptic cream.
Malaria prophylactic tablets.
Rehydration powder eg Dioralyte.
Throat lozenges.
Tweezers

Toiletries

Travel towel.
Soap and biodegradable washing liquid.
Laundry soap for long treks.
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Toilet paper, tissues, wet wipes
Water purification tablets– or you can just use boiled water and on shorter treks mineral water.
Camera with spare batteries and memory cards.
Books, pen, notebook, iPod, cards, etc.

Please click Trekking Tour Packages under Tour Packages on the menu for some suggested trekking tours or ask us, your Bhutan trekking agency for a tailor-made trekking tour for you.