Experience Bhutan’s cultural heart
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Paro & drive to Thimphu
Arrive in Paro, Bhutan’s only international airport, where you’ll be met by your driver and guide who will be with you for the duration of your trip. It’s a 45-minute drive to Thimphu, Bhutan’s laid-back capital, where you’ll be spending the first two nights of your trip. After checking in to your hotel, head out to explore. Visit the impressive Buddha Dordenma, one of the largest seated Buddhas in the world. Learn about Bhutan’s unique approach to healing at the Traditional Medicine Institute, where traditional remedies are still prepared. Take a stroll through Thimphu’s market area, for an insight into daily local life.
Day 2 – Monastery hike & Thimpu sightseeing
After breakfast, you’ll drive out of town to the start point of your morning hike. The trail follows through forested slopes where prayer flags flutter in the wind, and as you gain elevation views open up over the valley. After around 1 hour you’ll reach the Tango Monastery – an important centre of Buddhist learning where you may see monks deep in meditation. Return to Thimphu for lunch.
In the afternoon visit the Jungshi Paper Factory to see how paper has been made for centuries using the bark of the daphne plant. Watch as craftsmen soak, pulp, and dry the fibres into delicate sheets used for books and prayer flags. The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore at your own pace.
Day 3 – To Phobjikha Valley via the Dochula Pass
Time to head further east into the remote Phobjikha Valley. The five-hour drive is as much part of the experience as the destination. You’ll stop to stretch your legs at Dochula Pass (3,050m), where you’ll find 108 white chortens (Buddhist stupas) arranged in rows on the hillside. If the skies are clear, you can enjoy spectacular Himalayan views.
Continue through rhododendron forests to Phobjikha Valley. This wide glacial valley is famously the winter home of the rare, black-necked cranes (November–March). After checking into your characterful hotel, visit the atmospheric Gangtey Goemba Monastery, that overlooks the whole valley. Then explore the valley on foot on a gentle hike passing farmhouses and meadows. If you wish, in the evening, you can visit a local farmhouse where you can try churning butter, making puffed rice, or helping with dinner preparations. It’s a fun way to spend an evening with a local family.
Day 4 – Journey to Bumthang
Today you’ll travel to Bumthang – the cultural and spiritual heartland of Bhutan – a beautifully scenic drive of around six hours. You’ll cross two high mountain passes, Pele La (3,300m) and Yotong La (3,400m), where you can stretch your legs and soak up the sweeping views. You’ll also stop at Chendebji Chorten, a large white stupa said to subdue local demons, and the small, picturesque town of Trongsa with its distinct Tibetan influence. In the late afternoon you’ll reach the town of Jakar, in the heart of Bumthang region. You’ll stay in a cosy hotel outside the centre. If you aren’t too tired after a long day, head out into town to explore the surroundings and walk down the suspension bridge across the river.
Day 5 – Explore the Tang Valley
Spend the day exploring the Tang Valley – one of the four valleys of Bumthang and the most remote. Here you’ll find Mebartsho (the Burning Lake), where legend says a sacred relic was revealed by a saint. You can also see the hand and footprints of Guru Rinpoche preserved in Tang Rimochen Lhakhang, a temple where Guru Rinpoche meditated. Visit Pemachoeling Nunnery, where you can observe the daily routines of the resident nuns and perhaps join them for a chat. This quiet valley feels a world away from modern life, and the drive itself is an experience as you pass grazing yaks and traditional style homes.
Days 6 – Temples & trails of Bumthang
Continue your exploration of Bumthang’s sacred sites. You’ll quickly notice that Buddhism is very much alive and thriving in this part of the country. Visit Jambay Lhakhang – one of the oldest temples in the country, built in the 7th century. It’s believed to be one of the 108 temples built by the Tibetan king in one day to fight a demon. At Tamshing Goemba, admire centuries-old wall paintings created by Pema Lingpa. Take a gentle hike across a suspension bridge to reach Thangbi Lhakhang, a small, atmospheric temple. Last stop of the day is the impressive Jakar Dzong – one of the largest and holiest dzongs in Bhutan.
Day 7 – Bumthang to Punakha
Leave Bumthang early for the journey back west (approx 7 hours). You’ll stop in Trongsa to explore its impressive dzong. Built in the 17th century, this vast fortress is strategically placed above the Mangde River and once controlled all east–west travel across Bhutan. Continue through mountain passes, descending gradually into the warmer Punakha Valley. Once you’ve checked in, you may wish to simply relax after a full day of travel.
Day 8 – Punakha sightseeing
Spend the day exploring the highlights of Punakha. Start with a visit to the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery. The nunnery doubles as a learning centre, where nuns study Buddhist philosophy and traditional arts like thangka painting and embroidery. It also offers sweeping views over Punakha and Wangdue valleys. Then hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, a temple built to promote peace and harmony. Cross a suspension bridge covered with prayer flags before reaching the temple at the top of the hill.
In the afternoon, visit Punakha Dzong, which is widely considered to be the most beautiful and photogenic dzong in the country. Inside you’ll see intricately carved wooden galleries, golden statues, and peaceful courtyards that still serve as the winter residence for Bhutan’s monastic body.
Day 9 – To Paro via the Chelela Pass
It’s a three hour journey this morning, back to Paro. Take the dramatic drive over the Chelela Pass (3,899m), Bhutan’s highest motorable pass, where on a clear day you’ll enjoy views of the snow-capped Himalayan peaks. Stretch your legs with a gentle hike down to Kila Nunnery, a cliffside retreat that’s home to a small community of nuns. Then continue your journey into the charming town of Paro and check in to your accommodation. If you wish, take a stroll through town and browse for handicrafts.
Day 10 – Trek to Bumdra Monastery
The next two days are dedicated to the Bumdra Trek. This short, scenic hike leads to a high-altitude campsite near Bumdra Monastery, followed by a spectacular descent to Tiger’s Nest the next day. It may be a challenge for some, taking you up 4,000m in just one day, but you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views.
This morning you’ll drive to Sang Choekor Buddhist College, meet the ponies carrying your bags, and set off on your trek. The trail climbs steadily through shaded forest, with views opening out over Paro and Do Chhu valleys. Take a break at Chhoe Chhoe Tse Lhakhang, a small temple nestled into the mountainside, then continue through forest and prayer-flag-strewn ridges until you reach the high meadows of Bumdra Monastery. Your campsite is set just below the monastery, with incredible views of the Himalayas and the valley below. After lunch, visit the monastery if it’s open or climb a little higher to around 4,000m for an even better view of the mountains.
Day 11 – Descend to Tiger’s Nest
Enjoy breakfast with sweeping mountain views, then begin your descent through pine and rhododendron forest, eventually joining the trail that leads to Taktsang Monastery – better known as Tiger’s Nest. This iconic monastery perches dramatically on a cliff edge high above Paro Valley. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche, founder of Buddhism in Bhutan, flew here on the back of a tigress and meditated in a cave at this site. Spend time exploring the shrines and temples and soaking up the serenity, before continuing down to the base, where your driver will be waiting to drive you back to Paro.
Day 12 – Depart Bhutan
Today you’ll be taken to the airport in time for your departure flight.
Accommodation
