14 Days Cultural Journey With Nature Trek in Central Bhutan

You will be received by our guide and driver at the Paro International Airport and then you will be on your first adventure in the ‘Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon’. We will visit an auspicious 7th-century monastery Kyichu Lhakhang built in 659 AD by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo to subdue the spirit of a demoness who was causing obstruction to the propagation of Buddhism.

You'll also visit the National Museum housed in a 17th-century watchtower called Paro Ta Dzong (Ta Dzong means “watchtower fortress”). It displays hundreds of ancient Bhutanese artifacts and artworks including traditional costumes, armor, weaponry and handcrafted implements for daily life. The collection at the National Museum preserves a snapshot of the rich cultural traditions of the country. If time permits, explore the Paro town and witness the game of archery if the match is in progress.

Paro Altitude 2,200m/7,220ft

Dinner and overnight at Khangkhu Resort or Bhutan Mandala Resort

Today, you will take a 30-min domestic flight to Bumthang in central Bhutan. This domestic flight service has helped the visitors cut short traveling time from a 12-hour strenuous drive to just under 30 minutes and the flight presents stunning aerial views of the pristine valleys and mountainous topography of Bhutan.

On arrival in Bumthang, you will visit the sacred Tamzhing temple built in 1501 by Terton Pema Lingpa who is considered as the patron saint of Bhutan. Among the many treasures and religious artifacts handcrafted by the Pema Lingpa himself, there is an armory that stood the test of time for five centuries bearing no rust or any sign of deterioration. It is believed that you will be cleansed of all your past sins and defilement if you circumambulate the inner sanctum of the temple 3 rounds carrying that sacred armory.

You'll also visit the Swiss Cheese and Wine factory which was established by Mr. Fritz Maurer, a Swiss volunteer who came to Bhutan in the early 1960s and made Bumthang his home. Leisure time strolling the Chamkhar, the main town of Bumthang valley.

Bumthang Altitude 2700m/8,860ft

Dinner and overnight at Kaila Guesthouse or Mountain Lodge

After breakfast, drive for about 45min to the sacred lake called Mebartso from where a sacred statue and other religious treasures were discovered by Terton Pema Lingpa. Visit the nearby Tang village and ramble through the rural settlements to understand the daily lives of the farmers of Bumthang. Home-cooked local cuisine unique to Bumthang will be organized at one of the village farmhouses for lunch. After lunch, spend some time with the local family. If interested, visit Ogyen Choling Museum. Although Ogyen Choling was a palace owned by the ancestors of the Royal family of Bhutan, it was regarded as being a monastery or hermitage because of its past connections with great Buddhist masters like Longhcen Rabjam (1308-63) and Terton Dorji Lingpa (1346-1405). It was turned into a museum in 2001 to share its heritage and also to preserve and maintain its religious and cultural significance. Drive back to Bumthang also known as Jakar.

Driving time: 2-hours round trip

Visit Kurjey Lhakhang which is built on the sacred site blessed by Guru Padmasambhava in the 8th century. Guru Padmasambhava brought Buddhism to Bhutan and is revered as the second Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism. If you wish, visit one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, the 7th century Jambay Lhakhang believed to have been built overnight by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo.

Dinner and overnight at Kaila Guesthouse or Mountain Lodge

Following a hearty breakfast at the hotel, drive to the district of Tongsa. En route, stop briefly at Chumey village to see Yathra Weaving Center (Yathra is the colorful textiles handwoven out of sheep and yak hair) and get insights into the traditional attires and the weaving culture of the people of Bumthang. From there continue to drive gaining altitude gradually and reach a serene mountain pass, Yotong La at 3,425m/11,235ft and then descend down to Trongsa.

Driving Time: 2 hours, Trongsa Altitude 2,200m/7,220ft

Arriving at Trongsa, you'll visit Royal Heritage Museum housed in the 17th-century watchtower located on a promontory overlooking the Majestic Trongsa Dzong. The Royal Heritage Museum provides an insight into the significance of Trongsa in Bhutan’s history and showcases the religious and artistic traditions of Bhutan.

After lunch, visit the 17th-century Trongsa Dzong which holds a significant place in the history of Bhutan as it was from here that the ancestors of the Royal family of Bhutan emerged as the most powerful rulers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The first and second hereditary kings of Bhutan ruled the country from this ancient seat of power. There is a tradition that the crown prince must be invested as Trongsa Penlop (Governor of Trongsa) here at Trongsa Dzong before he ascends the golden throne of the King.

In the neighborhood, there is also Thruepang Palace which you can visit if interested. This two-storied simple palace situated just above the highway in the town is the birthplace of our Late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. It was here that on 2nd May 1928, His Majesty was born to King Jigme Wangchuck and Ashi Puntsho Choden. He spent most of his early childhood days here in this Thurepang Palace. Leisure time around Trongsa town.

Dinner and overnight in Tashi Ninjay Guest House

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we drive for about 2.5 hours along the Trongsa-Zhemgang highway to the starting point of the trek, Tongtongphey. En route, stop briefly to visit Kuenga Rabten Palace, an important heritage in Bhutanese history. It was built in 1929 as the winter palace of the second king. You will learn about the early days of Bhutan’s monarchy. We then drive to the starting point of the trek and hike down to the Mangdi river where you cross a suspension bridge. On this stretch of the journey the otherwise rare Golden Langurs, an endangered species of primate are abundant and almost impossible to miss. You will come in contact with the Monpas who are believed to be the first inhabitants of Bhutan. A glimpse into their lifestyle coupled with mythical legends about their origins further validates this claim. The campsite in Jangbi stands on the valley sill, which offers a resplendent view of the Mangdi valley.

Distance 7-10km, Hiking Time 3-4 hours

Full-service outdoor camping at Jangbi

The morning allows you to further interact with the Monpas. Before you proceed, you can also pay a visit to the orchid garden that houses around 75 different varieties of orchids. The trail to Kudra is especially interesting as it passes stone imprints of Guru Rinpoche’s footprints, dagger and phallus. Lunch is served just before you arrive at Phrumzur, one of the Monpa villages. After a quick visit to the village Lhakhang in Phrumzur and you then proceed to the campsite in Kudra. En route, you’ll encounter another small Monpa village called Lekpogang, after which, the campsite in Kudra is just an hour’s walk. The campsite offers a bird’s-eye view of Nyimshong village and also of Zhemgang town.

Distance 13-14km, Hiking Time 6 hours

Full-service outdoor camping near Kudra Village

This part of the trek is a collage of streams, waterfalls and thick forests that will give you an invigorating feeling of being out in the wild. Animals such as Himalayan Squirrels, Rhesus Macaques, and small snakes are often spotted along the trail. Himalayan black bears, Red pandas, tigers and Clouded leopards are also present in this region. Upon arrival at the holy tree in Nabji, the villagers will give you a warm reception. Nabji is a beautiful village with paddy fields circling the clustered houses. You can also hike to the community school and interact with students.

Distance 11-14km, Hiking Time 5-6 hours

Full-service outdoor camping near Nabji village

En route to Korphu, visit Nabji temple located amidst verdant paddy fields. There is a stone pillar on which Guru Rinpoche imprinted the thumbs of two warring kings as a symbol of peace. Korphu is situated on a mountaintop at an altitude of 1,500m. The most striking thing about Korphu is that the people exemplify hospitality almost treating you like royalty. The villagers will welcome you in traditional style singing traditional songs of praise and wellbeing. They also perform the traditional ‘Tashi Labey’ dance to bid you farewell. The villagers can explain and demonstrate and even allow you to participate in the quintessential Bhutanese games of ‘Khuru’, ‘Dego’, ‘Sok-sum’, and ‘Gee-dum’. You can visit the village temple that houses sacred relics of Pema Lingpa, the most famous Terton or ‘Treasure revealer’ in Bhutan.

Distance 11-12km, Hiking Time 4-6 hours

Full-service outdoor camping at Korphu

The hike from Korphu to Nyimshong is pleasant and arguably the best location for bird watching as it is home to over 395 avian species. The elusive Rufous Necked Hornbill has its nesting holes adjacent to the trail. The walk is interspaced with waterfalls, streams and cantilever bridges. The evening brings you to Nyimshong village. The campsite is equipped with an amphitheater. The women of Nyimshong have a penchant for singing and dancing and often put on cultural shows for visitors.

Distance 11-12km, Hiking Time 4-5 hours

Full-service outdoor camping at Nimshong

You begin by descending towards the Mangdi River. You are likely to see Herons, River-lapwings and even Golden Langurs in this region. A steep hour-long climb will bring you to the road from where your driver will be waiting. From there we drive to Phobjikha valley via Trongsa. Lunch will be served at Trongsa town. Hiking Distance 5-6km Hiking Time 4-5 hours After lunch at Trongsa, drive to Phobjikha valley. Phobjikha is a vast U-shaped glacial valley at an elevation of about 3,000 meters and it is a winter home for endangered Black Necked Crane from November and migrates back to the Tibetan plateau by the beginning of March.

Driving distance 150km, Time 4.5 hours, Phobjikha Altitude 3,000m/9,842ft

Dinner and 0vernight at Yueloki Guest House or Dewachen Hotel & Spa

Today before we transfer to Paro, visit the famous landmark in this valley, Gangtey Monastery popularly known as Gangtey Gonpa (gonpa literally means “high remote place” and is usually a place of religious significance) founded in 1613. The name Gangtey is derived from the fact that the Goenpa is built on a peak (Tey) of a hillock (Gang). The present abbot of this monastery is the ninth Gangtey Trulku His Holiness Kunzang Rigzin Pema Namgyal. The monastery also has a monastic college where hundreds of monks study Buddhism. If you are interested, we do Gangtey Nature Hike in the pristine valley and then transfer to Punakha valley after lunch.

After visiting the monastery, we begin Gangtey Nature Trail Hike. The trail is about 5km long and takes approximately 2.5 hours including ample time to take photographs and observe pristine natural surroundings. The nature trail begins from Gangtey Monastery and leads through wonderful meadows, forests, beautiful traditional village houses, farmlands, crystalline streams. This short nature trail gives you a great feeling of the valley and an understanding of the community living there. Transfer to Punakha valley.

Driving Time 2.5-hours, Punakha Altitude 1,200m/3,937ft

In Punakha, visit Chimi Lhakhang Temple located about a 30-minute walk from the nearest road through the beautiful terraced rice fields and farmhouses. Chimi Lhakhang was built in 1499 by Lama Ngawang Chogyal on a site blessed by his older brother, Lama Drukpa Kuenley who was known as ‘Divine Madman’ for his obscene behavior and unorthodox ways of propagating Buddhism. He would often express his desire for sex and use phallus as a medium to subdue malevolent spirits. Today, one of the relics of Chime Lhakhang is a phallus. The blessing of the phallus is considered sacred particularly to women who are unable to conceive a child as it brings fertility to women, giving them the ability to bear offspring. Because of this belief, people like to call Chimi Lhakhang as “Temple of Fertility”. Married couples who are unable to conceive a child often come to this temple seeking blessings from the Divine Madman. Explore the nearby village.

Dinner and overnight at Meri Puensum Resort of Hotel Lobesa

After breakfast, you will visit the historic Punakha Dzong and transfer to the capital city Thimphu. The historic Punakha Dzong locally known as “Palace of Great Bliss” was built in 1637 to guard the region against Tibetan forces. This beautiful and most impressive Dzong in Bhutan is a fine example of traditional Bhutanese architecture, painting and craftsmanship. The Dzong served as the administrative center and the seat of the Government of Bhutan until 1955. It now serves as the office of the District Administrator (Dzongdag) and the winter residence of the Chief Abbot of Bhutan, Je Khenpo. Transfer to Thimphu via Dochula Pass. Thimphu is the capital city of Bhutan and is home to approximately 115,000 residents. This bustling little city is the main center of commerce, religion and government in the country.

Driving distance 74km, Driving time 2.5-3 hours, Thimphu Altitude 2,334m/7,657ft

En route to Thimphu, stop at Dochula, a sacred mountain pass at an altitude of 3,150 meters above sea level from where you can see, on a clear day, some of the highest peaks of Bhutan. After lunch at Dochula Cafe, continue driving to Thimphu.

On arrival in Thimphu, visit the magnificent 169 feet tall bronze statue of Lord Buddha located on a hilltop overlooking the Thimphu valley. It was built to celebrate the 60th birth anniversary of the Fourth King His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The giant Buddha statue houses more than 100,000 8-inch tall Buddha statues of the same type. The construction began in 2006 and was completed in 2015 after almost 10 years. Leisure time in Thimphu town.

Dinner and overnight at Kuenphen Rabten Resort or Hotel Amodhara

Today after breakfast, we drive to Paro and hike to the famous Taktsang monastery. Driving distance from Thimphu to Paro 5km, Driving time 1.5 hrs

Taktsang monastery is built on the face of an 800-meter rock cliff. The round-trip hike takes approximately 4-5 hours for most hikers but you can hike at your own pace. We suggest you start early. Oneway horse riding on your way up is available up to the midpoint (Taktsang Cafeteria) for about USD20. Taktsang which literally translates to ‘Tiger’s Nest’, is regarded as one of the most important monasteries in Bhutan. After lunch at the Taktsang cafeteria, we retrace our steps back to the base where our driver will be waiting. From there we drive to Paro town and spend some leisure time. 

Towards the late afternoon, visit one of the beautiful farmhouses for authentic home-cooked local cuisine. If you are interested, you can soak in a traditional therapeutic and revitalizing traditional hot stone bath for an additional fee of about US$20 per person.

Overnight at Khangkhu Resort or Bhutan Mandala Resort

After breakfast, transfer to Paro International Airport for your onward journey. Your guide will assist you to complete all exit formalities before you check in.