Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival In Paro, Bhutan

   • Welcome to Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Touch down at Paro International Airport. You will be greeted by your Bhutanese guide upon exiting the arrival hall. Today, we will take it easy to acclimatize to the altitude.
   • Drive to Thimphu, check in to the hotel and let’s have your first taste of Bhutanese cuisine and some light sightseeing in Thimphu if possible. 

   Elevation 2,280 m

2. Day 2: Paro

   • Drukgyal Dzong - A morning drive north of Paro Valley brings us to the ruins of Drukgyal Dzong. Built in 1647 by the great Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, father and unifier of medieval Bhutan, the Dzong was destroyed by an accidental fire and left in ruins as an evocative reminder of the great victories it was built to commemorate. Explore the ramparts and relive the memories of a glorious past.
   • Taktsang Monastery - A one hour hike to the cafeteria is also a vantage view whereby you can enjoy the stunning view of the monastery. Prayer flags adorn the cliff, and this is also where Guru Padmasambhava landed on the back of a tigress in the 8th century.
   • Kyichu Lhakhang - After a sumptuous local lunch, we will retrace our steps to visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan.

   Elevation 2,280 m

3. Day 3: Paro To Haa Via Chelela

   • Drive to Haa through Chele La (3,988 m). From the pass, you can see Paro Valley on one side and Haa Valley on the other. You can also have a picnic at Chele La if you like. 
   • In Haa, do some sightseeing and then go to Katsho village and visit the Katso Lhakhang. The valley of Haa was only opened to tourists in 2002, and Haa is the least visited valley in Bhutan due to the lack of infrastructure. This has helped keep Haa the way it has always been, with Bhutanese families living their traditional and simple lives. Haa Valley has no standard tourist hotels so we will return to Paro for the night.

   Elevation 3,575 m

4. Day 4: Paro To Thangthangkha Via Shana

   • Begin with an early morning drive from the hotel to Shana. The trail follows the river through a heavily forested area with a few isolated farmhouses. As we go up, the valley becomes narrow, wilder and steeper. The trail winds up and down along the drainage. We will pass a junction en route, where another path leads over the Tremo La to Tibet. Bhutanese people formerly used this route as a trading route to Tibet. We cross several traditional wooden bridges to arrive at Thanthangka. The camp is in a meadow with a stone shelter.

   Distance: 13.6 miles/22 km, Duration: 6-8 hours,  Elevation 4,044 m     

5. Day 5: Thangthanglha To Jangothang

   • The path ascends for a while until we reach the army camp. We then follow the river above the tree line, enjoying stunning views of the surrounding peaks. Hot lunch will be served at a yak herder’s camp.
   • Continue with a short walk into the valley to reach our campsite at Jangothang (4,040 m). From here, enjoy the views of Jhomolhari and Jichu Drake.

   Distance: 10.5 miles / 17 km Duration: 4-6 hours,  Elevation 4,010 m

6. Day 6: Janghothang to Lingzhi

   • The path ascends for a while until we reach the army camp. We then follow the river above the tree line, enjoying stunning views of the surrounding peaks. Hot lunch is served at a yak herder’s camp. A short walk from here into the valley takes us to our campsite at Jangothang (4,040m). From here, the views of Jhomolhari and Jichu Drake are superb.

   Distance: 10.5 miles / 17 km Duration: 4-6 hours,  Elevation 4,010 m

7. Day 7: Lingzhi to Shodu

   • Today, the first half of the trek will be mainly through the treeless valley until we start ascending to Yale-la pass at 4950 m. On a clear day, we can see Mt. Jumolhari, Mt. Tsherimgang and Mt. Masagang. Nomads travelling between Lingzhi and Thimphu use the Yale la, so the trail is well marked. The descent from the pass joins the Jaradinthang Chhu, which later becomes the Thimphu Chhu. At the altitude of 4150 m is a chorten (stupa) from where the trail takes an easterly direction following the river. The camp is at Shodu, just after crossing the sandy slope.

   Elevation 3,575 m

8. Day 8: Shodu to Barshong

   • Today’s trail winds up & down, following the Thimphu Chhu through the limestone valley. Monks use caves for meditation. Shabdrung is said to have meditated on these rocks when he fled Tibet in the 17th century. We will have a good opportunity to view the giant rock faces and waterfalls. The trail gradually ascends 130 m to Barshong Dzongs ruins. Barshong is a small village with an inhabitant of half a dozen houses. 

   Distance: 8.7 miles/14 km, Duration: 4-5 hours, Elevation 3,720 m

9. Day 9: Barshong To Dolam Kencho

   • There are several ups and downs and crossings of small streams for today's journey from Barshong to Dolam Kencho. Reach a split in the trail. The one to the right descends to your campsite for tonight.

10. Day 10: Dolam Kencho to Thimphu

    • Today is an easy walk with small ups and downs followed by short, steep switchbacks to descend a vertical cliff before finally reaching the last stretch to Dodina. The trails descend through bamboo forests, following the mule trail high above the river and reach Dodina, where your vehicle will meet you and drive you half an hour to Thimphu, the modern capital of Bhutan. Thimphu has a population of about 98,500. The town is made up of just three lines of shops and is the only capital in the world without traffic lights.

    Distance: 4.3 miles / 7 km, Duration: 3 hours, Elevation 2,280 m 

11. Day 11: Thimphu to Paro

    • From Thimpu, you will driven back to Paro.