Festival
Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival Tour
Ten days to Bumthang for the festival of fire at one of Bhutan's oldest temples, with cranes in Phobjikha on the way.
Price on request
Cultural
Bumthang and the Haa Valley in 11 Days
By road to the temples of Bumthang and back, then over Chele La for a night in quiet Haa before the Tiger's Nest.
- Length
- 11 days / 10 nights
- Grade
- Easy
- Best months
- March to May and September to November
- Price
- Price on request
Overview
Eleven days join the two ends of our other tours. You go east by road as far as Bumthang, the high valleys where Buddhism first took root in Bhutan, and on the way back you turn aside over the country's highest road pass into Haa, which most visitors never see.
It is all by road, out and back. That makes for two long days of driving, and we say plainly which they are. In return nothing depends on a domestic flight, and you cross Pele La and Dochu La in both directions, which doubles your chance of a clear view.
Haa comes near the end on purpose. A night there, after Chele La at almost 4,000 m, is good preparation for the walk to the Tiger's Nest.
Highlights
- Trongsa Dzong, strung along its ridge above the gorge
- Jambay Lhakhang and Kurjey Lhakhang in Bumthang, and the Burning Lake in the Tang valley
- Chele La at 3,988 m, and a night in the Haa valley
- Phobjikha valley and Punakha Dzong on the way out
- The Tiger's Nest, on the last full day
Route
- Thimphu
- Punakha
- Phobjikha
- Bumthang
- Thimphu
- Haa
- Paro
Day by day
Day 1 Arrive in Paro, drive to Thimphu
Your guide meets you outside customs, and the capital is an hour up the river.
The first afternoon is kept light, because you have just landed at 2,300 m: a turn round the Memorial Chorten with the people of the town, and the view over the valley from the Buddha Dordenma.
- Drive
- 54 km, about 1 hour
- Night in
- Thimphu
- Meals
- L, D
Day 2 Thimphu
A whole day in the capital. At the crafts school students paint, carve and embroider in rooms you can walk through, and the Textile Museum and the craft bazaar are a few minutes away. Changangkha Lhakhang, on its ridge above the town, dates from the twelfth century.
In the afternoon there is the takin preserve, and archery at the Changlimithang ground if a match is on. Tashichho Dzong opens to visitors at the end of the working day, so it comes last.
- Night in
- Thimphu
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 3 Over Dochu La to Punakha
Three quarters of an hour above Thimphu the road reaches Dochu La, at about 3,100 m, where 108 chortens stand on a knoll and, in clear weather, the Himalaya fills the northern sky. The descent on the far side is long and winding, and ends in a valley warm enough for rice and oranges.
A path across the fields leads to Chimi Lhakhang. Punakha Dzong, between its two rivers, is kept for the afternoon light.
- Drive
- 76 km, 2 to 3 hours
- Night in
- Punakha
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 4 Punakha to Phobjikha
The walk to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten comes first, while it is cool: over the Mo Chhu and up through the terraces, about an hour each way.
Then the road climbs out of the valley and turns off into Phobjikha, where you visit Gangtey Goenpa and follow the nature trail down through the pines to the marsh.
- Drive
- 75 km, about 2 hours
- Night in
- Phobjikha
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 5 Over Pele La to Trongsa and Bumthang
The first of the long drives, and a fine one. Pele La is the old boundary between western and central Bhutan. Beyond it the road follows a deep valley, and Trongsa Dzong is in sight across the gorge for the best part of an hour before you reach it.
You walk through the dzong and the museum in the watchtower above, then cross one more pass to Jakar, the main town of Bumthang.
- Drive
- About 5 hours of driving
- Night in
- Bumthang
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 6 Bumthang: the temples and the Tang valley
The morning is on foot in the main valley. Jambay Lhakhang dates from the seventh century, and Kurjey Lhakhang is built around a rock that holds the imprint of Guru Rinpoche's body.
After lunch you drive into the Tang valley, the least visited of Bumthang's four, stopping at Mebar Tsho, the Burning Lake, where Pema Lingpa is said to have found sacred treasures.
- Drive
- 40 km each way to Tang, about 1.5 hours
- Night in
- Bumthang
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 7 Bumthang to Thimphu
The longest day of the journey: back through Trongsa, over Pele La and Dochu La, and down to the capital. It takes most of the day, with lunch and stops on the way.
- Drive
- A full day of driving
- Night in
- Thimphu
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 8 Over Chele La to Haa
From Thimphu you drive to Paro and straight on up through blue pine to Chele La, 3,988 m, where the ridge is thick with prayer flags and Jomolhari stands to the north on a clear day. There is time to walk along the ridge.
Haa lies below on the far side. You visit Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo, the White and Black Temples, and stay the night in the valley.
- Night in
- Haa
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 9 Haa to Paro
A morning to walk in the valley, among farmhouses and fields that see few visitors. Then back over Chele La to Paro for Rinpung Dzong and the National Museum.
- Drive
- About 60 km, 2 hours
- Night in
- Paro
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 10 The Tiger's Nest
The walk everyone comes for. The trail climbs through pines to a teahouse, goes on to a viewpoint level with the monastery, then drops by steps past a waterfall before the last climb to the gate at 3,120 m. Allow four to five hours there and back.
Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in the country, is a quiet place to end the day.
- Night in
- Paro
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 11 Depart from Paro
Transfer to the airport for your flight.
- Meals
- B
What is included
Included
- The Sustainable Development Fee, US$100 a night for each adult at the current rate
- Visa fee of US$40 and the visa application made for you
- 10 nights in hotels, in a twin or double room
- All meals from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 11
- A licensed English-speaking Bhutanese guide throughout
- A private vehicle and driver, including airport transfers
Not included
- Flights to and from Paro
- Travel insurance
- Entry fees at monuments and museums
- Drinks, laundry, tips and personal spending
Practical details
- Accommodation
Hotels in Thimphu, Punakha, Phobjikha, Bumthang, Haa and Paro. Lodging in Phobjikha and Haa is simpler than in the towns.
- Meals
Breakfast and dinner at your hotel and lunch at a local restaurant on the way. Tell us about any dietary need when you book; vegetarian food is easy everywhere.
- Transport
A private vehicle with a driver for the whole trip. The road is paved and winding, so drives are slower than their distance suggests.
- Guide
One licensed guide stays with you from arrival to departure. A guide is required by the authorities inside dzongs and monuments.
- Visa and permits
We apply for your visa once the trip is confirmed; it is normally issued within five working days. You need a passport valid for at least six months. See our pages on the [visa](/bhutan-travel-guide/visa/) and the [Sustainable Development Fee](/bhutan-travel-guide/sustainable-development-fee/).
Questions about this trip
Do I need a visa for Bhutan?
Yes, unless you are an Indian national, in which case you need an entry permit instead. The visa costs US$40, is applied for online, and is normally decided within five working days.
When you book with us we make the application for you. You send a scan of your passport, which must be valid for at least six months, and a recent passport photo. See Bhutan visa and entry permits.
What is the Sustainable Development Fee?
A fee every visitor pays to the government of Bhutan for each night in the country. It is US$100 a night for adults and US$50 for children aged 6 to 11; children under 6 pay nothing. Indian nationals pay Nu. 1,200 a night.
It is paid with your visa application. When you travel with us we collect it with the tour payment and pass it on. See the Sustainable Development Fee.
When is the best time to visit Bhutan?
March to May and September to November have the mildest weather and the clearest skies, and the largest festivals fall in those months. They are also the busiest.
Winter is cold but dry and sunny, with the black-necked cranes in Phobjikha and the Punakha festivals. Summer is the monsoon: green, quiet and often cloudy. See the best time to visit Bhutan.
How hard is the walk to the Tiger’s Nest?
It is a steady uphill walk on a wide path, not a climb, and most people in ordinary health manage it. Allow four to five hours there and back. The monastery is at about 3,120 m, so you will feel the altitude; go slowly and drink plenty of water.
That is why our itineraries keep it for the end, after several days in the country. A teahouse halfway makes a good turning point for anyone who would rather not go on. See hiking to the Tiger's Nest.
Places on this trip
More tours
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