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.
Price on request
Cultural
Across Bhutan, West to East
The whole width of the country in two weeks, from the Tiger's Nest to the weaving villages of the far east, leaving by road into India.
- Length
- 14 days / 13 nights
- Grade
- Easy
- Best months
- March to April and October to December
- Price
- Price on request
Overview
One road runs the length of Bhutan, and this journey follows it from end to end. The first week is the Bhutan most visitors see. The second is not: past Bumthang the traffic thins, the hotels get simpler, and you may go a whole day without meeting another traveller.
The east is steeper and warmer than the west and its people speak a different language. It is known for its weaving, for the dzong at Trashigang, and for the two great chortens on the road to Trashi Yangtse.
Rather than drive all the way back, you leave Bhutan at Samdrup Jongkhar and fly out of Guwahati in India. That needs an Indian visa, arranged before you travel. If you would rather return to Paro, we can end the trip with the flight from Bumthang instead.
Highlights
- The full crossing, over Dochu La, Pele La and Thrumshing La
- Trashigang Dzong, at the eastern end of the road
- Gom Kora and Chorten Kora, on the way to Trashi Yangtse
- Trongsa Dzong and the temples of Bumthang
- The Tiger's Nest, at the very start
Route
- Paro
- Thimphu
- Punakha
- Phobjikha
- Trongsa
- Bumthang
- Mongar
- Trashigang
- Samdrup Jongkhar
Day by day
Day 1 Arrive in Paro
Because this journey does not return to Paro, the valley comes first. After settling in you visit Rinpung Dzong and the National Museum above it.
- Night in
- Paro
- Meals
- L, D
Day 2 The Tiger's Nest
The walk to Taktsang on your second day, taken slowly: you have only just arrived at altitude. Four to five hours there and back, with a long rest at the teahouse. Kyichu Lhakhang in the afternoon.
- Night in
- Paro
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 3 Paro to Thimphu
An hour to the capital, and a day to see it: the Memorial Chorten, the Buddha Dordenma, the crafts school and, in the evening, Tashichho Dzong.
- Drive
- 54 km, about 1 hour
- Night in
- Thimphu
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 4 Thimphu to Punakha
The first of the passes. Dochu La and its chortens, then the descent to Punakha, Chimi Lhakhang and the dzong.
- Drive
- 76 km, 2 to 3 hours
- Night in
- Punakha
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 5 Punakha to Phobjikha
A morning walk to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, then east and up to Phobjikha for Gangtey Goenpa and the valley trail.
- Drive
- 75 km, about 2 hours
- Night in
- Phobjikha
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 6 Phobjikha to Trongsa
Over Pele La into central Bhutan. You reach Trongsa by early afternoon, in time to walk through the dzong, the largest in the country, and climb to the museum in its watchtower. Staying the night here, rather than driving on, lets you see the dzong lit by the last sun.
- Drive
- About 3 hours
- Night in
- Trongsa
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 7 Trongsa to Bumthang
A short drive over Yotong La brings you to Bumthang before lunch. The afternoon is for the old temples of the Chokhor valley: Jambay Lhakhang and Kurjey Lhakhang, a walk apart.
- Drive
- About 2.5 hours
- Night in
- Bumthang
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 8 Bumthang
Tamshing Lhakhang and Jakar Dzong in the morning, and the gorge of Mebar Tsho, the Burning Lake, in the afternoon. A quiet day before the longest drive of the trip.
- Night in
- Bumthang
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 9 Over Thrumshing La to Mongar
A full day on the road and a memorable one. Beyond the village of Ura the highway climbs to Thrumshing La, then falls through cliffs and waterfalls from fir forest into subtropical jungle before the last climb to Mongar. You are now in the east.
- Drive
- 198 km, 7 to 8 hours
- Night in
- Mongar
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 10 Mongar to Trashigang
After a look at Mongar Dzong the road crosses one more ridge and follows the river to Trashigang, a small hillside town with its dzong perched on a spur far above the water.
- Drive
- 90 km, 3 to 4 hours
- Night in
- Trashigang
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 11 Gom Kora and Trashi Yangtse
A day's excursion north. Gom Kora is a temple beside a great black rock on the river bank. At Trashi Yangtse stands Chorten Kora, a large white stupa that draws pilgrims from across the east in early spring.
- Drive
- 56 km each way, about 2 hours
- Night in
- Trashigang
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 12 The villages around Trashigang
A day for the countryside.
- Night in
- Trashigang
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 13 Trashigang to Samdrup Jongkhar
The road south leaves the mountains behind, dropping through Kanglung and Khaling to the border town of Samdrup Jongkhar on the edge of the Assam plain.
- Night in
- Samdrup Jongkhar
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 14 Into India, and on to Guwahati
Your guide sees you through the Bhutanese exit formalities. From the border it is a drive across Assam to Guwahati and its airport.
- 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
- 13 nights in hotels, in a twin or double room
- All meals from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 14
- A licensed English-speaking Bhutanese guide throughout
- A private vehicle and driver, including airport transfers
Not included
- Flights to Paro, and onward from Guwahati
- Travel insurance
- Entry fees at monuments and museums
- Indian visa, which you must have before you travel
- Transfer from the border to Guwahati
- Drinks, laundry, tips and personal spending
Practical details
- Accommodation
Hotels in every town on the route. East of Bumthang they are simple: clean rooms and hot water, but little choice.
- 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 crossing. Expect long days on a narrow, winding road, with roadworks in places. We stop often.
- 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 Bhutan visa once the trip is confirmed. You enter by air at Paro and leave by road at Samdrup Jongkhar, so you also need an Indian visa that is valid for arrival by land. See our page on the [visa](/bhutan-travel-guide/visa/).
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.
Can I leave Bhutan by road?
Yes. There are land crossings to India at Phuentsholing, Samtse, Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar. Our 14-day tour ends at Samdrup Jongkhar, from where it is a drive across Assam to the airport at Guwahati.
You need an Indian visa that allows entry by land, and you must have it before you travel.
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.
Places on this trip
More tours
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A few lines are enough: when, how long, and what draws you to Bhutan. We answer with a suggested route and what it would cost.
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