Temple Trails & Homestays in Bhutan

Day 1 - Fly London to Kathmandu

Depart London on your overnight flight to Kathmandu.

Overnight: In flight

Day 2 - Arrive Kathmandu. Group transfer to hotel.

You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel. You might like to venture into Thamel, the tourist heart of Kathmandu, for your evening meal where you will find many restaurants and bars.

Overnight: Kathmandu Guest House Or Similar, Kathmandu

Day 3 - Fly to Paro in Bhutan. Sightseeing.

This morning you transfer to the airport for the flight to Paro, Bhutan’s main airstrip at 2,250m/7,382ft. The flight often gives fantastic views of the Himalaya including Everest, and particularly exciting is the section through the Bhutanese foothills and the thrilling landing. Although you are at the mercy of the airline computer, if possible try to sit on the left-hand side of the plane for the best views. You will be met on arrival by your Bhutanese guide and then transferred to your hotel where you may have lunch depending on the time you arrive.

In the afternoon you will enjoy some sightseeing in and around Paro including a walk to visit Paro Dzong. This spectacular dzong is situated on a rocky outcrop above the Paro Chu River with views down both sides of the valley. Historically it was one of Bhutan's strongest and most strategic fortresses and, before the rebuilding of the Tashidodzong in Thimphu, it was also the seat of Bhutan's National Assembly.

Above the dzong is the 17th century watchtower or Ta Dzong. This unusual, circular building houses Bhutan's National Museum and has recently been fully restored. The museum has a fantastic collection of Bhutanese national treasures with displays including depictions of a wide range of Bhutan's history and culture.

If time allows you could also take a short walk to see a cantilevered bridge, visit Dungstse Lhakhang (temple), or take a stroll through Paro’s interesting streets.

Overnight: Hotel Olathang Or Similar, Paro

Day 4 - Walk to Kyichu Lhakhang – 3-4 hours. Drive to Thimphu - 1½-2 hours. Visit the giant Buddha statue.

This morning’s walk begins from your hotel, taking you up and over a hill to Kyichu Lakhang. On the way you will visit two ancient temples that signify long life. You reach the first - the 13th century Zhang Zha Gompa – after about 1½ hours, then Tshering Lhakhang after another half hour of walking. From here it’s another hour walking downhill to reach Kyichu Lhakhang. This is one of the most important temples in Bhutan dating back to the 8th century.

In the afternoon you will drive to Thimphu, stopping en route to visit Tamchhog Lhakang. This temple was built in the 14th century by the son of the very famous 'Iron Bridge' builder, Thangthong Gyalpo. You cross one of the eight bridges he built in Bhutan to reach the temple. It is an easy 15 minute walk from the road and has the immediate effect of transporting you back into the atmosphere of ancient Bhutan.

Driving on to Thimphu you will see that it has an attractive valley location and is relatively small for a capital city, although it has grown greatly in recent years. You will drive up to see the giant Buddha Dordenma statue and enjoy the far-reaching views its vantage place offers. You then continue to your hotel where you will spend the next two nights.

Overnight: Phuntso Pelri Hotel or Similar, Thimphu

Day 5 - Sightseeing in Thimphu. Afternoon walk to Wangditse Lhakhang - 1½-2 hours. Visit to Thimphu Dzong.

Your morning will be spent enjoying some of the sights of Thimphu. There are many places of interest to visit including the the Textile Museum, the late King's Memorial Chorten, the National Library, the School of Painting and the silversmiths and pottery workshops. The Government Handicrafts Emporium is possibly the best place to look for local handicraft. It is interesting to visit the handmade paper workshop to see the traditional processes involved in paper making. You could also visit the Post Office to buy some of Bhutan's very attractive stamps, they will even print a valid stamp with your face on it while you wait!

After lunch you will walk up to Sangaygang next to the Bhutan First Broadcasting Service tower, located about a mile away in the North West of Thimphu. There are great views over Thimphu Dzong and the Thimphu valley as you start your walk contouring the beautiful hills to visit Wangditse Lhakhang. You will have time to visit the gompa before you walk down for another 30 minutes to reach Dechen Phodrang Monastery. This monastery houses around 450 student monks and is also home to some fantastic UNESCO monitored 12th century paintings. You will then meet your vehicle and be driven back to Thimphu.

Your day ends with a visit to impressive Tashichhodzong which is the official seat of government in Bhutan.

Overnight: Phuntso Pelri Hotel or Similar, Thimphu

Day 6 - Attend the Dechunphu Tsechu.

Today you will attend a traditional Bhutanese festival, or tsechu. The Dechenphu Tshechu takes place annually at Dechenphu Lakhkang near Thimphu. The striking lakhang with its tower like, ochre-red walls, is one of the oldest in Bhutan and is dedicated to Gay Ngyen Jakpa Melen, a powerful guardian deity. The one-day tsechu is also held in his honour.

Festivals are welcome opportunities for the Bhutanese to get together, not only to socialise and have fun, but also because the very act of attending a festival is thought to confer merit and wash away sins. Spectacular masked dances are performed, called shams, which are intended to give moral instruction, drive away evil spirits, promote good crops and celebrate the Buddhist faith in its many guises. Watch out for the very jolly clowns who tease onlookers and dancers alike.

To fully enjoy the festival experience you will spend most of the day there.

Overnight: Phuntso Pelri Hotel or Similar, Thimphu

Day 7 - Visit Simtokha Dzong. Drive over the Dochu La Pass 3,100 m/10,170 ft. to Punakha - 2-3 hours. Walk to Samdingkha.

Before you start the drive over the Dochu La pass you will visit the very first dzong (monastery/fortress) ever to be built in Bhutan. Simtokha Dzong was built in 1628 by the most powerful ruler in Bhutan’s history, the Shabdrung, Nawang Namgyal. It occupies a strategic position, and was built as protection against a demon which had disappeared into a rock close by.

You drive on to the Dochu La pass, 3,100 m/10,170 ft, and upon reaching the pass, walk up to the temple at the top of the hill for the best views of the Himalaya, including Bhutan's highest mountain Gangkar Punsum. The 108 chortens on the pass were built by the 4th king’s four wives to commemorate his victory over the Bodo militants in 2003. If time allows it is interesting to do a short walk which connects 11 meditation caves close to the pass.

Continuing your journey the road snakes down some 30km to Punakha Dzong. Every year in the winter the main body of monks walk from Thimphu to Punakha and spend the winter in this dzong. Having looked around you will walk upstream on the left hand bank of the Pho Chu river which originates in Bhutan’s remotest region, Lunana. This side valley is little visited, quiet, and very beautiful. The path undulates through forest affording lovely views of hamlets, villages, lone houses, and the odd temple. Sometimes you are high above the wide, braided river, sometimes there are minor rapids. Large mountains loom in a background haze. You come across the remains of a large ruined house, made in the traditional way with walls of compacted mud. The path traverses around some ancient canyons whose walls and cliffs look like they are made of fossilised mud. As you get close to the steel girder bridge leading to Samdingkha there are cultivated fields with high strong fences to keep wild animals out of the crops.

You will be met at the small village of Samdingkha and driven down to the farmhouse homestay owned by Lotay Gyeltshen. Time permitting, you may stop to visit Meaaneag Lhakhang en route. Lotay has in the past been the head cook on dozens of treks with our M.D. Steve Berry. He and his wife, Kuenga, have a delightful, traditional house and smallholding on the banks of the Pho Chu river. Possible activities at Lotay's house may include any of the following: cooking lessons, looking around the farmstead with Lotay to understand the methods and income from a small farm holding. Bird watching on the banks of the river, and maybe a game of darts.

Overnight: Lotay's Farmhouse Homestay, Punakha

Day 8 - Short drive to Kunega Zhedheyling Homestay. Three Temples walk - 3-4 hours.

After breakfast, you make the short drive to the Kuenga Zhedheyling Farmhouse Homestay in the Jibjokha Valley, where you will also be spending the night. Having picked up a picnic lunch, you set off from the farmhouse passing through rice terraces and soon encountering your first temple (or lakhang) at the tiny settlement of Jibjokha. There are some interesting statues to see here.

As you progress, your guide will point out Pangtse Shing (Symplocus) trees near the trail. This tree has many medicinal benefits and is also used for dyes and for the oil from its seeds which is prized in Bhutanese cuisine. In spring you will see the trees in flower and then the fruits appear in the autumn when the oil is extracted.

Your hike continues through fields into the Wangkha Valley where you will find your second temple built 40 years ago by the locals. After leaving the lakhang you will come across the house of Aum Karma Dem and may be able to rest awhile in her front garden and enjoy a cup of tea. Continuing on through more terraces the trail then enters some woods providing welcome shade if the weather is warm. At the end of the woods you reach a feeder ‘road’ leading into the Dawakha Valley. This valley is much more populated than the others. The main village here is Dawakha, which sits on high ground affording good views of the surrounding hills and valleys. This is the home of the third temple of the walk. There is also a shop in the village so you may be able to grab a cold drink before setting off downhill on a wooded track to get back to your starting point and overnight accommodation.

Overnight: Kuenga Zhedheyling Homestay, Punakha

Day 9 - Drive to Haa via the Chele La Pass, 3,990m/13,090ft. Walk to Kila Nunnery from the pass.

Today you will drive back over the Dochu La Pass, bypass Thimphu, and carry on towards Paro before turning up the mountain road which takes you eventually to the less visited valley of Haa.

It is about 1½ hour's drive from the Paro turn-off to reach the Chele La. On a clear day there are views of Kangchenjunga and other snowy giants in neighbouring Sikkim. From the pass you walk down to visit Kila nunnery, 3,683m/12,085ft. Just like the Tiger's Nest in Paro, and indeed hundreds of Bhutan’s temples, Kila is a cliff temple. The walk takes about 1½ hours through forest, mixed rhododendron and carpets of flowers. You can visit the temples at Kila where nuns will anoint your head with scented water; it is customary to take a sip of the holy water. After your visit you descend the short distance to a rough road which takes you back and up to the Chele La and your vehicle.

Now comes the exciting descent down zigzags to Haa Township. Soon you will see the three conical mountains that are regarded as protective deities. Collectively they are known as Meri Punsum.

Having checked into your homestay you will be taken on a walk to Yangtong village. Here there was a fire in February 2002 which destroyed 11 houses although miraculously the village temple was untouched. After the tragedy the king donated money for the rebuilding. The workmanship is such that you would hardly guess half the village has been rebuilt.

Returning to the homestay visit you may visit Haa Dzong on route and also take a walk down through the town.

Overnight: Damchoe Pem Farmhouse Or Pema Dema Homestay, Haa Valley

Day 10 - Trek from Talung to Chhoeduphu across the Saga La Pass, 3,597m/11,801ft - 17 km, 6-7 hours.

It’s a 20 minute drive to the start of your two-day trek just above Talung village, 2,996m/9,830ft. The first hour and a half is easily up through primula covered meadows. Often there are herds of Yak here. You then cross two bridges until you come to a junction of paths - the left-hand route leads into Tibet, the right-hand fork should be signed ‘Saga La’. It is all too easy to take the left-hand path as it is the more obvious.

The path to the Saga La only takes 1½ hours but is more steeply uphill. There's a sheltered canopy on the pass which is a good place to stop for lunch.

On a clear day you have excellent views of Bhutan’s second highest mountain, Mt Chomolhari 7,326m/24,035ft, and its satellite peaks. These include the incredibly beautiful Mt Jitchu Drake at 6,662m/21,857ft high. From the pass take the left-hand path and descend to Dongney Tsho/Chhoeduphu. Tread with care as the path can be slippery in places if wet. There are also two streams to cross.

Your overnight ‘camp’ is in a tiny hamlet where an old farmhouse has been tastefully converted, and where a number of luxury tents, with en suite bathrooms, await.

Overnight: Chhoeduphu Deluxe Camp

Day 11 - Trek to Drugyel Dzong - 1.5km, 1½-2 hours. Transfer to homestay in the Paro Valley.

The trail to Drugyel Dzong begins by walking for 20 minutes to an old ruin. You will spot a lone Cypress tree from where the faint trail continues downhill to Paro valley below. The track is sometimes overgrown, and your guide will carry a machete for path clearing purposes.

Drugyel Dzong was built in the early 1600s to protect the new Kingdom of Bhutan from Tibetan invasions, and was destroyed by fire in 1951, and has only recently been fully restored. You'll have time to look around the dzong before your driver takes you to Lamgong village where you will stay the night at a heritage homestay.

Overnight: Rinpung Heritage Homestay Or Amas Farmhouse, Lamgong Village Paro

Day 12 - Walk up to Tiger's Nest Monastery then return to homestay. Evening cultural show.

A short drive beyond Paro takes you to the trail head for the walk up to the famous Tiger's Nest, Taktsang Monastery. The monastery is perched some 600m/2,000ft up on a cliff overlooking the valley and was said to be where the legendary Indian saint, Guru Padma Sambhava, flew from Tibet on the back of a tiger to defeat five demons, who were opposing the spread of Buddhism in Bhutan.

It's a steep uphill walk through woods of about 1½-2hrs, to reach a tea house (an ascent of 340m/1,115ft). Apart from offering welcome refreshment this is one of the principle viewpoints of Taktsang. A further half an hour's ascent brings you to another viewpoint directly across from Taktsang. The final section of the walk takes you from here steeply down 100m/330ft into the gorge that separates you from the monastery and then climbs back up again to reach the monastery gate. If there are no VIPs visiting, or other official events, you should be able to enter.

Once you have finished, and walked back down, your driver will meet you and take you back to your homestay. Later in the evening your hosts will present a cultural show with music and dancing to mark your last night in Bhutan.

Overnight: Rinpung Heritage Homestay Or Amas Farmhouse, Lamgong Village Paro

Day 13 - Fly to Kathmandu. Transfer to hotel.

After breakfast, you will transfer to Paro Airport where you will say a fond farewell to your guide and driver. You then check in for your flight, normally in the early morning, which takes you out and over the Bhutanese mountains and past Kangchenjunga, Makalu and Everest (the latter is quite distant on this flight), finally dropping down into the Kathmandu Valley. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel in central Kathmandu with the rest of the day free.

Overnight: Kathmandu Guest House Or Similar, Kathmandu

Day 14 - Time at leisure. Late afternoon transfer to airport for overnight flight to London.

There is still time today for some last-minute shopping or sightseeing in Kathmandu, or simply to relax at your hotel. The day is yours until the afternoon group transfer to the airport for your flight back to London.

Overnight: In flight

Day 15 - Arrive London.