9 Days Druk Path Trek

Highlight: Visit landmarks in Paro including National Museum and Paro Dzong after arriving in this amazing city by flight.

On your arrival at the Paro International Airport, you will be met by your tour guide and driver, who will assist you with any concerns on your entry to Bhutan and show you to the vehicle they will use to take you to your hotel.

In the afternoon, we will visit the National Museum and the Paro Dzong. The National Museum is located in the ancient Ta-Dzong building, and contains some of the finest Bhutanese artworks in existence, as well as a huge library of Bhutanese texts and masterpieces of statues and paintings that date back to the 7th century. The Paro Dzong, also known as the Rinpung Dzong, lies just below the museum, and was originally built in the 15th century, though the original building was torn down and replaced with the new Dzong in 1646 by the Zhabdrung Rinpoche, Ngawang Namgyal.

In the evening, you can take a stroll around the town and explore the winding streets and alleys.

Stay overnight in Paro Hotel.

Paro including Ta Dzong Museum

Trek Distance: 7km; Time: 4-5 hours; Altitude Ascent: 1090 m; Campsite Altitude: 3480 m

The first day of this unique trek can be quite arduous, as the initial climb from Paro to Jili Dzong (3,580m) ascends more than 1,200 meters. The trek starts at the Ta-Dzong, following an old gravel road out of town, passing by several local farms. The trek along the road takes around 30 minutes, and then you start the climb up the steep ridge to the Damche Gom, through forests of fir and blue pine.

From the ridge, you can see the Jili Dzong slightly above you, but you will descend a little to the campsite below the monastery. The seven-kilometer trek to the Dzong normally takes around 4-5 hours, but can take a little longer, depending on the time it takes to ascend to the ridge.

Stay overnight at Jili Campsite.

Dochu La Pass

(Trek Distance: 10 km; Time: 4-5 hours; Altitude Ascent: 310 m, Descent 50m; Campsite Altitude:  3770 m)

The route to Jangchhu Lhakha follows a ridge through thick forests of rhododendrons, and starts with a steep climb to the ridge around 300 meters above the campsite. From there, the slope evens out a little, and the trek to Jangchhu Lhakha is a little easier. Covering around 10 kilometers, this arduous climb and then gentle stroll takes around 4-5 hours, and ends at the meadows of the pasture area at Jangchhu Lhakha at an altitude of around 3,760 meters.

Stay overnight at Jangchhu Lhakha Campsite.

Jili Dzong – Jangchhu Lhakha

(Trek Distance: 11 km; Time: 4 hours; Altitude Ascent: 330 m; Campsite Altitude: 3870 m)

Today’s trek to Jimilang Tsho is an 11-kilometer hike through pine and rhododendron forests and rocky hillsides that takes around four hours. The trail follows the ridge through the mountains to this stunning alpine lake at an altitude of 3,870 meters, to the campsite at the edge of the lake. Renowned for its population of giant trout, this beautiful lake is one of the sacred lakes for meditation sites in Bhutan, and the name translates to “Sand Ox Lake”, after a legendary bull in Bhutanese mythology.

Stay overnight at Jimilang Tsho Campsite.

Sand Ox Lake

(Trek Distance: 11 km; Time: 4 hours; Altitude Ascent: 820 m; Campsite Altitude: 4110 m)

After an early breakfast we will depart from the lake and head roughly south, through dwarf rhododendron forests and past Janye Tsho (3,960m), one of three lakes that lie in the area to the south of Jimilang Tsho, after cresting the ridge of the mountain and dropping down the other side. The other two are Dungtsho Tsho (4,240m) and Dungtsho Sama (4,200m).

After passing Janye Tsho, you climb up through the meadows with their yaks and herders huts to a small ridge at around 4,200 meters, before dropping down the other side to Simkotra Tsho, at 4,080 meters. The trek today overs a distance of 11 kilometers, which normally takes around four hours, so you have plenty of time to explore the lakes along the way.

Stay overnight at Simkotra Tsho Campsite.

Ugyen Chholing Palace

(Trek Distance: 10 km; Time: 3-4 hours; Altitude Ascent: 130 m; Campsite Altitude: 3750 m)

Today’s trek starts with a gradual climb up to the ridge above the lake, at 4,200 meters, and runs along the following ridges, undulating along the way all the way to Phajoding, at 3,820 meters. The route todays gives you a great view of the stunning Mount Gangkar Puensum, the highest mountain wholly in Bhutan at 7,570 meters above sea level.

The final pass of the trek, at 4,100 meters, sees you dropping down to the village of Phajoding, and you will stop to camp at the campsite just below the Phajoding Monastery. The route covers 10 kilometers of short ascents and descents along the ridges, which should take around 3-4 hours, leaving time to explore Phajoding Monastery before turning in for the night.

Stay overnight at Phajoding Monastery Campsite.

Gangkar Puensum

(Trek Distance: 4-5 km; Time: 3 hours; Altitude Descent: 1130 m)

After spending a night at Phajoding Monastery, the final day of the trek is spent heading to Motithang in Thimphu, a trek of around three hours to cover the 4-5 kilometer distance. The trek from the monastery is mostly downhill, and the trail runs through beautiful forests of blue pine. With the downhill run to Thimphu, the hike is an easy stroll, and ends at the road above the Motithang Youth Center, at 2,520 meters.

From there, the car will collect us and drive into Thimphu town, to your hotel for the night.

Stay overnight in Thimphu Hotel.

Thimphu Tashichho Dzong

The morning today is spent in Thimphu sightseeing, with the first visit heading to the Memorial Chorten, erected in 1974 in memory of the late king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. The temple inside the Chorten has many examples of Tantric Buddhism and the main philosophies. Then we will head for the Motithang Zoo, which is now a free-roaming Takin park where you can see the national animal of Bhutan, as well as the Zulikha Nunnery, founded by Rikey Jadrel in 1976 which houses around 60 nuns. We will also take a trip to the National Library, established in 1967 to preserve the many rare and sacred Dzongkha and Tibetan religious texts.

After a light lunch in town, we will visit the local paper factory, where the traditional and sought-after Bhutanese paper is made. Then it is on to the local Thimphu Weaving Center, where you can see the hand-woven textiles that have been popular in Bhutan and China for centuries, and you can see and buy the range of locally-made ready-to-wear garments.

In the evening, we will take the drive back to Paro, where you can spend the evening relaxing after the exciting day.

Stay overnight in Paro Hotel.

Thimphu National Memorial Chorten

With time to spare, we will collect you from your hotel and drive you to the airport for your flight out of Bhutan. Your guide and driver will help you transfer into the airport and check in for your flight, and say goodbye, wishing you a safe trip home and looking forward to seeing you back in Bhutan again.