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17 Days Duer Hot Spring Trek Tour in Central Bhutan
Paro – Thimphu (1N) – Punakha (1N) – Bumthang (2N) – Duer Zam – Gorsum (1N) – Lungsum (1N) – Tsochenchen (1N) – Duer Hot Spring (2N) – Tsochenchen (1N) – Lungsum (1N) – Gorsum (1N) – Dur Zam – Bumthang (1N) – Gangtey (1N) – Paro (2N)
Our 17 days Duer Hot Spring trek tour covers the classic 9-day trek through Bumthang to the Duer hot spring. En route, you will pass through the forests in centural Bhutan, visit the ancient temples and monasteries and you may have a chance to witness kinds of wild animals living in Bhutan, such as musk deer Himalayan beers and Herds of blue sheep. Besides, the tour also takes you to the prime cities of Bhutan, including Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and Gangtey. You will not only enjoy the beautiful landscapes, but also explore the cultural and religious heritages of this Himalaya Kingdom in one go.
- March, April, September, October, and November
- Trekking and Hiking, Cultural Sightseeing
- Private Tour for One and More
Highlights
- Experience the forests and hot springs during the Duer Hot Spring trek
- Explore the cultural and religious heritages of Central Bhutan in Bumthang
- Visit famous Paro Rinpung Dzong, Ta Dzong Museum and Kyichu Lhakhang.
- Tour the landmarks in Thimphu, including National Memorial Chorten, National Textile Museum, and Traditional Paper Making Factory etc.
- Explore celebrated Punakha Dzong and Chhimi Lhakhang.
- Hike to the holiest temple of the country, Taksang Lhakhang (Tiger’s Nest).
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Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Paro; Drive to Thimphu
Highlight: Visit the Essentials in Thimphu, including the Memorial Chorten, the Duddha Statue and the Thimphu Tashichho Dzong.
Upon your arrival in Paro by Druk Air, Bhutan’s national carrier, you will be picked up by your tour guide at the airport and then escorted to the hotel in Thimphu. The 45-kilometer drive from Paro to the Bhutanese capital takes around 1 hour 15 minutes, and once in your hotel you will have a traditional Bhutanese lunch.
After lunch, you will first visit the Memorial Chorten and then to visit Buddha Dordenma Statue, the tallest Buddha statue in the world. After that, you can take a short hike from Kuensel Phodrang to Depsi, in the south of Thimphu. The hike is a very easy walk that takes us through pine, rhododendron, and oak forests, and lasts for around an hour and a half. Along the route of the hike you will get to see the great views of Thimphu and the Wang Chhu, and can even being some prayer flags to hang between the trees, like the locals do here.
Then, you will visit the Thimphu Tashichho Dzong, the Fortress of the Glorious Religion, which is also the seat of the national government of Bhutan and the Central Monastic Body.
In the evening, you are able to take a stroll in the town or visit the Local Crafts Bazaar. The bazaar is full of hand-woven textiles, thangka paintings, masks, ceramics, etc. If you like, you can choose some gifts for your friends and relatives here.
Stay overnight in Thimphu.
Thimphu National Memorial Chorten
Meals Included
- Lunch and Dinner
Please feel free to tell us any of your food requirement.
Day 2: Thimphu to Punakha via Dochu La Pass
Highlights: Cross Dochu La pass and visit Punakha Dzong and Chimi Lhakhang.
In the morning, you will drive to Punakha and Wangdue. On the way, you will stop for a rest at scenic Dochu La Pass (3,100m). The pass is a perfect vintage point where you can have an unobstructed vista of the mighty Himalayas. You will also take a temporary stop at the amazing 108 chortens built by Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck (The Queen mother of Bhutan) for the safety and wellbeing of His Majesty (The king of Bhutan).
After lunch at Wangduephodrang (1,350m), you will keep driving to Punakha. In Punakha, you will visit the celebrated Punakha Dzong, the second largest Dzong in Bhutan, built in 1657 at the onflunence of Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu Rivers. After that, you will go to visit Chimi Lhakhang, also known as Chime Lhakhang. Located near Lobesa, it stands on a round hillock and was built in 1499 by the 14th Drukpa hierarch, Ngawang Choegyel.
Stay overnight in Punakha.
Punakha Dzong
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Punakha to Bumthang via Trongsa
Highlights: Cross two mountain passes with scenic views and visit Chendebji Chorten.
Today, you need tol set out in the early morning after breakfast and travel to Bumthang (2700m). Covering a distance of 197 kilometers, it will take you 7 hours to get to Bumthang from Punakha. The on-the-route scenery is amazing, the bus will take you to lush forests of oaks and pine trees and you can see view changes as you ascend the mountain. Get a fantastic panoramic view from the Pele La Pass (3300 m).
Meanwhile, the open green meadows with rhododendron ridden valleys will lead you to visit Chendebji Chorten, a large Nepalese style chorten sits quietly by the side of the road. The chorten is modeled after the Swayambhunath in Kathmandu. It is said that Chendebji Chorten was built in the 19th century by Lama Zhida to cover the remains of an evil spirit who was killed at this spot.
Continue your drive to Bumthang by passing through Yotong La Pass (3400 m). The route during this section takes you to the Yathra Waving Center at Zugney village where you can witness the locals waving Yathra, a name that refers to the colorful and woolen cloth with geometric design in Bhutanese. Then the bus takes you further to Bumthang Valley.
Stay overnight in Bumthang.
Chendebji Chorten
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Bumthang Sightseeing
Highlight: Visit landmarks in Bumthang like Tamshing Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang and JakarDzong.
Today, you will enjoy a sightseeing in Bumthang. Deep in the central regions of the country, Bumthang valley is broad and presents a different landscape you may not see in west Bhutan. You will first visit TamshingLhakhang, which famous for its collections of printings exemplifying the region’s style. Then, you need to cross the suspension bridge to the KurjeyLhakhang. Not far from KurjeyLhakhang sits the JambayLhakhang, a temple built by the King SongtsenGoempo of Tibet in the 7th century. Next, you will continue to visit JakarDzong, a wonderful architecture in Bhutan, with a circumference of more than 1,500 meters.
Stay overnight in Bumthang.
Tamshing Lhakhang
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Drive to Kurjey Lhakhang and Trek from Duer Zam to Gorsum (Trek Starts)
(Trek distance: 18km; Time: 6-7 hours; Altitude Ascent: 380m; Camp Altitude: 3120m)
In the morning, first you will drive for about 8km to visit the Kurjey Lhakhang. Then you will go to Duer Zam, where the trek start. Following the Yelong Chhu River, you will take a gradual climb and finally reach to Gorum (3120m). En route, you will take a stop at Lurawa Goemba.
Camping at Gorum.
Kurjey Lhakhang
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: Tsochenchen to Duer Hot Spring
(Trek distance: 18km; Time: 8-9 hours; Altitude Ascent: 1340m, Descent 1530m; Camp Altitude: 3590m)
Today, first you will take a uphill trek to Juli La pass (4700) from the campsite at Tsochenchen. On a clear day, you can enjoy a stunning view of the mountain passes around. After crossing the pass, you will hike down to a lake (4220m) and climb up again to Gokthong La Pass (4640m). The rest section of today’s trek is all downhill until the campsite near Duer Hot Spring.
Camping near Duer Hot Spring.
Duer Hot Spring
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: A Day at Duer Hot Spring
Today is a rest day for you to enjoy a leisure trek around the campsite and relax yourself in the hot springs.
Camping near Duer Hot Spring.
Duer Hot Spring
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 14: Bumthang to Gangtey
Highlights: Drive back to Gangtey from Bumthang.
Today you will have a long drive around 8 hours to Gangtey. The road is the same way you taken from Gangtey to Bumthang, since there is only one highway in Bhutan. After arrive in Gangtey, you can have a good rest in the hotel.
Stay overnight in Gangtey.
Gangtey Monastery
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 15: Gangtey to Paro via Thimphu
Highlight: Visit the ancient Simtokha Dzong and magnificent Paro Rinpung Dzong.
Today, you will get up early and say farewell to the charming Gangtey valley. About a 5-hour drive will bring you back to Paro. You will encounter the Simtokha Dzong en route. Built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, Simtokha Dzong is often said to be the first dzong in Bhutan.
In the afternoon, your guide will bring you to visit the imposing Paro Rinpung Dzong (also named as Paro Dzong), a fortress once built to defend the valley from invasions. However, it now serves as an administration center and school for monks.
Stay overnight in Paro.
Paro Rinpung Dzong
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 16: Trek to Taksang Lhakhang (Tiger’s Nest)
Highlight: Enjoy the wonderful trekking to Tiger’s Nest.
Today, you will leave for Paro to enjoy the exciting trek to the Taktshang Goemba, also known as Tiger's Nest. Standing incredibly on the side of a sheer cliff 900m above the Paro Valley, Taktshang Goemba (3210m) is the landmark of Bhutan and also the holiest temple of the country. Legend has it that Guru Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche) had flied here on the back of a tigress and meditated in the caves on the cliffside for three months. The temple has therefore become the holy site worshipped by all Bhutanese devotees, and known as one of the world’s top ten temples.
After the trek, you will head back to Paro.
Stay overnight in Paro.
Trek to Taktshang Monastery
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Tour Price
Add-on Activities
The general travel itineraries in Bhutan are usually leisure and relaxing. To make the most your time in Bhutan, you can choose to have more activities as you like, such as light hiking around the town or a featured culture experience.
Here we offer you the most popular travel ideas that most of our travelers choose to experience as an add-on activity during their trips in Bhutan. For more available activities or anything you want to add on to your trip in Bhutan, just feel free to contact us.
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Bhutan Hot Stone Bath
The popular Hot Stone Bath, a traditional healing process in Bhutan, is a great experience for you to relax and refresh yourself after one-day hiking or trekking. Different from hot spring, it is a kind of hot water bath offered in a traditional way with a wooden tub and herbs in the water. You can experience it in a local farmhouse or in a resort.
Please notice that you need to pay additional fees for the hot stone bath (usually within 30 minutes).
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Sightseeing Hiking
Even you don't take the trekking tour in Bhutan, you can also experience pleasant hiking on your travel days. Especially during your trips in western and central Bhutan, like in Gangtey, Bumthang, and Trongsa, there are some easy hiking and trekking trails around the town. You can take light hiking for 1 to 2 hours after general daily sightseeing. Just feel free to tell your guide if you are interested in an extra hiking experience.
Generally, you don't need to pay extra money for the hours' hiking.
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Cultural Exploration
Bhutan is a place that rich in culture and handicraft. If you want to experience more local culture and the real life of the locals, you can ask for more activities, such as a visit to a local weekend market, a class of traditional Bhutan archery or traditional weaving in Bhutan. Just feel free to let us know want you are looking for and want to experience during your Bhutan tour, we will help you find the best options to do.
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Farmhouse Homestay
All of our tour packages cover the accommodation from 3-star hotels to 5-star hotels and resorts. But if you want to get closer to the local Bhutanese' life, it is suggested to take one night stay in a farmhouse. It will be an unforgettable experience to eat ordinary food and dishes and live in the typical Bhutanese house just like a Bhutanese does.
Since the accommodation is required to be arranged in advance, if you are keen on a homestay in Bhutan, please tell us as early as possible.
Food and Drinks
Our Bhutan Trekking tour packages include three meals every day during your stay in Bhutan. And on the trekking days, your trek staff will cook for you. You don’t need to carry the food yourself. If you have any requirements on food, such as vegetarian, please feel free to tell your travel consultant or your local guide. The following are the general food and drinks you can have in an ordinary Bhutan tour.
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Bhutanese Food
Most of your meals are in local restaurants, which offers typicla bhutanese food. The most popular food among local people is the Chili Cheese.
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Western Food
Besides the traditional Bhutan dishes, you can also have western buffet or breakfast in some hotels in Bhutan.
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Water and Drinks
For every day trip, we offer one bottle of water for each tourists. There are also kinds of soft drinks you can buy in the restaurant, hotel or shops in the town in Bhutan. Also, you can taste the local beers if you want.
Bhutan Tour Planning FAQs
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