8N/9D Trongsa and Bumthang Central Bhutan - The Ancestral Dzong and the Four Valleys

Day by day

Distances and drive times are the ones our own drivers record, not map estimates.

1. 1
   Day 1

   Arrival and transfer to Thimphu

   Arrive at Paro International Airport. Clear immigration and baggage, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel in Thimphu — a 55 km, ninety-minute drive up the Wang Chhu valley. The capital, and the only one in the world without a traffic light — a valley of dzongs, weaving studios and a very large seated Buddha. The rest of the day is free to settle in. Overnight in Thimphu.

   Overnight Thimphu Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
2. 2
   Day 2

   Thimphu to Punakha

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Punakha — a 75 km, three-hour drive over the Dochula pass and its 108 chortens. The old winter capital at 1,200 m, warm enough for rice and oranges, with the finest dzong in the country at the meeting of two rivers. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Punakha Dzong at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu. Overnight in Punakha.

   Overnight Punakha Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
3. 3
   Day 3

   Punakha to Trongsa

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Trongsa — a 130 km, four-hour drive over the Pele pass. The ancestral seat of the royal family, its dzong strung along a ridge above a gorge, commanding the only east-west road in the country. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Trongsa Dzong, the largest fortress in Bhutan. Overnight in Trongsa.

   Overnight Trongsa Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
4. 4
   Day 4

   Trongsa: Ta Dzong watchtower and its royal heritage museum

   Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Trongsa — the Ta Dzong watchtower and its royal heritage museum; the Chendebji Chorten on the road in; and the Trongsa Dzong, the largest fortress in Bhutan. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Trongsa.

   Overnight Trongsa Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
5. 5
   Day 5

   Trongsa to Bumthang

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Bumthang — a 68 km, two-and-a-half-hour drive over the Yotong pass. Four valleys that hold the oldest temples in Bhutan, the country buckwheat and its only brewery. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Jambay Lhakhang and the Kurjey Lhakhang. Overnight in Bumthang.

   Overnight Bumthang Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
6. 6
   Day 6

   Bumthang: Jakar Dzong, the castle of the white bird

   Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Bumthang — the Jakar Dzong, the castle of the white bird; the Tamshing Lhakhang and the Mebar Tsho burning lake; and the Ura valley drive and a cheese and beer tasting at Swiss Farm. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Bumthang.

   Overnight Bumthang Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
7. 7
   Day 7

   Bumthang: Jambay Lhakhang and the Kurjey Lhakhang

   Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Bumthang — the Jambay Lhakhang and the Kurjey Lhakhang; the Jakar Dzong, the castle of the white bird; and the Tamshing Lhakhang and the Mebar Tsho burning lake. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Bumthang.

   Overnight Bumthang Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
8. 8
   Day 8

   Bumthang to Paro

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Paro — a 265 km drive over three passes, or a 30-minute flight from Bathpalathang. The valley the only international airport sits in — a fortress over the river, the oldest temple in Bhutan and the Tiger Nest on the cliff above. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Taktsang Tiger Nest monastery, a five-hour return climb. Overnight in Paro.

   Overnight Paro Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
9. 9
   Day 9

   Paro — departure

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Time for any last shopping before your transfer to Paro International Airport for the onward flight. The tour ends here, and we hope it is not your last visit to Bhutan.

   Meals Breakfast

Where you sleep

We name every property before you pay — not “4-star or similar” afterwards.

The named properties for each grade go out with your quotation, so you can look every one of them up before anything is paid. Ask for the hotel list →

What the price covers

Printed together on purpose. A list of inclusions without its exclusions is a quote you cannot check.