7N/8D Punakha, Gangtey and Trongsa Central Trail - Seven Nights to the Middle of the Country

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 Paro

   Arrive at Paro International Airport. Clear immigration and baggage, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel in Paro. 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. The rest of the day is free to settle in. Overnight in Paro.

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

   Paro to Punakha

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Punakha — a 125 km, four-hour drive back over the Dochula pass. 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: Chimi Lhakhang fertility temple across the rice fields

   Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Punakha — the Chimi Lhakhang fertility temple across the rice fields; the Punakha suspension bridge, one of the longest in Bhutan; and the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten and its valley walk. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Punakha.

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

   Punakha to Phobjikha

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Phobjikha — a 75 km, three-hour drive over the Pele pass. A glacial valley at 3,000 m where the black-necked cranes come down from Tibet to winter, and where the Gangtey monastery looks over the whole bowl. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the black-necked cranes, from late October to mid-February. Overnight in Phobjikha.

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

   Phobjikha: Gangtey Goenpa monastery on its spur

   Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Phobjikha — the Gangtey Goenpa monastery on its spur, the Gangtey nature trail across the valley floor and the Black-Necked Crane Information Centre. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Phobjikha.

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

   Phobjikha to Trongsa

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Trongsa — a 120 km, three-hour drive east. 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
7. 7
   Day 7

   Trongsa to Paro

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Paro — a 200 km, seven-hour drive west over two passes. 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
8. 8
   Day 8

   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.