Trans Bhutan Trail, End to End Trek

Planet

This trip covers the full length of the Trans Bhutan Trail, a sustainable project which aims to restore and maintain an ancient route. It is a social enterprise connecting Bhutan’s past with Bhutan’s future and with a goal to sustain this route for future generations of Bhutanese people. Our itineraries for international travelers ensure tourism money goes back into the trail, with 100% of the profits from this trip going back into the Trail itself.

With a focus on one country, we can ensure that all our trips operate in a way that supports Bhutan’s high value, low volume tourism policy and helps to maintain its Carbon Negative status.

Prior to development of this trip, we consulted with the Department of Forestry and Parks, Royal Society for the Protection of Nature and Bhutan for Life Foundation to ensure our itineraries are preserving the pristine environment that Bhutan is famous for. On this trip you will be given a Trail Code of Conduct before departing. This has a number of different policies that those who use the Trail should adhere to, including using only marked routes, no littering and taking nothing but pictures.

On this trek, you will automatically be enrolled in our membership scheme – and we pledge to plant a tree for every member. We work with a number of local agencies to make this possible and sustainable. The Trail route is marked with 125 eco-friendly signposts, made by local partners, Greener Way from recycled waste materials.

We also refrain from using single use plastics and you will receive a reusable water bottle at the start of your trip which we will refill for you along the route.
On this trip you will be staying in campsites where you will be served organic, locally grown food. By doing this, we can ensure both that local farmers are supported and lower carbon impact.

People

The concept of Community sits at the heart of this trip as evidenced by the extensive community consultation which was undertaken prior to commencing restoration work. 100% of the profits of the trip go back into the sustainability of the trail itself, including into projects in the communities who live along it. This trip also includes a homestay in a farmhouse in Drametse on Day 30. This ensures our customers can interact with the local communities, as well as ensuring tourism money goes back into the local economy, supporting small business enterprise. We also have over 70 ambassadors, all from the local communities who represent the local villagers, homestay and restaurant owners, and Desuup volunteers.

In particular, this trip crosses the Eastern region of Bhutan, encouraging tourists to spend time in this lesser-visited side of the country. Most tours in the past have focused on the West. By doing this, we can ensure money is shared more evenly across all communities in Bhutan.

Our signposts on the Trail use QR technology to showcase local stories and animations when activated on your phone. This ensures that local traditions and history are kept alive both for an international audience and the Bhutanese locals who use the Trail.

This trip will use a number of local guides in each region of Bhutan you visit, creating sustainable employment opportunities in communities along the way. It also means our travelers will benefit from local knowledge and insight into the areas they see.