Bhutan itineraries

2 min summary When to go Map & highlights Things to do Buddhism Combining countries Festivals The Druk Path LGBT Families Advice Responsible tourism

Bhutan Map & highlights

Don’t expect any Bhutan itinerary to be a whirlwind; the only way to take in its splendour is slowly, by road or foot. The roads aren’t in great condition and most of your schedule will be determined along the country’s Lateral Road – Bhutan’s primary east-west gateway and a 3.5m wide stretch of tarmac that starts at Phuentsholing in the southwest and winds its way east, up and down mountains, across wobbly bridges, besides sheer cliffs and over high altitude mountains passes. Gulp. If you’re visiting in December or January, take some good books and Travel Monopoly – snow can easily block the roads. Otherwise, sit back and await the worthwhile magnificence of where you’ll end up next.

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Our Bhutan Vacations

1. Bumthang
2. Jakar
3. Jigme Dorji National Park
4. Paro
5. Phobjikha
6. Punakha
7. Taktsang Palphug
8. Talo
9. Thimphu
10. Trongsa
11. Ura
12. Wangdue Phodrang

Bumthang

1. Bumthang

A major producer of apples, Bumthang offers a bit more of a cultural bite than its quieter neighbour, Ura. Shrouded in religious legend of mystery illness and miracle cures, Bumthang is home to some of the country’s oldest temples, monasteries and landmarks. The ‘Burning Lake’ is a sacred site of pilgrimage where it’s said the sin-free amongst us are able to distinguish an extraordinary sight.

Bumthang

Jakar

2. Jakar

Jakar is only a one-street town, but it’s the Chamkhar Valley’s trading center and it shows: simple shacks selling vegetables are replaced here with shops marked by hand painted signage identifying ‘general store’ from ‘restaurant’ and even ‘internet café’. Nonetheless, it’s a great base for easy day trekking to nearby monasteries and is recognised for its distinctive, brightly coloured wool items called yethra.

Jigme Dorji National Park

3. Jigme Dorji National Park

This vast national park sprawls across three climate zones, and provides habitat to many species of endangered or threatened animals, including Bengal tigers, snow leopards, red pandas and Himalayan black bears. Dotted with sparkling glacial lakes and sacred mountains, no surprises then that many of Bhutan’s most sought-after trekking routes are to be found in Jigme Dorji National Park.

Jigme Dorji National Park

Paro

4. Paro

Home of red rice, the National Museum and the country’s only airport, Paro is ideal to explore on foot. It’s biggest draw? The Rinpung Dzong, a distinctive fortress characterised by huge buttressed walls that peer over the town and are visible throughout the valley. Paro’s ‘high street’ was only built in 1985 and is a concrete-free blend of brightly decorated independent restaurants and shops… for now.

Phobjikha

5. Phobjikha

Phobjikha, known also as Gangtey, is a glacial valley that’s snowbound during the winter months when most of its residents up sticks and head to warmer Wangdue. In their place come hundreds of black-necked cranes that, if you’re lucky, come so close that they circle you in the sky. The whole area is a hugely important wildlife preserve, home to muntjacs, wild boar, sambar, Himalayan black bears and leopards, too.

Phobjikha

Punakha

6. Punakha

Bhutan’s winter capital, Punakha is lower and warmer than Thimpu and is marked proudly by Punakha Dzong, the second largest, but doubtless most impressive dzong in the country. The dzong sits at the confluence of the Pho Chuu and Mo Chuu rivers and is testament to Bhutan’s commitment to traditional skills having been rebuilt sympathetically after much of it was destroyed by fire in 1998.

Taktsang Palphug

7. Taktsang Palphug

It’s said that Guru Rinpoche, the founder of Buddhism in Bhutan, arrived at the Taktsang Palphug monastery on the back of a winged tigress and meditated there for three months straight, hence its more pronounceable moniker, Tiger’s Nest. Skipping this is like forgetting to see the Taj Mahal in Agra; whether you thrive on culture, or get your kicks from climbing, you simply have to go.

Taktsang Palphug

Talo

8. Talo

Scattered along a sloping ridge, the village of Talo sits above the Punakha Valley at an altitude of 2,800m and is revered for its cleanliness and also for the beauty of its women. The surrounding hills offer plenty of walking routes through fields of corn and sweetpeas and the locals are happy to open their doors to anyone wanting to experience a real day in the life of rural Himalaya.

Thimphu

9. Thimphu

Thimphu is a contradiction: it upholds Bhutan’s overriding sense of purity – it’s the only world capital without traffic lights, a modern trapping removed because residents thought them impersonal – but it also has a challenging exuberance that’s seen a few nightclubs spring up. Temples, dzongs, museums and parks – Thimphu has it all, a vibrant introduction to the most advanced and the most remote parts of the kingdom.

Thimphu

Trongsa

10. Trongsa

The Trongsa passes are reached via an ancient route along which monks and mules once trod their weary way through conifer forests. Its central location meant Trongsa served as a strategic stronghold for warfare and trade in centuries past, and the red-roofed dzong here was formerly the ancestral home of the ruling Wangchuk dynasty. Trongsa is easily walkable, and if traveling between Thimphu and Jakar you will more than likely stop here for lunch.

Ura

11. Ura

A visit to Ura is like opening the door to the past and then some. It has grown in prosperity since the country’s East-West highway finally reached it in the 1990s, but the village is almost medieval in its makeup: think narrow stone roads and houses with wooden shingle roofs. Don’t expect gastronomic greatness, the land is less than fertile and the locals live on a staple diet of potatoes and yak meat.

Ura

Wangdue Phodrang

12. Wangdue Phodrang

A windswept market town in one of Bhutan’s biggest and most climatically varied districts, Wangdue Phodrang is known for its bamboo products, slate and stone carvings. Since fire destroyed its dzong in June 2012, attention on the town has turned towards its local famers’ market: a long line of well-kept wooden shacks, their corrugated roofs secured by stones, selling baskets of brilliantly-coloured local produce.

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Bhutan sample itineraries

All about culture
Paro > Thimphu > Punakha > Wangdue Phodrang > Punakha > Paro > Taktsang Monastery > Kathmandu

Trekking & culture combined
Kathmandu > Paro > Taktsang Monastery > Jangchu Laka > Labana > Thimphu > Paro > Kathmandu

Trekking in central Bhutan
Kathmandu > Paro > Thimphu > Punakha > Bumthang > Takung Valley > Gamling > Bumthang > Paro > Taktsang Monastery > Kathmandu

Bhutan travel times

The following times give you a rough idea of the driving times between the main attractions in Bhutan.

Punakha - Wangdue Phodrang (17km): 40 mins

Thimphu - Paro (54km): 2 hours

Thimphu - Wangdue Phodrang (70km): 2 hours

Thimphu - Punakha (76km): 3 hours

Trongsa - Bumthang (68km): 3 hours

Phobjikha (Gangtey) - Jakar (127km): 4 hours 30 mins

Wangdue Phodrang - Trongsa (129km): 5 hours

Punakha - Trongsa (129km): 5 hours 15 mins

More about Bhutan

Bhutan travel guide

We've packed almost as much into our Bhutan travel guide as the country itself and all you have to do to unlock the secrets of the dzongs, the Dagala Thousand Lakes and the colourful Buddhist festivals is read on and prepare for peace and a whole lot more besides.

Best time to visit Bhutan

Check out our temperature and rainfall chart that gives some indication as to the best time to visit Bhutan as well as a handy month by month guide and expert recommendations from our friends on the ground.

Things to do in Bhutan

Bhutan is quite rightly regarded as hiking heaven however, if you're looking for more things to do in Bhutan then read on as we can help you untangle your Zen from your dzongs and your tshechus as you put your best foot forwards and enter one of the world's leading biodiversity hot spots.

Buddhism in Bhutan

Tours of Bhutan will inevitably feature Buddhism and monks which is why this article sets out to explain some of the principles of Buddhism in Bhutan and the etiquette associated with visiting a monastery, dzong, temple or meeting monks in Bhutan.

Combining Bhutan with other countries

Vacations in Bhutan are one thing but why not fly over the Himalayas to visit Nepal, Tibet or India as part of the same trip? Find out more about how you can incorporate three of South Asia's most fascinating countries in one amazing trip to Bhutan.

Festivals in Bhutan

Experiencing a Buddhist festival in Bhutan is the best way to understand the meaning and symbolism that features throughout an event that can last anything up to four days.

Druk Path Trek, Bhutan

Soaring Himalayan scenery, local life and beautiful cultural sites, all compactly contained within a short and spectacular route – the Druk Path is one of Bhutan’s best and most accessible trails.

LGBT Bhutan vacation advice

Bhutan’s main issue with homosexuality seems to be that it is ‘non Bhutanese’. But times are changing, lamas and politicians are calling for acceptance, and anyone taking an LGBT vacation in Bhutan should not face discrimination or harassment.

Bhutan with kids

Traveling with kids in Bhutan isn't going to be a walk in the park, but it's certainly an experience worth considering.

Bhutan travel advice

Find out what Rajat Kumar, Sunita Subba and Ralph Foulds have to say when it comes to Bhutan travel advice because between them they've been there, done that and got the yak hair t-shirt.

Responsible tourism in Bhutan

If you're hoping to travel right and learn more about responsible tourism in Bhutan then we've compiled the following information and practical tips to help you learn how to travel like a local and ensure your experience is beneficial for both yourself and Bhutan, as a whole.

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Written by Polly Humphris

Bhutan itineraries