Trekking expedition · 7 nights
Bumthang cultural trek
Three days on foot between the temples and villages of the heartland.
Overview
The gentlest of Bhutan's treks, and perhaps the richest in people. The trail runs from the Choekhor valley up the Chamkhar Chhu to the Swan Temple at Ngang Lhakhang, over the wooded Phephe La at about 3,400 m and down into the Tang valley, through villages where the lunch stop is a farmhouse kitchen and the evening is a temple courtyard. It suits families, first-time trekkers and anyone who prefers monasteries to passes.
Fitness and altitude
- Four to six hours of walking a day on good paths through forest and farmland, with one pass of about 3,400 m; comfortable for anyone used to a long day's walk.
- Bumthang sits at 2,800 m, so the day among the temples before the trek doubles as acclimatisation.
- A few weeks of regular walking before departure is enough; bring broken-in boots and a light waterproof.
- Children from about ten who enjoy walking do well on this route; ask us about pony riding on the longer stretches.
- Autumn mornings are frosty and spring afternoons can bring showers; layers rather than heavy gear.
Camps and support
Two full-service camp nights, one in the meadow below Ngang Lhakhang and one at Tahung in the Tang valley, with sleeping, dining and toilet tents set by the crew. The nights before and after are in a heritage farmhouse in Bumthang and a lodge in Paro.
A licensed trekking guide and a full support team (cook, horsemen, pack animals) are required by regulation for every trek in Bhutan. We arrange all of it.
Day by day
8 days, loosely held.
Every day can bend. This is the shape we would start from.
Met at the aircraft steps and settled in a lodge above the valley. Kyichu Lhakhang in the afternoon and an early night at 2,200 m.
Stay: Paro Valley Lodge · placeholder name
The domestic flight from Paro follows the peaks east for half an hour and lands among the buckwheat fields of Jakar; when the schedule does not allow, the journey becomes a two-day drive with a night in Punakha and we add a day. A farmhouse welcome, and a first evening walk along the Chamkhar Chhu at 2,800 m.
Stay: Bumthang Heritage Farmhouse · placeholder name
Jambay Lhakhang from the seventh century, Kurjey where Guru Rinpoche meditated, Tamshing with its ancient murals and the fortress of Jakar Dzong above the town. An easy day on the feet and a gear check with your trekking guide in the evening.
Stay: Bumthang Heritage Farmhouse · placeholder name
The trail begins at the bridge of Toktu Zampa and follows the river north through meadows and villages, past Thangbi Lhakhang and its festival ground. Camp in the meadow below Ngang Lhakhang, the Swan Temple, at about 2,800 m, with a visit to its courtyard in the evening light. Five hours of gentle walking.
The one climb of the trek, through hemlock and rhododendron to Phephe La at about 3,400 m, where prayer flags mark the pass and the Tang valley opens below. A long descent through forest to the village of Tahung and a camp by the river. Six hours, the longest day.
A morning's walk down the Tang valley through villages and barley fields to the road at Mesithang. The afternoon belongs to the manor of Ogyen Choling and its family museum, then the burning lake of Membartsho on the way back to the farmhouse in Jakar.
Stay: Bumthang Heritage Farmhouse · placeholder name
The morning flight west along the Himalaya, with Jomolhari ahead as you descend, and an afternoon in Paro for Rinpung Dzong, the covered bridge and a hot stone bath.
Stay: Paro Valley Lodge · placeholder name
Breakfast with the valley below, the short drive to the airport and farewells with your guide.
Inclusions
What is in the price, and what is not.
Included
- Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) for every night in Bhutan, including camp nights; the fee funds free healthcare, education and conservation and is what keeps the trails as empty as they are. Verify against https://www.bhutan.travel before launch.
- Bhutan visa fee and visa processing, arranged by our Bhutanese partner operator. Verify against https://www.bhutan.travel before launch.
- Licensed trekking guide throughout. A licensed trekking guide and support team are required by regulation for every trek in Bhutan; this is not optional and we would not want it to be. Verify against https://www.bhutan.travel before launch.
- Trek cook and kitchen crew, serving three hot meals a day and tea at every pause.
- Horsemen and pack animals (horses or yaks at altitude) to carry camp, kitchen and your duffel; you walk with a daysack.
- Camping equipment: sleeping tent, dining tent, kitchen tent, toilet tent, foam mattress and camp chairs; sleeping bags on request.
- Private driver and private vehicle for every road day, including transfers to the trailhead and from the trail's end.
- All meals in Bhutan, on the trail and off it.
- All monument, museum and dzong entry fees on the non-trekking days.
- Accommodation in Paro and at the trail's end as described.
- Airport transfers in Paro.
- Your dedicated Dzong House specialist, from the first message to the day you fly home.
- Domestic flights Paro to Bumthang and back when they operate, otherwise the drive with additional nights in Punakha.
Not included
- International flights to and from Paro (we book them for you at cost; Paro is Bhutan's only international airport).
- Travel insurance with high-altitude trekking and helicopter evacuation cover, which we require for every trekker.
- Alcoholic and soft drinks beyond water, tea and coffee at meals.
- Tips for your guide, cook, horsemen and lodge staff (we will suggest a range).
- Personal trekking gear, boots and clothing; a kit list follows your booking.
- Personal items, laundry and anything of a purely personal nature.
Pricing
Per person, sharing, all-in.
Every figure below includes the Sustainable Development Fee (100 USD per adult per night) and the 40 USD visa fee. Fees verified as of 2026-10-14.
Comfort
From $3,200
per person · 7 nights · SDF included · visa fee included
Full-service camping with licensed trekking guide, cook and crew; warm three-star hotels before and after. SDF and visa fee included.
Premium
From $5,500
per person · 7 nights · SDF included · visa fee included
Larger standing-height tents, thicker mattresses, hot washing water and a dedicated camp host; boutique hotels before and after. SDF and visa fee included.
Ultra luxury
From $10,500
per person · 7 nights · SDF included · visa fee included
A private camp with heated dining tent, camp shower and a chef; the finest lodges before and after, helicopter transfers where useful. SDF and visa fee included.
Prices shown in your selected currency are approximate conversions from USD. Children and Indian nationals pay a different SDF; we adjust the quote accordingly. Verify fees at https://www.bhutan.travel.
Route
Where the road goes.
Map placeholder
Paro → Bumthang
An interactive route map (Mapbox / Google Maps) slots in here.
Stays on this journey
Where you will sleep.
Placeholder names until partner agreements are signed.
Begin
Begin the Bumthang cultural trek.
Tell us when and who. We reply with a first sketch within two working days.