Bhutan: Druk Path Trek

Depart London
**

Day 2

Land in Kathmandu and transfer to our hotel. The evening is free to relax.
*Royal Singi Hotel or similar*

Day 3

We fly to Paro today. If the weather is clear, we should get a fantastic view
(from the left hand side of the plane) of much of the eastern half of the
Himalaya, including Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Makalu, Kanchenjunga and
Chomolhari (Jhomolhari). After completing visa formalities in Paro, we
transfer to our hotel. The Paro valley is considered to be one of the most
beautiful in Bhutan. Its blue pine-covered hills and attractive, solidly
built farmhouses among the paddy fields are dominated by the massive dzong,
or fort.

This afternoon we aim to visit the Paro Dzong and the National Museum above
it. Paro Dzong is one of Bhutan's most impressive, and the finest example of
Bhutanese architecture you will see. The inward sloping walls form a massive
structure that towers over the town. Built in the 17th century it was one of
Bhutan's strongest and most important fortresses and it was used on several
occasions to defend the Paro Valley from invasions by Tibet. Formally the
meeting hall for the National Assembly, the dzong now houses a monastic
school and district government offices. Scenes from the 1995 film 'Little
Buddha' were filmed in the dzong. West of the dzong a traditional wooden
covered bridge called Nyamal Zam, a reconstruction of the original bridge,
which was washed away in a flood in 1969. The most famous pictures of Paro
Dzong are taken from the west bank of the river, just downstream from the
bridge. At the top of the hill above the dzong is the old watchtower known
locally as Ta Dzong. Originally built in 1656, it was renovated in 1968 by
King Jigme Dorje Wangchuk to house the National Museum. Damaged by the
earthquake in 2011, the museum is housed at the present time in a new
building above the Ta Dzong. Inside the museum there are collections of masks
and thangkas.

Please note that the itinerary above could change subject to flight timings,
which are generally unpredictable.

*Rema Resorts / Dewachen Hotel, or similar
*

Day 4

Today we will have a warm-up hike to Taktsang Monastery. 'Tigers Nest'
Monastery, is perched on the ledge of a cliff high above the Paro Valley.
Partly destroyed by fire in 1998, it has now been completely restored to its
former magnificence. We drive a short distance from the hotel and then hike
up for about 1.5 hours to a viewpoint, for the classic views of the monastic
buildings which cling impossibly to the cliff wall opposite. For the
energetic, there is the chance to walk another 2 hours to the actual
monastery. The walk is good for acclimatization and we recommend you wear
trekking boots and take trekking poles and plenty of water. Please note there
about 100 steps up and down. Returning to the hotel we have time in the
afternoon to explore Paro town.

*Rema Resort / Dewachen Hotel, or similar*

Day 5

Today we start our trek. After breakfast, we have a short drive to about
2620m, just above the ancient Ta Dzong watchtower. The first day's trekking
is not long in terms of hours but it’s uphill all the way and we gain quite
a lot of height. From our trek start point it is a gentle climb for about 1.5
hours on a jeep track to a prayer wall. The trail then narrows and we
continue climbing on a rocky path up a little steeper now through the forest.
We have lunch about an hour further on in a clearing and then it’s about an
hour’s walk in the afternoon to the Jele La (3550m) and our camp just below
the pass and Jele Dzong. If the weather is clear, we can see the Paro Valley
below. The energetic can walk further up the ridge from the Jele La to a
ruined shepherd hut with a small Bon shrine inside. 

*Full-service Camping (sleeping altitude 3,530m)*

Day 6

After breakfast, we walk five minutes back up to the main trail and continue
climbing for about half an hour to Jele Dzong. If it is open, we can go and
see inside the dzong which dates back to the 14th century. Continuing up the
ridge for a short way we can see the Paro Valley way below and if the weather
is clear we may even spot Chomolhari in the distance. The trail undulates
through thick rhododendron forests this morning - look out for the colourful
Monal and Blood Pheasants which inhabit the forests. Lunch is in a forest
clearing and we have a short walk in the afternoon to our camp at Rawna at
3860m. (Please note that if there are other trekking groups around we may
have to camp at Jangchu Lakha (3700m) or Tsokam (3750m). All 3 campsites are
close by, each sitting in different forest clearings. 

*Full-service Camping (sleeping altitude 3,860m)*

Day 7

A long day today and probably the hardest walk of the trek. We climb steeply
up from camp on a narrow trail for about an hour to rejoin the main trail. We
continue climbing through a rocky landscape littered with small rhododendron
bushes. We reach a col at 4073m marked with prayer flags and then drop down a
short way to a cave. The trail then climbs again quite steeply to a ridge at
4080m, from where on a clear day we get spectacular mountain views including
Chomolhari and Jichudrake. We have lunch on the ridge to enjoy the views and
then continue a little further up the ridge to 4120m. From here we contour
round a little and then drop steeply on a rocky trail to the shores of Jimi
Lang Tscho, well known for its trout. 
*Full-service Camping (sleeping altitude 3,885m)*

Day 8

Another long but great day's walk with good mountain views. The trail climbs
from camp along a rocky trail up to Janye Tscho Lake at 3956m. Climbing even
higher to a col at 4150m, we then have a short descent to Simthokha Lake
(4090m), the highest lake on our trek. From the lake the trail undulates all
the way to our camp at Labana. 

*Full-service Camping (sleeping altitude 4,100m)*

Day 9

The trail today climbs gradually up to the Labana Pass at 4235m (the highest
point of this trek). The views get better and better and on a clear day we
can see Gangar Punsum, Table Mountain and much of the Bhutan Himalaya. Way
below is the Thimphu Valley. From the top we traverse the hillside with great
mountain views and descend towards Thimphu. There are a couple of small
climbs to cols but the general direction is downhill. From the Phajoding
Labsa chorten we descend quite steeply to Phajoding Monastery for lunch.
There are several temples here and a monastic school and the place is a
visited by many Bhutanese. We descend even further through forests of blue
pine to the end of our trek at Motithang, just above Thimphu, the capital of
Bhutan. We should reach our hotel by mid afternoon. The evening is free to
explore Thimphu. 

*Hotel Pedling / Galingkha / Gakhil, or similar*

Day 10

*Departure starting in Kathmandu on 16th March 2021*

Today we spend the day visiting the most important sites in and around
Thimpu, including the Memorial Chorten, which was built in 1974 to honour the
memory of the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk and Buddha Point, which is a
large Buddha statue built on the hillside overlooking Thimpu. There are
several museums in Thimpu and an art school, the post office and the market
are interesting and above the town is a takin preserve. Your leader will aim
to show you as much as possible in the time available depending on opening
times.  In the late afternoon, we drive to Paro (1hours drive)

*Departures starting in Kathmandu on 18th September 2020 and 8 September
2021 will visit Thimphu Festival, whereas the 7th October 2021 departure
will visit Genekha/Dechenphu Festival
*

We spend the whole day experiencing one of the many vibrant festivals in
Bhutan. During the festivals the Bhutanese gather to see the monks and lay
dancers dressed in colourful brocade and silk costumes, wearing painted masks
re-enacting the stories of the religious and lay history of Bhutan through
music and dance. For several days there are masked dances and prayer
meetings, and a general carnival atmosphere prevails as many villagers arrive
to meet old friends. The Bhutanese all dress in their finest national dress
for the festival and one of the highlights is the riot of colours of the
magnificent silks on display. Paro and Thimpu are the most popular festivals
in Bhutan whereas the one at Dechenphu is much smaller.

*Non-festival departure: starting in Kathmandu on 17th October 2020*

Today we take an excursion to the nearby town of Punakha. The road climbs
steadily out of Thimpu Valley and winds its way through forests to the
Dochula Pass. At 3050m (10,000ft) the views over the eastern Himalaya are
magnificent although this is most definitely weather dependent! We descend to
the valley floor and continue to sub-tropical Punakha. At an altitude of
1350m, the difference in temperature and flora is apparent. Punakha is the
winter capital of Bhutan and the dzong was the second one to be built in
Bhutan. This remarkable fortress is situated between two rivers and it has
survived many fires, an earthquake and a glacial flood. Over the years it has
been repaired and added to and has several interesting features to protect it
against invasion. In the afternoon we'll drive back to Thimphu to spend the
night.

*Rema Resorts / Dewachen Hotel, or similar in Paro*

*Hotel Pedling / Galingkha / Gakhil, or similar in Thimphu*

Day 11

*Departures 18th September 2020, 17th October 2020, 8th September 2021 and
7th October 2021: Thimphu sightseeing; drive to Paro*

We spend most of today visiting the main sights of the town including the
Memorial Chorten, which was built in 1974 to honour the memory of the third
king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk and Buddha Point, which is a large Buddha statue
built on the hillside overlooking Thimpu. There are several museums in Thimpu
and an arts school, the post office and the market are interesting and above
the town is a takin preserve. Your leader will aim to show you as much as
possible in the time available depending on opening times. In the late
afternoon, we drive to Paro (1 hour).

*Departure starting on 16th March 2021 - Paro Festival*

We spend the day at the Paro Festival.

*Rema Resorts / Dewachen Hotel, or similar*

Day 12

Today we fly back to Kathmandu. The rest of the day is free to explore the
temples and markets of Kathmandu or go shopping. There are several
sightseeing tours on offer (ask the Exodus representative in Kathmandu), or
you may want to explore Kathmandu on your own. You may want to visit the
monkey temple at Swayambhunath or the largest Hindu temple in Nepal at
Pashupatinath or the one of the largest Buddhist stupas in Asia at
Boudhanath. Once you have had your fill of culture the colourful markets of
Thamel are great for souvenir hunting.
*Royal Singi Hotel or similar*

Day 13

The trip ends after breakfast.Depart from Kathmandu in the morning, you will
arrive in the UK the same day.
Please note that sometimes due to opening times, holidays or festivals we
have to change the timings of the sightseeing around. We will endeavour to
show you all the sights in the time available. In case it is not possible to
visit any of the sights described in the notes above an alternative will be
provided.
**