A one-hour hike this morning brings us up to Tango Monastery, a monastic school and retreat built in the 15th century. The monastery is the residence of the Druk Desi Gyaltsen Tenzin Rabgye, a lama who is a reincarnation of the 16th century monk who founded Tango (tango means horse’s head; the monastery is named for a rock formation on the mountain it is built on). Tango’s inner courtyard is beautifully painted in bright colors, with lovely views stretching across the Thimphu Valley. We descend and head by road to the Bagana bridge for a two-hour hike on a fairly level trail through beautiful riverside villages, with a picnic lunch. Overnight Thimphu...BLD

Total Hiking Time: About 3 Hours

Punakha is the old capital of Bhutan and its warmer than Thimphu. There are beautifull Hiking Trip option in Punakha. We begin our journey out of town for a spectacular 3-hour drive to Punakha, crossing the Dochu La. At 10,200 feet, the Dochu La is the highest mountain pass in Bhutan, with fluttering prayer flags and more than 100 chortens (stupas) dedicated to Bhutan's continued peace and happiness. On a clear day, the pass offers far-reaching views of the Bhutanese Himalayas.


After a hot lunch at a café atop the pass and time to savor the mountain views, we continue our drive to the Punakha Valley via the tiny village of Thinleygang (6,000'), the starting point for our afternoon hike of about 2.5 hours to Lobsakha village the most beautiful Hiking trail. Our hike brings us into a serene region of small villages interspersed with rice and wheat fields, and we may see farmers plowing fields with oxen as we hike along the trail. The forests on the mountainsides are home to barking deer, Himalayan black bear, and wonderful birdlife, from Himalayan barbets to cuckoos. Overnight at Punakha...BLD

Total Hiking Time: About 2.5 Hours

Punakha Highlight: The winter capital was established in this location in part because Punakha is a warm valley with a relatively low altitude of 4,100 feet, allowing for the production of two rice crops each year, along with oranges, mangos, and bananas. In Punakha, we may see people from the remote village of Laya. The Layap, as they are known, are yak herders who make the three- or four-day walk to Punakha from their high-altitude villages in northwest Bhutan. Women of Laya wear conical bamboo hats with a center spike of bamboo, and Laya’s men wear black woolen coats.

The village of Nezigang is the starting point for our gradual ascent through cultivated fields and little hamlets to the Khamsum Yuley Namgay Chorten, a shrine recently built by the royal family. The shrine is an elaborate structure with a rainbow of Guru Rimpoche images and superb views of the Punakha Valley. We hike back down and follow ancient riverside trails amid whitewashed farmhouses, with a picnic lunch en route. In the afternoon, we visit the 17th century Punakha Dzong, Bhutan’s former winter capital, built in 1637 at the confluence of the Mo Chu and Po Chu (the Mother and Father rivers). The Punakha Dzong is an architectural wonder and seat of the head abbot of Bhutan. It has survived six fires, two glacial lake bursts, and an earthquake. This labyrinthine dzong has played a pivotal role in Bhutan's history and has the official name of Druk Pungthang Decchen Phodrang, which translates as "the palace of great happiness." Overnight Punakha...BLD

Total Hiking Time: About 4 Hours

A half-hour walk through mustard fields brings us to Chimi Lhakhang (lhakhang means temple), a monastery and fertility temple dedicated to Lama Drukpa Kuenley, a Tibetan Buddhist saint known popularly as “the divine madman” and considered a folk hero in Bhutan for his unconventional ways. Drukpa Kuenley originally built a chorten on the site in the 14th century. The temple, flanked by nearly 100 tall prayer flags, sits atop a picturesque hill and has long been a pilgrimage site for childless couples. Later, we drive to the Phobjikha Valley (9,500'), with a visit en route to remarkable Wangdue Phodrang, a 17th century fortress-dzong perched on a spur. We continue to the Phobjikha Valley for overnight at a lodge. Please note that there is no electricity in the Phobjikha Valley, so at our lodge, water is heated by firewood. For lighting, the lodge has generators that run until 10 p.m. Rooms have private bathrooms...BLD

We hike in the beautiful environment of the Phobjikha Valley, with its alpine setting on the western slopeof the Black Mountains. The gold-roofed Gangtey Monastery (currently closed and undergoing renovation) sits on a prominent hilltop in the valley. The vegetation in this high-altitude glacial valley includes mixed forests of pine and rhododendron, with thick, brushy grasslands on the valley floor. *A flock of 200-300 black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis) migrates to this valley from Tibet to spend the winter foraging of the valley floor. In Bhutan, the cranes are considered harbingers of good luck and have long been respected by the residents of the valley. The cranes’ arrival signals to villagers that it’s time to pack up and move down to lower, warmer climes since the valley is snowed-in during the winter months. Overnight at lodge...BLD

Total Hiking Time: About 3 Hours

Note: The cranes arrive some time around late October and stay through roughly mid-February. As migration patterns and timing varies each year depending on seasonal onditions, we cannot guarantee that the cranes will be in Phobjikha at the time of our visit. With luck, our November departures may see them.

A five-hour drive brings us back to Thimphu, recrossing the magnificent Dochu La Pass with lunch on the pass. This afternoon is free for independent exploration in Thimphu. Overnight Thimphu...BLD

We hike up through pine forests festooned with Spanish moss to reach to the striking monastic retreat of Taktsang, the “Tiger's Nest,” built into a sheer cliff face about 2,700 feet above the Paro Valley. This is the most famous temple in Bhutan. Padmasambhava, the great 8th century Buddhist saint and
teacher, is thought to have landed at this spot after flying over the mountains from Tibet on the back of a tigress, thus bringing the teachings of Buddhism to Bhutan. The primary temple was built around Padmasambhava's meditation cave in 1684. We enjoy our lunch en route at a teahouse midway with
fantastic views of the monastery. Tonight we gather for our farewell dinner. Overnight in Paro...BLD

Total Hiking Time: About 3 Hours