Tours / Himalayan treks
Druk Path Trek and Cultural Immersion
Nine days combining the Druk Path Trek between Thimphu and Paro with Bhutan’s cultural highlights.
Trip at a glance
- Duration9 days, 8 nights
- Main stopsThimphu, Paro
- Starts and endsParo
- Travel styleTrekking
- Trek4 days on the Druk Path
- Best seasonSpring and autumn
Overview
The Druk Path is one of Bhutan’s best-loved short treks, crossing the ridge between Thimphu and Paro past Phajoding Monastery and a string of high lakes. This journey combines four days on the trail with time in Thimphu and Punakha and the hike to Tiger’s Nest.
It suits fit walkers who want a real trek without committing to a long expedition.
Good to know
Every journey is private and can be adjusted to your pace and interests.
Highlights
Four days on the Druk Path through rhododendron forest and past alpine lakes
The hike to Tiger’s Nest
Punakha Dzong
Thimphu’s dzongs, temples and craft markets
A traditional hot stone bath after the trek
- Thimphu
- Paro
Day by day
The full itinerary, day by day. Every journey is private, so we can adjust the pace, hotels and stops to suit you.
Day01
OvernightThimphu
Arrive in Paro and drive to Thimphu
Fly into Paro International Airport, enjoying spectacular Himalayan views on the approach if the weather is clear. Your local guide meets you outside the terminal and introduces the driver and, later in the journey, the trekking crew who will support you on the Druk Path.
Transfer to Thimphu, Bhutan’s charming capital, about an hour and a half by road along the Paro Chhu. At Chuzom, three chortens mark the confluence with the Wang Chhu, and the road continues up the valley to the city at around 2,320 metres. In the evening, stroll through the craft shops and cafés of Thimphu. Taking it easy today and drinking plenty of water helps your body begin to adjust to the altitude, which is important preparation for the high camps of the trek later in the week.
Day02
OvernightThimphu
Thimphu sightseeing and trek preparation
Visit the Buddha Dordenma, the gilded statue around 51 metres tall that overlooks Thimphu Valley from the hill of Kuensel Phodrang. Then explore the National Memorial Chorten, where residents walk and pray throughout the day, and the Motithang Takin Preserve, home to Bhutan’s national animal. In the late afternoon, visit the impressive Tashichho Dzong, which houses the royal offices, government ministries and the summer quarters of the central monastic body.
In the evening your guide holds a trek orientation and gear check. You will go through the route, daily distances and camps, what the crew provides and what you need to carry in your daypack, and check boots, warm layers and rain gear. It is a good opportunity to ask questions about altitude, weather and safety, so that you start the trek well prepared and confident.
Day03
OvernightThimphu
Day trip to Punakha over Dochula Pass
Drive over Dochula Pass, at 3,100 metres, for breathtaking Himalayan views on clear days, and visit the 108 Druk Wangyal chortens that crown the pass. The road then descends through forest into the warm Punakha Valley, where rice terraces line the rivers, a useful day for acclimatisation, rising high and sleeping lower.
Continue to Punakha Dzong, Bhutan’s most picturesque fortress, built in 1637 at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu and the capital of the country until the 1950s. Cross the covered bridge to explore its courtyards and temples. On the way back, stop at Chimi Lhakhang, the Fertility Temple of Drukpa Kunley, reached by a short walk through the rice fields. Return to Thimphu in the evening for a final night in a hotel before setting out on the trail tomorrow.
Day04
OvernightCamping near Phajoding
Trek begins: Thimphu to Phajoding
Begin the Druk Path trek from the trailhead above Thimphu near the telecom tower, ascending steadily through blue pine forest hung with prayer flags. The climb is steep in places, and it is best taken slowly, with regular rests and plenty of water, as you gain height quickly on this first day.
The trail reaches Phajoding, a monastery complex on the mountainside that has long been a place of meditation and retreat, associated with the 13th-century lama Phajo Drugom Zhigpo, who brought the Drukpa lineage to Bhutan. Temples and retreat houses are scattered across the slope, and the views back over Thimphu Valley are wonderful, especially at sunset, when the lights of the city appear far below. The crew sets up camp near the monastery, and dinner is served in the dining tent.
Day05
OvernightCamping at Jimilang Tsho
Phajoding to Jimilang Tsho
Today the trail climbs above the tree line and follows a ridge with sweeping views of snow-capped peaks on clear days. The route passes through rhododendron and dwarf juniper, and crosses open high country where yak herders sometimes graze their animals in summer.
The camp tonight is beside Jimilang Tsho, the “sand ox lake”, a peaceful lake set among the hills. Local legend tells of a bull that emerged from its waters and joined the herds of a nearby village, giving the lake its name. The lake is known for its tranquillity and for the trout that live in it, introduced in the past. In the afternoon there is time to relax by the shore, take photographs as the light changes over the water and enjoy the silence of the high country.
Day06
OvernightCamping at Simkotra Tsho
Jimilang Tsho to Simkotra Tsho
Cross alpine meadows and rolling high country on one of the most scenic days of the trek. On clear days, the views extend to Gangkar Puensum, at 7,570 metres the highest mountain in Bhutan and one of the highest unclimbed peaks in the world, since mountaineering above 6,000 metres was banned in the country in 2003.
The trail passes small lakes and herders’ shelters, and the open landscape gives a real sense of space. Tonight’s camp is beside Simkotra Tsho, a shimmering lake surrounded by grassy slopes and rocks, at the highest camp of the trek. Evenings at this altitude are cold, so warm layers and a good sleeping bag are essential, but the clear night skies, often brilliant with stars, are a memorable reward after the day’s walking.
Day07
OvernightParo
Simkotra Tsho to Jele Dzong, end of trek and drive to Paro
The final day of the trek is mostly downhill. After a last climb with views over the mountains, the trail descends through rhododendron and then pine forest towards Jele Dzong (spelled Jali Dzong in our earlier itinerary), a small fortress and temple on a ridge above the Paro Valley, with views down over the valley and its farmland.
From Jele Dzong, the trail continues down through forest to the road head near Paro, a long descent of around 1,330 metres that is hard on the knees, so walking poles are helpful. Here the trek concludes, and you say goodbye to the crew before transferring to your hotel in the Paro Valley for a well-earned rest, a hot shower and a comfortable bed after four nights under canvas.
Day08
OvernightParo
Hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery
With your legs well trained by the trek, today’s hike to Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest, is a fitting finale. The magnificent monastery clings to a cliff about 900 metres above the Paro Valley, built around the cave where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated after flying here on the back of a tigress in the 8th century.
The round trip takes four to six hours, climbing through blue pine forest hung with prayer flags, with a café and viewpoint about halfway. Inside the monastery, small temples lit by butter lamps hold statues of Guru Rinpoche and other deities, and you can feel the site’s spiritual atmosphere and enjoy the panoramic views of the Paro Valley. In the evening, enjoy a traditional hot stone bath to relax after your journey.
Day09
Depart from Paro
Enjoy your final breakfast in Bhutan before your guide and driver transfer you to Paro International Airport. If time allows, stop at a viewpoint above the valley for a last look at Rinpung Dzong and the ridges you crossed on the Druk Path, which run along the skyline between Paro and Thimphu.
As your flight climbs out of the valley, look out for the high peaks on clear days, perhaps even the distant summit of Gangkar Puensum that you saw from the trail. At the airport your guide bids you farewell with the Bhutanese blessing “Tashi Delek”, meaning good fortune and happiness, and we hope you leave with memories of high lakes, monasteries and the warm hospitality of Bhutan.
Good to know
- Private journeyPlanned around your dates, pace and interests
- GuideA licensed Bhutanese guide accompanies you throughout, as Bhutan requires
- ArrivalParo International Airport
- PriceDepends on dates, hotel category and group size; our prices include the government’s Sustainable Development Fee
Treks reach high altitude. Good fitness and comprehensive travel insurance, including evacuation cover, are strongly recommended.
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