Tours / Cultural journeys

Bhutan Heartland Journey

Ten days from the western valleys to Bumthang, the spiritual heart of Bhutan, returning to Paro by domestic flight.

Trip at a glance

Duration10 days, 9 nights
Main stopsThimphu, Punakha, Phobjikha, Bumthang, Paro
Starts and endsParo
Travel styleCultural journey
IncludesDomestic flight Bumthang to Paro
Best seasonSpring and autumn are most popular; year-round possible

Overview

The Heartland Journey goes beyond the classic western circuit of Paro, Thimphu and Punakha into Bumthang, the valley at the spiritual heart of Bhutan. Over ten days you see the country’s great dzongs, ancient temples linked to Guru Rinpoche and the high, quiet landscapes of central Bhutan.

The route combines scenic drives over Dochula and Pele La with a domestic flight back to Paro, so you reach the centre of the country without retracing the long road west. It suits travellers who want cultural depth, comfortable pacing and time for photography.

Why travellers choose this journey

Includes central Bhutan (Bumthang) for real cultural depth
Combines road travel with a scenic domestic flight
The major highlights of western and central Bhutan
Ideal for culture lovers, spiritual travellers and photographers

Highlights

The hike to Tiger’s Nest (Taktsang), Bhutan’s cliffside monastery

Jakar Dzong, Kurjey Lhakhang, Jambay Lhakhang and Mebar Tsho in Bumthang

Punakha Dzong and the glacial Phobjikha Valley

Farmhouse visits, local crafts and a traditional hot stone bath

Route

Thimphu
Punakha
Phobjikha
Bumthang
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, as the aircraft descends between forested ridges into the valley. Your local guide meets you at the terminal and introduces the driver who will travel with you all the way to Bumthang and back.

Transfer by road to Thimphu, Bhutan’s charming capital, a drive of about an hour and a half along the Paro Chhu. At Chuzom, three chortens in different styles mark the confluence with the Wang Chhu, and the road continues past villages and apple orchards into the long Thimphu valley. In the evening, take a stroll through the city’s craft shops and cafés, where you can browse handwoven textiles and other crafts. A gentle first day helps you adjust to the altitude before the longer journey into central Bhutan.

Day02

OvernightThimphu

Thimphu sightseeing: culture and capital life

Discover the capital with your guide. Begin at the Buddha Dordenma, the huge gilded statue that overlooks Thimphu from the hill of Kuensel Phodrang, where the terrace offers one of the best views over the city. Then visit the National Memorial Chorten, built in 1974 in memory of the third king, where residents circle the chorten and spin its great prayer wheels from early morning until evening.

Continue to the Motithang Takin Preserve to see the takin, Bhutan’s national animal, an unusual creature that legend says was created by Drukpa Kunley. In the late afternoon, visit majestic Tashichho Dzong on the banks of the Wang Chhu, which houses the throne room, government ministries and the summer quarters of the central monastic body. Its courtyards open to visitors after office hours, when the evening light falls across the whitewashed walls.

Day03

OvernightPunakha

Thimphu to Punakha via Dochula Pass

Drive across Dochula Pass, at 3,100 metres, for sweeping mountain views. The pass is crowned by the 108 Druk Wangyal chortens, and on clear days a line of Himalayan peaks stretches across the northern horizon. After a stop for tea, the road descends through forest into the Punakha Valley, almost 2,000 metres lower, where the climate is warm and rice terraces cover the slopes.

In Punakha, walk through the paddy fields to Chimi Lhakhang, the Fertility Temple of Drukpa Kunley, passing village houses painted with protective symbols. Then explore breathtaking Punakha Dzong, built in 1637 at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu. Bhutan’s capital until the 1950s and the place where the first king was crowned in 1907, it remains the winter home of the central monastic body.

Day04

OvernightPhobjikha

Punakha to the Phobjikha Valley

Travel south past Wangdue Phodrang and up into the Black Mountains to the peaceful Phobjikha Valley, a conservation area and glacial basin at around 2,900 metres. The valley floor is a wetland surrounded by pine forest and farmland, and in winter it is home to endangered black-necked cranes that migrate here from the Tibetan plateau.

Visit Gangtey Monastery, a 17th-century monastery of the Nyingma school that overlooks the valley from a forested ridge, and the seat of the Gangtey Tulku. Then walk the scenic Gangtey Nature Trail, an easy descent of around two hours through pine woods, meadows and potato fields to Khewa Lhakhang, with panoramic views of the valley along the way. The evening is quiet and peaceful, and a night in Phobjikha is one of the most restful of the journey.

Day05

OvernightBumthang

Phobjikha to Bumthang via Pele La and Trongsa

Today you cross into central Bhutan. The road climbs to Pele La, at around 3,400 metres, the pass through the Black Mountains that divides west from centre, where yaks sometimes graze near the road. Descending, you pass Chendebji Chorten, an 18th-century stupa built in the style of Kathmandu’s Swayambhunath, before reaching Trongsa.

Stop to explore magnificent Trongsa Dzong, which stretches along a ridge above the gorge of the Mangde Chhu. It was from here that the Wangchuck family ruled as governors of Trongsa before becoming Bhutan’s kings, and the dzong’s many courtyards and temples reflect its long history. After lunch in Trongsa, continue over Yotong La into Bumthang, a region of four broad valleys that is often called the spiritual heart of Bhutan, arriving in the Chokhor Valley in the evening.

Day06

OvernightBumthang

Bumthang valley exploration

Spend the day among the ancient temples of the Chokhor Valley. Visit Jakar Dzong, the “castle of the white bird”, which overlooks the valley and the town of Jakar. Then visit Jambay Lhakhang, one of Bhutan’s oldest temples, traditionally dated to the 7th century and linked to the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, and Kurjey Lhakhang, where Guru Rinpoche is said to have left the imprint of his body in a rock while meditating.

Kurjey’s three temples are surrounded by a wall of 108 chortens and hold the remains of the first three kings of Bhutan. A footbridge across the Chamkhar Chhu leads to Tamshing Lhakhang, founded in 1501 by the treasure revealer Pema Lingpa and known for its ancient murals and a coat of chain mail said to have been made by him. The day ends in the quiet of the monastery.

Day07

OvernightBumthang

Bumthang: local culture and sacred sights

Visit Mebar Tsho, the Burning Lake, one of Bhutan’s holiest sites. It is a deep pool in a gorge of the Tang Chhu where, according to legend, Pema Lingpa dived in holding a lit butter lamp and emerged with hidden treasures, the lamp still burning. Pilgrims leave offerings and prayer flags at the water’s edge, and the setting is atmospheric and peaceful.

Spend a relaxed afternoon exploring local life in the Chokhor Valley. Depending on your interests, visit local artisans, perhaps weavers working on yathra, the woollen textiles for which Bumthang is known, or stop at the local brewery or cheese makers, whose products are made in the valley. Your guide can also arrange time in a traditional farmhouse. The afternoon is unhurried, giving you time to soak in the valley’s peaceful atmosphere before tomorrow’s flight back to the west.

Day08

OvernightParo

Fly from Bumthang to Paro

Transfer to Bathpalathang airport near Jakar for the domestic flight to Paro. The short flight over the mountains is a memorable experience, offering a bird’s-eye view of the forested valleys and ridges you have travelled through by road, and on clear days a view of the snow peaks of the high Himalaya. It saves a long drive back across the country.

Domestic flights in Bhutan depend on mountain weather, so your guide will keep you informed of any changes. On arrival in Paro, the rest of the day is free to unwind and explore the town’s markets and cafés at your own pace, perhaps browsing handicraft shops along the main street or walking down to the river below Rinpung Dzong. An easy afternoon is good preparation for tomorrow’s hike to the Tiger’s Nest.

Day09

OvernightParo

Hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery

Embark on the iconic hike to Taktsang, Bhutan’s spiritual masterpiece, perched on a cliff about 900 metres above the Paro Valley. According to legend, Guru Rinpoche flew here on the back of a tigress in the 8th century to meditate in a cave, which is now enclosed within the monastery, and Taktsang is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in the Himalaya.

The trail climbs through blue pine forest hung with prayer flags, with a café and viewpoint about halfway, and most visitors take two to three hours to reach the monastery, where small temples glow with butter lamps. Ponies can carry you part of the way up. In the evening, reward yourself with a traditional hot stone bath, in which river stones heated in a fire are lowered into a wooden tub of water, a perfect finale to your Bhutan journey.

Day10

Depart from Paro

After breakfast, your guide and driver transfer you to Paro Airport for your flight home. If your flight leaves later in the day, there may be time for a final walk in Paro town or a stop at a viewpoint above the valley, where Rinpung Dzong and the river are framed by forested hills.

As your aircraft climbs out of the narrow Paro Valley, look out for the high peaks of the Himalaya on clear days, a fitting farewell after a journey that has taken you from the capital and the great dzongs of the west to the temples of Bumthang in the heart of the country. At the airport your guide bids you a warm “Tashi Delek”, the Bhutanese words of farewell and blessing for your journey ahead.

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