Arrival in Kathmandu. you are greeted at the airport by our team and then transferred to our hotel. Evening briefing from your guide.

approximately 15 hours of driving to the hotel
Final altitude: approximately 13,50 m
Meals: dinner
Accommodation: night in the hotel

We reserve this day for sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley and to prepare for trekking. After having a warm breakfast, we will leave the hotel in a private vehicle with an experienced tour guide. We will visit several UNESCO-listed world heritage sites in Kathmandu valley and the famous sacred Hindu temple, the Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath stupa, and Boudhanath stupa. These places are famous to have inherited ancient religious practices, architecture, and culture.

Tour: full-day tour
Final altitude: approximately 13,50 m
Meals: breakfast
Accommodation: night in the hotel

Depending on your flight schedule, transfer to Kathmandu airport and fly to Paro in Bhutan. It is perhaps one of the most spectacular flights over the Himalayan range. On the left of the device, we enjoy the view of three of the highest peaks in the world: Everest (8848m), Makalu (8485m), and Kangchenjunga (8586m). After only 45 minutes of flight, we descend towards the enchanting valley of Paro and its alpine forests. Meet your guide and transfer to the hotel. The Paro Valley is one of the most beautiful in the country: wooded hills, clear rivers, terraced fields, all punctuated by a few flat-roofed farms and temples. End of the day free for the first immersion at your own pace in the “land of gross national happiness”.

flight 1hours
Final altitude: approximately 2,196 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the hotel

This morning we leave for the monastery of Taktsang, “the tiger’s nest” (or tiger den), a hermitage hanging on a cliff, one of the most revered places of pilgrimage in the Himalayan world and in particular of the Bhutanese who owe it to themselves to make the pilgrimage at least once in their life. Accessible only on foot, this monastery is clinging to a cliff, 900m above the Paro valley. The pilgrimage to its caves dates back to the 8th century. Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, in his wrathful form of Dorje Dolo, landed in this valley on the back of a pregnant tigress, and came to meditate for several months in a cave hanging on the mountain, today surrounded by the buildings and chapels of the monastery. . He then converts the valley to Buddhism. To access it, the path crosses villages and pine forests. The original monastery was built in the 17th century. Destroyed by fire in 1999, it was rebuilt exactly identically. After crossing a meadow, the trail progresses through a forest of oaks and rhododendrons. In places the trees are covered with Spanish mosses clinging to the branches in rags, giving a strange, somewhat “fantastic” atmosphere. We pass by many groups of prayer flags, ubiquitous in Bhutan. As you progress, the view becomes extraordinary on the sanctuary, and the effort of the climb is largely rewarded! Return to Paro in the afternoon where we prepare the bags for the start of the trek

This morning we leave for the monastery of Taktsang, “the tiger’s nest” (or tiger den), a hermitage hanging on a cliff, one of the most revered places of pilgrimage in the Himalayan world and in particular of the Bhutanese who owe it to themselves to make the pilgrimage at least once in their life. Accessible only on foot, this monastery is clinging to a cliff, 900m above the Paro valley. The pilgrimage to its caves dates back to the 8th century. Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, in his wrathful form of Dorje Dolo, landed in this valley on the back of a pregnant tigress, and came to meditate for several months in a cave hanging on the mountain, today surrounded by the buildings and chapels of the monastery. . He then converts the valley to Buddhism. To access it, the path crosses villages and pine forests. The original monastery was built in the 17th century. Destroyed by fire in 1999, it was rebuilt exactly identically. After crossing a meadow, the trail progresses through a forest of oaks and rhododendrons. In places the trees are covered with Spanish mosses clinging to the branches in rags, giving a strange, somewhat “fantastic” atmosphere. We pass by many groups of prayer flags, ubiquitous in Bhutan. As you progress, the view becomes extraordinary on the sanctuary, and the effort of the climb is largely rewarded! Return to Paro in the afternoon where we prepare the bags for the start of the trek.

We leave Paro and reach the start of our trek after a 2-hour drive. The road is good to the ruins of Drugyel Dzong (2530m), the old start of the trek, then more difficult to Shana (2860m). We meet the horses who will carry our bags and we begin our trekking along the Paro Chhu, in the middle of a forest of conifers, oaks, and rhododendrons. We reach our first camp, located in Thongbu Samba at 3100m altitude.

Approximately 7 hours of driving
Final altitude: approximately 3,100 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the tent

Still along the river, we gradually climb through a forest of pines, oaks, birches and maples. In autumn, the colors of the leaves contrast with the Spanish mosses. A succession of climbs and descents and the crossing of several streams lead us to a junction of two valleys marked by a large chörten. If the weather allows it, we can see the Jomolhari (7314m), dominating the top of the valley. Our trail remains on the left bank of the Paro Chhu and we arrive at our Soi Thangka camp.

Approximately 7 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 3,650 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the tent

Essential day in the acclimatization process before reaching Jomolhari base camp and crossing Nyele La (4850m). We continue our trek by following the old mule track along the Paro Chhu to a camp at about 4000m. This trail climbs slowly through old junipers and meadows where yaks graze. We pass a military outpost, then we reach a large meadow with a lonely white chörten. From this chörten we take a steep path that leads us to the top of a hill, in the middle of a new meadow dotted with birches and rhododendrons. The calm and serenity that emanate from these places are conducive to meditation. We then descend to a glacial meadow at a lower altitude (3900m) where we camp.

Approximately 7 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 3,900 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the tent

This morning, we must first go back a little on the track of the day before continuing our hike on the paths of the cow breeders to the small village of Jumphu. From there, we take the main trekking path to reach our camp in Jangothang, at the foot of the impressive face of the Jomolhari.

Approximately 7 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 4,100 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the tent

This day is intended to facilitate the acclimatization of all before the stage leading us to Lingshi by the Nyele La (4850m). Several options are available to us to discover the surroundings of Jangothang and enjoy the exceptional panorama between snow-capped peaks and vast meadows where yaks graze. The guide will decide with the whole group depending on the state of fitness of the participants.

Today we are leaving for a long day of walking, perhaps the longest of our trek. We go up along the river then the path becomes steeper and steeper. The views over the Jomolhari and the Jichu Drayke (6989m) are spectacular. We are now very close to the Tibetan border as we follow a wide valley to the last slopes leading to Nyele La (4850m) and its ornament of prayer flags. From the pass, we descend quickly along a ridge then into the heart of a valley, and evolve through rhododendron and pine forests to our camp by the river.

Approximately 5 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 4.050 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the tent

This day of trekking will surely be the most fascinating. In the morning we join the Lingzhi dzong. Currently abandoned due to damage caused by earthquakes, the last monks have taken refuge in the neighboring village. After 1 hour of walking, we reach a secondary valley offering beautiful views of Tserim Kang before descending to Goyul, located under impressive limestone cliffs and eclipsed by the enormous east face of Jitchu Drake. Leaving the village, the path continues for an hour to Chebisa. The trail then gradually climbs up steep slopes to reach the Gobu La pass (4440m). The route offers excellent views of the valley and neighboring peaks. In this part of Bhutan, large herds of bharals can be seen. Our day continues through the most beautiful landscapes of the country: forests of rhododendrons, firs and junipers where rivers and streams flow. We set up our camp at a place called Shagay Pasa.
Approximately 7 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 4,050 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the tent

Early departure towards Jhari La (4720m). The views from the pass are magnificent, especially on the Gangchen Tagg (7000m) and on our next objective, the Shinge La (5000m). We then descend to Tsheri Jathang and its large meadows where takins (national animal of Bhutan) graze in summer. We set up our camp in the stony meadow of Robluthang.

Approximately 5 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 4,200 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the tent

We start our day by taking an obvious yak trail, streaking the hill above the camp. We then reach a secondary glacial valley from which we can see our objective for the day, the Sinche La (5000m). The final climb is quite steep, but the view of Kang Che Da to the north is magnificent. The descent follows a well-marked path along a glacial valley before reaching the Kango Chhu valley. We camp a little further down in the Limithang valley, in a meadow along the river.

Approximately 5 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 4,100 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the tent

Today we are moving through a thick forest of cedars and then fir trees covered with lichens. The trail then gradually rises above the river, and soon we discover the first houses on the outskirts of Laya (3800m). We arrive for lunch. We can thus take advantage of our afternoon to walk around the village, one of the most remote in Bhutan. The Layap have their own language and customs. They are semi-nomadic and depend on yak herding and agriculture. They spend most of the year in black tents woven from yak hair, but they also build houses with dry stone walls that serve as shelter during the colder months and as warehouses for their wares and materials. cereals. Women smear the hair with mustard oil and wear a conical bamboo hat. Their jackets and skirts are finely decorated with embroidery and adorned with silver jewelry. We set up our camp near the village.

Approximately 5 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 3,800 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the tent

The day’s walk is short. We therefore have the morning to continue exploring the village. From Laya, we descend towards Mo Chu to begin our long descent towards Gasa. We leave the last houses of the village behind us and cross the Khonying (arche-chörten) to leave the village. This valley receives a lot of precipitation during the monsoon: the forest is therefore particularly rich and dense, but the trails are very often muddy and difficult. We pass by a small army outpost and continue on a path following the Mo Chu (mother river). The trail then runs along the river and takes us through a series of climbs and descents before reaching our campsite in Tongchu Drak near the Mo Chu river.

Approximately 5 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 3,300 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the tent

From our camp, we walk about 2 hours to reach Koina. We then cross a forest of bamboo, fir, maple and larch to Ponjothang to finally descend through a subtropical forest. Huge banana and bamboo plants and a wide variety of exotic plants make this part of the trek a botanists’ paradise. We then arrive at Gasa Dzong, a checkpoint for the roads leading to the religious areas of Lunana and Laya. We finally reach the Gasa Tsachu (hot spring) where many people from all over Bhutan come to bathe and where we can also do it after our 13 days of the trek. We camp near the hot springs.

Approximately 5 hours of walking
Final altitude: approximately 2,500 m
Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the tent

Early departure towards Thimphu. We follow the Mo Chu river, hamlets and cultures are more and more present in the heart of the valley. We reach Punakha (1350m), winter capital of Bhutan for over 300 years. The Punakha dzong is located at the junction of the Mo Chu (mother river) and the Po Chu (father river), it is home to nearly 1000 monks in winter. From Punakha we head to Thimpu on the remarkable east-west road of Bhutan, which winds up to Dochu La (3050m). The pass is marked with numerous prayer flags and a large chörten. The road descends from the pass and passes through Hongsto, an ancient village founded in 1525 by the 14th Drukpa hierarchy of Tibet, to arrive at the relatively modern capital of Thimpu.

Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the hotel

free time depending on the departure time of your flight and our representative will drop you at the airport, ending your journey in Nepal. We hope to be of service to you again. Thank you and safe travels.

approximately 20 minutes of driving from the hotel
Final altitude: approximately 1,350 m
Meals: breakfast

In the morning, transfer to the airport and flight to Kathmandu. On your arrival in Kathmandu, transfer to the hotel and end the day at leisure. Optional visit to the main sites of the city

Meals: breakfast – lunch – dinner
Accommodation: night in the hotel