Day 1: Monday Paro Airport to Thimphu
We arrive at Paro airport and receive a warm greeting from our Bhutanese guide. Then we take a one-and-a-half-hours drive to Thimpu through the beautiful Paro Valley. Stay in Hotel Druk.

Day 2: Tuesday Thimphu
Today we take in the sights of Thimpu. We bike to Tangu and Cheri, stopping on the way to visit the High Courts, Tashichoe Dzong, which houses the offices of the king and the Jey-Kenpo (Chief Abbot). We also visit Dechencholing Palace. From Dechenphodrang, a Buddhist College, you can see the palace of the present king. We visit the Memorial Chorten, which was built in the memory of late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. We stop along the way for refreshments and after lunch we bike to the painting school and National Library. Stay overnight in Hotel Druk.

Day 3: Wednesday Thimphu to Punakha Valley
Drive or bike to Dochula, 22km from Thimpu, then on to the Punakha Valley where we will camp close to a river.

Day 4: Thursday Punakha Valley to Chendbji Chorten
Today we head off along dirt track to Wangdi, where we stop for lunch at the Wangdi Guesthouse. If time allows we will bike as far as Garzikha Zam then drive to Pelayla and back on our bikes for the descent into Chendbji Chorten. Here we camp at the confluence of two streams.

Day 5: Friday Chendbji Chorten to Jakar Valley
We have the option of driving or cycling to Tongsa to visit the Ta Dzong. After lunch we drive on to Yotungla and then down into the Chumey Valley. From here we ascend to Kikela and another descent in to the Jakar Valley, the largest valley in Bhutan.

Day 6: Saturday Jakar Valley
Today we have the opportunity to explore the Jakar Valley, visiting many places; first we stop on the way to Kujee Lhakhang to visit Jakar Lhakhang. From Kujee Lhakhang we head towards Tamshing Lhakhang via Jampay Lhakhang, one of the oldest WHAT? In the kingdom.

Day 7: Sunday Jakar Valley to Tang Valley
We leave Jakar Valley to enter Tang Valley the ancestral home of the King of Bhutan. We have an option to camp near to the Ugyencholing Palace or bike back to Jakar. We have time to visit the Mebartsho (flaming lake), actually a river running through a gorge.

Day 8: Monday Tang Valley to Phobjikha Valley
Drive to Nobding and bike uphill to the ridge and then have a screamer of a downhill through the beautiful glacial Phobjikha Valley. We visit the Gangtey Monastery, the largest Nyingmapa Monastery in Bhutan. Overnight in a lodge.

Day 9: Tuesday Phobjikha Valley to Mendaygang
We bike or drive as far as the ridge and bike to Wangdi. After lunch at the Wangdi Guesthouse we bike to Mendaygang where we stay overnight at Dechhen Cottage.

Day 10: Wednesday Dechhen Cottage to Thimphu
Today we drive as far as Dochula from where there is the option of driving or continuing by bikes into Thimpu. In the afternoon we visit handicraft emporiums and other textile centres.

Day 11: Thursday Thimphu to Paro
We have a lovely 57km bike ride ahead of us today on pothole free tarmac roads. We stop for lunch at Sonam Trofel, the best restaurant in Paro town.

Day 12: Friday Paro
We spend the whole day sightseeing, visiting the Kychu Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in Bhutan then bike to Drgyel Dzong built in 1647-49 to commemorate the Bhutanese victory over the Tibetan invaders. We go on to visit the National Museum and after 5pm we are able to visit the Rigpung Dzong.

Day 13: Saturday Paro
Today's biking is the most difficult. The road meanders uphill to Chalayla, the highest motorable pass in Bhutan, at 3988m. We stop for lunch at Sonam Trofel then bike or drive back to Paro.

Day 14: Sunday Paro
This is our last day in Bhutan. Today we hike up to Taksang (Tiger's lair), which clings to a cliff face 1,000m above the valley. Taksang is one of the most beautiful temples in Bhutan, built by the temporal ruler Tenzin Rabgye in 1684.

Day 15: Monday Paro airport
Today we depart from Bhutan.

TRIP REQUIREMENTS

GROUP SIZE:: Min 4 pax, plus Nepali guide-medically trained and experienced, drivers, Tibetan guide and extra Nepali MTB guide if numbers dictate.

TOUR COST: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

ROUTE MAP