We will meet up in Bangkok in order to catch a group flight to Bhutan.

Group orientation and dinner.

Flights to Paro tend to be early so we will likely rise before the sun to depart.

Arriving in Bhutan we will be picked up and immediately begin our learning about this special place.

The National Museum will be our first stop where the human history of the region is laid out before us. Moving just down the hill, we will visit the Paro Dzong. Dzongs are typically old fortresses that are now multi-purpose buildings that serve both religions and governmental needs.

We will get an early start to the day so that we can beat the crowds to one of Bhutan’s most famous treasures, Tiger’s Nest Temple.

The hike up is a challenging one but occasional glimpses of the iconic monastery tucked into the cliff above is enough inspiration to keep going.

Arriving at Tiger’s Nest we will spend some time talking through the temples and learning about the history of one of the most sacred places in Bhutan.

After our trek down, our education will continue with a visit to the oldest temple in Bhutan, Kichu Lhakhang.

Today will be our first trekking day and it will be a good one! Don’t worry though, we will ease into the acclimatization.

Our trekking days are supported by a robust team of horses and local Bhutanese camp staff. We only need to carry small daypacks so the distances and elevations are much more achievable.

Today, we will climb up out of the Paro valley passing the seldom visited Jili Dzong as we begin our hike along the ridge above Paro.

After passing through land occupied by yak herders, we will find our camp crew ready for us with our tents setup, a dining tent, and likely snacks and tea.

After enjoying “bed tea” in our tents we will great the sun and our waiting hot breakfast. This is the standard in Bhutan and it will make you wonder why you ever camp in any other way!

Our hike today starts with a 2 hour climb where we go up and over several minor passes. Once we attain our destination ridge line we will be able to spot the highest peaks in the region, forming the almost impassable border between Bhutan and Tibet.

The day will finish with a meandering downhill walk to Jimi Langtsho Lake, a hidden jewel in the mountains.

Undoubtedly, we will have a delicious dinner awaiting us from our talented camp staff.

Today’s hiking day heads generally upward but is largely comprised of rolling terrain. We will pass a few lakes and yak herder camps on our way to the base of our climb for tomorrow.

We will have views back to the west throughout the day, likely being able to spot our hiking path from Day 1 on the other side of the river valley below.

With our morning start we will quickly achieve our highest point on the trip, Pumola Pass (13,530’). Cresting this pass will give us our first glimpses down into Thimphu valley to see the capital city of Bhutan.

As we begin to descend, we will pass and visit Phajoding Goemba, an important 12th century monastery that is a pilgrimage site for the Bhutanese.

Continuing downhill we will reach a road and our pickup. After a lovely lunch we will drive to our comfortable hotel for the evening and celebrate our completion of the “Druk Path”.

While the mountains between Paro and Thimphu are both holy and legendary, our trip would not be complete with a visit to Punakha, the former capital.

Driving to Punakha alone is a day worthy of the journey. First, we will stop atop Dochula pass, home to 108 mini-stupas pinning down a great daemon and celebrating peace. Continuing onward we will visit the Punakha Dzong and then hike to the King’s temple all holy places with deep significance to the Bhutanese.

Punakha Dzong alone is a destination for many travelers and considered the finest representation of Bhutanese architecture in the world.

While it is sad to turn around and head back towards Paro, we still have a few stops ahead of us before concluding the trip.

Driving back into the Thimphu valley we will stop at Bhutan’s Golden Buddha, the largest of its kind in the world. This incredible statue looks down upon the capital and contains 125,000 smaller buddha statues.

After lunch in Thimphu, we will drive back to our hotel in Paro and have an afternoon of rest before a final celebratory dinner together.

We will shuttle to the airport for our flights back to Bangkok and onward travel, wishing out newfound friends in Bhutan farewell and Tashi Delek!