Bhutan12 days
Bhutan: Bumthang Drup Festival & the Spiritual Valleys — 12 Days
Central Bhutan's monasteries, high passes, and the annual Jambay Lhakhang Drup festival in the Chokhor Valley
This 12-day itinerary moves through Bhutan's administrative and spiritual centres, anchored by attendance at the Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival in Bumthang—one of the kingdom's most significant annual observances. The route begins in Thimphu, descends through Punakha via the 3,050-metre Dochu La Pass, then climbs into the remote Bumthang valleys where you will witness centuries-old tantric Buddhist dances performed annually since the 14th century. The festival commemorates Guru Padmasambhava's arrival in the Chokhor Valley in the 8th century to pacify the region's spirits; the dances themselves are said to recreate the exact movements performed by the Great Guru during that ritual subjugation. Between festival days, the itinerary includes visits to Jakar Dzong, Kurjey and Tamshing Lhakhang, the remote Tang Valley, Gangtey Gompa in the high Phobjikha Valley, and concludes with the classical Paro circuit—Taktshang Monastery, Rinpung Dzong, and Kyichu Lhakhang. The journey proceeds by vehicle through high mountain passes and river valleys, with daily walking excursions of moderate length.
Best time to go: Festival Dates 2026: Oct 25 – 28 2027: Nov 13 – 16
Highlights
- Attendance at the Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival in the Chokhor Valley, featuring masked tantric Buddhist dances performed since the 14th century
- Drive across Dochu La Pass at 3,050 metres with views of the Eastern Himalayan range
- Visit to Taktshang Monastery, perched 900 metres above the Paro valley floor on a near-vertical rock face
- Sightseeing in Bumthang's sacred sites: Jakar Dzong, Kurjey Lhakhang, Tamshing Lhakhang, and Ugyencholing Palace
- Walk to the pilgrimage site of Membar Tsho (the Burning Lake) in Tang Valley
- Gangtey Gompa in the Phobjikha Valley, one of Bhutan's oldest monasteries, at 3,500 metres
- Trongsa Dzong with museum dedicated to the Royal Wangchuk dynasty
- Restored Wangdi Dzong, rebuilt after a 2012 fire and now open to visitors
Day by day
1Arrival in Paro and Drive to ThimphuParo International Airport · Paro and Thimphu river valleys · Tamchhog Lhakhang · Thimphu's streets and markets
You arrive at Paro International Airport, where your guide meets you for the drive northward along the Paro and Thimphu river valleys toward Bhutan's capital. En route, stop at Tamchhog Lhakhang, a hereditary place of worship founded by Bhutan's legendary iron bridge builder. The remainder of the afternoon is spent walking through Thimphu's streets and markets, observing the rhythm of the capital—shops, bazaars, and residents in gho and kira, the kingdom's national dress.
2Thimphu: National Monuments and Traditional ArtsNational Memorial Chorten · National Library · School of Traditional Arts and Crafts · Simtokha Dzong
The day centres on Thimphu's principal cultural institutions. Visit the National Memorial Chorten, the National Library, and the School of Traditional Arts and Crafts. In the afternoon, choose between Dechen Phodrang and Pangri Zampa or Simtokha Dzong—one of Bhutan's oldest fortresses, built in 629 AD.
3Thimphu to Punakha via Dochu La PassDochu La Pass · Chimi Lhakhang · Punakha Dzong
Drive south from Thimphu to Punakha, the kingdom's old capital, crossing Dochu La Pass at 3,050 metres. Stop at the pass to rest and absorb panoramic views of the Eastern Himalayan range. In the afternoon, visit Chimi Lhakhang—the Temple of Fertility, built in the 15th century by Lama Drukpa Kunley, known as the Divine Mad Man—and Punakha Dzong, one of Bhutan's most architecturally significant structures.
4Punakha to Bumthang via TrongsaPunakha to Bumthang via Trongsa · Trongsa Dzong
The drive eastward passes through some of Bhutan's most dramatic landscapes. Stop in Trongsa to visit Trongsa Dzong, which commands views for miles across the surrounding valleys. Continue through central Bhutan to Bumthang, arriving in the late afternoon.
5Bumthang: Monasteries, Temples, and the Chokhor ValleyJakar Dzong · Kurjey Lhakhang · Tamshing Lhakhang · Bumthang's Swiss cheese factory and dairy farm · Red Panda Brewery
Begin at Jakar Dzong, Bhutan's largest fortress, which overlooks the Chokhor Valley. Your guide then leads you through a series of sacred sites: Kurjey Lhakhang and Tamshing Lhakhang. Optional visits include Bumthang's Swiss cheese factory and dairy farm, or the Red Panda Brewery, both reflecting the valley's character as a place where traditional and contemporary culture coexist.
6Tang Valley: Remote Villages and Ugyencholing PalaceTang Valley · Ugyencholing Palace · Membar Tsho · Drangchel
Drive to Tang Valley, the most remote of Bumthang's three main valleys. The road climbs past the trail to Membar Tsho—the Burning Lake—one of Bhutan's principal pilgrimage destinations. Continue to Drangchel, the birthplace of Pema Lingpa, pausing in picturesque villages and at small temples. Walk uphill to Ugyencholing Palace, now a museum that documents aristocratic life in Bhutan during the past century.
7The Jambay Lhakhang Drup FestivalJambay Lhakhang
This morning you attend the Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival—one of Bhutan's major religious observances and the centrepiece of this itinerary. Jambay Lhakhang, built in the 7th century, is one of 108 monasteries said to have been established in a single day by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gompo across Tibet and Bhutan. According to local tradition, the Chokhor Valley was once infested with disease and suffering under the dominion of malevolent spirits. In the 8th century, Guru Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) arrived at the invitation of the valley's king, Sindhu Raja, and performed sacred dances—the very dances witnessed during this festival—to subdue those spirits. Tantric Buddhism flourished thereafter and spread throughout the kingdom. In the 14th century, Terton Dorji Lingpa reintroduced these teachings through the festival itself. Tulku Choeten Gompo, a descendant of Sindhu Raja, established an enduring rule: the people of the valley must preserve and perform these dances annually on the 15th day of the ninth month of the Bhutanese lunar calendar. The Drup is thus a living continuity of ritual practice spanning more than six centuries.
8Bumthang to Gangtey via Trongsa and Phobjikha ValleyBumthang to Gangtey via Trongsa and Phobjikha Valley · Trongsa · Gangtey Gompa
Drive westward and stop again at Trongsa to visit the museum housed in the dzong's watchtower, which chronicles the Royal Wangchuk dynasty and displays personal belongings of Bhutan's kings and queens. Continue to Gangtey, descending into the Phobjikha Valley—an immense, remote basin ringed by black mountains. Visit Gangtey Gompa, one of Bhutan's oldest monasteries, extensively renovated in recent decades.
9Gangtey to Paro via Wangdi DzongGangtey to Paro · Wangdi Dzong
Drive toward Paro, stopping in Wangdi, a town built on the site of four ravens seen flying in four cardinal directions—considered auspicious by the Shabdrung, who ordered Wangdi Dzong's construction in 1638. The dzong sustained severe damage in a 2012 fire but has undergone 12 years of meticulous restoration and is now open to visitors. Continue on to Paro.
10Paro Valley: Dzongs, Temples, and the National Museumthe National Museum · Dumtse Lhakhang · Paro Rinpung Dzong · Kyichu Lhakhang
Spend the day exploring the Paro Valley's major monuments. Visit Dumtse Lhakhang and the National Museum. Tour Paro Rinpung Dzong, one of Bhutan's finest architectural examples, and Kyichu Lhakhang, a 7th-century temple of historical and spiritual significance, among the kingdom's most sacred shrines.
11Walking to Taktshang MonasteryTaktshang Monastery · cafeteria viewpoint
Hike to Taktshang Monastery, the Tiger's Nest, which clings to a near-vertical rock face 900 metres above the Paro valley floor. The walk offers a series of vantage points; many visitors pause at the cafeteria viewpoint for a full view of the monastery before ascending further.
12Departure from ParoParo International Airport
Your guide accompanies you to Paro International Airport for your departure flight, offering a final farewell of Tashi Delek—the Bhutanese blessing meaning goodbye and good luck.
Where you go
- 1Paro International Airport
- 2National Library
- 3Dochu La Pass
- 4Punakha Dzong
- 5Trongsa Dzong
- 6Jambay Lhakhang
- 7Trongsa
- 8Kyichu Lhakhang
- 9Taktshang Monastery
- 10Paro International Airport