Camp The Trans Bhutan Trail

After arriving in Paro enjoy an included transfer to your hotel in Thimphu where you will meet the rest of the group and your local tour leader. If time permits, head out in the afternoon to Buddha Point, home to Thimphu’s most recognized landmark, the Buddha Dordenma. Then, visit the Memorial Chorten, a Tibetan-style stupa built in 1974 and one of Thimphu’s most impressive religious sites. This evening gather as a group at a local restaurant for a welcome dinner and your first chance to sample Bhutanese cuisine.With elevations ranging between 2,248 meters (7,375 feet) and 2,648 meters (8,688 feet) above sea level, Thimphu is the fifth highest capital city in the world by altitude. It is also the only capital city in the world without any traffic lights. The city offers a unique blend of the modern world with Bhutanese tradition. Accommodation: - Hotel Kisa Villa (or similar). Meals Included: - Lunch - Dinner Transport: - Arrival Transfer 02:00 Hr(s) Included Activities: - Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting - Buddha Point Visit - Memorial Chorten Visit - Bhutanese Group Dinner Additional Notes: In order to have time for a visit to Buddha Point please plan to get to Bhutan by noon so that you can reach Thimpu by late afternoon and have enough time to do an orientation before going to Buddha Point. Most flights arrive to Paro in the morning.

Today will be your first day trekking on the Trans Bhutan Trail. The group will transfer eastwards to Pelela for the start of the hike at 3,407 metres (11,177 feet) above sea level. As you descend through the meadows below Pelela, keep an eye out for the yak herder camps which can be seen scattered around the valley. For lunch you’ll stop in at a traditional farmhouse in the village of Rukubji to enjoy a hot lunch, before visiting Rukubji’s village Lhakhang (temple), also known as Kuenzang Choling. Rukubji is also famous for its unique local language, and you will have the chance to learn about it from the villagers over tea. After lunch, rejoin the trail for a gentle climb out of the valley, through the forest, and back down to the village of Chendebi, where the group will camp for the night. Once there, visit the Chorten (stupa), which is believed to have been built on the point on which the three ridges and the three edges of the sky meet. A delicious organic, locally sourced dinner will be served at the campsite in the evening.This ancient route, which runs 403 kilometres from Haa in the West of Bhutan to Trashigang in the East, dates back at least as far as the 16th century, when it would have been the only means of communication between the strategically located dzongs (fortresses) along the route. The Trail’s Garps (messengers) were quite legendary, travelling with vital messages between Dzongs at great speeds with little food or rest. Over time, the Trail came to play a major role in uniting the region’s many kingdoms, culminating in the birth of Bhutan as a nation in 1907. With the advent of Bhutan’s National Highway in the 1960s, the Trail fell into disrepair but was restored in 2019 thanks to a partnership between the Royal Bhutanese Government, the Tourism Council of Bhutan, and the Bhutan Canada Foundation. The Trail now receives visitors from across Bhutan and the world. When stopping the the village of Rukubji learn more about the local language from the locals. The dialect, called Ngyen-Kye, is a mix of other dialects from across Bhutan and even some English words, and is now only spoken by a dozen or so households. Accommodation: - Camp Chandebji (or similar). Meals Included: - Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner Transport: - Private Vehicle Included Activities: - Pelela Pass Segment of the Trans Bhutan Trail - Rukubji’s village Lhakhang (temple) Visit - Chorten (stupa) Visit in Chendebi Additional Notes: During the hiking portion of this trip the Trans Bhutan Trail Team will be carrying any additional belongings that travellers have with them from location to location. You will only need to worry about carrying your day pack. There isn't a specific weight limit for luggage, but keep in mind that someone will be carrying it for you along the trail. There will be a vehicle carrying the big bags to sites. Bottled water will be supplied through out the trek.

Eat breakfast at your camp before rejoining the Trans Bhutan trail at the Chendebi Chorten (stupa). Follow the trail along the old East-West National Highway and then trek back into the countryside towards the village of Tangsibji. Fill those stomachs with a farmhouse lunch in the village before continuing further along the trail passing several hydroelectric project sites. These clean, renewable energy projects are one of the ways in which Bhutan has achieved its status as the only carbon negative country in the world. In the afternoon, visit the Trashi Choeling Lhakhang (temple), located in Trashiling village. Once the group arrives in Tsangkha you will visit the Tshangkha Lhakhang (temple) before heading to your campsite where you will enjoy a hot shower and a locally-sourced organic dinner with the group. Accommodation: - Camp Tsangkha (or similar). Meals Included: - Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner Included Activities: - Trashi Choeling Lhakhang (temple) - Tshangkha Lhakhang (temple) Visit - Trans Bhutan Trail Chendebi to Tsangkha Additional Notes: On days when you will be hiking it’s recommended that you have your own day pack to carry during the long hiking days. In the pack you should have any daily, personal medicine you may need, sunscreen, cameras, a water bottle, and any valuables such as cash or passports. During the trekking itself the camping crew will provide all travellers with boiled water. You can fill your water bottles with this water provided during the hiking days. But it is highly recommended that you bring your own water bottles.