Six short days at low altitude with two rivers, one dzong and very little driving
Punakha sits at 1,250 metres, which is the lowest and warmest of the western valleys, and almost everything worth seeing is inside a fifteen minute drive. This is the trip we suggest to guests who want Bhutan without long car days, whether that is because of a bad back, a short holiday allowance, or a preference for sitting by a river.
Short breaks, older travellers, and anyone who wants hot weather in a cold month
Your guide meets you at arrivals and takes the river road east, stopping at Dochula for the chortens and a cup of tea. Check in beside the river and eat dinner early.
Walk through Punakha Dzong in the morning, then cross the suspension bridge over the Mo Chhu at a pace that suits you. The afternoon is free, with the river terrace open all day.
A flat walk across the paddy fields to Chimi Lhakhang, followed by a long lunch in a Lobesa farmhouse. Return by mid afternoon with nothing else planned.
Choose the short climb to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten for the valley view, or stay at the hotel and read. Both are fine, and the guide adapts on the day.
Cross Dochula after breakfast and reach Paro by lunch, with an afternoon for Rinpung Dzong or the national museum at your own pace.
Breakfast and the short run to the airport terminal.
Travel insurance strongly recommended: cover mountain medical care, altitude evacuation, and Paro weather flight delays. Read the travel insurance note
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