Day 1Paro2,250 m1 hour 15 mins drive
Arrival and nothing else
Transfer, tea, and a bath. The first evening has no sightseeing in it at all, which is the point of the week.
Meals: DinnerField highlight: An early night in a valley lodge
Wellness & Slow Travel7 Days / 6 NightsEasy walking, no altitude concerns
Slow Road from Dochula to Phobjikha
Seven unhurried days of hot stone baths, monastery courtyards and glacial valley air
- Best season
- March to May and September to November
- Group style
- Private departure for 1 to 6 guests
- Entry point
- Paro International Airport (PBH)
- Route
- Paro · Thimphu · Dochula Pass · Phobjikha · Paro
Why We Pace This Route This Way
Some guests want to stop moving. This route takes the same road as everyone else and then slows it down: two nights in each valley, mornings without an alarm, and one long bath every second day. The only fixed appointments are the hot stone baths.
Who This Journey Fits Best
Travellers recovering from a busy year who want fewer stops and longer stays
Day-by-Day Itinerary (7 Days)
- Day 2Paro2,250 m2 hours walking
Paro at walking pace
A late breakfast, then Kyichu Lhakhang and a farmhouse lunch in Lobesa. The afternoon dotsho bath is followed by a long dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerField highlight: Hot stone bath and a farmhouse lunch - Day 3Thimphu2,320 m1 hour 30 mins drive
Thimphu without a checklist
The Memorial Chorten kora in the morning and a textile studio after lunch. No museum queue, no schedule after three o clock.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerField highlight: Morning kora at the Memorial Chorten - Day 4Phobjikha2,900 m4 hours 30 mins drive
Over Dochula to Phobjikha
Tea at the chortens, then the climb through oak and rhododendron to the glacial bowl of Phobjikha. The evening is a wood stove fire and a bowl of local buckwheat noodles.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerField highlight: First view of Phobjikha from the ridge road - Day 5Phobjikha2,900 m2 hours walking · 15 mins drive
The valley on foot
Walk the nature trail along the marsh edge with a local guide, then visit Gangtey Goemba in the afternoon. Cranes are visible from November to March, and the marsh itself is worth the walk in any month.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerField highlight: Gangtey Goemba and the marsh nature trail - Day 6Paro2,250 m5 hours drive
Back to Paro with a garden stop
A slow drive west with lunch at Lamperi Royal Botanical Park under the magnolias. The last night is in Paro with a farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerField highlight: Lunch under the magnolias at Lamperi - Day 7Departure2,250 m15 mins drive
Departure
A late breakfast and the airport transfer.
Meals: BreakfastField highlight: Last valley view on the way to the airport
Included in Your Package
- Government Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of USD $600 per person (USD $100 per night for 6 nights)
- One-time Bhutan Tourist Visa clearance fee of USD $40 per person filed with the Department of Immigration
- All nights in Department of Tourism accredited 3-star superior hotels and vetted family farmstays (4-star boutique upgrades available)
- Full-board meals every day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) including one home-cooked village dinner in Paro or Bumthang
- Full-time Department of Tourism licensed Bhutanese cultural or trekking guide from arrival to departure
- Private mountain SUV or Toyota Hiace with experienced hill driver, fuel, and road tolls
- All dzong, monastery, museum, and monument entry fees plus route permits
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle and afternoon tea stops along mountain passes
Not Included / Optional
- International flights into and out of Paro International Airport (we quote and issue Drukair or Bhutan Airlines tickets at exact airline fare on request)
- Personal travel and medical evacuation insurance (strongly recommended for all mountain travel)
- Alcoholic beverages, espresso bar drinks, laundry, and personal gratuities for guide and driver
- Single room supplement when travelling solo or requesting separate bedrooms
Travel & Mountain Evacuation Insurance Note
Travel insurance strongly recommended: cover mountain medical care, altitude evacuation, and Paro weather flight delays. Read the travel insurance note
Valleys Visited on This Route
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