01Arrival in Paro · Trekking Briefing
Arrival, transfer into Paro town, and an evening briefing with your trek leader, route, kit check, altitude and pace.
OvernightParo
Bhutan · 10 Days · Private
Chele La Trek
Ten days with five on the trail, camping through highland pasture between Chele La and the Thimphu valley.
Overview
- Duration
- 10 Days
- Route
- Paro · Chele La · Chonana · Jebkarpo · Milungla · Tong · Thimphu · Punakha
- Season
- April – June, September – October
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Group
- Private only
Chele La Trek
A five-night camping traverse beginning at Chele La, Bhutan’s highest motorable pass, and finishing above the Thimphu valley. The trail crosses highland pasture, rhododendron forest and a series of ridges, with yak herder camps rather than villages for company.
It is a moderate trek rather than a technical one, no ropes, no glacier, but you sleep at altitude under canvas and walk five to seven hours a day. The cultural half of the journey, in Paro, Thimphu and Punakha, sits either side of the trail.
10 Days
The journey, day by day.
Scroll the itinerary the way you would a lookbook, one day, one image, one idea at a time.
01
02Taktsang · Acclimatisation
The Tiger’s Nest ascent doubles as the best possible acclimatisation walk: four to five hours return, with real elevation gain, before any night spent high.
OvernightParo
03Chele La · Trek to Chonana
Drive to Chele La and begin walking. The first day crosses open ridge with Jomolhari behind you, dropping to camp at Chonana.
OvernightCamp, Chonana
04Chonana to Jebkarpo
Through rhododendron and dwarf bamboo, climbing steadily. Yak herder camps appear on the higher pasture in summer months.
OvernightCamp, Jebkarpo
05Jebkarpo to Milungla
The highest section of the traverse, over a pass with long views into the valleys on either side. A demanding but not technical day.
OvernightCamp, Milungla
06Milungla to Tong
A descending day through forest, following water down toward the treeline and the last high camp.
OvernightCamp, Tong
07Tong · Off the Trail to Thimphu
The final walking morning brings you down to the road head and on to Thimphu. A hot stone bath in the evening, river stones heated in fire and dropped into a wooden tub, the standard Bhutanese answer to five days of walking.
OvernightThimphu
08Thimphu · Capital Day
Buddha Dordenma, Tashichho Dzong and the Centenary Farmers Market at an unhurried pace.
OvernightThimphu
09Dochula Pass · Punakha
Over Dochula into the warm valley, Chimi Lhakhang on foot and Punakha Dzong at the confluence, then back west toward Paro.
OvernightPunakha
10Departure
Return to Paro and transfer to the airport.
OvernightDeparture
Practical
Highlights
- Chele La at 3,988 metres
- Five nights camping in highland pasture
- Jomolhari and Jichu Drake from the ridges
- Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest ascent
- Punakha Dzong and Dochula Pass
- Traditional hot stone bath after the trail
Included
- Private guide and licensed trekking crew
- Private vehicle and driver on road days
- Four nights hotels, five nights tented camp
- All meals including trail catering
- Camping equipment and pack animals
- Sustainable Development Fee
- All entrance fees, permits and route fees
Not included
- International flights
- Bhutan visa fee
- Travel insurance including trekking cover
- Personal trekking equipment
- Personal expenses and gratuities
Accommodation
Four nights in hotels in Paro, Thimphu and Punakha; five nights in full-service tented camps on the trail, with a cook, camp crew and pack animals. A hot stone bath is arranged for the evening you come off the mountain.
Practical Information
You should be comfortable walking five to seven hours on consecutive days at altitudes between 3,000 and 4,200 metres. Camps are supported. You carry a daypack only. Trekking boots must be worn in before arrival.
Made Around You
Nothing here is fixed.
The trekking days are the fixed spine. The cultural days at either end can be extended, and the whole route can be run in reverse if flight timings suit.
Pace
Add a night where a valley deserves one. Cut a drive that isn’t earning its place.
Interests
Weight the journey toward textiles, birdlife, architecture, food or long walks.
Accommodation
From family-run farmhouses to Bhutan’s finest lodges, or a considered mix.
Length
The route stretches and contracts around the time you have.
The two things we won’t move: festival dates, which follow the lunar calendar, and the altitude a body needs time to meet.
Your Journey
Shall we shape this around you?
Tell us your dates and what matters most. We’ll come back with a considered proposal, not a brochure.
Design This Journey→A boutique travel company creating private journeys through Bhutan, Ladakh and Darjeeling.
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