01Arrival in Paro · Drive to Thimphu
Arrival and transfer east to the capital, with a first afternoon at the Memorial Chorten and through Thimphu town.
OvernightThimphu
Bhutan · 7 Days · Private
Haa Valley Discovery
Seven days ending in Haa, a valley closed to foreign visitors until 2002, reached over Bhutan’s highest motorable pass.
Overview
- Duration
- 7 Days
- Route
- Thimphu · Punakha · Paro · Haa
- Season
- April – June, September – November
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Group
- Private only
Haa Valley Discovery
Haa was closed to foreign visitors until 2002, and the two decades since have not much changed it. Stone farmhouses, buckwheat fields, yak pasture above the treeline and a pair of small temples, Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo, the white and the black. Said to have been sited by a white and a black pigeon released in the seventh century.
The route into it crosses Chele La at 3,988 metres, the highest road in Bhutan. On a clear morning Jomolhari stands directly ahead.
7 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
02Thimphu · Spiritual Trails and Traditions
Buddha Dordenma, Tashichho Dzong and the Folk Heritage Museum. An afternoon walk on one of the short forest trails above the city if the weather holds.
OvernightThimphu
03Dochula Pass · Punakha
Over Dochula and down into subtropical valley. Chimi Lhakhang on foot, then Punakha Dzong at the river confluence.
OvernightPunakha
04Return to Paro · Valley Heritage
Back west over the pass. Paro Rinpung Dzong and the National Museum in its old watchtower above, then Kyichu Lhakhang.
OvernightParo
05Chele La · Into the Haa Valley
Climb to Chele La at 3,988 metres, prayer flags, rhododendron and, on a clear morning, Jomolhari and Jichu Drake straight ahead. Descend into Haa for the white and black temples and an afternoon among farmhouses and buckwheat fields.
OvernightHaa
06Haa to Paro · Taktsang
Return to Paro and climb to Tiger’s Nest, four to five hours return through pine forest to the temples on the cliff.
OvernightParo
07Departure
Transfer to Paro International Airport and farewell.
OvernightDeparture
Practical
Highlights
- Chele La, Bhutan’s highest motorable pass
- Haa valley and its stone farmhouses
- Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo
- Punakha Dzong and Dochula Pass
- Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest ascent
Included
- Private English-speaking Bhutanese guide
- Private vehicle and driver
- Six nights accommodation
- All meals
- Sustainable Development Fee
- All entrance fees and permits
- Airport transfers
Not included
- International flights
- Bhutan visa fee
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and gratuities
Accommodation
Six nights, including a night in the Haa valley itself, simple by design. A farmstay here tells you more than a hotel elsewhere, though we can keep you in Paro and day-trip into Haa if you would prefer.
Practical Information
Chele La is occasionally closed by snow in deep winter. Haa accommodation is limited and modest. This is the one journey where the lodging is part of the point rather than a comfort to be maximised.
Made Around You
Nothing here is fixed.
This route suits slowing down. A second night in Haa lets you walk to the temples rather than drive, and the Chele La ridge rewards an unhurried morning.
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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