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The Bhutanese trekking landscape extends from the high-altitude expedition routes of the Lunana north (Snowman, 25 days, 5,320 m max) through the signature multi-day treks (Chomolhari, Druk Path, Bumthang Owl) to the half-day cultural walks of the Thimphu and Paro valleys. Below: each route's profile, season, fitness, and what to expect.
Featured routes
23 days · 5,320 m max · expedition
The Snowman Trek crosses the high north of Bhutan from Shana in the upper Paro valley (a 1-hour drive from Drukgyel Dzong on the now-motorable road), over eleven passes above 4,500 metres, through the glacial villages of Lunana, and out at Sephu in the Trongsa dzongkhag. Twenty-three trekking days; max altitude 5,320 metres; approximately 345 km on foot. It is held by experienced mountaineers to be one of the most-demanding treks in the broader Himalayan range, with a completion rate around 60% in any given season.
6 days · 4,900 m max · strenuous
The Chomolhari Lingshi Trek (also called the Chomolhari-Lingshi-Thimphu route) is Bhutan's signature multi-day trek — six days from Shana at the head of the Paro valley (a 1-hour drive from Drukgyel Dzong on the now-motorable road), climbing to the Jangothang base camp directly beneath Chomolhari (7,326 m), continuing north across the high pasture country of Lingshi village, and exiting south over Bonte La to Barshong with vehicle pickup back to Thimphu. The trek pairs accessible difficulty with substantial Himalayan reward.
4 days · 4,200 m max · moderate
The Druk Path Trek crosses the ridge between Paro and Thimphu in four walking days, passing three high-altitude lakes — Jimilang Tsho, Janey Tsho, and Simkota Tsho — and a substantial expanse of dwarf-rhododendron and juniper alpine meadow. The trek is the principal entry-level multi-day option for visitors who want a substantial Himalayan trekking experience without the demanding altitude or duration of the Chomolhari or Snowman routes.
13 days · 5,005 m max · strenuous
The Laya Lingshi Trek (also known as the Chomolhari-Laya-Gasa Trek) extends the Chomolhari route north through the Lingshi high country into the Layap yak-herding community, and exits via the Gasa hot springs — thirteen trekking days from Shana in the upper Paro valley (a 1-hour drive from Drukgyel Dzong on the now-motorable road) to the Gasa Tsachu hot springs. The principal Chomolhari base-camp views, the high-pasture country of Lingshi, the cultural encounter with the Layap, and the menchu hydrotherapy soak at the trek's natural conclusion.
7 days · 4,890 m max · strenuous
The Chomolhari Yaksa Trek (also known as the Chomolhari Circuit or Jomolhari Loop) is the seven-day circuit variant of the Chomolhari trekking family — Shana to the Jangothang base camp at 4,080 m directly beneath Chomolhari (7,326 m), then a southern loop through Soi Yaksa, Thombu Shong, and Sharna Zampa back to Paro. The full Chomolhari mountain register without the long traverse north to Lingshi or Laya.
6 days · 4,150 m max · moderate
The Merak-Sakteng Trek crosses the Brokpa highland-nomad country of eastern Bhutan in six days — through the Merak and Sakteng valleys of Trashigang dzongkhag, into the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, with the principal cultural-encounter experience of any Bhutanese trek. The route was closed to international visitors until 2010; the Brokpa community continues to live the semi-nomadic yak-herding life that has sustained the eastern Bhutanese highlands for centuries.
Multi-day treks
Day hikes and cultural walks