14 Days Jomolhari Mountain Festival Tour in Bhutan

Upon your arrival in Paro by Druk Air, Bhutan’s national carrier, you will be picked up by your tour guide at the airport and then escorted to the hotel. After a short rest, you will go to tour the Paro city.

This first landmark in Paro you will visit is the Ta Dzong Museum, the national museum located on the hill behind the Paro Dzong. It houses many fine arts, religious relics, handicrafts, as well as textiles, jewellery etc., offering a great orientation into Bhutan’s historical, cultural, and religious past. Then head to visit the Kyichu Lhakhang, which is one of 108 temples constructed by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo. Built in a manner similar to the Jokhang in Lhasa, Tibet, the temple has the great golden image of Buddha Shakyamuni.

After that, you will go to explore the famous Paro Rinpung Dzong. It is a large Dzong, Buddhist monastery and fortress built in 17th Century to protect Paro valley. Rinpung Dzong houses the district Monastic Body and government administrative offices of Paro Dzongkhag.

Stay overnight in Paro.

Paro including Ta Dzong Museum

Today, you will enjoy the exciting trek to the Taktshang Goemba, also known as Tiger's Nest. Standing incredibly on the side of a sheer cliff 900m above the Paro Valley, Taktshang Goemba (3210m) is the landmark of Bhutan and also the holiest temple of the country. Legend has it that Guru Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche) had flied here on the back of a tigress and meditated in the caves on the cliffside for three months. The temple has therefore become the holy site worshipped by all Bhutanese devotees, and known as one of the world’s top ten temples. 

After the trek, you will head back to Paro.

Stay overnight in Paro.

Tiger’s Nest Monastery

After breakfast, you will drive to Drukgyel Dzong (2580m), which is the beginning point of the trek. With a short downhill walk on a wide track, the trail climbs gently through well maintained rice terraces and field of millet. Then you will come to apple orchards and forests. Later the valley becomes wider, and you will reach the army post of Gunitsawa (2810m). You will continue upwards to just beyond Sharma Zampa (2870m), which is the perfect camping site with trees surrounded.

Camping at Sharna Zampa.

Sharma Zampa

Following the trail along Paro Chuu River, you go on to ascend and descend through pine, oak and spruce forest. After crossing a bridge to the left bank of the river, you will stop to have lunch. Then, walking on along the river to climb through Rhododendron forest. In a while, you will reach the campsite for the night stay after crossing the river.

Camping at Soe Thangthangkha.

After breakfast, you will trek to Jangothang. The path ascends for a while until you reach the army camp. Following the river above the tree line, you can enjoy the fabulous views of the surrounding peaks. Then after lunch at a yak herders’ camp, you go on to walk to the valley and enter to region of Jangothang (4040m). Upon arrival, you can see superb view of Chomolhari and Jichu Drake at Jangothang.

Camping at Jangothang.

Today, you will hike back to Dangojang to attend the Jomolhari Mountain Festival. You will witness marchang ceremony before the festival commences, and welcome dance and local song by Soe community. There is also opening of the stalls by the chief guest followed by yak and horse show.

In the afternoon, there are open competitions for entertainment like Khuru, shotput and horse riding/yak riding. After the first day of the festival, you will hike back to Jangothang.

Camping at Jangothang.

Jomolhari Mountain Festival

It is the second day of the festival, and you will go on to witness the grand event. You can enjoy trekking activities to the finest sights in Soe guided by the natives. After lunch you can also enjoy the cultural performances including folk dances and traditional handicraft exhibition by the local communities to entertain the large congregation of spectators.

Besides, you can also enjoy home-stays hosted by the communities, to cook local food from their own kitchen. After that, will hike back to Jangothang.

Camping at Jangothang.

Today, you will go on trekking to Lingshi. A short distance from the camp the trail begins climbing rapidly for about half an hour and then becomes a gradual ascent to the Nyilila pass at 4,870m. While on the climb enjoy the surroundings. You might see herds of blue sheep grazing on the slopes of the mountains. From the pass you will have spectacular views of Mt. Jomolhari, Jichu Drake and Tsherimgang, all of them rising above 7,000m.

It's a gradual descent to the camp where you will pass by some of the yak herder’s tents, made from yak wool. The herders use these tents while traveling to various pastures for their yaks. As you come down into the Lingshi basin, a beautiful U-shaped valley, you get a wonderful view of Lingshi Dzong on clear days. Tserimgang and its glaciers rise at the north end of the valley. The campsite is next to a stone hut you reach just before Lingshi Dzong.

Camping at Lingshi.

With a fatiguing walk ahead of you for today’s trek, you need to start the trek early in the morning. Crossing Yale-la pass in the elevation of 4,930 m after an impressive climb up a headwall and descending to the large lake of Khedo Tsho at 4,720 m. Keep your eyes trained on some grazing blue sheep nearby.

The well-marked trail begins to descend along the valley and eventually reaches Shodu after some ups and downs in between. Set your campsite at the camping spot in Shodu when you have crossed the sandy slop.

Camping at Shodu.

Following the course of the Thimphu Chu, you will descend through Rhododendron, Juniper and mixed alpine forests. There are stunning views along the way. You will stop at the riverside for a hot lunch. After that, trail takes us gradually upwards to the ruins of Barshong Dzong (3600m).

Camping at Barshong.

Today, you will first trek through a dense forest of Rhododendron, Birch and conifers. Then you will descend steeply to meet the Thimphu Chu River. Following the left bank of the river, you go on to climb over ridges and descending into gullies where side streams run down into the river. In the end, the trail will lead us to ascend a cliff face high above the Thimphu Chu, before you come out onto Pastureland (3600m) where is the campsite of today.

Camping at Dolam Kencho.

After breakfast, you will start the final part of this long trek. The trail winds in and out of a side valley above the Thimphu chu, making a long ascent through a forest of conifers and high-altitude broadleaf species to a pass at 3510m. Then you will drop steeply down to the river, following it southward to the road head at Dodena (2600m), where your driver will be waiting for you and take you back to Thimphu.

Stay overnight in Thimphu.

Thimphu Tashichho Dzong

Today, you will first enjoy a sightseeing tour around Thimphu. You will first visit the National Memorial Chorten, constructed in memorial of the third King of Bhutan, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, in 1974. The King was generally regarded as the father of modern Bhutan and widely esteemed by the Bhutanese. Then head to National Textile Museum, which keeps the traditional art of waving preserved and exhibits a good collection of ancient colored textile in various forms. keeps the traditional art of waving preserved and exhibits a good collection of ancient colored textile in various forms.

After lunch, you will visit the National Institute of Traditional Medicine, to see the productive process of Bhutan’s traditional medicine, herbs mostly, and watch the medical practitioner training. Next, go to Traditional Paper Making Factory, which originated from the old tradition in the 8th century, Bhutan papermaking has been well preserved and listed as the valuable national heritage of Bhutanese culture.

After the sightseeing, you will drive towards Paro from Thimphu. It takes about 1.5 hour for the drive.

Stay overnight in Paro.

Thimphu National Memorial Chorten

Your tour guide will transfer you to Paro International Airport for your next destination. Tour service end.