Camp the Trans Bhutan Trail
From AUD $5799
Small Group
Demanding
Rating
(20 reviews)
Camp the Trans Bhutan Trail
11 days
Small Group
Basic
Demanding
English
Experience Overview
It’s not often you can hike a historic trail that was used for millenniums by royals, monks, and traders. In fact, it’s been 60 years. Until the 1960s, the Trans Bhutan Trail was the only real way to traverse the mountain kingdom of Bhutan before it fell into disuse.
It’s not often you can hike a historic trail that was used for millenniums by royals, monks, and traders. In fact, it’s been 60 years. Until the 1960s, the Trans Bhutan Trail was the only real way to traverse the mountain kingdom of Bhutan before it fell into disuse. Thankfully, it’s back, and this 11-day tour will show the world what it’s been missing. Covering some of the best portions of this 403 km trail, you’ll use your own two feet to experience its breathtaking, diverse landscapes and timeless villages from a different era. Featuring idyllic camping spots and overnights in comfortable local homestays, this tour will give you a glimpse into Bhutan’s rural and spiritual life that’s only possible when you head off the beaten path. So lace up those hiking boots — the Trans Bhutan Trail is ready when you are.
Highlights
- Enjoy camping and farm stays in some of the most remote and idyllic locations of Bhutan
- Hike and explore a specially selected section of the ancient Trans Bhutan Trail
- Experience some amazing local farm and picnic lunches
- Hike up to Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest) one of the marvels of Bhutan
Trip Details
11 days
Private vehicle, walking.
Small Group
English
Paro, Bhutan
Paro, Bhutan
Basic
Active
Demanding
Itinerary
Day 1: Paro/Thimphu
With elevations ranging between 2,248 meters (7,375 feet) and 2,648 meters (8,688 feet) above sea level, Thimphu is the fifth highest capital city in the world by altitude. It is also the only capital city in the world without any traffic lights. The city offers a unique blend of the modern world with Bhutanese tradition.
Day 2: Thimphu/Chendebi
After lunch, rejoin the trail for a gentle climb out of the valley, through the forest, and back down to the village of Chendebi, where the group will camp for the night. Once there, visit the Chorten (stupa), which is believed to have been built on the point on which the three ridges and the three edges of the sky meet. A delicious organic, locally sourced dinner will be served at the campsite in the evening.
This ancient route, which runs 403 kilometres from Haa in the West of Bhutan to Trashigang in the East, dates back at least as far as the 16th century, when it would have been the only means of communication between the strategically located dzongs (fortresses) along the route. The Trail's Garps (messengers) were quite legendary, travelling with vital messages between Dzongs at great speeds with little food or rest. Over time, the Trail came to play a major role in uniting the region's many kingdoms, culminating in the birth of Bhutan as a nation in 1907. With the advent of Bhutan's National Highway in the 1960s, the Trail fell into disrepair but was restored in 2019 thanks to a partnership between the Royal Bhutanese Government, the Tourism Council of Bhutan, and the Bhutan Canada Foundation. The Trail now receives visitors from across Bhutan and the world. When stopping the the village of Rukubji learn more about the local language from the locals. The dialect, called Ngyen-Kye, is a mix of other dialects from across Bhutan and even some English words, and is now only spoken by a dozen or so households.
Day 3: Chendebi/Tsangkha
Day 4: Tsangkha/Trongsa
Trongsa is Bhutan's geographical center point and is very closely linked to the Bhutanese Royal Family: the first two hereditary Kings ruled from Trongsa Dzong (fortress) and the crown prince still traditionally serves as the Penlop (Governor) of Trongsa before acceding to the throne. The Trans Bhutan Trail still passes directly through the middle of the city of Trongsa and, in centuries gone by, the trail would actually have passed right through Trongsa Dzong itself.
Day 5: Trongsa
Day 6: Trongsa/Gyetsa
Day 7: Gyetsa to Bumthang
Once you arrive in Bumthang, visit the majestic Jakar Dzong (fortress), also known as the ‘Castle of the White Bird'. Observe unique features like its fifty-meter utse (tower) and a sheltered passage with two parallel walls, interconnected by fortified towers, which guaranteed the fortress's inhabitants access to water during a siege. This evening, enjoy a special experience as you settle into your local homestay accommodation. Spend the evening with a few of your fellow travelers in the home of a local Bhutanese family who will be your hosts for the evening. Share a meal and exchange stories while learning about what life is like for your local hosts.
Day 8: Bumthang to Punākha
In the evening, enjoy another homestay experience with local Bhutanese families. Tuck into a delicious homemade meal and rest up for another incredible day ahead
Day 9: Punākha/Paro
Day 10: Paro
If time allows, make a quick trip to Machig-phu Lhakhang (temple) on the way back down to the access road. The rest of the afternoon will be at leisure to relax at your hotel or to explore Paro on your own, before enjoying a last dinner with your group at a local restaurant to celebrate the trip!
Day 11: Paro
- Flights to and from origin and destinations
- Airport transfers (arrival and departure)
- Anything else not explicitly listed in tour inclusions
- Recommended gratuities/tipping
- Optional activities/tours
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Visas, meals and beverages not stated in the list of inclusions.
When meals are not included, your tour leader (where available) will be happy to help with restaurant recommendations, bookings, and directions. Please let us know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. We willdo our best to accommodate these, though we cannot guarantee that every request can be met.
You are responsible for your personal belongings throughout the tour. You will need to carry your own bags between the vehicle and your hotel room. Drivers will assist with loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle.
Travellers requiring wheelchair access should contact our sales and service team, who can make enquiries on your behalf.
This tour requires an Average level of fitness. Activities are paced gently and include leisure time. You may be expected to join guided walks of up to one hour, navigate short stairways and mild inclines, and manage your own luggage. You should also be able to board and exit all transport without assistance.
Travellers are expected to be self-sufficient and capable of handling all aspects of their journey. Please discuss your circumstances and support needs with your booking agent to confirm this trip is suitable.
If you are unsure, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking or travelling. (Note: I assume each tour has a different description depending on level of fitness required).
If a planned site visit is unavailable due to changes in operating hours or holiday closures, the itinerary may be altered, or a comparable activity will be substituted where possible and subject to availability.
Visa conditions can change. Once you receive your travel documents, check with the relevant embassy, consulate, or immigration office of your destination for the latest information.
- It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and valid travel documents and to comply with all entry requirements.
- Non-Australian citizens must also confirm visa and identification requirements with the appropriate consulate or visa agency.
- Certain occupations (for example, journalists, government officials, or those working in charities) may face additional restrictions when applying for visas, which could affect the type of application required.
Duration: 11 days
Trip Type: Small Group
Activity Level: Demanding
It’s not often you can hike a historic trail that was used for millenniums by royals, monks, and traders. In fact, it’s been 60 years. Until the 1960s, the Trans Bhutan Trail was the only real way to traverse the mountain kingdom of Bhutan before it fell into disuse.
Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 14 Jun 2026
Customer Reviews
10/11/2023
Beautiful country, fantastic guide (Dorji), great accommodation and food.
10/11/2023
Your guide Dorji in Bhutan was phenomenal. The place is beautiful. Some of your administration wasn't that great
Tour Operator
G Adventures, founded in 1990 by Bruce Poon Tip, is a global adventure travel company specializing in small-group tours that emphasize authentic, sustainable, and culturally immersive experiences. Originally launched as GAP Adventures (“Great Adventure People”), the company pioneered the concept of community-driven travel by offering affordable trips that connect travelers with local communities while minimizing environmental impact. Today, G Adventures operates in more than 100 countries, offering a wide range of itineraries across themes such as active adventures, wildlife, wellness, family, and National Geographic–partnered tours, while maintaining a strong commitment to responsible tourism and social enterprise through its Planeterra Foundation.
In Business Since 1990
10/11/2023
Beautiful country, fantastic guide (Dorji), great accommodation and food.
10/11/2023
Your guide Dorji in Bhutan was phenomenal. The place is beautiful. Some of your administration wasn't that great
10/11/2023
The style of the proposed travel would not meet expectations in relations to the advertised 'active' style portion of the tour.
10/11/2023
It would depend on the friend/family member. Most of my friends prefer all inclusive beach holidays, so whilst they might be interested, I wouldn't recommend this type of holiday. I loved it though!
10/11/2023
The reason I gave a 9 and not a 10 is as follows. I've been on 2 other hiking/trekking expeditions with other vendors and one had 2 people supporting the group and the other had 3 ( 1 was a junior assistant). We had a group of 15 and Dorji was our sole guide and support. She deserves a 10+ !! it's crazy to think that if something was to go wrong with just 1 person, the rest of the group was stuck. I would think that's not tolerable and not the way things should work. Secondly, I had the unfortunate experience of waking up in my bed with a leach attached to my back. I called the front desk immediately and asked for Dorji to come to my room. She arrived quite quickly and I had already gotten the leach off of my back and she assisted me in making certain that the leach had it's last victim. It really was unsettling and I ended-up with some PTSD. Going to sleep later that night I put toilet paper in my ears thinking another leach might be lurking. Fortunately, that was not the case and the following night I slept much better.
10/11/2023
I love G Adventures. Makes traveling easy by providing transportation and accommodations.
10/11/2023
I found it was very difficult to reach the company prior to the trip. We had conflicting responses on queries.
10/11/2023
didn't think G Adventures prepared us very well for trip....a more accurate packing list would have been nice. Towards end of camping, meals didn't meet my expectations.
10/11/2023
generally good guides, recently poor customer service at front end
10/11/2023
The itinerary, destinations, group size, that's international groups, the guides all scores high. Why it doesn't get 10 is because I wish there would be more Europeans than Americans. The Americans are loader, when they talk, not as respectful towards the culture and it's people, and are more superficial to talk to, of course it doesn't fit to them all, but my experience from the three trips, I have been on, is the European are far more interesting, then comes the Australians, Canadians and last the amaricans. It would make more interesting groups and travels, with more diverse nationalities. Consider targeting more Europeans or Asians in your adds.
10/11/2023
It would depend on the friend/family member. Most of my friends prefer all inclusive beach holidays, so whilst they might be interested, I wouldn't recommend this type of holiday. I loved it though!
09/13/2023
We were very disappointed with the service we had and information provided by the G Adventures team prior to our trip. The actual trip was fantastic due to the wonderful CEO Tandin.
09/13/2023
Fantastic company! Great flexibility and always very informative CEO
09/13/2023
The knowledge of the office based Reps was very poor, and they gave inaccurate advice
09/13/2023
I had a great experience but it was mainly due to our excellent guide modifying the itinerary to suit the group. If we had followed the original itinerary it would have been very difficult.
09/13/2023
Variety of trips, guaranteed departures, small group
09/13/2023
This was my first G Adventures tour - I really loved everything about it and hoping to do more
09/13/2023
It was everything I expected and more.
10/13/2023
The trip had everything - good and varied accommodation, some good hiking interspersed with excellent cultural experiences. But the main thing was the freedom our guide Tandin had to adjust the itinerary to suit both the group',s ability and meet the varied expectations.
08/23/2023
The experience on the ground was exceptional. While very responsive, we received some conflicting information about what to pack. We were told we needed sleeping bags, but we did not. Also needed some more guidance about weather conditions and number of items to bring. But overall, I would highly recommend.
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