10 - Day Bhutan Highlights Tour
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"Kusuzangpo"
That's how people greet one another in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.
The country is sandwiched between India and China in the eastern Himalayas at elevations ranging from 180 to 7,500 meters. With an area of 47,000 square kilometers, Bhutan is roughly the same size as Switzerland. The kingdom has around 650,000 inhabitants, of which around 50,000 live in the capital Thimphu. Bhutan is mainly Buddhist, a small Hindu population of Nepali immigrants lives in the south of the country.
Bhutan opened to modern development only very recently. The first road was built in 1962. In 1983, the first, and to date only, airport was opened. Tourism is permitted only to the extent that it does not endanger the kingdom's traditional culture and society. In Bhutan, "gross national happiness" takes precedence over economic considerations.
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Only a few thousand visitors visit the mountain kingdom every year – and the high price of admission is likely to keep it that way. USD 200.00 is the minimum daily expenditure for tourists in Bhutan, and individual travel without a guide is not permitted.
In return, visitors can marvel at the country's spectacular, virtually untouched natural beauty.
Bhutan is a land of snowcapped mountains, deep, broad valleys with fertile rice paddies and orchards, tiny villages and bustling market towns. Yet the south is covered in jungle and more reminiscent of India than the Himalayas. Bhutan is a thoroughly exotic country that stimulates all of the senses.
The previously-inaccessible biker's paradise in the Himalayas is now within the reach of a dedicated few.
Thanks to our local partner, we now have our own fleet of 15 new 500cc Royal Enfield Bullets – all featuring electric starters and gearshift on the left.
Our tour begins in Calcutta - with a flight that touches down at Bhutan's only airport in Paro, surrounded by Himalayan peaks at an altitude of 2,300 meters. Our adventure in the saddle can begin the same day.
Riding in Bhutan is different.
Straight roads hardly exist, and we've counted an average of 10 curves per kilometer. The roads are quite empty, and the capital city of Thimphu doesn't even have a traffic light! Our tour takes us along small mountain roads in varying conditions, and the ride never gets boring – beautiful landscapes soon cure us of the urge to ride hard. We kick back and savor the pure joy of cruising on our Bullets at a relaxed 30 to 70 kph.
Our tour is structured to allow enough time to get to know the countryside and the residents of the villages along the roads.
We travel together with local friends who give us unique insights into their country and who share our love of biking.
The detailed route of the 10-day tour
Here is the current tour map
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Day 1:
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Wed.
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Flying independently to Calcutta.
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Destination and altitude
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Accommodations
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Distance
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Day 2:
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Thu.
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Early morning flight to Paro, transfer and time to relax at the hotel, afternoon warm-up bike tour to Drukgyel and to the Taktshang monastery viewpoint.
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Paro
2,300 m
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Hotel Valley View
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60 km
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Day 3:
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Fri.
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Today we’ll be doing an unforgettable ride around western Bhutan, crossing the Cheli La pass (3,990 m) into the remote Ha Valley, and to the Dobji monastery – with all the twisty roads you can handle!
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Paro
2,300 m
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Hotel Gangtey Palace
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150 km
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Day 4:
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Sat.
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Trip to Bhutan's capital, stroll through town and shopping in the afternoon, or a ride to the Tango Rong Valley. A short cultural program in the evening with a local dance group will be followed by a trip to the pub.
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Thimphu 2,600 m
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Jamyang Resort
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120 km
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Day 5:
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Sun.
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A short sightseeing tour in the morning and time to change money and shop – at 11:00 am it's time for our next ride through the mountains.
Just out of Thimphu, the road begins a steep, twisty climb to the Dochu La pass at 3,450 meters. The top of the pass is marked by a large Bhutanese chorten and prayer flags. The road down from Dochu La into the Punakha Valley and on to Wangdi Phodrang goes on for some distance, descending 1,700 meters to the valley floor.
In Punaka, we’ll visit the largest and mightiest dzong in Bhutan and spend the night at the Singye Lodge (approx. 100 km). Via Dochu La (3,140 m) to Wangdue Tzong, then Punaka.
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Punaka 1,600 m
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Damchen Resort
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100 km
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Day 6:
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Mon.
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We’ll then climb back up the winding Pele La pass (3,300 m), enjoying a lunch stop during the descent near the imposing Chendebi chorten.
After four hours of winding our way through the mountains, we’ll catch our first glimpse of the dzong. Eight kilometers outside of Trongsa, the road takes a tight bend to the left around an outcrop and presents us with one of the most breathtaking vistas in Bhutan. Trongsa dzong, a fortress built in 1648, sprawls down a steep hillside. Like nearly all towns in Bhutan, Trongsa is dominated by a dzong that dwarfs the surrounding buildings. We'll take an hour to have a look around.
Over Pele La (3,420 m) to Trongsa, sightseeing in the dzong.
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Trongsa (2,180 m)
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Yangkhil Resort
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120 km
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Day 7:
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Tue.
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Today we'll cross the Yotong La pass (3,425 m) on our way into the picturesque Bhumthang Valley. En route, we'll stop briefly to visit the Chumey Yathra weavers. (approx. 160 km, 6 hours in the saddle!)
We'll spend the night in the splendid Wangdicholing Resort in Jakar.
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Bhumthang (2,580 m)
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Swiss Guest House - Resort
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90 km
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Day 8:
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Wed.
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We'll spend the early hours of the morning exploring Choskhor Valley, with its grazing Brown Swiss cattle and Swiss-run dairy plant. Naturally, we're also interested in the Tanshing Gompa, one of Bhutan’s oldest monasteries, with an impressive temple dating back to the 15th century.
From Bhumthang, we'll head back to the Pele La Pass. From there we'll ride through the Black Mountains to the incomparable Phobjikha Valley – the winter habitat of Tibetan cranes and location of one of the largest fields of dwarf bamboo.
We'll have time for a short hike through medieval villages and to the dzong. Our accommodations for the evening will be in the quaint Danchen Hotel.
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Gangtey (2,800 m)
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Danchen Hotel or alternative..Hotel
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150 km
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Day 9:
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Thu.
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Another day of dancing our way along winding roads. We'll be passing Thimphu en route to Paro, possibly visiting the archers in the afternoon or taking a traditional hot stone bath.
In the evening: our farewell dinner and a trip to the pub!
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Paro
2,300 m
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Hotel Gangtey Palace
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140 km
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| Day 10 |
Fri. |
Half day hike to the famous "Dragon Nest" Taktsang Monastery ( 2 hrs. 400m climb) , Lunch on the way down, afternoon free to discover Paro, the National museum, the Dzong, or the shops downtown. We reccomend another very relaxing "hot stone bath" at our Palace Hotel... |
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Paro 2.300m |
Gangtey Palace |
no biking today |
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Day 11
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Sat.
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In the morning: flight from Paro to Calcutta, departing 09:00 . Arrival in Calcutta at 09:40, followed by a sightseeing tour in an AC bus with an English-speaking guide; later a group dinner at an Indian restaurant.
Dinner will be followed by our transfer to the airport.
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Transfer Calcutta
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no hotel
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900 km
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Day 12
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Sun.
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Flying independently from Calcutta to your home or next destination.
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Motorcycles:
We ride new 500cc Royal Enfield Bullets featuring electric starters, 5-speed gearboxes with the gearshift on the left, front disk brakes, large, rugged leather saddlebags, crashbars and twin horns. If you would like to ride a classic Bullet with a kickstarter, 4-speed gearbox and gearshift on the right, we can arrange that as well.
Group size:
Generally 8 to 12 riders and 2 to 5 passengers. Passengers can also ride in the support jeep any time they wish.
Minimum number of participants:
4 riders for the 10-day tour; 6 riders for the 17-day tour. As is always the case when traveling in exotic countries without advanced tourist infrastructure, it may become necessary to alter the program on the spot due to unforeseen circumstances.
The itinerary is therefore subject to change.
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