JOMOLHARI YAKSA TREK

Early morning flight to Paro, Bhutan (Please check the flight timing). The flight from Delhi/Kathmandu is considered as one of the most scenic flight offering the view of the world’s top ten highest peaks. Upon your arrival in Paro airport our guide will be there to welcome you and transfer to Thimphu. After Lunch visit the Memorial Chorten (temple) built in memory of the late 3rd King. This place now happens to be a get together point for the elderly people, who spend their whole day chanting prayers and meeting their friends. Visit Changangkha Lhakhang, the oldest temple in the valley offering a beautiful view of the valley. Enclosure where the national animal, Takins are kept and drive to visit the largest and the newly built statue of Buddha offering magnificent view of entire Thimphu valley. After 5 PM, visit the fortress of Thimphu, Tashichho Dzong, which houses the throne of the king. Evening walk around the happening town, the largest and the most crowded town in Bhutan. Overnight: Thimphu| Altitude: 2300m

Morning visit the happening weekend market (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) where the locals from the surrounding villages come to sell their produce. They sell their goods and in return they buy their basic necessities. In olden days, bata system was practiced by everyone. Visit the traditional Hand Made Paper Mill. Visit the School of Arts and Crafts where students learn 13 different arts used predominantly in Bhutan. Visit Folk Heritage Museum which explains how a traditional house used to be like in the olden days. Later visit the National Library which houses the collection of Bhutanese rich religious text and the contemporary Buddhism teachings from master all around the world. Drive further up to visit the Dechenphodrang monastic school and meet the young monks. Later continue to Zilukha nunnery to meet the nuns and interact with them. Lunch in the town and drive back to Paro. Upon arrival, relax in the hotel. Overnight: Paro| Altitude: 2200m buted to this trend.

Morning drive to the base for the hike (3 hrs uphill) to Tiger’s Nest, the most revered temple in the country that literally hangs on a granite cliff over looking the Paro valley. Most of the day will go on the hike. Evening if you have the energy and time visit the Kichu Lakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan which marks the beginning of Buddhism in the country. It will bring us good luck for the rest of the journey. Back to the hotel and get yourself packed and ready for the much awaited adventurous trek. Overnight: Paro

Distance: 21 km Walking time: 8 hours Sleeping altitude: 3630m Morning drive to the north end of the valley where the road ends by the ruins of Drugyal Dzong. Over the centuries, it guarded the trail from Tibet into the Paro valley. This is where the dirt road starts for another hour following Paro Chu upstream through the village of Tshento. Finally reaching by the army check post, where your trekking crew and ponies will be waiting for you. The trek starts with crossing the army checkpost and the river. It is a very rocky series of small ups and downs along the Paro Chu and can be very muddy if it rains. About 2 ½ hours into the trek, you will come at a junction where a trail branches to go to Tibet. Don’t go to Tibet! It’s a long hike following the valley with gentle ups and down.

Distance: 16 km Walking time: 6 hours Sleeping altitude: 4090m Today the trek is much easier and shorter with better trail. You will come across small sparse settlements, and herds of yaks. You will also be crossing the tree line (4000m). Our camp at Jangothang will bring us face to face with the majestic Chomolhari. Jangothang means the land of ruins; you will see ruins of some old settlements, which no one seems to know much about.

Acclimatization and rest day. A good optional hike is to climb to the Tshophu Lake at 4300m, which is about 2h from Jangothang. Or could hike up right at the base of the Mt. Jumolhari offering magnificent glacier lakes.

Distance: 17 km Walking time: 7 hours Pass to cross: Bongtey La, 4820m Sleeping altitude: 3800m 2 hours from Jangothang is the Tshophu Lake, which you probably visited yesterday. From the lake, it’s another 2 hours to the pass. Climbing up to the pass, we will be rewarded with stunning views of the Chomolhari and Jichu Drakey. From the pass, it’s all the way downhill until our camp at Yaksa.

Distance: 14 km Walking time: 5 hours Pass to cross: Thombu La, 4550m Sleeping altitude: 4150m Climbing out of Yaksa, you will see the few houses that make up the Yaksa village across the valley, and the pass you came over yesterday. About 2 hours of gradual climbing and you will cross the tree line, entering another valley. The pass is 1 hours climb from here. From the pass, you can see the yak herders grazing grounds of Thombu, our camp. On a clear day, you can even see some houses in Tibet.

Distance: 17 km Walking time: 6 hours A short steep climb will take us out of the Thombu basin, traversing along a trail cut into a rocky cliff with a dizzying drop. 4 hours of steep and dusty descent (1 ½ k of vertical descent) will bring us to the army check post that we crossed on the first day of our trek. Our transport will be waiting here for us. This is where we say goodbye to our trekking crews and drive back to Paro through the dirt road. Check in to your hotel, get to unpack your stuff and do all the washing and end with a lovely farewell dinner with your guide. If you wish hot stone bath could be also arranged. Overnight: Paro

Morning transfer (15 mins) to the airport for your departure flight. Your guide will bid you farewell at the airport.