Chomolhari Trek is one of the fantastic treks that every enthusiastic trekker must opt for. It is a heavenly experience to immerse into the magical kingdom of Bhutan and explore its untouched part with the raw appeal of towering mountains in the backdrop. Take an off beaten trail and soak yourself into the amazing Himalayan landscape. The picturesque valley of Paro and Thimpu along with the stunning pinnacles of Mt. Chomolhari, Jichu Drake and Tshrim Kang; the trek weaves its way along with the rhododendron forests and brings you to an exotic place that your eyes can ever dream of. The most challenging part of this trek is crossing Yale pass at an altitude of 4950 meters. However, the dramatic view of mountains and valleys that this pass offers is simply worth it.
This is not only cherished for its natural beauty but for the authentic culture and religion of Tibetan people. Chomolhari Trek starts with a sightseeing tour around Paro, where you can explore the authentic and interesting Bhutanese culture and their tradition. Next, you will be driven to Drugkyel dzong at Shana. We start our trekking journey and make our way along with stunning forests of rhododendron and cross few glacial lakes and grassy meadows on the way. We pass a few villages on the way where we can get some insights on people, their culture, and lifestyle. Eventually, we cross Yale pass with striking views of Mt. Chomolhari, Jichu Drake and Tshrim Kang on sight. Finally, we descend down to Thimphu and end our trekking journey.
Chomolhari Trek is a combination of Himalayan glory with the cultural richness of Bhutan. If you want to be a part of this enchanting trip, do not forget to remember World Alpine Treks for more details. We are here to fill your life with full of natural and cultural wilderness.
Fly over the beautiful Himalayas ranges to the international airport in Paro. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by our Bhutanese crew members. They will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to a hotel in Paro. Tonight, we stay at a hotel in Paro.
Early in the morning, we hike to a popular monastery in Paro i.e., Tiger’s nest monastery. It is an alluring attraction of Paro city placed on the edge of the steep cliff. It is popular for its dramatic location and a Buddhist myth. As per the mythology, the monastery lies in the same place where Guru Rinpoche had fled on a back of a tigress to meditate on a cave. Today, we walk up to the monastery and explore the monastery and its peripheral areas. Tonight, back to the hotel in Paro
Today, we begin our trekking journey. Early in the morning, after breakfast, we take a short drive to the northwest of Paro. We stop at Drugyel Dzong that lies at an elevation of 2800 meters. You can observe only the ruins of the dzong. It used to serve as a fortress back in the 17th century. On a clear day, you can even get stunning views of Chomolhari from here. As we start our trek, we follow a trail that goes along the Paro river valley. We pass farmlands, villages, chortens, and traverse into the dense forests of pine and rhododendron to Shana. Tonight, we stay at Shana.
Leaving Shana, we follow the trail that climbs up gradually along the side of Paro chu. As we move ahead via the rocky and muddy trail, we enter into the Jigme Dorji National Park. It is a protected area with various species of floras and faunas preserved in it. We continue ascending along with the dense forests of oak, rhododendron, and pine within the national park. We cross several small streams and bridges over them to reach Sio Thangthangkhas. Upon arrival, we set up our camps at Sio Thangthangkha for overnight stay.
Today is an exciting day of our journey as we will be rewarded with some wonderful mountain vistas amidst the serenity of Mother Nature. The clean air, pristine environment, and dissolving beauty of Mother Nature, it’s a classic combination that makes the journey worth it. After breakfast, we start ascending up gradually. We pass many camps of yak herders on the way with the views of Jichu Drake following us. No sooner, we will be rewarded with the views of Mt. Jumolhari. We continue walking until we arrive at the camping site at Jangothang. Tonight at the tented camps in Jangothang
We spend our day at the Jumolhari base camp in Jangothang. It’s a pleasing experience to wake up in the shadows of Himalayas. We have many hiking options for the day. We can either hike up to the end of the valley or hike to the ridge that offers some magnificent views of Jichu Drake. We also have an option to hike to Tsophu that consists of a pair of lakes with giant trout fishes. After enjoying the hike, we return back to our camps for the night.
From the base camp, we follow a trail that goes along a stream to cross a bridge. We cross the bridge and get on the right side of the stream. Leaving the bank, we climb up to the ridge that offers some stunning views of Mt. Jumolhari, Jichu Drake, and Tshering Gang. We then walk towards a valley, which is almost flat for a while. Then we climb up to Ngye La pass at 4830 meters. We cross the pass and descend down gradually to Lingshi camp. Here we can visit Lingshi dzong in the backdrop of beautiful Himalayas. Tonight, at the tented camps in Lingshi
Leaving Shodu, we come across two paths that separate the Laya Gasa Trek route from the Jumolhari Trek route. Moving ahead, we climb up a white Chorten on a ridge just above the Jumolhari Base Camp. We then turn south and walk deep into the Mo Chhu valley. The trail traverses through the treeless valley as we walk into Mo Chhu. We cross a river and start climbing up steadily to cross Yeli La pass at 4820 meters. From the pass, we can relish our eyes with spectacular views of mountains. Further, we descend downhill to a camp at Shodu. Tonight, at tented camps in Shodu
As we move ahead from Shodu, we come across the tree line once again. The lush trees and bushes become visible again. We follow a trail along Thimphu river and descend down through the alpine forests of rhododendron, oak and juniper to a riverside, on the way, we can get some awesome views of rocky cliffs and cascading waterfalls. From the riverbank, we ascend up gradually to reach the ruins of Barshong dzong. We observed the ruins and set our camps at an altitude of 3600 meters. Tonight, at the tented camps in Barshong
Early in the morning, we enjoy our breakfast within the pristine environment of Bhutanese territory. Moving ahead with the trekking journey, we descend down steep from Bashing along with the dense forests of rhododendron, oak, birch, and conifers to Dolam Kencho. There are some interesting pasturelands in here. We set up our camps in the pastures of Dolam Kencho. Tonight, at the tented camps in Dolam Kencho
Leaving Dolam Kencho, we follow a trail that goes steep in and out of the river to Dodona. At Dodona, we connect ourselves with the motorable road. Here, we will find a vehicle waiting for us. We hop into the ride and drive back to Thimphu. Check into the hotel in Thimphu. In the late afternoon, we can explore around the streets of Thimphu. Tonight, at a hotel in Thimphu
Leaving Paro, you will be driven all the way to Paro airport to catch a scheduled flight back to your home town.