Bicycling in Bhutan

Bhutan Bike Tour Itinerary

DAY 1: We’ll meet at the Bangkok airport and all fly together to Paro, Bhutan. There is one daily flight from Bangkok and it leaves in the morning. You should arrive at least a day early to meet this flight, but there is an excellent hotel at the Bangkok airport.

We’ll be met at the Paro airport in Bhutan and shuttled to Thimphu where we’ll spend two nights in the heart of this small city. Our hotel overlooks lush, green hills and is just a few minutes away from the popular Norzin Lam shopping district. We’ll be fitted with our bikes in the afternoon. 0 miles.

DAY 2: It’s a day to explore Thimphu, this modern capital city that pays homage to the country’s heritage and traditions with monasteries, dzongs (fortresses), museums and festivals. We will visit the Arts and Crafts School and the National Textile Museum and learn about the country’s movement to preserve its traditions and expand its tourism efforts.

We’ll admire the beloved Buddha Dordenma, one of the largest Buddha statues in the world that overlooks the Thimphu Valley. We’ll also visit the Motithang Takin Preserve, a sanctuary for the national animal, the takin, which looks like the cross between a cow and a goat.

If that isn’t enough, we’ll visit a paper factory where the handmade reams are made using centuries-old techniques, and we’ll browse a craft bazaar. The day will also include a butter lamp lighting and prayer ceremony. The ritual is filled with symbolism, from dispelling darkness and ignorance to confirming the interconnectedness of all beings. 0 miles.

DAY 3: After a visit to the Simtokha Dzong, a 17^th century monastery, we will shuttle out of town and up Dochu La Pass. We’ll stop to visit a small park at the top with its collection of 108 chortens, or stupas. These small structures contain Buddhist relics and were built to atone for the loss of life during an uprising in southern Bhutan. The view of the Himalayan Range is spectacular.

After lunch and a bike fitting, we will start cycling. While most of the tour’s roads are paved, they can be rough in sections, so we’re on mountain bikes equipped with wide, knobby tires. Our ride takes us gently up and then down the Lawa La Pass until we reach our hotel nestled in the lush pine forests of the Phobjikha Valley. 17 miles +2689’/-2220’.

DAY 4: The Phobjikha Valley is the winter home of the rare and endangered black-necked crane. To preserve the flock, no electric wires can be hung, explaining why all the farmhouses in the region are equipped with small solar panels. We bike to the Black Necked Crane Center that is part of the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature where we will learn how these birds circle the nearby Gangtey Goenpa Monastery three times on their way into and out of the valley. 9 miles ±330’.

DAY 5: We shuttle to the next valley today. On our way to Punakha, we’ll visit Chimi Lhakhang, a sacred Buddhist temple visited by newlyweds and childless couples seeking fertility blessings. We’ll also stop at some farmhouses built with mud and stone, and decorated with phallic symbols believed to promote fertility and scare away bad spirits.

Once in Punakha, we’ll spend time in the Punakha Dzong, which some say is the loveliest dzong in all of Bhutan, especially in spring, when the blue jacaranda trees are in bloom. Punakha was the capital of Bhutan and the dzong was the government seat until 1955. We will then cross the Po Chhu River via a pedestrian suspension bridge decorated with colorful prayer flags and watch an archery match, Bhutan’s national sport. How exhilarating! 0 miles cycling.

DAY 6: We start the day after breakfast with an hour hike to the pagoda-like chorten Khamsum Yulley Namgyal. The impressive four-story stupa was built to provide spiritual protection from evil spirits, and promote peace and harmony in the world.

Once back at the Pho Chhu river, we’ll enjoy a gentle rafting trip ending at lunch on the river bank before we head back to the town of Punakha. 0 miles. 1 hour hiking.

DAY 7: Today’s ride starts after a shuttle to the bridge at Chhuzom, where the Paro and Wang Chhu rivers meet. We’ll pack a lunch to eat along the way, riding toward the town of Haa. 16-23 miles cycling.

DAY 8: We explore the Haa Valley by bike today, a place that feels in equal parts tranquil and remote. In fact, it didn’t open to visitors until the early 2000s. Farming abounds, with rice, wheat and barley as the mainstay of production. We visit the Haa Dzong, located inside an Indian army compound. According to legend, this dzong protects area livestock from evil serpent deities.

From here we shuttle to Paro, passing through Chelela Pass, which has bragging rights for the highest road in the country, topping 13,000 feet. Anticipate dense forests and a fantastic view of Jomolhari, Bhutan’s most sacred mountain. A special treat tonight will be  a cultural show in Paro, where we spend the next two nights. 18 miles.

DAY 9: It’s a bike-free day as we hike to Paro Taktsang, probably the most iconic monastery in Bhutan. Also called Tiger’s Nest, it is the site where, according to legend, 8^th century Buddhist master Guru Rinpoche was flown on the back of a tigress to meditate in a cave for more than three years. Centuries later, Buddhists worldwide consider a trek to Tiger’s Nest a pilgrimage that ushers them toward enlightenment.

Later in the day, we’ll have the option to enjoy the ultimate in relaxation  and rejuvenation: the hot stone bath. This Bhutanese ritual, where water is heated with hot stones and steeped with the medicinal plant Artemisia, is believed to relieve many ailments, from arthritis and joint pain to hypertension and stomach ailments.

There will be downtime today as well, which you can use relaxing at our hotel, or strolling the shops of downtown Paro. 0 miles. 4 hours hiking.    

DAY 10: We will shuttle to the Paro airport to catch our flight back to Bangkok. As they say in Dzonghkha, the official language of Bhutan, log jaygay, or farewell!