Jomolhari Trek Bhutan - 10 Nights 11 Days

Your Jomolhari Trek adventure starts with a high-stakes flight to Bhutan's Paro International Airport, considered one of the world's most perilous landings.

On a flight again between the 5,000M ridges of the Himalayan foothills, we can catch a view of snow capped massif of Mount Jomolhari (7326 M). Once you have passed through immigration and paid your SDF (Sustainable Development Fee) for 2026, you are met by your local guide.

The afternoon is spent with light excursions to start your acclimatisation process for the Bhutan Jomolhari Trekking experience. You stop at the Rinpung Dzong (Fortress on a Heap of Jewels), built in the 17th century and considered one of the finest examples of Bhutanese architecture.

See the huge Utse (Central Tower) that stands over the massive courtyard and drive by viewing the wooden bridge below, cantilevered across Paro Chhu. The air is sharp, smelling of Blue Pine and woodsmoke.

You end this trek at Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the 108 temples constructed by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century, where you walk clockwise (Kora) around an ancient structure to plant a favourable seed for our 11 Days Jomolhari Trek.

Today is an essential "Climb High, Sleep Low" training day on the Jomolhari Trek Bhutan. You climb a 900-meter vertical ascent to Taktsang Palphug Goemba, which clings precariously to a granite cliff.

The path is a soothing descent, stepping over groomed stone stairs and dusty switchbacks down the Oak and the Chir pine forest. Listen for the rhythmic "thud" of water-powered prayer wheels in the lower canyons.

At a midway cafeteria, the sights and perspective change; now it is as if the monastery were floating in the mist. The last way presents a walk down about the 700 steps through the deep gorge, where lives a sacred waterfall festooned with thousands of Vertical Lung-ta (Wind Horse prayer flags), and climb up the far side to the entrance.

A thick smell of butter lamps and aged juniper hangs in the air inside the main cave.

It's not just cultural either; the 5-hour round trip compels your body to create more red blood cells, training your heart for campsites at 4,000 meters further up the Jomolhari Trekking Package expedition.

The Insider Move: The High Viewpoint Don't end at the cafeteria like the day-trippers. Continue beyond the main entrance to the "Viewpoint of the Ages." From this point, the monastery appears to be hanging off its rock-bound precipice by a thread.

The Secret Cave: Request that your guide take you to the Pelphu Lhakhang. This is the real cave in which Guru Rinpoche meditated. Many tourists walk straight by without entering, stopping only to take selfies.

Technical Gear Check

Trekking Poles: Use them today. Your knees will thank you on the 800-step descent.

Layering: You'll be sweating on the way up, but trespass even for a few minutes into the stone temples and temperatures can drop 10 degrees. Carry a light windbreaker in your daypack.

After breakfast, you drive out of Paro valley trekking region for a bit more than two hours to reach the Chele La Pass, from where you take in views to start your trek.

The route passes through a sub-alpine transition area of Spruce and Larch. On top, there is a forest of white Darchor (prayer flags on high posts) and an overview of the Five Tsheringma Sisters peaks.

On a clear day, the northern landscape is clearly dominated by the peaks of Jichu Drake and Jhomolhari mountain trek.

Dropping down to the Haa Valley, you come into an area that was off-limits to outsiders until 2002. You will visit the Lhakhang Karpo (White Temple) and Lhakhang Nagpo (Black Temple), whose foundations were laid by the same King Songtsen Gampo.

The landscape is also different; the valley here is tighter and feels more private than Paro. From here, you overnight in a traditional farmhouse experience, Ema Datshi (chillies and cheese), and get your gear ready for the morning's start of the proper wilderness section of the Chomolhari Trek 11 Days from tomorrow.

The Pro Tip: Do more than just stand by the car. Walk the ridge line to where the sky-burials are. Then here pray the flags make a "whistle" in the wind like nowhere else.

The Taste of Haa: Sample Hoentay. These are buckwheat dumplings that can only be found in this valley. They're calorie-dense and great fuel for hopping on the trail starting tomorrow.

The Paro to Jomolhari trek portion officially commences at Drukgyal Dzong, the "Fortress of Victory." You meet your horsemen and trekking crew here. The trail follows the Paa Chhu (Paro River) upstream, carving through small hamlets and terraced fields of red rice and mustard. The path is a wide dirt track that gradually narrows as you enter the Jigme Dorji National Park.

The landscape becomes a thick broadleaf forest while trekking along this Jomolhari mountain Bhutan tour. You pass over a few suspension bridges as the river froths around giant boulders. Note the Slope Gradient; it is mild today but in light rain, the "unstable glacial till" (that means rocks mixed with mud) would slippery. You pass through the Gunitsawa Army Post, where your guide endorses your special area permits. Your campsite at Shana is situated in a meadow by the river, where the sound of rushing water provides a constant acoustic backdrop for your first night in the Bhutanese wild on the Jomolhari Trek.

Lunch Protocol: We provide a hot lunch at a designated riverside spot. This is the time to check your hydration levels. By the time you reach the Shana campsite, you should have consumed at least 2 litres of water.

The Border Entry: Shana sits near the gateway to the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Park. Your guide handles all permit verifications at the Gunitsawa army check post, allowing you to focus entirely on the scenery.

Planned itinerary: The Paro to Jomolhari trek starts at the ruined fort of Drukgyal Dzong, which translates as "The Fortress of Victory".

Here you meet your horsemen and trekking crew. The path leads upstream, through a little uninhabited village and a terraced hillside of red rice and mustard.

The walk is a broad dirt road which also slowly winds down as you enter the Jigme Dorji National Park. The land here starts to turn into thick broadleaf forest as you ascend up this mountain trekking Bhutan. You traverse a series of suspension bridges, over which the river roars through enormous boulders. Be mindful of the Slope Gradient; though it's mild today, after a light rain, the "unstable glacial till" (rocks mixed with mud) gets slippery. You also cross the Gunitsawa Army Post, where your permits for a special area are stamped.

Sleep next to the river at Shana camping spot. The campsite at Shana is right on a meadow next to the river, and you will fall asleep to the background noise of water for your first ever night in the Bhutanese outdoors on the Jomolhari Trek.

Lunch Routine: Hot lunch at a favourite riverside location. Now is a good time to check if you are indeed drinking enough. You can drink as much water while you are there, and then start back with an empty pack.

The Border Entry: Shana is located close to the gateway of the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Park. Your guide deals with all permit-checking at the Gunitsawa army check post, so you can focus solely on the scenery.

Today will be your most demanding day physically for the first half of the 11 Days Jomolhari Trek. You cover just over 11 miles of trail that ascends continuously up through an old-growth forest comprising Birch, Fir and Hemlock. "Actually, the trail is just a stone staircase winding up through the trees. The higher you climb, the air becomes thin and the vegetation changes: The tall trees give way to dwarf rhododendrons and alpine shrubs.

Finally, break through the tree line around 3,800 m. The valley forms a giant U-shaped glacial cup. You traverse a final bridge, where the river divides the multiple streams in the silty bottom. The trail to Jangothang Base Camp (Jomolhari Base Camp) passes ruined forts and, once you have arrived, the giant North Face of Jomolhari appears. You are now in the Soe yak herders' area on this high altitude trekking in Bhutan. Temperature plummets at sunset, and effective oxygen density is approximately 65% of sea level.

The Jangothang Hub: Maximizing Your Acclimatization Day

Jangothang Base Camp – 4,040 metres (13,255 feet) has much more to offer than just a good campsite; it is also known as one of the most important crossroads in the Bhutanese Himalaya. Though the Jomolhari trek itinerary categorises this day as "rest day", true high-altitude experts see this as an opportunity for Active Acclimatisation. By training at height and sleeping low in the valley, you get your body to produce Erythropoietin (EPO), which in turn helps manufacture more red blood cells. Here are three unique "Micro-Excursions" that take this Jomolhari Trekking Package from a trip of the groups to an adventure of the few.

Option A:  The Trek to Tshophu Twin Lakes (4,380m)

But for a "High-Alpine Aquatic" feel, you must take the 3-hour return detour hike to the Tsho Phu lakes trek on the Jomolhari Base Camp Trek. The trail starts with a steep switchback climb north out of the camp, which is soon put well below on the valley floor. The "Visual Perspective" changes as you ascend, and the huge ruins of the fort of Jangothang loom over the landscape, dwarfed by the splendour of the south face of Jumolhari.

On the plateau, you run into two pristine alpine lakes in Bhutan that feed the Bharal (Blue Sheep) population with the main water supply. Ruddy Shelducks populate the lakes, and according to local tradition, they are guarded by a water deity (Lu). The water is glacial turquoise, intense and mirrors the peaks. On the Jomolhari Trek, you have a 360-degree view of these "unclimbed summits" to the east - unnamed and unvisited by Western mountaineers.

Option B: The Base of the Jichu Drake Glacier & The "Wall of Ice"

If you're into that Glaciology life, then just below the base of Jichu Drake (6,989m) on the Jomolhari Trek Bhutan will give you an untainted look at Himalayan ice systems. Jichu Drake is said to be a "Protector Deity" of the Paro valley, and its summit is a steep, shattered pyramid of rock and ice.

The hike leads you up to the base of the terminal moraine of the glacier. You will make your way amongst the "Ice-cored mounds" and "Scree slopes" where there lie faint sounds of grinding ice and distant avalanches. Watch the Glacial Flour,  it's the fine grey dust that makes the streams look milky.

This is a science lesson on the spot, where you can witness firsthand on this Bhutan Himalayan trekking journey how the glaciers have been melting due to climate change. Stationed at the foot of this "Wall of Ice," you get a sense for just how big the mountain really is and feel small in a way only the high Himalaya can make you.

Option C: Deciphering the Ruins: The Ghost Fortress of Jangothang

A ruined Dzong (fortress) sits on a hillock to the Chomolhari Base Camp campsite. Many trekkers walk past it en route to the Jomolhari Trek route, but its history is a window into Bhutan's medieval defensive strategy. The word Jangothang itself means "the land of ruin" in a literal sense.

It is locally said that this used to be an important post on the trade route between Phari Dzong in Tibet and Paro valley. The style of architecture is in the fashion of Driglam Namzha (Official Code of Etiquette) with less grandeur. You can still see the remnants of the Utse (Central Tower) and the colossal stone walls that protected against Himalayan gales.

Investigate these remains at sunset the "Golden Hour" for an eerily beautiful photo backdrop of Mount Jomolhari on the sacred mountain trek Bhutan. A visit to this isolated Himalayan kingdom is a step into Shangri-La. It's a silent testimony of the history between the nomadic tribe people of Soe and the "Mountain of the Goddess."

After leaving the Jangothang Base Camp, you start the steep climb to Nyile La Pass in the Chomolhari Trek 11 Days. The terrain is typical high-altitude "scree and shale. There's no shade here, and the metamorphic rocks reflect the sun; it's all about hydration. Observe the Blue Sheep (Bharal) grazing on the cliffs above.

The last 200 meters to the pass require mental fortitude. At 4,700 meters, you crest the top, which comes marked with a blizzard of prayer flags. Towards the north, the spike-like Jichu Drake (6,662m) and Tserim Kang (6,532m) stand out.

It's a steep but aesthetically rewarding descent into the Lingshi Basin, part of the Jomolhari Trek. You pass the magnificent Lingshi Dzong, standing on a hill cut off from other hills like a fortress. The campsite lies beneath the dzong, and you can see evening clouds roll in from the border with Tibet not far off.

The Yak-Nomad Economy: Life in the Shadows of Nyele La

The Jomolhari Trek Bhutan circuit route leads across the high altitudes of Soe and Lingshi village trek, where century-old nomadic traditions are the existing way of life. Altogether, they tend to form the environment that exists in the alpine tundra. Learning about their seasonal migration as well as trade adds a rich dimension to your Bhutan cultural trek experience, as you descend from the 4,700-meter Nyele La Pass.

Seasonal migration and Gotsas: The Bjopite Lingshi families shift their herds according to the rhythm of the mountain grass. In the summer, they drive yaks to high pastures above 5,000 meters.

They descend in winter, back to lower fortress valleys and Gotsas stout stone houses constructed to withstand Himalayan blizzards. You will cross these worn-down huts on the river banks near Lingshi, the yak herders trail to Bhutan. This is the resilience of the Bhutanese highlanders.

Butter Churns, Chugo Rolls and Survival: The yak is the engine of this remote economy. Families make Chugo, a rock-hard dried cheese, essential for its protein during the long winter months.

They barter the cheese and yak butter in markets at Paro and Thimphu for salt, grain, and modern things. The trade function of this barter system is still an essential link between the northern borders and Bhutan's urban centres.

The 2026 SDF: Enabling High Altitude Healthcare: Your 11 Days Jomolhari Trek directly helps in the preservation of these nomadic tribes. Part of your SDF ($100) goes towards clinics/mobile health units seen along the trail. Into a small medical clinic/ hospital at Lingshi. Families living for days from the nearest road depend on these services for critical care. When you book this Bhutan trekking tour package, you are adopting a sustainable tourism model and helping to conserve the traditional social structure of the North.

Day 7: The Highest Threshold - Lingshi to Shodu via Yale La (4,950m)

You reach the "Apex" of the Jomolhari Trek today. The ascent to Yale La is a gradual, slow climb and opens up to barren alpine terrain on this high altitude trekking Bhutan expedition. You walk across lateral moraines, what's left over from ancient glaciers, and the ground is a combination of loose gravel and frozen silt. Silence is complete except for the odd, far-off call of a Yellow-billed Chough.

At 4,950meters, La Yale is your highest elevation on the Chomolhari Trek 11 Days. The view back towards Jomolhari and Tserim Kang is second to none; you'll be looking at the roof of the world. The way down to Shodu is long, and you'll want trekking poles as your knees will feel it.

You take a path that hugs the cliffs above a turquoise alpine lake and then enters a tight little valley where the vegetation starts to creep back. That night, you will be camping in a meadow, encircled by high-def cliffs; half dead from exhaustion and utterly wired having trekked over the "Great Divide" of the Jomolhari Trek Bhutan circuit.

Reality With Altitude: If you start to feel dizzy or have a sudden headache during the ascent, tell your guide at once. We all have extra medical supplies on hand, but communication is up to you.

You reach the "Apex" of the Jomolhari Trek today. The ascent to Yale La is a gradual, slow climb and opens up to barren alpine terrain on this high altitude trekking Bhutan expedition.

You walk across lateral moraines, what's left over from ancient glaciers, and the ground is a combination of loose gravel and frozen silt. Silence is complete except for the odd, far-off call of a Yellow-billed Chough.

At 4,950meters, La Yale is your highest elevation on the Chomolhari Trek 11 Days. The view back towards Jomolhari and Tserim Kang is second to none; you'll be looking at the roof of the world. The way down to Shodu is long, and you'll want trekking poles as your knees will feel it.

You take a path that hugs the cliffs above a turquoise alpine lake and then enters a tight little valley where the vegetation starts to creep back. That night, you will be camping in a meadow, encircled by high-def cliffs; half dead from exhaustion and utterly wired having trekked over the "Great Divide" of the Jomolhari Trek Bhutan circuit.

Reality With Altitude: If you start to feel dizzy or have a sudden headache during the ascent, tell your guide at once. We all have extra medical supplies on hand, but communication is up to you.

Today, the trail of the Jomolhari Trek route follows downstream the Thimphu Chhu river through a spectacular canyon.

The geology changes back to young Himalayan gneiss and schist. You will crisscross the river many times on wooden bridges that seem worlds away.

The "Hydrology" in this gorge is interesting; it's a white water rapid sourced from the melting ice of the peaks you leave behind on your Jomolhari Trek. And then you're back in the woods where those trees are, covered in moss and "Old Man's Beard" lichen. The trail follows a deep-walled canyon as more waterfalls plummet down the north face hundreds of feet on this mountain trekking Bhutan adventure.

This, too, is an assault on the senses: the rush of river, the scent of damp pine and towering cliffs. You reach the ruins of Barshong Dzong, which was a small fortress and gave its watch over the few valleys against northern invaders. Your campsite sits at a peaceful clearing near the ruins, much lower and warmer than the nights before along the Chomolhari Trek 11 Days.

The Forest Immersion - Barshong to Dolam Kencho (3,320m)

You trek further down into one of the most beautiful forested areas of the entire Jomolhari Trek Bhutan.

The trail is a carpet of pine needles and moss. You stride through thick forests of Rhododendron, in full bloom (in red and pink) during the months of spring. The air is full of oxygen now, and you will be filled with energy as well.

The trail drops sharply to the river again, then climbs up to a little pass. Observe Grey Langurs jumping through treetops, and the rare Fire-tailed Sunbird. Dolam Kencho, a campsite in a lush pasture that's grazed by cattle herders in the winter on this Bhutan wilderness trek.

The landscape is a combination of broadleaf and conifer forest, very different to the desolate tundra at the higher passes. This is your last night in the tent on the 11 Days Jomolhari Trek, and the team will cook a typical Bhutanese dinner for you to celebrate the completion of the wilderness circuit.

You trek further down into one of the most beautiful forested areas of the entire Jomolhari Trek Bhutan. The trail is a carpet of pine needles and moss. You stride through thick forests of Rhododendron, in full bloom (in red and pink) during the months of spring. The air is full of oxygen now, and you will be filled with energy as well.

The trail drops sharply to the river again, then climbs up to a little pass. Observe Grey Langurs jumping through treetops, and the rare Fire-tailed Sunbird. Dolam Kencho, a campsite in a lush pasture that's grazed by cattle herders in the winter on this Bhutan wilderness trek.

The landscape is a combination of broadleaf and conifer forest, very different to the desolate tundra at the higher passes. This is your last night in the tent on the 11 Days Jomolhari Trek, and the team will cook a typical Bhutanese dinner for you to celebrate the completion of the wilderness circuit.

The last stage of the Jomolhari Trek across in a soft descend through a "Fairytale Forest" down to Dodina. You track the river as it slows and broadens. The trail terminates at a stunning cantilever bridge, which connects to the Cheri Monastery trailhead. You will bid farewell to your horsemen and trekking crew here, as they are unable to accompany you all the way to where our vehicle is waiting for us at the Thimphu to Jomolhari connection point. Hike through rhododendrons along the ridge above Thim Chu.

It's a cultural shock to drive the 45 minutes down to Thimphu after the Bhutan camping trek. You move between the silence of mountains to a city with (some) traffic and modern amenities. You take a hot shower it's your first in a week and then head out to the Memorial Chorten, where old Bhutanese people spin prayer wheels in the afternoon sun. Visit the National Library and the Textile Museum with the living arts of thirteen crafts (Zorig Chusum). Evening in the cafe of Thimphu to reflect the more than 100 km long Himalayan adventure trek tucked inside your snow boots.

Drive back to Paro (1 hour) after the early morning breakfast. And as you stand at the passage check-in, you wear "High-Altitude Wisdom" of the Jomolhari Trek circuit, the memory of the Goddess mountain, the resilience earned on top of Yale La pass and silence experienced in Bhutan's wilderness.

You board your plane, maybe you catch one final view of the peaks from above as you fly back home, from where you no doubt carry an enriched perspective conveyed by your Bhutan adventure holiday.