Druk Path Trek
Five days on the high route between Paro and Thimphu, passing lakes that have no roads to them.
Why we created this journey
Every journey we design starts with a question rather than an itinerary. What is the one thing about this part of Bhutan that someone should understand before they leave? The places and the days follow from that question, not the other way around.
We do not build journeys by stringing together famous sights. We build them by thinking about who the traveller is, what they will notice, and what they will carry home with them. That takes longer. We think it is worth it.
Moments you may remember
- Watching first light reach the valley before anyone else is awake
- A conversation that runs longer than the meal
- An afternoon with nowhere particular to be
- The sound of a river you did not know you needed to hear
- A handwritten postcard arriving after you have returned home
This journey may suit you if
- You prefer a few places experienced well over many places ticked off
- You are more interested in how people live than in how many temples you visit
- You value time and space in your travels
- You do not want to change hotels every night
- You are comfortable at a slower pace and find that pace more rewarding
From USD 390 per person per day for groups of 2, fully inclusive of accommodation, private vehicle and licensed guide, all meals, permits, SDF, and 24-hour support. Rates are tailored to your group. Customised to fit you.
Highlights of this journey
- Five high-altitude lakes with no road access — Jimilang Tsho, Janye Tsho, and the Phume lakes, each one different in colour and character
- The Himalayan range visible from the high ridges on clear mornings, including Chomolhari and Jichu Drake above Paro
- Camp at 3,900 metres under skies with no light pollution — the clearest night sky most guests have ever experienced
- Descending into Thimphu from the ridge above it — arriving in the capital by foot, as it was done for centuries
- A fully private camp crew: kitchen and sleeping tents erected before you arrive each day, hot meals at altitude, campfire in the evening
- Rhododendron and fir forest on the lower sections, alpine meadow above the treeline — two botanical worlds in five days
Sample itineraries
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Day 1 Paro. Acclimatisation and the Tiger's Nest approach.
We begin in Paro with an acclimatisation day rather than going straight onto the trail. Morning walk on the lower slopes of the Druk Path to test the legs and read the altitude. Afternoon at Tiger's Nest — the hike to Taktsang is at a similar elevation to the first two days of the trek and serves as both acclimatisation and introduction. Dinner at the hotel. Sleep in a bed tonight; camping begins tomorrow.
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Day 2 Trek Day 1. Paro to Jimilang Tsho camp. (5–6 hours)
We drive to Druk Choeding monastery at the edge of Paro town and begin on foot. The trail climbs steeply through mixed oak and rhododendron forest for the first two hours, then eases into open ridge country with views back down to the Paro valley. We reach Jimilang Tsho — the first of the high-altitude lakes — in the early afternoon. Camp is already set up on the shore. The lake sits at 3,870 metres; the afternoon light on the water at this altitude is unlike anything at sea level. Dinner at camp.
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Day 3 Trek Day 2. Jimilang Tsho to Simkota camp. (6–7 hours)
The longest day on the route. We pass Janye Tsho in the morning — a smaller lake, darker in colour, ringed by dwarf rhododendron — and continue along the ridge above 4,000 metres for most of the day. The views north to Chomolhari and Jichu Drake are clearest from this section on a good morning. The trail descends to Simkota at 3,900 metres for camp. Hot dinner, campfire if the wind allows.
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Day 4 Trek Day 3. Simkota to Phume Tsho camp. (5–6 hours)
A shorter day that gains and loses altitude through a series of small ridges before reaching the Phume lakes — three glacial lakes at different elevations on the same slope, each a different shade of grey-blue depending on the cloud cover. Camp at the uppermost Phume Tsho at 4,100 metres. Clearest night sky of the route tonight, usually.
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Day 5 Trek Day 4. Phume Tsho to Thimphu. (5–6 hours)
The final day crosses the high point of the route at 4,220 metres before dropping steeply through fir forest and then through the rhododendron belt into the northern edge of Thimphu. We descend past Phajoding monastery — a cluster of meditation hermitages visible from the city below — and reach the road in the Motithang neighbourhood of Thimphu. Our vehicle is waiting. Check in to the hotel, hot shower, dinner in the city.
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Day 1 Paro. Acclimatisation day.
Acclimatisation walk on the lower Druk Path slopes and a hike to Tiger's Nest. Altitude preparation before the trek begins. Dinner at the hotel.
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Day 2 Trek Day 1. Paro to Jimilang Tsho camp. (5–6 hours)
Climb through oak and rhododendron forest from Druk Choeding monastery to the first lake at 3,870 metres. Camp on the shore. Afternoon light on the water.
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Day 3 Rest day at Jimilang Tsho.
A full day at the lake with nothing required. The options are a short walk around the shore, fishing if the season permits, reading in the tent doorway while the light moves across the water, or sleeping at altitude and noticing how the body feels when there is no agenda. The camp crew prepares a longer lunch. This day is the reason for choosing the extended variation.
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Day 4 Trek Day 2. Jimilang Tsho to Simkota camp. (6–7 hours)
Past Janye Tsho and along the ridge above 4,000 metres. Chomolhari and Jichu Drake on a clear morning. Camp at Simkota, 3,900 metres.
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Day 5 Trek Day 3. Simkota to Phume Tsho. (5–6 hours)
Small ridges and the Phume lakes — three glacial lakes on the same slope, different shades. Camp at the uppermost at 4,100 metres. Clearest skies of the route.
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Day 6 Trek Day 4. Phume Tsho to Thimphu. (5–6 hours)
Cross the high point at 4,220 metres, descend through fir forest and rhododendron, pass Phajoding monastery, reach Thimphu from the ridge above it. Vehicle waiting, hotel, hot shower, dinner in the city.
What is included
All accommodation (camping with high-quality tents and sleeping equipment, or teahouse where available)
Private vehicle transfers at start and end of trek
Licensed Bhutanese trekking guide throughout
Dedicated camp crew (cook, kitchen assistants, horse handlers)
All meals on trek (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, hot drinks)
All camping equipment (sleeping tents, kitchen tent, dining tent, toilet tent)
All permits, entry fees, and trekking permits
Sustainable Development Fee (SDF)
24-hour in-country support
What is not included
International flights to Paro
Visa fee (USD 40)
Travel insurance (trekking coverage required — we can recommend providers)
Personal trekking equipment (boots, layers, poles — packing list provided on booking)
Personal expenses and tipping
From this journey
What your journey gives back.
Bhutan is a carbon negative kingdom, where more than 70 percent of the land is covered in forests and the rivers remain clean and alive. The Sustainable Development Fee supports free healthcare, free education, and the protection of this extraordinary place.
This is not a tax. It is a shared commitment to preserve Bhutan for every generation that follows.
By visiting, you are not a tourist. You are a co-guardian of this kingdom.
Ready when you are.
Tell us roughly when you would like to come and how many you are. Our team in Thimphu will reply personally within 24 hours.
Plan this journey with our team