Jakar, 2,587 m (8,490 ft)
Most first visits to Bhutan turn round at Punakha. This one keeps going east, into the valleys of Bumthang, where farmers grow buckwheat, weave wool and keep some of the oldest temples in the country.
Photo: Pema Gyamtsho / Unsplash
Paro and Bumthang
Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro, where you begin, and Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang were both raised in 659: two of the 108 temples a Tibetan king is said to have built to pin a demoness to the earth.
Photo: Phuntsho Wangdi / Pexels
Nine nights
Paro for Taktsang on day two, one night in Thimphu, two in Punakha, two in the Phobjikha valley near 2,900 m (9,510 ft), then two in Bumthang. The roads lengthen as you go east.
Photo: Chandan Chaurasia / Unsplash
Day 8
188 km (117 mi) over Pele La, 3,420 m (11,220 ft): five to six hours at the wheel, about eight door to door. We break it at Chendebji Chorten, at lunch and at Trongsa Dzong, where the future first king governed before 1907.
Photo: Deepavali Gaind / Unsplash
Pema Lingpa's country
Pema Lingpa, born in the Tang valley in 1450, is the ancestor of Bhutan's kings. He founded Tamshing in 1501, whose wall paintings are among the oldest in Bhutan, and died there in 1521. His grandson founded Gangtey's monastery in 1613.
Photo: Unsplash
Day 9
Kurjey Lhakhang stands beside the cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated, and the remains of the first three kings lie there. A footbridge and a field path lead on to Tamshing. Lunch is puta, buckwheat noodles, and khuli, buckwheat pancakes.
Photo: Pragyan Bezbaruah / Pexels
The Tang gorge
At Mebar Tsho, Pema Lingpa is said to have dived holding a lit lamp and surfaced with treasure, the flame still burning. Nuns tend lamps on the rocks. The water is deep and fast: stay on the ledge and let your guide place your lamp.
Photo: Unma Desai / Unsplash
Day 10
Bathpalathang airport sits about 3 km from Jakar, with a single 1,200 m runway. The flight to Paro takes 35 minutes and saves two days of road. Its days change by month, so your car waits in Jakar until the plane is airborne.
Photo: Rama Krushna Behera / Unsplash
Planning
It suits travelers on their second Himalayan journey, couples and families with teenagers, in October and November or March to May. With six nights or fewer, The Western Valleys is the better choice.
Photo: Sujan Mongar / Unsplash