Druk Path Trek

Overview

Journey highlights

The Druk Path is one of the most celebrated treks in Bhutan — a high traverse connecting the valleys of Paro and Thimphu through terrain few visitors ever reach. The route begins with an acclimatisation day at Tiger's Nest before climbing through pine and rhododendron forest to the ruins of Jele Dzong, then ascending progressively into open alpine meadows used by yak herders in summer. The high point at Simkotra Tsho (4,110m) sits in a landscape of glacial lakes and wide mountain sky before the path descends through the meditation hermitage of Phajodhing and down into the Thimphu valley. The terrain shifts constantly — forest, ruin, pasture, lake, monastery — and the whole route covers ground that rewards the effort with genuine Himalayan solitude.

• Acclimatise with a hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery before the trek begins
• Pass the 15th-century Jele Dzong ruins high above the Paro valley
• Camp beside Jimilangtsho and Simkotra Tsho — pristine glacial lakes at 3,870m and 4,110m
• Descend via Phajodhing, a cluster of meditation hermitages above Thimphu