About this trip
The Haa valley sits west of Paro and was closed to outsiders until 2002. Even today, fewer than five percent of foreign visitors to Bhutan ever reach it — making it the country's best-kept cultural secret. The drive across the Chele La pass at 3,988 metres (the highest motorable road in Bhutan) is itself one of the great mountain drives of the Himalaya, with views of Mount Jomolhari and Jichu Drake on a clear day.
What makes Haa special
- Two ancient temples: Lhakhang Karpo (White Temple) and Lhakhang Nagpo (Black Temple), said to date to the 7th century
- The traditional Haap people's rural lifestyle — buckwheat farming and yak herding largely unchanged
- Chele La pass — Bhutan's highest road, with sweeping ridge-line views
Combine Haa with the classic Paro–Thimphu–Punakha circuit for a fuller picture of Bhutan than the standard 7-day tour gives.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 01 Arrive Paro
Met at Paro International Airport with a khadar (white silk scarf) and transferred the short distance to the hotel for check-in. After lunch, a light walking introduction to Rinpung Dzong on the riverbank and the National Museum housed in the old watchtower above. Early dinner and an early night to help with the altitude and jet lag. Tomorrow's Tiger's Nest hike is a long one.
- Stay:
- Hotel Olathang, Paro
- Meals:
- D
Day 02 Tiger's Nest hike
The signature day. A steady 5- to 6-hour return hike up to Taktsang Monastery (the Tiger's Nest) on its sheer 3,000-metre cliff face. The trail switchbacks through blue pine and prayer-flag-strung rest stops, with a tea break at the halfway cafeteria where the iconic view of the monastery first opens up across the gorge. Inside the monastery, several small lhakhangs are open for visit. The climb also serves as gentle altitude conditioning before tomorrow's drive over Chele La. Afternoon hot-stone bath at a traditional farmhouse for tired legs.
- Stay:
- Hotel Olathang, Paro
- Meals:
- B/L/D
- Distance:
- 7 km
- Altitude:
- 3120 m
Day 03 Drive Paro to Haa · Chele La
One of the great mountain drives in the Himalaya. Climb out of Paro on a series of long, well-banked switchbacks to Chele La pass at 3,988 metres — the highest motorable road in Bhutan. From the pass, on a clear day, the view extends from Mount Jomolhari (7,326 m) and Jichu Drake (6,989 m) in the north to the densely forested ridges of Haa to the west. Photo stops are mandatory; the cook crew brings hot tea and biscuits. Drop down through wind-stunted oak and rhododendron into the rarely visited Haa valley — closed to foreign visitors until 2002, and still receiving fewer than five percent of Bhutan's annual visitors. Visit Lhakhang Karpo (the White Temple) and Lhakhang Nagpo (the Black Temple), said to date to the 7th century.
- Stay:
- Hotel Lechuna Heritage Lodge, Haa
- Meals:
- B/L/D
- Altitude:
- 3988 m
Day 04 Haa valley exploration
A full day in the valley to walk among the buckwheat fields and yak pastures of the Haap people, whose lifestyle remains largely unchanged from how it has been for centuries. Visit a small Bhutanese family home with our guide — most welcome a quick tea visit, and our guide translates the conversation. In the afternoon, an optional walk to the Juneydrak hermitage carved into a cliff above the valley, or a longer drive to the Wangchuk family ancestral home (the royal family's roots are partly Haap). Evening at the heritage lodge with a wood-burning bukhari stove and a hearty mountain dinner.
- Stay:
- Hotel Lechuna Heritage Lodge, Haa
- Meals:
- B/L/D
Day 05 Drive Haa to Thimphu
Recross Chele La pass — typically with even better visibility than yesterday, since dawn cloud lifts by mid-morning — and continue on through Paro to Thimphu. Lunch in the capital. In the afternoon, visit Tashichho Dzong (the seat of government), the National Memorial Chorten, and the giant Buddha Dordenma. If time and energy allow, a quick stop at the Crafts Bazaar caps the day. Evening free for dinner along Norzin Lam.
- Stay:
- Hotel Druk, Thimphu
- Meals:
- B/L/D
- Altitude:
- 3988 m
Day 06 Drive Thimphu to Punakha · Dochula
Cross Dochula Pass at 3,100 metres — the saddle marked by 108 white chortens (the Druk Wangyal Chortens) and the eastern Himalayan view. Coffee and apple pie at the pass-side cafe is a tradition. Descend through subtropical forest to Punakha and visit Punakha Dzong — arguably the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan — built in 1637 at the meeting of two rivers. Afternoon walk across rice paddies to Chimi Lhakhang, the small fertility temple founded by the 15th-century 'Divine Madman' Drukpa Kunley. Drive back to Paro in the late afternoon for the farewell dinner.
- Stay:
- Hotel Olathang, Paro
- Meals:
- B/L/D
- Altitude:
- 3100 m
Day 07 Departure
Final breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Paro International Airport. Final khadars at the security gate and a last 'tashi delek' before you board. Most onward flights connect through Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok or Singapore — your guide stays at the airport until your flight is wheels-up.
- Stay:
- —
- Meals:
- B
