Blog · Updated October 2026

Druk Path trek vs Jomolhari trek: which one should you choose?

Bhutan’s two most popular treks compared side by side: length, altitude, scenery, difficulty and the best season.

The short answer

Druk Path for a first trek, Jomolhari for the big mountains

The Druk Path is a shorter, gentler trek between Paro and Thimphu, with high lakes, rhododendron forests and long views of the Himalaya on clear days. The Jomolhari trek is longer and higher, taking you to the base camp of Mount Jomolhari, at about 7,300 metres one of Bhutan’s most sacred peaks, through yak herders’ country.

If this is your first trek, or you have a week, choose the Druk Path. If you are an experienced walker with nine or ten days and want to stand under a giant snow peak, choose Jomolhari.

Compare

Druk Path and Jomolhari side by side

	Druk Path	Jomolhari
Days	5 to 6	8 to 9, or a shorter loop
Start and finish	Paro to Thimphu	Paro valley to Thimphu, or a loop back to Paro
High point	About 4,200 m	Passes near 4,900 to 5,000 m
Highest camp	Around 4,000 m	Jangothang base camp, about 4,000 m
Scenery	High lakes, forests, Himalayan panoramas	Jomolhari and Jichu Drakey up close, yak pastures, Lingshi Dzong
People	Few villages	Herders' settlements and Lingshi
Difficulty	Moderate	Strenuous
Best season	April to May, October to November	April to May, October to November
Suits	Fit beginners, shorter trips	Experienced trekkers

Altitudes are approximate.

In detail

What each trek is like

Druk Path

The trek starts near the National Museum in Paro, climbs through forest to Jili Dzong, then follows ridges past a string of lakes, including Jimilang Tsho, known for its trout. On a clear morning you see the line of the Himalaya. It ends with a descent to Thimphu past Phajoding monastery.

Jomolhari

The trek follows the Paro Chhu north from the end of the road, through forest and past villages, to Jangothang at the foot of Mount Jomolhari. From there it crosses high passes to Lingshi, with its dzong on a ridge, before descending to the Thimphu valley. A shorter loop returns to Paro over the Bonte La.

Fitness and acclimatisation

Both treks need good fitness. For Jomolhari, spend a few days in the valleys first and plan a rest day at Jangothang. Insurance must cover trekking to about 5,000 metres and helicopter evacuation.

Our advice

Still not sure which to pick?

Ask yourself three questions. Have you trekked above 4,000 metres before? Do you have more than ten days in Bhutan? Is seeing a 7,000-metre peak up close the main reason for the trip? If the answer to all three is yes, Jomolhari is worth the extra effort. If not, the Druk Path gives you a real taste of high Bhutan in half the time, and you can come back for Jomolhari later.