Cultural tour · 15 days, 14 nights

15 Day East to West Bhutan Tour with a Flight to Yonphula

Fly from Paro to Yonphula in the east, then drive back across the whole country: Trashigang, Trashi Yangtse, Mongar, Bumthang, Trongsa, Phobjikha, Punakha, Thimphu, Haa and Paro.

15 days

14 nights, end to end

3,750 m

Thrumshing La, about

1 flight

Paro to Yonphula

Districts on the route

Trip overview

The whole of Bhutan in one crossing

Most visitors never get further east than Bumthang. Eastern Bhutan is greener, warmer and much less visited, with its own languages, crafts and festivals. This trip saves two long days of driving by flying from Paro to Yonphula, the domestic airstrip near Trashigang, on Drukair. From there you drive west, valley by valley, back to Paro.

On the way you see Trashigang Dzong above its river, the great white stupa of Chorten Kora in Trashi Yangtse, the long climb over Thrumshing La through cloud forest, the temples of Bumthang, Trongsa Dzong, the crane valley of Phobjikha and the classic sights of the west. It is the fullest picture of the country we offer, and the long drives are part of the experience: every pass shows you a different Bhutan.

Highlights

What you will see

Flight to Yonphula

A short domestic flight across the mountains to the east.

Trashigang Dzong

The 1659 fortress above the Gamri Chhu.

Chorten Kora

A great white stupa in Trashi Yangtse, built in 1740.

Thrumshing La

About 3,750 metres, through rhododendron and cloud forest.

Bumthang

Old temples, the Burning Lake and Ugyen Choling Palace.

Tiger's Nest

The cliff-top monastery to finish the crossing.

Itinerary at a glance

Fifteen days, east to west

The flight runs on set days, so we fit the plan around the Drukair schedule.

Day 1: Arrive in Paro

Land in Paro, Rinpung Dzong and the museum.

Day 2: Fly to Yonphula, Trashigang

Domestic flight east, drive to Trashigang, the dzong.

Day 3: Trashi Yangtse

Gom Kora, Chorten Kora, the woodturners of Trashi Yangtse.

Day 4: To Mongar

Over Kori La to Mongar, Mongar Dzong.

Day 5: Thrumshing La to Bumthang

The long drive over Thrumshing La through cloud forest to Bumthang.

Day 6: Bumthang

Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang, Tamshing, Jakar Dzong.

Day 7: Tang valley

Mebar Tsho, Ugyen Choling Palace museum.

Day 8: To Trongsa

Yotong La, Chumey weavers, Trongsa Dzong and the Tower museum.

Day 9: To Phobjikha

Pele La, Chendebji Chorten, the Phobjikha valley.

Day 10: To Punakha

Gangtey nature trail, then down to Punakha.

Day 11: Punakha

Punakha Dzong, Khamsum Yulley Namgyal, the suspension bridge.

Day 12: Thimphu

Dochula, Buddha Dordenma, crafts, Tashichho Dzong.

Day 13: Haa valley

Chele La pass, Lhakhang Karpo and the Haa valley, back to Paro.

Day 14: Tiger's Nest

Hike to Paro Taktsang, Kyichu Lhakhang, farewell dinner.

Day 15: Fly out

Transfer to Paro airport.

Day 1

Arrive in Paro

Your guide meets you at Paro airport. After lunch we visit the National Museum in the Ta Dzong and Rinpung Dzong below it, and cross the covered wooden bridge. The night is in Paro, close to the airport for tomorrow’s domestic flight.

Day 2

Fly east to Yonphula

The Drukair flight from Paro to Yonphula crosses the length of the country in under an hour, with views of the mountains on clear mornings. Yonphula is a small airstrip on a ridge near Kanglung, and the drive down to Trashigang takes under an hour.

Trashigang Dzong, built in 1659, stands on a spur above the Gamri Chhu. It houses the district administration and the monk body. In the town you will often see Brokpa people from Merak and Sakteng, semi-nomadic herders in red and black wool and distinctive yak-hair hats.

Day 3

Gom Kora and Chorten Kora

On the road north we stop at Gom Kora, a temple beside the river where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated and subdued a demon; the rock still shows the marks. In Trashi Yangtse, Chorten Kora is a great white stupa built in 1740 in the style of Boudhanath. Its spring festival draws pilgrims from across the east and from Arunachal Pradesh.

Trashi Yangtse is known for its wooden bowls and cups, turned by hand from maple and avocado wood, and for the school of traditional arts. The Bumdeling valley above is a winter home for black-necked cranes.

Day 4

West over Kori La to Mongar

We drive west over Kori La, at about 2,400 metres, through forests of oak and rhododendron, to Mongar. The town sits high on a slope, unusual for Bhutan where towns are usually in valley floors. Mongar Dzong was rebuilt in the 1950s and is one of the newest dzongs in the country, built in the old way without drawings or nails.

Day 5

Over Thrumshing La to Bumthang

This is one of the great mountain drives in Asia. The road drops to the Kuri Chhu, then climbs through the Lingmethang valley and up into cloud forest to Thrumshing La, at about 3,750 metres, inside Phrumsengla National Park. In spring the slopes are covered in rhododendrons, and the forest is rich in birds. Red pandas live here, though they are rarely seen.

From the pass we descend to Ura, one of the highest villages in Bumthang, and on to Jakar.

Day 6

The temples of the Choekhor valley

Bumthang is often called the spiritual heart of Bhutan. We visit Jambay Lhakhang, said to date from the 7th century, Kurjey Lhakhang, where Guru Rinpoche left the imprint of his body in a meditation cave, and Tamshing Lhakhang, founded in 1501 by Pema Lingpa. Jakar Dzong, the castle of the white bird, stands on the ridge above town.

Day 7

The Burning Lake and Ugyen Choling

We drive into the Tang valley to Mebar Tsho, the Burning Lake, a deep pool in a gorge where Pema Lingpa is said to have recovered sacred texts. Further up the valley, a short walk leads to Ugyen Choling Palace, an old noble manor house that is now a museum of rural life, with old kitchens, armour, textiles and prayer rooms. It is one of the best places in Bhutan to see how noble families lived.

Day 8

Trongsa, seat of the kings

We drive over Yotong La, at about 3,425 metres, stopping in Chumey to see yathra wool weaving. Trongsa Dzong, the largest dzong in Bhutan, stretches along a ridge above the Mangde Chhu gorge. The first two kings ruled from here, and the crown prince traditionally serves as Trongsa Penlop before taking the throne. The Tower of Trongsa museum explains the history of the monarchy.

Day 9

Over Pele La to Phobjikha

The road climbs over Pele La, at about 3,400 metres, past Chendebji Chorten, and turns into the Phobjikha valley. From late October to February black-necked cranes winter on its marshes. We visit the Black-necked Crane Information Centre and Gangtey Goenpa.

Day 10

From the crane valley to Punakha

An easy morning walk on the Gangtey nature trail, then the drive down to Punakha, about three hours. In the late afternoon we walk through rice fields to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Divine Madman.

Day 11

Punakha Dzong and the valley

A morning walk to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten above the valley, then Punakha Dzong, built in 1637 at the meeting of two rivers and the capital until 1955. In the afternoon you can cross the long suspension bridge or float down the Mo Chhu on a gentle rafting trip.

Day 12

Over Dochula to Thimphu

We cross Dochula, with its 108 chortens, to Thimphu. In the capital we visit Buddha Dordenma, the takin preserve, the Institute for Zorig Chusum and, after office hours, Tashichho Dzong, the seat of the government.

Day 13

Over Chele La to the Haa valley

From Paro the road climbs to Chele La, at about 3,988 metres, the highest motorable pass in western Bhutan, with views of Jomolhari on clear mornings. In the quiet Haa valley we visit Lhakhang Karpo, the White Temple, said to date from the 7th century, and walk through a village. Haa opened to tourists only in 2002 and still feels far from the main route.

Day 14

Hike to the Tiger's Nest

The last full day ends with the classic hike. The path to Paro Taktsang reaches a café viewpoint in about 1.5 hours and the monastery after another hour. Most people take 4 to 6 hours. On the way back we stop at Kyichu Lhakhang, and a farmhouse dinner with a hot stone bath closes the crossing.

Day 15

Farewell to Bhutan

Your guide and driver take you to Paro airport in time for your flight. Morning departures are the most reliable.

Where you stay

Hotels in the east are simpler than in the west; we pick the best available.

Nights	Place	Where you stay	Why we chose it
1	Paro	3-star or 4-star hotel	Close to the airport for the flight
2 to 3	Trashigang	Best available hotel in town	Base for Trashi Yangtse
4	Mongar	Best available hotel	Breaks the drive west
5 to 7	Bumthang	3-star or 4-star hotel	Close to the temples
8	Trongsa	3-star hotel	Gorge views
9	Phobjikha	Lodge or 4-star hotel	On the crane valley
10 to 11	Punakha	3-star or 4-star hotel	Near the dzong
12	Thimphu	3-star or 4-star hotel	Central
13 to 14	Paro	3-star or 4-star hotel	Close to the Tiger's Nest

Luxury lodges are available from Bumthang westward.

What the price covers

Included and not included

Included

Bhutan visa (USD 40) and the Sustainable Development Fee for every night
Hotels as listed, 3-star as standard, with 4-star and luxury upgrades on request
All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
A licensed English-speaking guide for the whole trip
Private car or SUV with a Bhutanese driver, and all transfers
Entry fees to dzongs, temples and museums
Bottled water in the car
Domestic flight from Paro to Yonphula

Not included

International flights into and out of Paro (we can book them for you)
Travel insurance, which we strongly recommend
Drinks, laundry and other personal costs
Tips for your guide and driver
Anything not listed under included

Price on request

Tell us your budget and we will send our best price

We don’t publish one fixed price, because hotels, season and group size change the total a lot. Tell us your dates, who is travelling and the budget you have in mind. We will reply within 24 hours with our best price for this 15 day trip.

How we price

What decides the cost of this trip

Government fees

The SDF is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027, plus a USD 40 visa. These are fixed by the Government of Bhutan and paid through us.

Hotels you choose

The domestic flight, hotel style and group size shape the price. Groups of three or more share the car and guide costs.

Season and dates

Spring and autumn are peak season. Winter and summer dates are often easier to price well.

Group size

Guide and car costs are shared, so the price per person drops for two, three or four travellers.

We send a written, itemised quote before you pay anything. No booking fees.

Good to know

Planning notes for eastern Bhutan

The domestic flight

Drukair flies between Paro and Yonphula on set days of the week, and the schedule changes by season. Domestic flights depend on the weather. We build the plan around the current schedule and have a back-up order ready if the flight cannot run.

Eastern festivals

The Trashigang Tshechu is expected on 7 to 9 December 2027, and Chorten Kora holds its festival in spring. We can time the trip for either.

Best time to go

March to May brings rhododendrons and warm valley days. October and November have the clearest skies and the best mountain views. December to February is cold, bright and quiet, with cranes in Phobjikha. June to August is the monsoon: green and peaceful, with rain most afternoons. Our month-by-month guide has more detail.

Temple etiquette

Cover shoulders and knees in dzongs and temples, take off hats, and walk clockwise around chortens and prayer wheels. Photography is not allowed inside shrine rooms. Your guide explains each place before you go in. Read more in our Bhutan travel rules guide.

Visa, SDF and guide rules

Every visitor except Indian nationals needs a visa, which costs USD 40 and is issued online before you fly. The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027, with half rates for children aged 6 to 11. A Department of Tourism notice from April 2026 confirms that visitors travel with a licensed guide. We file the visa and pay the SDF for you. Read more in our Bhutan visa guide and SDF guide.

Flying into Paro

Only Drukair and Bhutan Airlines fly into Paro, mainly from Bangkok, Delhi, Kathmandu, Kolkata and Singapore. Pilots land by sight between the ridges, so morning flights are the most reliable. We suggest a night in your hub city on the way in. Our flights to Bhutan page lists every route.

East to west Bhutan tour: questions

How much does the 15 day east to west tour cost?

It depends on your hotels, group size and dates. Tell us your budget and we will reply within 24 hours with our best price, including the SDF, visa, hotels, meals, guide and car.

Why fly to Yonphula?

It saves two long days of driving across the country, and you see every valley on the drive back west.

How often does Drukair fly to Yonphula?

On set days each week, with the schedule changing by season. We confirm it when you book.

What if the flight is cancelled?

We reverse part of the plan or drive east instead. Your guide stays with you either way.

Are hotels in the east comfortable?

They are simpler than in the west but clean and friendly. We use the best available in each town.

Is this trip tiring?

There are several long drives, but each is broken with stops. It suits travellers who enjoy road journeys.

When should we book?

Four to six months ahead, so we can secure the domestic flight.

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10 days

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Eastern Bhutan’s birding hotspots.

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Price on request

Ask for your best price

Tell us your dates, who is travelling and your budget. We will check the Yonphula flight schedule and reply within 24 hours with our best price.

Free trip planning enquiry

Let's plan your Bhutan journey

Tell us a little about your trip. Our team in Thimphu will reply with ideas, a day-by-day plan and a full price.

We’ll reply within 24 hours. No booking fees, and no obligation to book.