Pilgrimage tour · 11 days, 10 nights

11 Day Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour of Bhutan: Kyichu, Kurjey, Burning Lake and the Tiger's Nest

A trip to the most sacred places in Bhutan: Kyichu Lhakhang, the temples of Thimphu and Punakha, the Guru Rinpoche sites of Bumthang, the Burning Lake and Tharpaling, ending at the Tiger’s Nest.

7th c.

Kyichu and Jambay Lhakhang, by tradition

Major sacred sites

Domestic flight

Private

Guide and car

Trip overview

Walking in Guru Rinpoche's footsteps

Bhutan is the last country in the world where Vajrayana Buddhism is the state religion, and its landscape is full of sacred places. Many are linked to Guru Rinpoche, the 8th century master who brought Buddhism to the Himalaya. Others go back further, to the temples said to have been built by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century to pin down a demoness who lay across the Himalaya.

This pilgrimage visits the most important of these places in a sensible order. You start at Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro, one of those 7th century temples. In Thimphu you visit Changangkha Lhakhang and Cheri Monastery, founded by the Zhabdrung, who unified Bhutan. In Punakha, the great dzong holds the country’s most sacred relics. Then you drive east to Bumthang, the spiritual heart of Bhutan, to visit Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang with Guru Rinpoche’s body print in the rock, Tamshing, Mebar Tsho, the Burning Lake, and the monasteries of Tharpaling and Nimalung in the Chhume valley.

You fly back from Bumthang to Paro and finish at Paro Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest, built around the cave where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated. Your guide explains the stories, prayers and offerings at each place, and you have time to light butter lamps and sit quietly.

Highlights

Sacred places on the route

Kyichu Lhakhang

One of Bhutan's oldest temples, in Paro.

Punakha Dzong

Home of the country's most sacred relics.

Kurjey Lhakhang

Guru Rinpoche's body print in the rock.

Mebar Tsho

The Burning Lake of Pema Lingpa.

Tharpaling

A monastery high above the Chhume valley.

Tiger's Nest

Guru Rinpoche's meditation cave above Paro.

Itinerary at a glance

Eleven days across the sacred west and centre

We can time the trip with a festival in Bumthang or Paro.

Day 1: Arrive in Paro

Land in Paro, Kyichu Lhakhang, Rinpung Dzong.

Day 2: To Thimphu

Drive to Thimphu, Changangkha Lhakhang, Memorial Chorten, Buddha Dordenma.

Day 3: Cheri Monastery

Hike to Cheri Monastery, Tashichho Dzong.

Day 4: To Punakha

Dochula, Punakha Dzong, Chimi Lhakhang.

Day 5: To Trongsa

Pele La, Chendebji Chorten, Trongsa Dzong.

Day 6: To Bumthang

Yotong La, Chhume valley, Nimalung, Jakar.

Day 7: Bumthang temples

Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang, Tamshing, Jakar Dzong.

Day 8: Burning Lake, Tharpaling

Mebar Tsho in the Tang valley, Tharpaling Monastery.

Day 9: Fly to Paro

Domestic flight from Bumthang to Paro, afternoon at leisure.

Day 10: Tiger's Nest

Hike to Paro Taktsang, butter lamp offering.

Day 11: Depart

Transfer to Paro airport.

Day 1

Arrive and visit Kyichu Lhakhang

Your guide meets you at Paro airport. In the afternoon you visit Kyichu Lhakhang, said to have been built in 659 by Songtsen Gampo, one of 108 temples raised in a single day to subdue a demoness. You light butter lamps and walk around the temple with local pilgrims. Later you visit Rinpung Dzong.

Day 2

The temples of Thimphu

You drive an hour to Thimphu. Changangkha Lhakhang, on a ridge above the city, is where parents bring newborns to be named and blessed. The Memorial Chorten, built in 1974, is circled by pilgrims from dawn to dusk. In the evening you visit Buddha Dordenma, one of the largest seated Buddha statues in the world.

Day 3

Cheri, the Zhabdrung's first monastery

At the north end of the Thimphu valley you cross a covered bridge and hike about an hour up to Cheri Monastery, founded in 1620 by the Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the founder of the Bhutanese state. Monks study and meditate here, and the hillside is home to goral, a wild goat. In the afternoon you visit Tashichho Dzong, seat of the central monk body.

Day 4

Punakha Dzong and Chimi Lhakhang

You cross Dochula to Punakha. Punakha Dzong, built in 1637 by the Zhabdrung, holds the Rangjung Kharsapani, a sacred self-created image, and the Zhabdrung’s remains rest within its walls. It is the winter home of the central monk body. In the afternoon you walk to Chimi Lhakhang, blessed by Drukpa Kunley, the Divine Madman.

Day 5

East over Pele La

The road climbs over Pele La, at about 3,400 metres, into central Bhutan. You stop at Chendebji Chorten, built in the style of Kathmandu’s Boudhanath. Trongsa Dzong, the largest dzong in Bhutan, sits on a ridge above a deep gorge; it is the ancestral seat of the royal family.

Day 6

Into Bumthang

You cross Yotong La into Bumthang. In the Chhume valley you visit Nimalung Dratshang, a monastic school, and a weaving centre known for yathra, the woollen cloth of Bumthang. In the evening you reach Jakar, the main town of the valley.

Day 7

The Guru Rinpoche temples

Jambay Lhakhang is another of Songtsen Gampo’s 7th century temples. Kurjey Lhakhang is one of the holiest places in Bhutan: Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated here and left the print of his body in the rock. Across the river, Tamshing Lhakhang was founded in 1501 by Pema Lingpa, the treasure revealer, and keeps some of the oldest paintings in Bhutan. Pilgrims wear a heavy chain-mail shirt made by Pema Lingpa and walk around the inner shrine.

Day 8

The Burning Lake and Tharpaling

In the morning you drive to the Tang valley and walk down to Mebar Tsho, the Burning Lake. Legend says Pema Lingpa dived into the river here holding a burning lamp and came back with a treasure, the lamp still alight. Pilgrims float butter lamps on the water. In the afternoon you visit Tharpaling Monastery, high above the Chhume valley, where the great master Longchenpa is said to have taught.

Day 9

Fly back to Paro

You fly from Bathpalathang airport in Bumthang to Paro, about 30 minutes over the mountains, saving two days of driving. Drukair flies this route on set days of the week, and we time the trip to match. The afternoon is free to rest in Paro.

Day 10

Pilgrimage to the Tiger's Nest

The last pilgrimage is the most famous. Paro Taktsang is built around the cave where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated after flying here on the back of a tigress. The hike takes five to six hours return. Inside, you can offer butter lamps and sit in the shrine rooms. In the evening, a farewell dinner.

Day 11

Fly home

After breakfast your guide drives you to Paro airport for your flight.

Where you stay

Comfortable hotels close to the sacred sites.

Nights	Place	Where you stay	Why we chose it
1	Paro	3-star or 4-star hotel	Near Kyichu Lhakhang
2 and 3	Thimphu	3-star or 4-star hotel	Central
4	Punakha	3-star or 4-star hotel	Valley views
5	Trongsa	3-star hotel	With a view of the dzong
6 to 8	Bumthang	3-star or 4-star hotel	Chamkhar valley
9 and 10	Paro	3-star or 4-star hotel	Near the Tiger's Nest trailhead

Luxury lodges are available in every valley on request.

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
Domestic flight from Bumthang to Paro
Butter lamp offerings at the main temples
Private car or SUV with a Bhutanese driver, and all transfers
Entry fees to dzongs, temples and museums
Bottled water in the car

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
Personal donations at temples

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 pilgrimage tour.

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 and hotel style change the total most. Group pilgrimages share the guide and car.

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 your pilgrimage

Making offerings

At most temples you can light butter lamps, offer a small donation in front of the altar, or receive holy water and a blessing from the caretaker monk. Your guide will show you how to prostrate if you wish, and when not to. Small notes of Ngultrum are useful; you can change money in Paro and Thimphu.

Group pilgrimages

We plan pilgrimages for Buddhist groups from India, Southeast Asia and beyond, including visits timed with teachings or empowerments when they are open to the public, and meetings with lamas where possible. Tell us about your group and its tradition, and we will shape the route.

Festivals on a pilgrimage

Many pilgrims time their trip with a festival. Jambay Lhakhang Drup and the Tharpaling Thongdrol take place in Bumthang, and the Paro Tshechu in spring ends with a giant thangka unrolled at dawn. See our 2027 festival calendar.

Domestic flight

Drukair flies between Bumthang and Paro on set days of the week, and schedules can change. If weather cancels the flight, we drive back instead, which takes two long days. We keep the end of the trip flexible for this reason.

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.

Altitude

Paro sits at about 2,200 metres and Thimphu at about 2,300. Most people feel fine after a slow first day. Drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol at first, and tell your guide about headaches or poor sleep. The Tiger’s Nest, at about 3,120 metres, comes later in the trip for this reason.

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.

Buddhist pilgrimage tour: questions

How much does the pilgrimage 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.

Which are the most sacred sites in Bhutan?

Paro Taktsang, Kurjey Lhakhang, Kyichu Lhakhang, Jambay Lhakhang and Punakha Dzong are among the most important.

Can non-Buddhists join?

Yes. Everyone is welcome at Bhutan’s temples, as long as they follow the etiquette.

Can we meet a lama?

Sometimes. We ask on your behalf, but meetings depend on their schedules.

Can we time it with a festival?

Yes. Bumthang and Paro have festivals in spring and autumn.

What if the Bumthang flight is cancelled?

We drive back to Paro over two days and adjust the plan.

Is vegetarian food available?

Yes. Vegetarian meals are easy throughout Bhutan.