A Complete Guide to the 11-Days Chomolhari Trek in Bhutan

Bhutan, the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’, has countless adventures with its vast mountainous terrains and enchanting cultural heritage. Chomolhari Trek is one of the most popular high altitude treks in Bhutan. This trek offers fantastic views of the 7314m high Mount. Chomolhari. The most special thing about this trek is that you can explore the snow-capped peaks, turquoise-tinted lakes, wildlife, wandering yak herders and serene religious sites. If you are looking for a relatively short trek which gives you most thrilling experiences of Bhutan, Chomolhari Trek is for you!

He did it! Despite many an obstacle my Dad just survived his first camping⛺️, not showering, and no connectivity for 9 nonstop trekking days in the Bhutanese Himalaya. . . The first day, when climbing up to tigers nest, he fainted, fell head first, and found head bleeding and rib broken. Then his heart arrhythmia set his heart racing and neck sweating. He decided to move forward. By the second day, he got food poisoning and was up all night with diarrhea and vomit. It did not seem he was going to be well enough to complete the high mountain passes ahead. . . Regardless, he pushed on, made it to Jomolhari base camp at 13,451 ft, then the next day back down and up to to Nye La at 15,912 ft, and the following day down and back up to Yale la at 16,240 ft. . . Ya, I’d call that a fathers love ❤️ . . #afatherslove #whereindaworldwednesday #jomolhari #bhutan #hymalaya

A post shared by Carmen Enns (@whereindaworldiscarmen) on Oct 25, 2017 at 7:52pm PDT

So, here we have guided you by giving the complete information regarding an adventurous 11 days trek in Bhutan.

Highlights:

Duration: 11days

Best time to travel: Late September to Mid November & late March to mid-May.

Highest elevation: 4820m

A detailed itinerary of Bhutan Chomolhari Trek:

Day-1: Arrive at Paro and transfer to hotel: In the morning you have to board a flight from your town to Paro. On arrival at Paro International Airport, you will be received by our representative and transferred to the hotel. After lunch, you can explore the sightseeing places in Paro. On return to the hotel, you’ll have a pre-trek briefing session.

Day-2: Trek to Shana: Next morning the trek starts from Drukgyal Dzong to Shana. During trekking, you can enjoy the panoramic view of amazing landscapes. Finally reaching Shana, we check-in at one of the camps. In the camp, you can enjoy the campfire at night.

Trekking Time –5-6 hours

Day-3: Shana to Soi Thangthangkha: On the 3rd day of the tour we trail along the side of Paro River. We climb upwardly along with the continuing riverside and finally reach the campsite to stay overnight.

Trekking Time – 6-7hours

Day-4: Trek to Jangothang: Next morning after enjoying the view to Chomolhari and breakfast, we ascend for a while till you reach the army camp. After crossing the army camp, you gradually climb into a beautiful valley and can explore the stunning view of high mountains. You will stay in camp overnight.

Trekking Time – 6-7hours

Day-5: Jangothang to Lingshi: On the drive to Jangothang, you will get a chance to visit wide yak pastures on the way up and down the pass. We descend gradually from the pass to our campsite at Lingshi to stay overnight.

Trekking Time – 6-7hours

Day-6: Trek to Shodu: On the 6th day of the tour the route ascends up to the Yeli-la pass at an altitude of 4,820m. Once over the pass, there is a long descent to our camp at Shodu.

Trekking Time – 7 to 8 Hours

Day-7: Shodu to Barshong: Next morning, we will head to Barshong following the Thimphu River. It will take about an hour of the final climb to reach Barshong. Spend your night in a camp. It will take 4-5hrs.

Day-8: Barshong to Dolamkencho: On the 8th day of the tour we proceed to DolamKencho where the pathway descends gently down to meet Thimphu Chhu. Enjoy overnight camping in the open space. The trek will be complete within 4-5hrs.

Day-9: Dolamkencho to Thimphu via Dodena: In the next morning we will leave for Thimphu via Dodena. Our vehicle meets us at Dodena and we drive to Thimphu where we spend overnight.

Day-10: Thimphu to Paro: On the last day of your tour, we will set off on a full day sightseeing trip of the Thimphu Valley. Your evening time will be spent at leisure. Spend overnight at the hotel in Thimphu.

Day-11: Final Departure: After breakfast, we will bid you farewell at the Paro International Airport for your flight to your onward destinations.

Utkarsh Travels is the best Bhutan trekking agency which organizes your trip more conveniently at cheaper rates with comfortable accommodations and healthy food.

Frequent questions to be asked:

Q.How many warm clothes do we need for trekking?

A.We would recommend that you should wear at least three layers of clothing during trekking.  Along with a thermal shirt, a water or windproof jacket is also recommended.

Q. What do I need to carry during trekking?

A. Altitude tablet- Because you might feel altitude sleekness at the highest peak, so it is preferable to carry altitude tablets with you.

A. Water bottle: As trekking is an adventurous activity, it makes feel you thirsty. So water bottle should be carried with you

A. Power-banks: you should also carry power banks with you, so your phone can never run out of battery. And you can also capture the beautiful view of mountains during your trekking.

A. Sunscreens, sunglasses, caps etc are all the necessary things you may need during your trekking.

Q. What do we eat and drink while on trek?

A. We provide you the food based on local diet. Breakfast items will be tea, coffee, boiled eggs, toast etc. We also provide rice, vegetables, meat dishes etc. Properly cooked and boiled food will be served to you for your good health.