Laya Gasa Trek

Taktsang Monastery: The wooden structure built amazingly, stands bravely on a cliff. It is said that the great Guru Rinpoche flew here on the back of a tigress and set up this monastery when he brought the teachings of the Buddhist Dharma to Bhutan in the 8th Century. From the road, the hike toward Taktsang follows an uphill route and returning back takes approximately 5-6 hours at an average walking pace on a clear, sunny day.

Later we welcome you to visit Bhutanese homes for dinner with them and experience their hospitality. A visit gives you an interesting glimpse into the lifestyle of Bhutan. And try the Hot Stone Bath. A Bhutanese hot stone bath is the perfect way to relax and wind down after a long day of sightseeing and is also believed to have numerous health benefits.

We start from hotel at 8:00 am to Shana or Shanazam (2,800 Mtrs) is the last road point on Jomolhari trek.

The hike from Shana to Thangthangkha is basically along the riverbank and there isn’t much of a climb which will be a good warm up for the trekkers.

After couple of hours you will pass through Shinkharab (3,059 Mtrs) where you will see the only shop. Right after that we will come across a Junction to Jomolhari and Nubri. It is to the right where we have to continue the hike towards Jomolhari. Then comes Tshema Marp (Red forest) after crossing the metal bridge .The area is filled with different trees with varieties of colored leaves, that’s why it has the name Tshema Marp (Red forest).

After Four hours of hike we stopped for lunch at a location above Tshema Marp (3,300 Mtrs). It was another another 3-4 hours hike to the only Metal Suspension bridge. Right after crossing the Suspension bridge you will arrive at the Junction where it leads to Yaktsha if you take right and cross the wooden bridge and if you continue left without crossing the wooden bridge it will take only 20-30 minutes to Thangthankha camp site.

20KM | 8-9 HOURS | 900M ASCENT | CAMP ALT 3750M

If you are an early bird ,you can vividly catch the Sunrise touching on Mt. Jomolhari (7,326 Mtrs) from Thangthangkha camp site.

We will start our day two hike as early as 8:00 am in the morning and headed towards Jangothang which would take another three- four good hours. The climb is a gentle one towards Jangothang and again the route is along the same river which flows all the way from Jangothang. After 1 – 2 hours we come across the first settlement and also few scattered household along the route till we Soe Gewog.

Jangothang camp site (4,100 Mtrs) is about 20-25 minutes walk from Soe settlement.

After Lunch at campsite, we will and started hiking towards Tshophu to see the Twin Lakes. The hike from Jangothang to Tshophu is all uphill and takes up 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. On the way to Tshophu we saw herd of Blue Sheeps on the left side of the Tshophu hill.

17KM | 4-5 HOURS | 290M ASCENT | CAMP ALT 4040M

The rest day in Jangothang provides plenty of possibilities for day hikes with great views of lakes and snow-capped mountains such as Jomolhari and Jichu Drake. You can also trek up to Tosoh or hike around the area. hike to the north of your camp on a open and endless slope till you see the view of Mt Jichu Drakye (6989m). You are likely to spot rare blue sheep, Himalayan rhubarb, griffon vultures, golden eagles and the remarkable blue poppy. If you do not wish to hike but simply wish to just relax in camp, whichever option you choose, its certainly going to be a memorable day.

CAMP ALT 4040M

Our day begins as early as 5:30 am in the morning so that we can see the Sun Rise on Mt. Jomolhari. Mt. Jomolhari is the second highest mountain in Bhutan at an elevation of 7,326 Mtrs. The mountain is also referred to as bride of Mt. Kanchenjunga. The water from the glaciers of Mt. Jomolhari is also one of the source of Paro Chhu.

We will start our hike from Jangothang to Lingshi at 08:00 AM in the morning. The expected hiking time is about 8-9 hours to Lingshi. Today we will be crossing one of the highest mountain pass, Neyleyla Pass which is about 4,870 Mtrs and it will take at least 5 hours to summit from Jangothang.

From Neyleyla Pass which is all downhill, we will be descending from 4,800 Mtrs – 4,100 Mtrs. Our guide will take us to one of most breathtaking view point before reaching Lingshi. We can see Mt. Jichu Drake, Mt. Tsherim Gang (6,780 Mtrs) , Glacial Lakes and the glorious Lingshi Yugyal Dzong from the view point. This view point is about 15-20 minutes uphill hike from the main trek route.

18KM | 6-7 HOURS | 830M ASCENT | 860M DESCENT | CAMP ALT 4010M

We began our day three of the trek from Lingshi gewog to Chebisa and before that we hiked to Lingshi Yugyal dzong (4,200 Mtrs) also known as Lingshi dzong. It takes only about 15-20 minutes from the gewog to the dzong.
On a clear weather one can see as far as Neyleyla Pass (4,840 Mtrs) which is a mountain Pass between Lingshi and Jangothang (Soe) and Yakleyla Pass (4,940 Mtrs) the mountain pass between Lingshi and Barshong. One can get a scenic view of Mt. Jichu Drake (6,794 Mtrs) and a portion of Mt. Tsherimgang (6,789 Mtrs).

On the Way to Chebisa we came across Gon-Yul Village which takes about two hours from Lingshi gewog Centre. After three hours of Hike from lingshi gewog Centre we arrived at Chebisa village which is situated at an elevation about 3,800 mtrs. After having lunch at Chebisa we visited the waterfall which is right above the Village towards the north hill. It takes only about 10-15 minutes from the Village and after returning from the waterfall we made a tour of Chebisa settlement.

12KM | 5-6 HOURS | 250M DESCENT | CAMP ALT 3850M

Its our day four of the trek and today we will be hiking from Chebisa to Shomuthang Campsite passing through Gobula Pass (4,500 Mtrs) and Shakaypasa Valley.

The climb from Chebisa village to Gobula Pass is one of the hardest climb of the trek as one has to climb from 3,800 Mtrs to 4,500 Mtrs in just two hours. The inclination of the slope is more than 45 degree and the trail is not well maintained and therefore one has to be careful on the way to Gobula Pass.

The Mesmerizing view you enjoy while climbing Gobula pass is worth the hardship as you get to see Mt. Tsherimgang (6,789 Mtrs), Jichu Drake (6,794 Mtrs), Neyleyla Pass (4,840 Mtrs), Yakleyla Pass (4,940 Mtrs),Lingshi and Chebisa Valley. The scenery becomes even more breathtaking once you are on Gobula Pass (4,500 Mtrs) and from the you will get the glimpse of Gangchenta Mountain as known as Tiger Mountain (6,840 Mtrs) and Mt. Kangbum (6,526 Mtrs ) on the left.

It is another 20-30 minutes downhill hike from Gobula Pass through Rhododendron bushes till you reach small stream and from this point its 60 minutes gradual uphill hike till the view point where you see the Shakaypasa Valley. Then its all downhill where you will come across Yak herders camp and to the Shakaypasa taking about 30 minutes.

Finally we made it to Shakaypasa valley after four hours from Chebisa and we had our lunch near the only Yak herders camp. We were even invited to the camp and the nomad offered us tea and ezay (spices made of Chilli and cheese).Shakaypasa is a beautiful and wide valley at an elevation close to 4,000 Mtrs and is one of the largest grazing ground for the community of lingshi Yak herders.

The next one hour from Shakaypasa is steep uphill climb and another hour a gradual one till Shomuthang campsite. It takes close to six hours from Chebisa to Shomuthang campsite and the distance is about 17 kilometers.

17KM | 6-7 HOURS | 570M ASCENT | 290M DESCENT | CAMP ALT 4130M

Start from Dralung (Shomuthang) at eight in the morning. Our camp site was right above the Yak herders camp. On the way to Jarila Pass we came across two Himalayan Blue Sheep.It took us 2 hours from Shomuthang to Jarila Pass which is gentle climb.

Jarila Pass stands at an altitude of 4,729 mtrs and the view from this pass is breathtaking and scenic. One can see as far as Neyleyla Pass, Yakleyla Pass, Gobula Pass on Lingshi side and Sinchela Pass on Laya side.It is said that the boundary till Jarila Pass falls under Lingshi Dungkhag,Thimphu dzongkhag and after crossing the pass it is under the jurisdiction of Gasa dzongkhag particularly laya region.

The hike from Jarila Pass to Tsharijathang valley is all downhill and on the way one has to go through tree line which takes almost an hour cross.It consumes close to 40 minutes from Jarila Pass till the tree line. After crossing tree line we arrived at the valley opposite to Tsharijathang and and from there we followed the path towards the right after crossing wooden bridge.

It is another 15-20 minutes hike from the wooden bridge till Tsharijathang valley whereby we crossed Jholethang chhu (stream) via long & narrow log bridge to get one the other side of the meadow.

Tsharijathang is a natural habitat and sanctuary for the national animal of Bhutan, The Takin. It is known that the Takin spends about 4 months here at Tsharijathang in summer and then migrate to lower valley in cold seasons. It is one of largest meadow i have seen during the entire trek. It was already one hour past noon and we had our Lunch at Tsharijathang.

After lunch we headed to our camp site which is on a hill above Tsharijathang and it took us about an hour to Robluthang Camp site at an elevation of 4,100 Mtrs. The total distance from Shomuthang to Robluthang is around 11 Km and the time taken is about 6 Hours including photo session and lunch break on the way.

17KM | 6-7 HOURS | 570M ASCENT | 290M DESCENT | CAMP ALT 4130M

The trek starts out with an initial 40-60mins ascent before gradually raising for another 1.5 hours through a boulder field. It is then a 1 hour steep ascent before reaching Sinche La (5,005m) – the final and highest pass on the trek if you don’t intend to continue the Snowman trek from Laya onwards. As you descend the far side of the passyou will see an impressive terminal moraine and a glacial lake at the foot of the valley. You can see classic examples of lateral moraines where the glacier has pushed rocks up both sides of the valley. Below the moraine, you cross the Kango Chhu and soon reach the Limithang campsite. The peak of Gangchhenta
towers over the campsite even though it’s quite a distance away.

19KM | 7-8 HOURS | 850M ASCENT | 870M DESCENT | CAMP ALT 4140M

Today, you walk downhill all the way along a narrow, winding river valley. The trail leads you to the west side of Laya village. In the village center is a community school and a basic health unit with a telephone connection. The campsite is located below the school.

10KM | 4-5 HOURS | CAMP ALT 3850M

Today is a day you can temper to your taste. Explore Laya village and go visit any of the houses around. Hospitality is a big part of Bhutanese tradition. Even to a perfect stranger, traditional Bhutanese hospitality is extended and a cup of tea and Chang (local, wine) is always offered. You will notice that the people in this valley are very interesting especially their attire. Women in particular have very conspicuous attire, wearing conical bamboo hats decorated with turquoise and silver ornaments

The trail winds up and down along the river valley of Mo Chhu avoiding natural obstacles and affording breath-taking views of the raging river, feeder streams and waterfalls. It takes 4 hours to reach the road point and our car will pick up and head to Gasa. Visit Gasa Dzong and head to Punakha. 3 hours drive.

19KM | 6-7 HOURS | 950M DESCENT 

After breakfast visit Punakha Dzong one of the majestic fortress which is located between Pho Chu (Male River) and Mo Chu (Female River). Punakha was the ancient capital of Bhutan and then drive to Thimphu (2 hours). On the way, stop over the Dochu-La pass (3,100 meters), which on a clear day offers an incredible view of Himalayan peaks snowclad mountains from the pass. The beauty of this place is further enhanced by the Druk Wangyel Chorten – 108 stupas.

In Thimphu, walk through Bhutan’s capital city exploring Clock Tower Square, a prominent landmark adorned with intricate Bhutanese motifs and stroll towards Thimphu’s iconic traffic junction, famously known as the main traffic circle as it has no traffic lights. Instead, you’ll witness a white-gloved traffic officer gracefully directing vehicles in a choreographed style that has become a tourist attraction in its own right. Changlimithang Archery Ground to see local folks playing their tradition game archery.
The Centenary Farmers Market (Now Kaja Throm) is a vibrant and dynamic space, offering a diverse range of products and experiences.

Buddha Dordenma Statue, also known as the “Buddha Point,” is a massive statue of Buddha Shakyamuni in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Overnight in Thimphu 

Drive to Paro International Airport (1 hour) from Thimphu and bid you farewell