Dur Hot Spring Trek

Your guide will meet you at your hotel in the morning to begin your city tour of Kathmandu. You will visit the Boudhanath temple, the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal, Pashupatinath, a Hindu pilgrimage site, and possibly view cremation ceremonies along the banks of the Bagmati River and continue drive to Patan Durbar Square to take in ancient Nepalese architecture and end your tour after a lunch. Then, you will visit the Patan museum. Overnight in Kathmandu.

After breakfast you will be transferred to Tribhuvan International Airport for the flight to Paro. After completing the visa formalities at the Paro airport you will be received by our Bhutan’s representative and transferred to the hotel. While driving through the picturesque Paro valley with its quaint clusters of hamlets amid terraced paddy fields you will see by the sight of white-domed peak of the sacred Mt. Jhomolhari that looms overhead. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore the town of Paro and its markets. Dinner and overnight in hotel.

After breakfast we will drive to Drugyel dzong, the ruined Fort (destroyed by fire in 1950.). From here we can have the view of sacred Mt. Chomolhari on clear days. After lunch we drive to Ta Dzong former Watch Tower which now houses the National Museum and then walk down passing close by the Paro Dzong, crossing the Bhutanese typical wooden roofed bridge to Paro. After a short stroll in town we drive back to hotel for overnight dinner and stay.

Today we follow the winding road up the Paro valley to Thimphu, Capital of Bhutan. Check in hotel and lunch. After lunch we visit the Memorial Chorten (Stupa) of His Late Majesty the 3rd King of Bhutan. Overnight in hotel.

After breakfast we go sightseeing tour of other popular sites of tourist interest such as the Nunnery, National Library, Painting School and Handicraft Emporium and then drive back to hotel for lunch. After lunch we continue our sightseeing visiting Simthokha Dzong, the first fort built by Shabdrung who unified the kingdom in the 17th century, now it is turned to school for study of National Language – Dzongkha.Then we drive to Punakha across Dochula pass (3,080m). Dinner and overnight in Punakha.

After breakfast we will visit Punakha Dzong, built strategically at the junction of Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers in 1637 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to serve as the religious and administrative centre of the region, Punakha Dzong has played an important role in Bhutan’s history. Damaged by four catastrophic fires and an earthquake, the Dzong has now been fully restored. After lunch we will drive to Bumthang. Dinner and overnight in guest house.

Here we will visit the Jambey Lhakhang, Tamshing Monastery, Jakar Dzong and Swiss Farm House, Swiss cheese factory and apple juice factory. Kurje Lhakhang is a temple where saint Padmasambhava subdued a local demon and left his body imprint on a rock. Tales of the great teacher Guru Padmasambhava dominates this sacred Bumthang valley. Dinner and overnight in  hotel.

After breakfast we drive up to Dur village (3,100m). From Dur we will start our trek following the river Yoleng Chhu. We keep walking through a forest and gently ascend uphill until we reach to the campsite. Overnight in camp.

Today we trek through dense forest of spruce, hemlock, cypress, juniper and maples until we reach to the campsite .The trail is more or less muddy and in some places we have to ascend. Overnight in camp.

From Lungsum we trek all the way up hill till we reach the Julila pass, which is about 4700m. The vegetation from Lungsum to Tsochenchen is more or less same. We set up our camp above tree line. Overnight in camp.

Today’s walk is all the way uphill until Juli la pass (4,700m), if the day is clear, we will have a great view of the surrounding mountains from the pass. After crossing the pass we gently descend to a lake at 4,220m, and then climb again to Gokthong La (4,640m). From this pass it is steep tail down the campsite at an altitude of 3,590 m. Musk deer, herds of blue sheep and Himalayan black bear are sometimes seen along this route. Overnight in the camp.

After a late breakfast relax in the hot spring. Wooden bath tubs called Waa are fitted on the ground. The famous Buddhist saint Padmasambhava is said to have founded this hot springs- as a cure-all for all ailments: the word Dur in Dzongkha means- essence, meaning that the hot spring contains the heart essence (medicinal) that can cure. Overnight in camp.

The return trek trail from Dur Tsachu is all the way up hill till you reach the pass. After crossing the pass the trek trail descends till we reach the campsite. Overnight in camp.

We will retrace the same way to Gorsum.

From Gorsum we descend downhill till we cross the bridge of Dur village. Then we follow the road where the transport would be waiting for us. Drive to Bumthang. After lunch you will be free at your own. Overnight in Bumthang.

After breakfast we drive to Thimphu.and then continue our journey to Paro.

After the spectacular flight back to Kathmandu the rest of the day you are free to relax in Kathmandu or to go shopping.