Hidden Haa & the Western Valleys
A quieter West: over one of Bhutan's highest road passes into Haa, a valley that only opened to visitors in 2002.
Haa is the West without the crowds: a pastoral valley of farmhouses, barley fields and ancient temples, reached over the prayer-flag summit of Chele La.
Pair it with a farm stay and the capital's crafts and markets for a journey that feels genuinely off the beaten path, yet never far from comfort.
Highlights
- Chele La pass (3,988 m) and its prayer flags
- Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo, Haa's white and black temples
- A night in a Haa farmhouse
- Thimphu's markets and craft schools
- The Tiger's Nest
Day by day
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Day 1
Arrive in Paro
Meet your guide and visit Rinpung Dzong and the National Museum.
Rinpung Dzong · Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 2
Paro to Haa over Chele La
Climb through rhododendron and pine to Chele La (3,988 m), strung with prayer flags, with views toward Jomolhari on clear mornings. Descend into the Haa valley.
Chele La · Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 3
Haa
Visit Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo, walk between villages and share a home-cooked meal. Overnight in a farmhouse.
Lhakhang Karpo · Photo: Christopher J. Fynn, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Day 4
Haa to Thimphu
Follow the Haa river down to Chhuzom and on to the capital. Afternoon at the Centenary Farmers' Market and the Memorial Chorten.
Centenary Farmers' Market · Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 5
Thimphu
Tashichho Dzong, the Institute of Zorig Chusum, the Folk Heritage Museum and the takin, Bhutan's national animal, at the Motithang preserve.
Tashichho Dzong · Photo: Christopher J. Fynn, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 6
Thimphu to Paro · Tiger's Nest
An early drive back to Paro to hike to Paro Taktsang.
Paro Taktsang · Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 7
Depart
Transfer to Paro airport for your onward flight.
Paro International Airport · Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0
Included on this journey
More journeys
Classic Western Bhutan
Bhutan's essential first journey: cliffside monasteries, the capital's living culture and the great dzong of Punakha, at an unhurried pace.
The Happiness Tour
A deeper journey into the heart of the kingdom: from the western valleys to glacial Phobjikha and the spiritual heartland of Bumthang.
Grand Bhutan: West to East
The whole kingdom, end to end: from Paro's cliffs to the rarely visited east, exiting overland to India.
Make it yours.
Tell us your dates and wishes, and we'll tailor this journey around you.
- Private & tailor-made
- Licensed by Bhutan’s Department of Tourism
- Every enquiry answered personally