Day 1: Kathmandu to Paro, Bhutan
We will board our Druk Air flight to Paro (7,200 feet), arriving in the afternoon. This flight is one of the most spectacular of all mountain flights. The view from the left side of our plane will be unforgettable, as we look out across many of the major peaks of the Himalaya, including Everest, Makalu and Kangchendzonga, three of the world's highest mountains. As we descend into the Paro Valley, we will enjoy splendid views of alpine forests, small monasteries, temples and flat-roofed farm houses. The first free gift you'll receive from Bhutan will be the cool, clean fresh air you feel as you step out of the plane. The second will be the warm welcome we'll receive from our Bhutanese hosts. The Paro Valley is enchanting. A single road lined with willows, clear mountain streams and families working in the rice paddies, with one of Bhutan's most impressive dzongs (fortresses) rising above it all, creates a memorable first impression. We will drive the short distance to the Druk Hotel, a sanctuary nestled in the hills above Paro in one of Bhutan's most picturesque towns. In the evening, we will assemble our bikes in preparation for the start of our journey.

Day 2: Paro to Thimpu
After a morning tour of Paro we will set out on our first day's biking, with Thimpu (8,000 feet) as our
Bhutanese dancers celebrating the 25th anniversary of the King’s coronation. (Thimpu, Bhutan)destination. Today's ride, which will cover 37 miles, is a gentle ride that will help us get in the rhythm of things. The road to Thimpu, Bhutan's capital, follows the valley of the Thimpu River through a mixture of rice fields and forests of conifer. Thimpu, the only large settlement in Bhutan, is spread out across a wide valley. Upon reaching Thimpu, we will check into our hotel; the rest of the afternoon will be spent at leisure, as we experience the sights and sounds of Bhutan's "most happening" town. In the evening, we will meet as a group for dinner in the Druk Hotel. Thimpu, situated at an elevation of 8,000 feet, is the least known and most exclusive of the Himalayan capitals. Thimpu has a population of about 30,000. It also has one of the richest Buddhist histories in all the Himalaya. Its unique architecture echoes a mix of Nepali and Central Tibetan styles and is immediately apparent and inviting. Sites around town include the Late King's Memorial Chorten, the silversmith and pottery workshops, the traditional medicine hospitals, the Buddhist thangkha painting school, and the National Library. We have allotted time here for shopping in Thimpu's wonderful markets, where some of Asia's finest textiles can be found. For the non-shoppers among us, there is no shortage of sightseeing opportunities.

Days 3: Thimpu to Wangdi
Our stay in Thimpu will be only a short one. After breakfast, we will tackle the 14 mile, 1,920 foot climb to the first pass, the Dochu La (10,000 feet). As we begin our climb, we will leave the forest plantations around Thimpu, entering a magnificent temperate forest with an abundance of rhododendron and magnolia. We will break for lunch on the pass. The views from the pass are magnificent, offering a panorama of the Eastern Himalaya, including all of the giant 22,400 foot (7,000 meter) peaks of the Lunana region in northern Bhutan. The descent from the Dochu La into the Punakha Valley is memorable. We will descend 5,440 feet over a distance of 26 miles. On our descent, we will pass first through leafy temperate forests, and then through a semi-tropical zone with abundant orange trees, bananas and bamboo. Along the way, we will pass through two or three small villages, eventually arriving at Punakha, Bhutan's old winter capital, where we will spend some time looking around its magnificent dzong, built in 1637. Lying at the junction of the Mo (mother) Chu and the Po (father) Chu, Punakha Dzong is the winter home of more than 1,000 monks. Each year, the Punakha festival celebrates Bhutan's victory over the Tibetans, who were repulsed while trying to recapture the sacred statue of Avalokiteshvara, which was brought to Bhutan by Shabdrung in 1637. Our last ride of the day takes us to Wangdi, not by the paved road but by the old jeep road on the opposite side of the river. This level ride of 7 miles passes through several small settlements that are rarely visited by tourists. Wangdi itself is perched on a spur at the confluence of two rivers. It boasts yet another magnificent dzong, which sits in a commanding position above the village, affording views in all four directions.

Day 4: Wangdi to Gangtey
"The Central Road", which crosses the Black Mountains, was completed only 10-15 years ago, and its completion brought great changes to the lives of the people of central Bhutan. It is now possible to drive the 80 miles from Wangdi to Tongsa in 6 hours, although it takes two days to cover the same distance on bike. The road is quite often blocked by landslides during the monsoon months from June through September. The road is flat for the first 6 miles and then, just beyond the village of Tikke, at a bridge across the river, it begins its long ascent to the summits of the Black Mountains. This is the first big climb of our trip, and we will gain almost 4,800 feet of altitude over the next 25 miles, culminating at the junction with the side road into Gangtey, which crosses a few miles beyond Nobding. For those with energy to spare, a further 1,600 foot ascent up this rough jeep road will lead to a small pass overlooking the Phobjika Valley, the home of the black-necked crane, which migrates here from the Central Asiatic Plateau each November. A short descent leads into the small village of Gangtey, whose houses are clustered around the monastery.

Day 5: Gangtey to Tongsa
We will load our bikes into the support vehicles for the short (1,000 feet of ascent) climb back to the pass, for the superb "off-road" descent back down to the main road. Heading eastwards once again, we will continue our climb for 9 miles to the Pele La (10,560 feet). We will likely see langur monkeys in the forests that line the road on this section of our ride. At the pass, the forest opens out a little, and we may find yaks grazing along the sides of the road. Looking back from the pass, it will be possible to see Jomo Lhari (23,997 feet) rising in Western Bhutan. The Pele La is the second of our "five big passes," and by now we should be getting accustomed to the climbs. Pele
Bhutanese man. (Thimpu, Bhutan)La is traditionally known as the boundary between Western and Central Bhutan, and the landscape which spreads out on the far side of the pass is different from that on the western side. Another amazing descent follows (4,896 feet). It is downhill almost all the way to Tongsa. We will take our lunch at Chenjebi, a magnificent chorten (the only one of its kind in Bhutan) built to ward off the demons of the valley. After crossing a bridge at Nikkarchu, we will enter Tongsa district. We will follow a dramatic section of the road, carved into the side of a cliff, high above the Mangde Chu. The scenery is beautiful: forests as far as the eye can see, with the Tongsa Dzong visible 13 miles away, at the end of the valley. "Tongsa" means "New Village." This "New Village" was founded in the 16th century, which is relatively recent by Bhutanese standards. After so much downhill riding, you should be sure to conserve energy for the final 1,000 foot climb into Tongsa village. If we have time in the afternoon we will take a look around the dzong, which is situated on a spur over the Mangde Chu, with a commanding view in every direction.

Day 6: Tongsa to Jakar
The road climbs rapidly through a series of hairpin turns out of Tongsa, with great views back towards the dzong and out across the valley. After passing through cultivated fields, we will re-enter the forest. Approximately 18 miles out of Tongsa, we will reach the Yutong La (10,880 feet). From
Monk in Monastery Courtyard (Paro, Bhutan). that pass, we will descend to a low point of 8,480 feet at a village called Chumey, where the scenery once again changes as we enter the wide-open Bumthang Valleys. After a short climb to Kiki La, we will round a bend and begin a great descent into Jakar, home of one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, founded by the Dorje Linpa in 1445. From almost 13 miles away, we will begin catching glimpses of Jakar Dzong, high above the village.

Day 7: Jakar to Ura
The height gain of 2,880 feet to our fourth pass, the Ura La, is achieved over the course of 25 miles of biking. The Ura Valley, on the far side of the pass, is the highest of the Bumthang Valleys. Sheep pastures line the road. As we approach the pass, there will be a panorama of the Himalayan mountains of Lunana to the north. The members of our group who enjoy steep "off-road" descents may choose to follow the old path to Ura, which descends directly from the pass. We don't recommend this route for those with slick tires on their bikes. The more cautious "roadies" will descend from the pass by long loops, through pastureland and fields, to Ura village. In the evening, we will visit the monastery of Sombrang (9,600 feet) in the village, established in 1228.

Day 8: Ura to Mongar
After a short descent to a bridge, we will immediately start climbing to the Thumsing La, Bhutan's highest road pass, at 12,160 feet. The ascent, achieved over 19 miles, is quite gradual, and the scenery, as we pass through dense forest of conifer and rhododendron, is quite stunning. The climb is split into two parts, broken up by a minor pass on the way to the Thumsing La, which is Paro Dzong (Paro, Bhutan). Followed by a short descent to a bridge across a river. This pass marks the boundary between Central and Eastern Bhutan and is the last of our high altitude climbs. We will enjoy lunch (and a celebratory toast!) at the top of the pass before setting off on what must rank as one of the most enjoyable and beautiful descents in the biking world. From the pass, the road plunges 10,240 feet to the valley floor at 1,920 feet. The descending road, over a distance of 54 miles, passes first through a dark conifer forest and then through a mixture of deciduous and conifer woodlands, before it enters the semi-tropical zone at an altitude of about 5,760 feet. At this level, bamboo and an array of rare plant life lines the sides of the road, but everyone will likely be so involved in the dizzying descent that they may fail to notice! The 13 miles between Sengor and Namning has the reputation for being the most hair-raising section of the road across Bhutan, but it is custom-made for mountain bikes. Hewn from the side of a cliff, and perched above a vertiginous drop for most of the way, this road will prove to be the most exhilarating part of the trip. By the time we reach Lingmithang (1,920 feet), the temperature will have risen considerably and we will feel as if we have arrived in the tropics. After today's breathtaking downhill run of 5 hours and 54 miles, most of our group will be left speechless. At the end of the descent, we will load our bikes into the support vehicles for the 17 mile climb to the village of Mongar (5,129 feet), where we will spend the night.

Day 9: Mongar to Tashigang
Jomo Lhari basecamp (Bhutan).There will be another great descent in store for us today, but first we must finish our climb. Over the next 11 miles, we will climb to the Kori La (7,840 feet), the first of two relatively "minor" passes that we will face on the remainder of our journey. At that point, the road begins a rapid descent through corn fields and banana groves and, after 6 miles, reaches the start of the famous hair-pin turns at Yadi (4,800 feet). Thirteen miles of interminable bends later, we arrive at a bridge across the Sheri River (1,920 feet). At 5,920 feet, this will be the second longest descent of the trip. Now back in the hot tropical climate, we'll shed as many clothes as we can before setting off on a very pleasant 19-mile ride along the side of the Gamri River, with the bridge and check-post below Tashigang as our goal. A steep 5 mile climb will bring us to the end of a rather exhilarating day of biking. We will spend the night in a comfortable lodge in the center of town (3,520 feet).

Day 10: Tashigang to Khaling
At Tashigang, we will have reached the easternmost point of our journey. From here, the road heads south for 113 miles to Samdrup Jongkhar, Bhutan's eastern road border with Assam. We will begin our day by climbing for 16 miles until we reach the university at Kanglung. From there, we will continue to a small pass at 7,840 feet, where the peaks of northeastern Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh will unfold before us. A few miles down the road, we will reach the quaint village of Khaling (6,720 feet), famous for its weaving and handicraft.

Day 11: Khaling to Campsite
We will begin today's ride by climbing to another "minor" pass at 7,820 feet, before beginning our descent into the check-post at Wamrong (6,400 feet). Unlike Western Bhutan, where the road goes over passes between one valley and the next, the road here follows ridges for most of the way and is marked throughout with stone chortens. A long climb, with the road switching from left to right across the spine of the ridge, leads to the high point at 7,820 feet and then down through two small settlements to a campsite on the ridge. This is our last opportunity to camp on this trip. The site offers a wonderful view of the sun setting over the ridges of southeastern Bhutan.

Day 12: Arrive at Samdrup Jongkhar
At last we can safely say that there will be no more uphill climbs on this journey! The road
Bhutanese man celebrating the 25th anniversary of the King’s coronation. (Thimpu, Bhutan). descends rapidly to the plain through a dense tropical forest with an abundance of teak and bamboo. We will regroup at the village of Diwathang, where there is a large memorial chorten dedicated to those who lost their lives building the road across Bhutan. A few miles beyond the village lies the Bhutanese frontier check-post, and, a few miles beyond that, at the precise point where the mountains and plains meet, lies the small frontier town of Samdrup Jongkhar. We will cycle to the border gate for celebratory photos and then return to the town for lunch. It will then be time to begin packing our bikes for the journey home. In Samdrup Jongkar, we will meet our vehicles for the full day drive to Paro. We will stay at the Druk Hotel on our last night in Bhutan.

Day 13: Departure,
After breakfast, we will catch the morning Druk Air flight to Kathmandu, Bangkok or Delhi fly onward.

• Royalty and taxes to the government
• Accommodation on twin sharing basis
• Transportation within Bhutan
• Services of guide
• Meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
• Tea and Snacks
• All sightseeing as specified in the itinerary
• Riding ponies and pack animals on treks
• Entrance fees to temple and monuments
• Visa Fee and One time payment of US$ 10 each for Tourism Development Fund
• Air Ticket - Kathmandu / Bangkok - Paro - Kathmandu/Bangkok

• Personal Travel Insurance
• Laundry bill
• Phone call
• Personal expenses
• Drinks and beverages

The above rates are applicable per tourist per night halt in Bhutan. The rate can be higher depending upon the nature of services desired beyond the set of entitlements.

On the day of departure from Bhutan, our obligation shall be limited to breakfast only and any extra requirement shall be payable on actual basis.

In order to secure Druk-Air tickets to and from Bhutan and good hotels, tour payment must be made 2 months prior to the date of arrival in Bhutan.

Visa is cleared by the government only after the receipt of full tour payment. Without visa, Druk-Air will not issue tickets. Once the tour reservation has been confirmed, Ghale Treks will provide advance payment options.