7 days/ 6 nights · Private tour
Tour highlights
About this tour
The Lhamoi Dromchhen is a winter festival held inside Trongsa Dzong, the largest fortress in Bhutan. From 11 to 13 February 2027, monks perform sacred dances for Palden Lhamo, the protector goddess of Bhutan. Few tourists make it this far in February, so you share the courtyard mostly with local families.
This seven-day tour crosses Dochula and Pele La to reach Trongsa, in the centre of the country. On the way back, you can stop in Punakha just as its own festival season begins.
Dromchhen means a great gathering of rituals. For several days, monks inside the dzong pray to Palden Lhamo. Then the public days end with masked dances in the courtyard. As a result, the mood is deeply spiritual, quieter than the big tshechus and very local.
Trongsa Dzong itself is a highlight. It climbs down a ridge above a deep gorge. Every king of Bhutan has served as governor of Trongsa before taking the throne.
Dress modestly, with long sleeves and long trousers or a skirt, and bring a warm layer for the early mornings. Photos are welcome in the courtyard. However, please do not use flash, step into the dance space or climb on walls. Your guide will find you a good spot and explain each dance as it happens.
Staying longer? The Punakha Tshechu follows from 16 to 18 February, so you can see two festivals in one trip. Or see every Bhutan festival tour for 2027.
Your Lhamoi Dromchhen tour starts from US$2,100 per person, and group discounts are available. The price covers the Sustainable Development Fee, hotels and all meals. It also includes a private vehicle and driver, a licensed guide, taxes and entry fees. Flights, insurance and drinks are extra.
The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per night right now. That is half the standard rate set by Bhutan’s official tourism site. However, this lower rate is confirmed only until 31 August 2027. We have been licensed since 2012 and have welcomed more than 2,000 travellers.
Days are often sunny, but mornings and evenings are cold, around freezing. Bring a warm jacket, a hat and gloves.
Pele La can get snow in February. Roads are usually cleared quickly, and your guide watches the forecast closely.
Yes. Bumthang is only two and a half hours beyond Trongsa. Add two days, and we will include its temples.
Day by day
This itinerary shows one way to enjoy this trip. We can change any day, add or remove places, change the pace or the hotels, and add a festival. Every journey we run is curated around you.
Paro to Thimphu · 55 km · about 1.5 hours · 2,300 m Your flight drops into the Paro Valley, and your guide greets you with a white scarf. You follow the river to Thimphu, stopping at Chuzom, where three small stupas mark the meeting of two rivers. In the afternoon, you visit the Memorial Chorten, where elders turn prayer wheels. In the evening, you walk the main street of the capital. Overnight: Thimphu
Thimphu to Punakha · 72 km · about 3 hours · Dochula Pass 3,100 m You climb through pine forest to Dochula Pass, where 108 chortens stand against the Himalaya. On clear days, a line of snow peaks fills the horizon. Then the road drops into the warm Punakha Valley. In the afternoon, you walk through rice fields to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Divine Madman. Overnight: Punakha
Punakha to Trongsa · about 130 km · 5 to 6 hours · Pele La 3,420 m You leave early and climb to Pele La, where yaks graze in the dwarf bamboo. On the far side, the road winds across steep hillsides until Trongsa Dzong appears across the gorge. After a late lunch, you step into the courtyard for the first dances. In the evening, you rest with views over the valley. Overnight: Trongsa
Trongsa Dzong · festival day · 2,200 m You arrive early, when butter lamps still flicker in the temples and the horns begin. Monks in masks and silk robes dance through the morning, while families wrapped in warm ghos and kiras watch from the steps. In the afternoon, you visit the Ta Dzong museum, the old watchtower above the town. Overnight: Trongsa
Trongsa to Punakha · about 130 km · 5 to 6 hours You watch the final morning of dances, the most sacred part of the festival. After lunch, you cross Pele La again and drop back into the mild Punakha Valley. In the evening, you relax by the river. Overnight: Punakha
Punakha to Paro · 125 km · about 4.5 hours with stops You cross Dochula once more for a last look at the mountains, then follow the river roads to Paro. In the afternoon, you visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, and walk down from Rinpung Dzong across a covered wooden bridge. Overnight: Paro
Paro airport · short transfer After breakfast, your guide and driver take you to Paro airport and see you off with a farewell scarf. We hope to welcome you back soon, perhaps for a festival in another season.
Package does not include insurance of any kinds, and that you are required to obtain separate coverage from your home country or any insurance company of your choice.
Tell us your dates, and we will shape this trip around you.
