10 days/ 9 nights · Private tour
Tour highlights
About this tour
The Jomolhari Mountain Festival is held at the foot of Jomolhari, one of the most beautiful peaks in the Himalaya. On 14 and 15 October 2027, yak herders from the high valleys gather near Jangothang to share their songs, dances, food and crafts. There is no road, so you walk in, which makes it a true adventure.
This ten-day trip combines two days at the festival with a classic trek up the Paro valley, nights in tents and a day of sightseeing in Thimphu. Our crew sets up camp and cooks, and horses carry the gear.
The festival began to celebrate the people of the highlands and to protect the snow leopard, which lives in these mountains. Herders show off their yaks, sing traditional songs and sell yak cheese and wool. Meanwhile, children perform plays about wildlife, and everyone shares butter tea in the cold mountain air.
It is moderate to challenging. You walk six to eight hours on the first two days and camp at about 4,080 metres, so good fitness matters. However, the pace is steady, horses carry everything, and the Tiger’s Nest hike helps your body adjust first.
Prefer festivals without a trek? The Thimphu Tshechu takes place the same week. Or see every Bhutan festival tour for 2027.
Your Jomolhari Mountain Festival trip starts from US$4,000 per person, and group discounts are available. The price covers the Sustainable Development Fee, hotels and camping, and all meals. It also includes a camp crew and cook, pack horses, 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.
The festival ground sits at about 4,000 metres. Jomolhari itself rises to 7,326 metres above the camp.
Yes, at night. Temperatures fall below freezing, so we provide warm sleeping bags and you should bring a down jacket.
This is the shortest safe plan, because the festival can only be reached on foot.
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 · 2,200 m Your flight drops into the Paro Valley, and your guide greets you with a white scarf. In the afternoon, you visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, and walk through Paro town. Your guide checks your trekking gear for the days ahead. Overnight: Paro
Tiger's Nest hike · about 500 m climb · 4 to 6 hours return · 3,100 m You hike through pine forest to Tiger's Nest, the monastery clinging to the cliff above the valley. This is a perfect way to prepare your legs and lungs for the trek. In the evening, you rest with an optional hot stone bath. Overnight: Paro
Shana to Thangthangka · about 22 km · 7 to 8 hours · camp 3,610 m After a short drive up the valley, you start walking beside the Paro Chhu. The trail climbs gently through pine, oak and rhododendron forest. In the afternoon, you reach a meadow where the crew has pitched camp. On a clear evening, Jomolhari glows above the trees. Overnight: Camp at Thangthangka
Thangthangka to Jangothang · about 19 km · 5 to 6 hours · camp 4,080 m You climb past yak herders' camps and stone villages as the valley opens out. By early afternoon, you reach Jangothang, right below the peak. Then you walk to the festival ground for the first songs and dances. In the evening, you sit by the fire under a sky full of stars. Overnight: Camp at Jangothang
Festival ground · about 4,000 m Today belongs to the festival. Herders parade their yaks, children perform plays about the snow leopard, and families sell yak cheese and wool. At midday, you share butter tea with the locals. In the afternoon, you can explore the high meadows around camp. Overnight: Camp at Jangothang
Jangothang · optional walks · 4,080 m You rest and enjoy the views. Fit walkers can hike up a ridge for a close view of Jomolhari and Jichu Drake. Others relax at camp and visit the herders' homes nearby. Overnight: Camp at Jangothang
Jangothang to Thangthangka · about 19 km · 5 hours, mostly downhill You walk back down the valley, which looks completely different in the morning light. Along the way, you stop for a picnic by the river. In the afternoon, you reach your forest camp. Overnight: Camp at Thangthangka
Thangthangka to Shana · about 22 km · 6 hours · then 2 hours by car You walk the last stretch through the forest to the road, where your driver is waiting. Then you drive to Thimphu for a hot shower and a well-earned dinner. Overnight: Thimphu
Thimphu · full day · 2,300 m After breakfast, you visit Buddha Dordenma, the giant golden Buddha watching over the valley. Next, you see young artists at work in the School of Traditional Arts and browse the craft bazaar. In the evening, you visit Tashichho Dzong, the seat of government, as the light turns gold. Overnight: Thimphu
Thimphu to Paro airport · 55 km · about 1.5 hours After breakfast, you drive to Paro airport and your guide sees you off with a farewell scarf. We hope to welcome you back for another festival or trek.
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.
