The Best Trek in Bhutan

The Lunana Snowman Trek – the best trek in Bhutan

I was fortunate to go trekking in Bhutan in the autumn of 2022 where I was leading the Lunana Snowman Trek for The Mountain Company. I found trekking in Bhutan to be a fascinating experience. Bhutan is a place with a deep and rich culture that people are strongly encouraged to stay connected to.

At over 30 days and almost 300km this trek is long and remote. Much of it is at an altitude of over 4000m, with many high passes to be crossed. Moreover, several of these are over 5000 metres and this adds up to around 15,000 metres of ascent to be gained during the trek.

Because of its remote nature and lack of facilities, this trek is a camping trek. Sometimes you will camp in open areas in villages, or in the flat pastures or rocky spots in the mountains. You will have crew accompanying you – from a local guide and a cook to horsemen keeping an eye on the animals. The horses will carry the provisions and your personal kit the whole way.

After you pass the village of Laya, which is a few hours walk from a road (and perfect for a pre-arranged resupply of food and a change of horses), you’ll be out in the middle of nowhere for a long time. Due to this, it is important to look after yourself well on this trek. There is limited opportunity to bail off the route easily should you want or need to.

Acclimatisation Walks

To start our trekking in Bhutan we did a couple of day walks to prepare ourselves. Firstly we visited the astounding and beautiful Tiger’s Nest near Paro. It’s a long climb up to it but well worth the effort and you can see what a special place this is. These buildings, clinging to steep cliffs almost 1000 metres up, are full of history and culture.

The Tiger’s Nest is a sacred Buddhist site that dates back to the late 1600s. It is still an active monastery and visitors are very welcome.

Another day walk saw us hike up to a sacred hill near the Chele La reaching a little over 4000 metres. This was great exercise and really gave us a chance to start the acclimatisation process.

When to go trekking in Bhutan

The prime time to complete the Lunana Snowman Trek is from the end of September to almost the end of October. The timing is important. Start too late and you may find yourself stuck. You may be almost within reach of civilization but unable to cross the now snow covered passes. On the other hand, start too early and you’ll find yourself in the midst of the monsoon. You’ll be wading through deep mud and wishing you’d brought your wellies. The trail can be quite muddy, sticky and very slippery even at the best of times. Trekking poles provide extra stability and are great for checking the depth of puddles and streams. Gaiters and quality waterproofs are essential. Maybe take an an umbrella too 🙂

That said, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for us and after a week or so the end of the monsoon cleared. It was amazing to see the vast views and feel the chill of the nights that followed.

Along the way

One of the really special aspects of this trek is getting to meet local people along the way. They are living vastly different lives to our own, in really remote communities. We met many curious children coming to shyly say ‘kuzuzangpo la’ or ‘hello’ and men and women taking part in lively archery competitions or tending their animals.

The Lunana Snowman trek goes from West to East, winding its way up long valleys. There are dozens of high passes to be gained before descending, where the pattern starts again. The terrain is ever changing. At times the landscape appears barren, especially when viewed through a veil of cloud. Yet the hillsides are covered in thick forests, dense rhododendrons and abundant mosses and lichens. It is an incredibly green country and as a result Bhutan is the only negative carbon country in the world, able to absorb huge amounts of carbon. 

There is no shortage of water too and consequently, hydro power has started to play a large part in the country’s economy. Streams and rivers flow abundantly and myriad lakes of brightest emerald and deepest turquoise sparkle. Furthermore, there are hot springs en route at the perfect bathing temperature. Such a luxury to laze in after days on the trail, letting the warm water soothe your aches and pains. Higher up, glaciers dazzle and melt by day, and groan and crack by night.

TAKE A LOOK THROUGH THE GALLERY BELOW:

If you are looking for a trek in a stunning landscape, that you can totally immerse yourself in, experiencing a culture far from your own, away from connectivity and other people – then this really is the trek for you. I relished the days we hiked and met absolutely no-one else. The nights I sat alone, in the freezing cold above our high camps, wrapped up in a down jacket hoping to see the rare and elusive snow leopard. I think there was almost as much enjoyment and thrill in the watching for me as there would be in the actual seeing. Just knowing that such a creature may be only a few hundreds of metres away, unseen by me brought me a deep sense of connection with something ancient and still.

Trekking at Altitude

This trek goes through remote and high terrain, most of it over 3000 metres and with a high point of over 5400 metres. See my post about trekking at altitude here: https://adventuresafoot.co.uk/the-wonderful-world-of-trekking-at-altitude/

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

Lunana is the name of a village that you will hike through and it houses one of the most remote schools in the world. This place is featured in the delightful film of the same name – Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom. If you haven’t yet seen it I would urge you to take a look. It is a really thoughtful and interesting story and beautifully filmed on location. It received an Oscar nomination in 2022 and you can view a trailer here:

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom – Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom – Official US Trailer | IMDb

Practical info

You will need a visa and to pay the Sustainable Development Fee prior to arrival. This can easily be done online.

There is not a huge amount of freedom of movement for tourists in Bhutan. For example, all treks must be undertaken with an accredited guide and the Department of Tourism holds a list of qualified providers. Also, you cannot hire a self drive vehicle but it is easy to hire a car and driver in country.

If you are trekking in autumn make sure you have good quality hiking gear, good enough to keep you dry during the day and good enough to keep you warm at night. Ensure you have adequate insurance for emergencies.

There is plenty of up to date information here: FAQs | Bhutan Travel

I hope to be leading another trek in autumn 2025, if you are interested, see the link below for details:

Lunana Snowman trek 2024/25 | Trekking in Bhutan Himalaya (themountaincompany.co.uk)