The 400km pilgrim route has been restored after 60 years and is now open to a new wave of daring travelers.
All money earned from treks made by tourists along the Trans Bhutan Trail will be reinvested in the trail’s long-term sustainability and its neighboring villages.
The Trans Bhutan Trail runs 430 kilometers (km) through this tiny, landlocked nation Bhutan between China and India that is tucked away in the eastern Himalayas.
On September 28, a pilgrimage trail that crosses Bhutan from east to west after a 60-year hiatus will reopen. Within a few days of Bhutan’s borders being fully reopened to visitors, the formal ceremony, sponsored by His Majesty, The Fifth King, will take place.
Over the past three years, thousands of Bhutanese workers and villagers have participated in a private/public partnership between the Royal Government of Bhutan, the Tourism Council of Bhutan, and the Bhutan Canada Foundation (BCF) that has resulted in the construction or restoration of 18 bridges, more than 10,000 steps, and 400 km of trail. Sam Blyth, the benefactor and brains behind the Trans Bhutan Trail rehabilitation effort, formed BCF. The road was utilized by troops, traders, and pilgrims for thousands of years. It was the only means of cross-country transport up until the 1960s.
The months of December through March will be the best months for hiking the Trans Bhutan Trail in the winter. However, September through November are the finest months for hiking because of the ideal weather and stunning scenery in Bhutan during this time.
As a result of the trail’s restoration, visitors can now trek, bike, and camp across various landscapes, including stretches of Phrumsengla National Park and more than 400 historic sites. Trans Bhutan Trail or Druk Heritage can arrange your guided hiking and biking on the trail on a not-for-profit basis, with all earnings going toward building a sustainable future for the path and the communities nearby. The Trans Bhutan Trail has been included in Time magazine’s list of the world’s 50 most outstanding travel destinations for 2022, and the publication predicts that it will become a popular destination for people on spiritual, wellness, or religious journeys.