Round Glide Into Happiness emblem with a white dragon, a Bhutanese dzong, trekkers, and a raft on a rainbow riverGlide Into Happiness
A restored farmhouse villa above green rice terraces in the Punakha valley with red chillies drying in the courtyard
Farmhouse & Villa Stays6 Days / 5 NightsEasy, with flat terrace walks and one short ridge climb

Punakha Farm Villa & River Terraces

Six days sleeping in a restored farmhouse above the rice terraces of Lobesa

Best season
October to April, when Punakha is dry and mild
Group style
Private departure for 1 to 6 guests
Entry point
Paro International Airport (PBH)
Route
Paro · Dochula Pass · Lobesa · Punakha · Paro

Why We Pace This Route This Way

Punakha is the warmest valley in the country and the only one where an evening outside is comfortable for most of the year. We base this trip in a farmhouse at Lobesa, three hundred metres above the river, where the fields below the courtyard are worked by the family who host you. Mornings are for the house and the terraces, afternoons for Punakha Dzong and the ridge walk to Khamsum Yuelley. The drive from Paro stays under two and a half hours in each direction.

Who This Journey Fits Best

Couples and small families who want a warm valley base, farm food, and short drives

Day-by-Day Itinerary (6 Days)

  1. Day 1Lobesa1,300 m2 hours 15 mins drive over Dochula (3,100 m)

    Arrival in Paro and the drive over Dochula to Lobesa

    Your guide meets you outside arrivals and takes the pass road east, stopping at the 108 chortens for tea while you get used to the altitude. The afternoon ends in a farmhouse courtyard at Lobesa, with the fields dropping away toward the Punakha river and dinner cooked on the wood stove.

    Meals: Lunch, DinnerField highlight: First evening in the farmhouse courtyard above the terraces
  2. Day 2Lobesa1,350 m2 to 3 hours walking

    Terrace morning with the household

    Walk the field edges with your host while the irrigation channel is opened and the water moves from one paddy to the next, a system the village has run for generations. Lunch is at the house and the afternoon is free for the courtyard, the chilli trays and a slow read.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerField highlight: Walking the irrigation channel with the family who farms it
  3. Day 3Lobesa1,400 m45 mins drive · 1 hour walk

    Punakha Dzong and the Khamsum Yuelley ridge

    Cross the prayer flag bridge over the Pho Chhu to reach Punakha Dzong in the morning, before the courtyard fills. In the afternoon climb the terraced ridge to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten for the long view down the river bend, then return for a hot stone bath at the house.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerField highlight: Punakha Dzong in the morning and the river bend from the ridge
  4. Day 4Paro2,250 m3 hours 30 mins drive with stops

    Chimi Lhakhang, Lamperi forest and the road to Paro

    Walk the short flat path to Chimi Lhakhang on its round hill, then take the pass road west with a stop in the Lamperi forest under the magnolias. You sleep in a Paro guesthouse so the Taktsang morning starts without a drive.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerField highlight: Chimi Lhakhang on its hill and the quiet Lamperi forest road
  5. Day 5Paro3,120 m4 to 5 hours round trip

    Taktsang at your own pace

    Start the Taktsang trail early while the path is cool, with the tea house halfway as the natural turning point for anyone who would rather not go the whole way. Butter lamps at Kyichu Lhakhang fill the late afternoon, and dinner is in Paro town.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerField highlight: Early light on the Taktsang cliffs above the pine forest
  6. Day 6Departure2,250 m15 mins to the terminal

    Farewell morning and departure

    Coffee above the paddy fields, then the short transfer to Paro International Airport with your guide seeing you to the departure gate.

    Meals: BreakfastField highlight: Last view of the Paro valley from the aircraft window

Included in Your Package

  • Government Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of USD $500 per person (USD $100 per night for 5 nights)
  • One-time Bhutan Tourist Visa clearance fee of USD $40 per person filed with the Department of Immigration
  • 3 nights in a restored farm villa with a private room, hot water bathroom and a shared courtyard, and 2 nights in a valley guesthouse or hotel
  • Breakfast and dinner cooked in the house every day, plus farmhouse lunches on the walking days
  • Full-time Department of Tourism licensed Bhutanese guide from arrival to departure
  • Private SUV with an experienced hill driver, fuel and road tolls for the whole journey
  • All dzong, monastery, museum and monument entry fees, plus every route permit
  • One hot stone bath at the house, with the river stones and herbs the family uses

Not Included / Optional

  • International flights into and out of Paro International Airport (we quote and issue Drukair or Bhutan Airlines tickets at exact airline fare on request)
  • Personal travel and medical evacuation insurance, which we recommend for every trip
  • Alcoholic drinks, cafe stops between meals, laundry and personal gratuities
  • Single room supplement when travelling solo or asking for separate bedrooms

Travel & Mountain Evacuation Insurance Note

Travel insurance strongly recommended: cover mountain medical care, altitude evacuation, and Paro weather flight delays. Read the travel insurance note

Valleys Visited on This Route

Paro Valley (2,250 m)Punakha & Lobesa (1,250 m)

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