Six days on two wheels through the national park — Thimphu to Dochula, the Laya trail, Phobjikha and Gangtey.
Highlights
Dochula Pass at 3,100 metres
The Laya ridge descent
Phobjikha glacial valley by bicycle
Gangtey and the black-necked crane country
What is included
Licensed cycling guide and mechanic per group
Giant or Scott mountain bikes, helmet and full kit
Support vehicle, luggage transfer and refreshment stops
Five nights in hotels and a Phobjikha farm lodge
All meals, permits, SDF and park fees
Emergency support vehicle on every riding day
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 01 — Thimphu to the Dochula climb Bikes are fitted at the hotel and the first ride heads straight for the Dochula Pass, Bhutan's most famous climb — 18 kilometres with 700 metres of ascent, and 108 chortens marking the halfway point. The support vehicle is never far behind, carrying water, spares and, when it is genuinely needed, a…
Day 02 — The Laya ridge descent A long, fast descent from Dochula along the Laya ridge, with the road empty and the whole southern valley opening up on the left. A short climb to the Laya viewpoint at 3,250 metres for lunch, then rolling downhill to the treeline where the air warms and the pines close in again.
Day 03 — Chimi Lhakhang and the Punakha approach A gentle recovery day to the Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Great Blessing, followed by the long transfer down to Punakha. The afternoon is spent on the riverside path beside the Wang Chhu, flat and fast, with the dzong and its jacarandas on the left for most of it.
Day 04 — Through the orchards to Gangtey The quiet farm roads of the Punakha valley — apple orchards, red rice terraces and villages with no traffic at all — climbing gradually to Gangtey. This is the most beautiful riding in Bhutan and almost nobody on two wheels sees it, with a support crew riding alongside to open gates.
Day 05 — Phobjikha glacial valley Rolling along the valley floor into Phobjikha, a glacial bowl ringed by black mountain walls, with the cranes' marshy lakes in winter. A flat 30 kilometres makes this the day the legs recover, and it ends at a farm lodge on the edge of the national park.
Day 06 — Gangtey green belt & the ride out A final morning through the Gangtey green belt, then the transfer back up over the Dochula for the flight home. The whole route — roughly 150 kilometres across the western valleys — is covered with two guides, a mechanic and a support vehicle that has been asked to carry luggage and rescue tired le…