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Samtengang Winter Trek
Samtengang winter trek is a short and pleasant journey from Punakha to Wangduephodrang Dzongkhag. It is a four day trek. It is a fairly easy Bhutan trek as the altitude only ranges between 1100-1900m and the climate is warm throughout the hike.
The path takes you through forests of rhododendron and oak, through the villages of Sha and Chungsakha, and across the longest footbridge in Bhutan. While this trek is available throughout the winter the best times to embark on it are between March-April and September and October. The trail is approximately 54km in length.
| Max Elevation | 1,900 M |
| Min Elevation | 1,100 M |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Seasons | March, April, September, October |
Please bring the following essential trekking gears
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Lightweight trousers/ Trekking trousers/Tracksuit/Shorts/ fleece pants for evenings.
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Fleece Jacket/ Down jacket/ Waterproof jacket
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Warm Hat/ Warm Skull Cap/neck warmer and Sun Hat
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Gloves and Mitts - waterproof and warm.
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Trekking Boots / Trekking Poles
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Camp Shoes
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Several pairs of socks
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Day Wear T-shirt
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Sunglasses with UV protection
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Sunscreen and Lip Balm
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Lightweight towel
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Sleeping bag
Package Details :
Duration : 08 Nights/09 Days .
Destination Covered : Places covered: Thimphu- Punakha – Limukha - Chhungsakha – Samtengang– Chhuzomsa- Paro .
Day 1: Paro – Thimphu (55kms/1.5hours)
Evevation at Thimphu: 2334mts.
Fly to Paro, Bhutan, on Druk Air, the National airline of Bhutan. If you get a seat on the left side of the plane and the weather cooperates, you may have spectacular views of the high peaks of the eastern Himalaya. After visa formalities at the Paro airport, your guide will meet you and drive you into town for lunch. Afterward, drive to Thimphu.
On the way stop at Tachog Lhakhang, the place will give you the feel of medieval period.
Visit Kuensel Phodrang, called as Buddha Point, where you will be visiting the World's tallest sitting Buddha Statue atop a mountain from where you can see the Thimphu city.
Later in the evening visit the Thimphu Fort (Tashichho Dzong) or translated as the fortress of the Glorious Religion, the beautiful medieval fortress which houses most of the Government's office and King's Throne room.
The rest of the day is at leisure to unwind and absorb the beauty of this isolated kingdom. You can also walk through craft bazaar where you can buy authentic Bhutanese gifts.
Overnight at hotel in Thimphu (Hotel Thimphu Tower/ Similar)
Day 02: Thimphu – Punakha (71kms/3hours)
Elevation at Punakha : 1200 meters.
Following breakfast at the hotel, drive up to Dochula Pass(3,088m/ 10,130 ft) stopping briefly here to take in the view and admire the Chorten, mani wall, and prayer flags which decorate the highest point on the road. If skies are clear, you can get the grand view of Eastern Himalayas.
Later proceed for sightseeing; it includes the hike to the famous “Chimi Lhakhang "called as “TEMPLE OF FERTILITY”. The hike is mild and it takes you through the valley of Sopsokha and its beautiful terraced paddy fields before reaching the spot.
On your way back have lunch at the cafeteria. Later visit to Punakha Dzong, the 17th century fortress which has played important role in building up of modern Bhutan followed by visit to the longest suspension bridge.
Overnight at hotel in Punakha.
Day 03: Punakha – Limukha (12kms/4hours trekking)
Elevation at Campsite: 1,980 meters
After passing majestic Punakha Dzong you cross a footbridge over the Pho Chhu and walk up to Shengana. This is the longest bridge in Bhutan. You then climb gradually through the forest until you reach Limukha. Make sure you are carrying enough water as you won’t find any on the way to Limukha.
Overnight at Campsite
Day 4: Limukha – Chhungsakha (14kms/5hours)
Elevation at Campsite: 1,550 meters
The path leads through rhododendron and oak forests to Chhungsakha. Chungsakha is a small village of about 10 houses. You’ll find a holy stone and an impressive Cyprus tree here that are reminders of DrukpaKuenley, the “divine madman”.
Overnight at Campsite.
Day 5: Chhungsakha – Samtengang (13kms/5hours trekking)
Elevation at Campsite: 1,830 meters
You walk downhill until you cross Pe Chhu before climbing again through the village of Sha on your way to Samtengang. Near the school in Samtengang you will see a small lake and your campsite is right next to it.
Overnight at Campsite
Day 6: Samtengang – Chhuzomsa- Punakha
15kms/5-6hours trekking
The trail leads steeply downhill on a treeless slope to the road head at Chhuzomsa. Your trek ends.
Drive towards Punakha and Relax the rest of the day.
Overnight at hotel in Punakha
Day 07: Punakha- Paro (130kms/5hours)
Drive to Paro
Visit Paro Dzong and National Museum.
In the evening you can visit Namgay Artisanal Brewery where you can try different flavor of Bhutanese Beer.
Explore Paro town to shop for Bhutanese souvenirs.
Overnight at the Hotel in Paro
Day 08: Hike to the Iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery (4-6 hours)
Today you will be hiking to one of the famous site called as the Tiger’s Nest (Taktsang) perched at 900m above the Paro valley.
It is a pilgrimage site which the Bhutanese try to visit at least once in a lifetime. It is believed that Guru Rinpoche flew on the back of a tigress from eastern Bhutan to this site and meditated in a cave here for 3 months, hence its name, ‘Tiger’s Nest’ . The site, which has long been regarded as the sacred place, was visited by Guru Rinpoche in the 7th century.
Later after a tiring day you can soak yourself in traditional hot stone bath over a game of archery
Overnight at hotel in Paro
Day 09: Departure
Our team will drop you at the Airport and bid you farewell.
Read Customer Reviews
5.0 / 2 Reviews
Me and my wife both love adventures. We wanted to try out some treks in the wilderness of Bhutan along with some cultural sight seeing. However our visit was on January and found out the high altitude trekking is not at all suitable in Jan in Bhutan. So had to choose something different.
Contacted few of the agents in Bhutan;as far as the price was concerned it was one and the same with almost all the tour operators as it seems the pricing is governed by the Government Tourism body ,so it was not the tour cost that made me choose them over others but it was that personal touch and that detailed attentiveness that they showed in arranging the tour.
At the beginning we were bit skeptical over this trek as it was not the one that we wanted to do.
But to our utter suprise this trek came out to be the trek of its own kind. I am thankful to the suggestion provided by them
The gentle trek leading to beautiful villages was an awesome feel. We met farmers at work, little children jumping and running around, the cows and horses , the mud thatched houses. . . . It was of another time. Occasionally we could also capture the view of himalayas.
Our tour experience was further enhanced with culture exploration. The Bhutan's art and culture has its authenticity and grandeur.
Beautiful Country , Beautiful People, Attentive Guide and wonderful Tour Operator.
Thank you
Above and beyond service! Excellent!!
Let me start off this review by giving a special recommendation to Gita, who arranged our trip. From day 1 she understood us and our requirements and presented us a tailor-made itinerary. She didn't try to push the usual tourist-y spots and instead helped us discover the true Bhutanese hospitality.
The cherry on top of the cake, were the guide and driver she arranged for us. They were the most fun loving and dedicated duo I have encountered. They looked after us for the entire duration of the trip and were more than happy to accommodate our requests.
Gita managed to arrange some beautiful homestays in Bhutan, which allowed us to experience the daily living and people of Bhutan. No wonder..they are voted the Happiest Country in the World!
She also managed to get us a 2-day stay at a revered monastery, which was 3200mts above sea level. This is not something usual, but she managed to pull it off for us.
On the last day of our trip, she took a 90 minutes journey to have dinner with us. That is definitely going above and beyond! She bode us farewell, by giving us some Bhutanese souvenirs.
I would highly recommend Bhutan Best Inbound Tour, for your upcoming travels!
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