Punakha (and Dochu La) day hikes
There are a few short hikes to suggest in and around Punakha valley. You might also consider hiking in the Lamperi Botanical Park near Dochu La.
Hike an hour or so up to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyel Chorten high on the hill in the upper Punakha valley.
Visit Jana village. Start from the suspension bridge near Kichu Resort and cross the Dang Chhu river. The route goes through a village and rice fields and the hike takes around 1.5 hours to reach Jana village. There and back will be around 3 to 3.5 hours, with plenty of time to explore Jana Village.
From Dochu La to Thinleygang – drive about 15 minutes from Dochu La pass (just below the tourist cafeteria) and make an excellent 5 hour hike downhill towards Thinleygang village through a forest of oak, maple, alder, hemlock and fir. In Spring you will be greeted by a wonderful array of blooming flowers – rhododendron, magnolia, primula and cotoneaster. The people of Thinleygang village mainly used this trail in the old days to move their cattle up to the pass in summer and back to the village in winter. If you are lucky you will see some beautiful birds. Your car will be waiting for you at Thinleygang to take you to Punakha (or back to Thimphu).
From Lamperi to Lumbitsawa – the hike takes just over 4 hours to reach Lumbitsawa and the walk is all downhill through forest from Lamperi Park. This hike is good to do in early Spring and Autumn, especially for birdwatchers. It is not a good route for summer months as it can be muddy and there are chances to meet bears…
Take a three or four hour walk round trip from Dochu La to Lungchuzekha Gompa. From the 108 chortens the route gradually climbs into white, pink and red rhododendron forest for one and a half hours with some steep sections before branching left to Lungchuzekha and right to Tashigang. The walk affords excellent views of the Himalayas and you can return by the same route or you can descend by a different route to Tashigang Goempa where there is a good view of Hongtsho village. Then descend to Hongtsho where the driver will meet you.
