Trek between hidden mountain lakes on the trail that once linked Bhutan's two great valleys, then descend to the cliffside Tiger's Nest.
The Druk Path is a short, spectacular trek in the last Buddhist kingdom in the Himalaya, following the old trading route between Paro and Thimphu over a string of high alpine lakes ringed by rhododendron forest. Camps are set beside water at 3,800–4,200 metres, with clear views to Jomolhari and the Bhutanese high country on good days. Because Bhutan caps its visitor numbers and requires a licensed guide throughout, the trails feel remarkably uncrowded — you're more likely to meet a yak herder than another trekking group.
We bookend the trek with cultural days in Paro and Thimphu: the fortress-monastery (dzong) at Paro, the National Museum, and archery matches in the capital. The trip closes with the hike to Paro Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest monastery, glued to a cliff 900 metres above the valley floor — arguably the single most photographed building in the Himalaya, and worth every step of the climb.
