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Holidays

East Bhutan - Merak and Sakteng Trek

Bhutan
Walk & Trek
Guided Group
MODERATE MODERATE

Explore the rich cultural diversity of Bhutan from Sakteng in the East to Paro in the West

Trip Code: BMS
Holiday Grades
          

Our Holiday Grades Explained

To show the relative difficulty of our holidays, each trip is graded on a scale of 1 to 12, with 12 being the most challenging. Although we have tried to make our grading system as clear as possible, it cannot take into account your personal interests, abilities or experience. If you have any questions about the nature of a particular trip or its suitability for you, please read the 'Is this holiday for you?' section or contact us.

 1 - 3 LEISURELY
1 - 3 LEISURELY

Suitable for most people in good health, holidays at this grade include only limited amounts of activity.

View leisurely holidays
4 - 6 MODERATE
4 - 6 MODERATE

Suitable for reasonably fit individuals, such as weekend walkers and cyclists. There can be the occasional more difficult day.

View moderate holidays
7 - 9 CHALLENGING
7 - 9 CHALLENGING

Physically challenging holidays, where you need to be prepared before you go.

View challenging holidays
10 - 12 TOUGH
10 - 12 TOUGH

Our toughest holidays, involving many long days, often in isolated areas. A high level of fitness and previous wilderness and mountain experience is essential.

View Tough holidays

East Bhutan - Merak and Sakteng Trek

Highlights
  • Spend 5 days trekking in Far Eastern Bhutan combined with hikes in Bumthang and Paro
  • Meet nomadic tribes and visit the Brokpa villages of Merak and Sakteng
  • Stay in a historic family owned guesthouse and go birdwatching at Yongkola
  • Explore a lesser-visited region of Bhutan and see a way of life unchanged for centuries
  • Time your holiday to join the festivities at the Trashigang or Gomphu Gora festivals

At a Glance
  • Group Size 4 to 16
  • 9 days trekking
  • Max altitude - 4140 metres
  • Join In Kathmandu

Accommodation & Meals
  • All meals included
  • 9 nights Hotel
  • 1 nights Farmstay
  • 4 nights Camping
  • 1 nights Guesthouse
  • All meals included
  • 4 nights Camping
  • 9 nights Hotel
  • 1 nights Farmstay
  • 1 nights Guesthouse
Overview

This new trekking holiday to the villages of Merak and Sakteng in East Bhutan offers the unique chance to experience the semi-nomadic lifestyle of the Brokpa, a race of Tibetan origin with their own culture and dress, whilst walking through the beautiful pastoral valleys of the protected Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary. Visitors to this part of Bhutan have been few, partly due to the logistics of getting there but also because the villages have been off-limits to travellers until recently. A relaxation of the rules in 2018, a lower tariff for visitors to this area and new domestic flights from Paro to Trashigang has changed all that. East Bhutan is now the New Bhutan, for a while at least.



Our holiday begins with a domestic flight from Paro to Bumthang, where we walk through forest and villages, sampling a way of life unchanged for centuries. Continuing by road to Trashigang, we spend a night in an historic family owned guesthouse and visit the natural bird-sanctuary at Yongkola, before beginning our 5 day trek. The Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary is a lost world of biodiversity waiting to be discovered and just as fascinating are our overnight stays in Merak and Sakteng, where the Brokpas still practice a barter economy, trading cheese, butter and dried yak meat for grains and other goods, much as they have centuries past. We return to the west from the newly opened air-strip above Trashigang, enjoying a spectacular ‘fly past’ along the Himalaya to Paro. In Paro we will certainly have time visit Paro Dzong and hike to the incredible cliff-hanging Tiger’s Nest Monastery (either pre or post trek depending on departure).


BOOK EARLY for BHUTAN! Seats on internal flights are limited and in high demand. Book early to guarantee your place. 

Is this holiday for you?

This holiday is perfect for anyone looking for a mix of trekking and culture. On our 5 day trek you will be walking through a variety of landscapes; ranging from farmland, alpine pasture land, and some of the finest mixed forest in the world. We will be following well-used trails walked regularly by families from the villages. You should be comfortable with walking for up to 7 hours each day, inte …

This holiday is perfect for anyone looking for a mix of trekking and culture. On our 5 day trek you will be walking through a variety of landscapes; ranging from farmland, alpine pasture land, and some of the finest mixed forest in the world. We will be following well-used trails walked regularly by families from the villages. You should be comfortable with walking for up to 7 hours each day, interspersed with shorter days to allow for exploration time at the villages. Remember that you will be trekking at a moderately high altitude, which is more demanding than at lower elevations. This is a fully supported trek, and you will only be required to carry your day pack each day. Our friendly camp crew will take care of all the camp chores, so you can relax, rest, and enjoy the views.  We will spend some time driving on a newly surfaced mountain road to reach this remote area. However, by making use of the new internal flight service within Bhutan, we avoid the need for many long drives between the different regions of Bhutan.

Why KE?

We can't wait to show you East Bhutan, and with the introduction of flights from Paro to Yonphula, and a waiver on tourism fees for those heading East, there has never been a better time to visit!


Bhutan visa fees, all meals, and return flights from Kathmandu to Paro are included, and there’s even FREE sleeping bag and down jacket hire available too.

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