Your holiday starts at the hotel in Delhi. Transfers from Delhi Airport are provided. Rest and relaxation at the hotel.

We transfer back to Delhi International Airport to check in for the Druk Air flight to Paro. This flight is one of the most spectacular of all mountain flights and as we descend into the Paro Valley there are splendid views of alpine forests, small monasteries, temples and flat-roofed farmhouses. The Paro Valley is enchanting. A single road lined with willows, clear mountain streams, families working in the rice paddies and one of Bhutan’s most impressive Dzongs (fortresses) creates a memorable first impression. Our arrival in Paro is usually in the late afternoon and, after meeting our Bhutanese guide and crew, we transfer to our hotel and have time before and after dinner to put our bikes together ahead of our classic journey. Altitude at our hotel in Paro is 2400 metres.

This morning we make the stunning hike up to one of the most important religious site in the entire Himalaya, the Tiger's Nest. The monastery has a most stunning location, perched on the ledge of a cliff 900 metres above the Paro Valley, and is only accessible on foot. Not just a cultural experience, this hike up to over 3000 metres will provide some excellent acclimatisation ahead of our trek. Around half way up the trail there is a classic viewpoint for Takstang, looking across the gorge to the monastic buildings clinging to the cliff wall opposite. There is a small teahouse located here where we can stop for a rest and a drink with a truly unforgettable view. The final approach to the monastery takes us down to a sacred waterfall, surrounded by a thousand fluttering prayer flags, where every crack in the rock is crammed with tsa-tsas (small caskets containing the ashes of the dead), before climbing back up towards the monastery. Leaving our bags and cameras at the gate we should hopefully be allowed to take a look around inside. As we explore amongst the various atmospheric chambers and altar rooms our guide will be on hand to explain all about the Buddhist rituals and iconography. We return to our hotel in the Paro Valley in the early afternoon.

We make an early start today for the first day’s ride of our trip across Bhutan. Our destination being Punakha. The beginning of our ride, to Chhuzom (2068m), is a gentle introduction to the day but then we begin to climb and follow the Wang Chu upstream through a mixture of rice fields and coniferous forest to a widening of the valley at Namseling. Finally, the quaint suburbs of Thimpu begin to appear to our left and we see the impressive Simtokha Dzong in the middle of the valley. Thimpu is the only large settlement in Bhutan and is spread out across a wide valley. However, our new itinerary bypasses Thimpu - and the construction of the new Thimpu-India Highway - and turns east to Punakha on the main east-west road across Bhutan. The road up to the Dochu La (3050m) is relatively quiet compared to the morning ride and the hillsides on either side of the road are covered in luxuriant temperate forest and an abundance of rhododendron and magnolia. The lower slopes are even more lush, with orange trees, bananas and bamboo. Several species of deer and monkeys make their home in this forest. We will meet our support vehicles at the pass and have a stop for rest and refreshment. The pass is marked by many prayer flags and a large chorten. A viewpoint just above the chorten offers a magnificent panorama of the Eastern Himalaya, including the all of the giant 7000 metre peaks of Lunana in north-eastern Bhutan. The downhill from the Dochu La into the Punakha Valley will leave you speechless - 2000 metres of descent, through lush forest and jungle, over a distance of 50 kilometres. We will stay at a hotel close to Punakha and, providing we arrive early enough, we will be able to visit Punakha Dzong, Bhutan’s old winter capital, home to over 1000 monks.

The 'Central Road' across the Black Mountains was completed only 20 years ago and its completion brought about great changes to the people of central Bhutan. We leave our hotel and cycle down to the river and the valley bottom, crossing a bridge at 1200 metres. We then have a short climb to the village of Wangdi followed by a relatively flat road for 20 kilometres to a bridge across the river just past the village of Tikke. We stop for a tea break and then begin a long climb over the Black Mountains. This is a deceptively long climb, gaining over 2000 metres to a junction with the side road to Gantey just beyond Nobding. We should be conscious of the clock today as it is one of the hardest days biking. Crossing the pass we descend into the Phobjika Valley, which is one of the few winter homes of the black-necked crane which migrate here from the Central Asiatic Plateau, usually in late October. A short descent leads into the valley and to our hotel, which is located a short distance beyond the small village of Gantey. The village houses are clustered around the monastery. The altitude at Gantey is 3000 metres.

Our hotel is close to the feeding grounds of the black-necked cranes and depending on the time of year, there can be between 500 and 1000 in the Phobjika Valley and it is possible that we will be woken by their distinct calling. We load our bikes into the support vehicles for the short climb back to the pass, but have time to call in at the new Visitor Centre to take a closer look at the cranes. These birds are tolerant of people and regularly feed near human settlements and domestic livestock, perhaps because local religious beliefs protect them across much of their range. Moving on from this fascinating spectacle, we head eastwards once again, continuing our climb to the nearby Pele La (3420m). There is a good chance that we will see langur monkeys in the forest on this section of our ride. At the pass, the forest opens out a little and we should find yaks grazing by the side of the road. Looking back from the pass, it is possible to see Chomolhari (7219m). The Pele La is the third of our big passes and by now we should be getting used to the climbs. This pass is traditionally known as the boundary between Western and Central Bhutan, and the landscape, which spreads out on the far side of the pass, is different to that on the western side. Previous groups have encountered snow on the pass, so be prepared for some cold riding downhill. Another amazing descent follows (1530 metres). It is downhill almost all the way for 60 kilometres to Tongsa. We take a break for tea at Chenjebi, with its magnificent Stupa (the only one of its kind in Bhutan) which was built to ward off the demons of the valley. After crossing a bridge at Nikkarchu we enter Tongsa district and follow a dramatic section of the road that is carved into the side of a cliff high above the Mangde Chu. The scenery is beautiful - forest as far as the eye can see and with Tongsa Dzong visible from 30 km (19 miles) away, at the end of the valley. Tongsa means 'new village' - it was founded in the 16th century, which is relatively recent for Bhutan. After so much downhill riding the final 300 metre climb up to Tongsa Village makes for a tough end to the day’s ride. We will have time in the afternoon to take a look around the Dzong, which is situated on a spur over the Mangde Chu, which has a commanding view in every direction. Altitude at Tongsa is 2200 metres.

The road climbs rapidly through a series of hairpins out of Tongsa and there are great views back to the dzong and out across the valley. After passing through cultivated fields for a while, we re-enter the forest and at a distance of 30 kilometres from Tongsa we reach the Yutong La (3400m). Descending to a low point of 2650 metres at a village called Chumey, the scenery is once again totally different as we enter the wide-open Bumthang Valley. After a short climb to Kiki La, we turn a corner for a great descent to Jakar where there is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, founded by the Dorje Linpa in 1445. From almost 20 kilometres away we can see Jakar Dzong, high above the village. Altitude at Jakar is 2600 metres.

The height gain of 900 metres to our fifth pass, the Ura La, is achieved after almost 40 kilometres of biking. The Ura Valley, on the far side, is the highest of the Bumthang valleys. Extensive sheep pastures line the road and just before the pass there is a panorama of the mountains of Lunana to north. We descend from the pass by long loops, through pastureland and fields to Ura Village for lunch. From here it is a further 24 kilometres over the Wangthang La to our camp on one of the few flat places in the valley. Altitude at our camp is 3300 metres.

Today is a long day and if we wish to cycle the whole way, we need to set off at first light. After a short descent to a bridge, we start climbing immediately to the Thumsing La (3800m). The ascent, over 9 kilometres is quite gradual and the scenery is stunning, as we pass through dense forest of conifer and rhododendron. The pass marks the boundary between Central and Eastern Bhutan and is the last of our high altitude climbs. Not hanging around as its usually cold on the pass we set off on what must rank as one of the most enjoyable and breathtakingly beautiful biking descents in the world. From the pass the road plunges 3200 metres to the valley floor at 590 metres. The whole descent, over 85 kilometres, passes through dark conifers and then a mixture of deciduous and conifer woodland before entering the semi-tropical zone at an altitude of around 1800 metres. Bamboo and an array of rare plant life line the sides of the road but you may be too involved in the dizzying descent to notice! The section between Sengor and Namling has the reputation for being the most hair-raising section of the road across Bhutan, but is just perfect for bikes. Hewn out of the side of a cliff, and above a vertiginous drop for most of the way, this is the most exhilarating part of the trip. By the time we reach Lingmithang for lunch, the temperature will have risen considerably and we will feel as if we have arrived in the tropics. After this 5 hours of solid downhilling most people will be simply speechless. Altitude at Limithang is 600 metres. The sting in the tail is a final 20 kilometre climb to the village of Mongar (1600m). Ride distance 109 km (68 miles) with 1671 metres of ascent and 3492 metres of descent.

Another great descent in store for us today, but first we have a further 20 kilometres of our climb to finish en-route to the Kori La (2450m), the first of two relatively 'minor' passes. The road then descends rapidly through cornfields and banana groves and, after 10 kilometres, reaches the start of the famous hairpins at Yadi (1500m). After a further 30 kilometres of interminable bends, we arrive at a bridge across the Sheri River at just 600 metres. This is the second longest descent of the trip, a sparkling 1850 metres. Back in the hot tropical climate, we can enjoy a very pleasant ride along the side of the Gamri River to the bridge and check post below Tashigang. A steep 10 kilometre climb finishes off quite a hard day’s biking. Tashigang sees very few tourists and facilities are limited, but we try and stay in the 'best place in town’, which is in reality a basic lodge. Altitude at Tashigang is 1100 metres.

We have now reached the most easterly point of our journey and the road now heads south for approximately 200 kilometres to Samdrup Jongkhar, Bhutan's eastern road border with Assam. This day is another tough one and often catches people out, being so close to the end of the ride! At first we have a hot climb for 30 kilometres to the university at Kanglung and then continue climbing to a small pass at 2450 metres. Beware of the false summits, but look out for the views of the peaks of north-eastern Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. After a further 40 kilometres of undulating riding, we reach the quaint village of Khaling in time for lunch, which is famous for its weaving and handicraft. After lunch, we bike onwards to Wamrong where we stay at a simple guesthouse.

Unlike western Bhutan, where the road goes over passes between one valley and the next, the road here follows ridges almost the whole way and is marked throughout with stone chortens. A long climb, with the road switching from left to right, across the spine of the ridge, leads to the high point at 2450 metres and then down through 2 small settlements to a point where we can safely say that there is no more uphill. The road descends rapidly to the plain through a dense tropical forest with an abundance of teak and bamboo. We re-group at the village of Diwathang where there is a large memorial chorten dedicated to those who lost their lives building the road across Bhutan. A relatively short distance beyond the village lies the Bhutanese frontier check-post and beyond that, at the precise point where the mountains and the plains meet, is the small frontier town of Samdrup Jongkhar. We cycle to the border gate for photos and then return to our hotel in town. We re-pack our bikes for the journey home and have dinner. A small celebration will certainly be in order as you will be one of only a tiny handful of people who have completed what is arguably the most beautiful and challenging bike ride in the world.

This morning we drive for 3 hours to Gauhati, the capital of Assam and from there fly to Delhi. Making use of day rooms at a hotel close to the airport, there should be time for a shower and a final dinner in Delhi before transferring to the international airport to check in for your homeward flight.