Central Bhutan

Central Bhutan is where the country's Buddhist roots run deepest. Reached by the winding road east over the Pele La pass and the Black Mountains, the region unfolds as a succession of temperate and subtropical valleys — the ridge-top fortress of Trongsa, the sacred valleys of Bumthang, the crane wetlands of Phobjikha, and the warm, forested south of Zhemgang, Tsirang and Sarpang.

This is the ancestral seat of the ruling dynasty — every Bhutanese monarch has served as Penlop (governor) of Trongsa before ascending the throne — and the temples of Bumthang are among the oldest and holiest in the kingdom. As you travel south the landscape softens from alpine forest into the subtropical plains that border India.

The central region takes in the districts of Trongsa, Bumthang, Zhemgang, Tsirang and Sarpang, together with the glacial Phobjikha valley. Bumthang and Trongsa draw the most visitors for their dzongs, temples and festivals, while Zhemgang, Tsirang and Sarpang remain quiet, richly forested and largely off the tourist trail.

Please find below the details of each destination in this region.