2026 Highland Laya Highlander Festival Tour Package | Pride

Day 2 of this laya highlander festival tour package moves to Thimphu, a drive of around 1 hour through the Paro valley and along the river. Thimphu is Bhutan's capital and the only capital city in the world without traffic lights, a fact that surprises most first-time visitors. The afternoon covers the Buddha Dordenma, a giant bronze statue overlooking the valley from a hillside, and Tashichho Dzong, the fortress that houses the throne room and government offices. Day 2 itself stays light, since the demanding days are still ahead. Overnight in Thimphu.

Day 3 of this laya highlander festival tour package crosses Dochula Pass on the way to Punakha, a drive of around 3 hours total. The pass sits at roughly 3,100 metres and holds 108 memorial chortens built in a single row, with views of the eastern Himalayan range on a clear morning. The afternoon covers Punakha Dzong, built at the confluence of two rivers and considered the most striking fortress in the country. Tomorrow's drive to Gasa marks the real start of the highland journey ahead. Overnight in Punakha.

Day 4 of this laya highlander festival tour package continues from Punakha to Gasa, a drive of around 3 hours through narrowing valleys as the road climbs toward Bhutan's northwestern highlands. Gasa Dzong, built in the seventeenth century, sits on a hilltop overlooking the valley and once defended the region from Tibetan incursions. The Gasa hot springs, a short walk downhill from the dzong, offer a chance to soak in mineral-rich water before the trek begins. This stretch at Gasa serves as the last comfortable rest before two days on foot. Overnight in Gasa.

Day 5 of this laya highlander festival tour package is the first trekking day, driving around 2 hours from Gasa to Taktse Makha, the road head where the trail to Laya begins. Porters and ponies carry the camping equipment from this point onward, since no vehicle reaches Laya itself. The trail climbs steadily through pine forest and open pasture for 1 to 2 hours before the first views of Laya appear, a cluster of stone houses set against snow-capped peaks at close to 3,800 metres. Camp is set up on the edge of the village. Overnight camping at Laya.

Day 6 of this laya highlander festival tour package is the opening day of the Royal Highland Festival itself, held on the open plateau outside the village with views stretching across the surrounding peaks. The morning includes the formal opening ceremony, with Layap families dressed in traditional attire performing the Buelwa, a ceremonial offering tied to a tradition dating back centuries. The yak beauty contest runs through the afternoon, with herders presenting their animals dressed in coloured fabric and bells for judging on health and appearance. This laya highlander festival tour package gives the festival room to unfold slowly. Overnight camping at Laya.

Day 7 of this laya highlander festival tour package covers the second and final day of the Royal Highland Festival, generally quieter than the opening but no less colourful. The Laya Run, a 25 kilometre race along the Mo Chhu river from Ponjothang, draws competitors from across the highlands and a crowd that lines the route near the finish. Traditional songs called Auley, an epic recitation tradition tracing back to Zhabdrung Rinpoche's era, continue through the afternoon alongside stalls selling yak cheese, butter and local crafts. This laya highlander festival tour package closes the festival with this slower, communal final day. Overnight camping at Laya.

Day 8 of this laya highlander festival tour package retraces the trek from Laya back to Taktse Makha, descending through the same pine forest and open pasture crossed on the way in. The vehicle waits at the road head to continue on to Gasa, a further drive of around 2 hours. Most groups feel the festival days and the altitude in their legs by this point, and the descent feels easier than the climb in even though the distance is the same. A hot shower and a proper bed at Gasa after three nights of camping feel like a genuine luxury. Overnight in Gasa.

Day 9 of this laya highlander festival tour package covers the long return drive from Gasa to Paro, around 6 to 7 hours through Punakha and Dochula Pass back to western Bhutan. The drive feels long after the trek and festival days, though most groups find sitting in a vehicle a welcome change from walking at altitude. A short stop in Punakha or Thimphu breaks up the journey, depending on timing and how the group is feeling. Dinner at the hotel in Paro comes quietly, with an early night ahead of the departure flight tomorrow. Overnight in Paro.

The final day of this laya highlander festival tour package is built around the departure flight from Paro, after a journey combining a highland trek, a remote festival and several long mountain drives. Breakfast at the hotel is followed by a short transfer to Paro International Airport, timed against the confirmed flight schedule. Travellers with a later departure sometimes use the morning for one last walk through Paro town before heading to the airport. The Bon Voyagers vehicle drops the group at the airport, where the trip that began ten days earlier comes to a close. The trip ends at the same airport it started from.