Bhutan Eastern & Central Deep: Trongsa, Bumthang, Phobjikha, Jomolhari & Trans Bhutan Trail Complete Guide 2026
Browse more guides: Bhutan travel | Asia destinations Bhutan Eastern & Central Deep: Trongsa, Bumthang, Phobjikha, Jomolhari & Trans Bhutan Trail Complete Guide 2026 TL;DR I planned my second Bhutan run around the central and eastern heartland after a first trip that stayed in the Paro and Thimphu corridor. The country east of Wangdue Phodrang feels like another Bhutan entirely. Trongsa sits at the geographic crossroads of the kingdom and houses the ancestral seat of the Wangchuck dynasty inside a 1644 dzong perched above the Mangde Chhu. Bumthang, three hours further east over the 3,425 m Yutong La Pass, opens into four valleys (Chokhor, Tang, Ura, Chumey) holding the oldest temples in the country including Jambay Lhakhang with a 659 AD founding claim and Kurjey Lhakhang where Padmasambhava is said to have meditated in the 8th century. South of the central highway, Phobjikha Valley fills each winter with 250 to 350 black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis) and hosts the Cran...