Eastern Bhutan: The Case for Going East and Staying Longer

By Sherab Loday · October 19, 2026 · 7 min read

This is an opinion piece. It reflects the author's views on how to plan a trip to Bhutan.

Most people who visit Bhutan see the same three valleys. They land in Paro, drive to Thimphu, cross Dochula to Punakha, come back to Paro, climb to Tiger's Nest on the last full day and fly out. Five days, maybe six. It is a good trip. The dzongs are magnificent, the guides are excellent and the views from Dochula are as good as the photographs.

But I think it is the wrong default. If you can manage it, go east, and stay longer. Eastern Bhutan, roughly everything beyond the Thrumshingla pass, is where the country stops feeling like a curated highlight reel and starts feeling like a place where people simply live. Most itineraries never get there, and I think that is the single biggest missed opportunity in Bhutanese travel.

The western loop shows you Bhutan's front room

Paro, Thimphu and Punakha are the country's showpieces for good reasons. Paro has the international airport and Tiger's Nest. Thimphu is the capital. Punakha has the most beautiful dzong in the kingdom. If you only have five days, see them.

The problem is that the western loop is where tourism is most concentrated. The hotels are built for visitors, the restaurants serve a menu designed for visitors, and the big festivals in Paro and Thimphu draw large crowds. None of that is bad. But it means many travellers leave having seen Bhutan as it presents itself to guests, not as it is on an ordinary Tuesday.

In the east you are more likely to be the only foreigner at a temple, to eat what the family running the guesthouse is eating, and to share the road with more cattle than cars. The dzongs are still working fortresses, the farmhouses are still farmhouses, and the conversations with your guide shift from rehearsed history to what is happening in the village this week.

What you get for the extra days

Here is a rough picture of what a longer trip opens up. You do not need all of it.

Bumthang. Technically central Bhutan, but it is the gateway to the east and the first place many visitors feel the pace change. It is the country's spiritual heartland, with some of its oldest temples, and the valley is wide and open in a way the western valleys are not. See our Bumthang guide.

Monggar and Lhuentse. The drive from Bumthang over Thrumshingla to Monggar is one of the great mountain roads in the Himalaya, dropping through cloud forest that birders travel across the world to see. Lhuentse, up a side valley, is the ancestral home of the royal family and the centre of Bhutan's finest weaving traditions. See Lhuentse. The Trans Bhutan Trail birding section in Monggar is a good example of what the region does well: small, local, unhurried.

Trashigang and Trashi Yangtse. Trashigang is the largest town in the east, with a dzong on a ridge above the river. Trashi Yangtse is quieter still, home to Chorten Kora and to woodturning and paper-making traditions.

Merak and Sakteng. The semi-nomadic Brokpa communities of Merak and Sakteng, with their red yak-wool clothing and felt hats, are the reason many people first hear about eastern Bhutan. Reaching them takes effort, which is part of the point. The Merak to Jomotshangkha trek is one way in.

An overland exit. You do not have to drive all the way back to Paro. Many eastern itineraries end at Samdrup Jongkhar and cross into Assam towards Guwahati. That turns a long there-and-back into a one-way traverse of the whole country.

The honest downsides

I am not going to pretend there is no cost. Going east asks more of you, and you should know what before you commit.

It costs more. International visitors pay the Sustainable Development Fee for every night in Bhutan, on top of the tour package. Five extra nights means five extra nights of SDF, guide, driver and accommodation. Our vacation cost guide can help you size it. I think it is money better spent than on a sixth upgraded night in Paro, but it is real money.

The drives are long. Bhutan's main east–west road is a mountain road. Distances that look short on a map take most of a day, with switchbacks, roadworks and the occasional landslide in the wet season. If you get carsick or hate long days in a vehicle, think hard about this, or look at whether domestic flights fit your dates.

Hotels are simpler. Outside a handful of places, accommodation in the east is clean, warm and friendly, and it is not luxury. If a high-end lodge every night is part of what you are paying for, the east will feel like a step down. If you are happy with a good bed, a hot shower most of the time and home-style food, you will be fine.

There is less to tick off. No single eastern site has the instant recognition of Tiger's Nest. If your trip is about the famous photographs, stay west. If it is about understanding the place, I think the east gives you more.

How I would plan it

If you have 5–6 days, do the western loop and do it well. Do not try to cram the east into a short trip. You will spend it all in the car.

If you have 8–10 days, add Bumthang. Fly or drive in, spend at least two full nights, and you will see a side of Bhutan most short-trip visitors never do.

If you have 12 days or more, go all the way. Cross the country from Paro to Trashigang and exit through Samdrup Jongkhar, or fly back to Paro. Build in at least one day with nothing scheduled. Walk to a village, sit at a temple during evening prayers, let your guide take you somewhere that is not on the itinerary.

A few practical points that apply at any length:

Why this matters beyond your own trip

Bhutan's tourism policy is built on the idea of "high value, low volume": fewer visitors, each spending more and staying longer. Most of that value, though, still lands in a few western valleys. Districts in the east are working on it. In October, BBS reported that Monggar, Lhuentse and Trashigang had finished their own tourism action plans as part of a push across all six eastern districts.

Plans help, but visitors make the difference. Every group that spends a few nights in Monggar or Trashigang puts money into guesthouses, drivers, weavers and farm kitchens that the western circuit never reaches. That seems to me a better expression of what Bhutan says it wants from tourism than another night in Paro.

So my advice is simple. If you can only come once, and most people only come once, give Bhutan the time it deserves. See the famous places. Then keep driving east.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is eastern Bhutan worth visiting?

In my view, yes, if you have at least 10 days. It is less visited, more rural and gives a fuller picture of everyday life than the western valleys. The trade-off is longer drives, simpler hotels and a higher total cost.

How many days do you need for eastern Bhutan?

Plan on 12 days or more for a full trip from Paro to Trashigang. With 8–10 days, adding Bumthang in central Bhutan is a good middle option.

Can you enter or leave Bhutan through the east?

Many itineraries end at Samdrup Jongkhar and cross into Assam, India. Check current entry and exit rules with your tour operator, as border arrangements can change.

Is eastern Bhutan more expensive?

Per night it is often cheaper, as hotels are simpler. The total trip costs more because you stay longer and pay the Sustainable Development Fee and tour costs for each extra night.

What is the best time to visit eastern Bhutan?

Autumn (October–November) and spring (March–May) are best for clear views and reliable roads. The monsoon months bring more road disruption.

Thinking about a longer trip that reaches the east? Talk to us about an itinerary that crosses the whole country.