Phobjikha Valley Ride
Singletrack and farm roads through Bhutan's glacial crane valley.
Ride out from Punakha over Lawala Pass into the wide glacial bowl of Phobjikha, home to the black-necked cranes that winter here each year. Days mix singletrack through blue pine forest with easy farm-road stretches between villages, with a support vehicle on the steeper climbs.
- Lawala Pass descent
- Phobjikha glacial valley
- Gangtey Monastery
- Black-Necked Crane FestivalPhobjikha Valley · Mid-November (11 Nov)
A single-day village festival celebrating the black-necked cranes that winter in the valley - mask dances performed by local schoolchildren, timed to the birds' arrival.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Duration
- 5 days
- Max altitude
- 3,360 m (Lawala Pass)
Why this trip works
- Best Attractions
Where this trip takes you
- 01Gangtey Monastery
Overlooking the glacial valley the ride finishes in.
- 02Lawala Pass
The ride's high point and the start of a long forested descent.
- 03Black-necked crane roosting grounds
Home to the cranes that winter in Phobjikha each year.
- 01Gangtey Monastery
- See the gallery
- Things To Do
- Descend Lawala Pass through blue pine forest by bike
- Watch for wintering black-necked cranes in the valley
- Visit Gangtey Monastery overlooking the glacial bowl
- Ride easy farm-road stretches between villages
- Hotels
- ComfortPhobjikha Valley Lodge
- Best Season
- Autumn · Sep - Nov
- Winter · Dec - Feb
Black-necked cranes winter in the valley from November.
The route
Hover or tap a dzongkhag for what this trip does there - shown in visiting order, west to east.
See the ground before you book
Footage shot on the same trails, passes, and valleys Phobjikha Valley Ride travels through - filmed by us, not stock.
Mountain Biking to Kabji Hoka Tsho
Forest singletrack to a hidden lake in the hills above the Punakha valley.
Riding with the Paro Dragon Riders
Two days of enduro: the Divine Madman trail first, then singletrack around Punakha.
The Basochhu Waterfall Route
A route guide to the Wangdue waterfall, on the road east toward the Phobjikha valley.
A closer look
Other journeys
A few more starting points - every trip is customizable around your dates and pace.
5 daysChallengingMountain BikingChele La Singletrack
High-altitude singletrack from Bhutan's highest motorable pass.
3,780 m (Chele La)Chele La pass startRhododendron forest trailsParo valley descentView trip
7 daysEasyCultural ToursCultural Bhutan
The classic west-to-central loop through dzongs and valleys.
3,140 m (Taktsang viewpoint)Paro & ThimphuPunakha DzongTiger's Nest hikeView trip
10 daysChallengingTrekkingDruk Path Trek
A high-altitude trek between Paro and Thimphu, lake to lake.
4,210 m (Phume La)Alpine lakes4,200m passesCamp under the starsView trip
This is just the starting point
Every trip here is a template, not a fixed package - tell us your dates, pace, and interests and we'll customize Phobjikha Valley Ride (or build something new) around exactly what you want.