It is the capital of Bhutan, situated at 2,285m (7,500 ft) above sea level. Just over 30 years old, this tiny Himalayan city was built by the late king Jigme Dorje Wangchuk in order to replace the ancient capital of Punakha. Quiet and peaceful with its streets lined with traditional shop fronts. Beautiful textiles in wool, silk and cotton, basketwork, silver jewelry, thangkas and other traditional crafts of the kingdom are available in various Handicrafts Emporiums.

The valleys of Trongsa and Bumthang are separted by Yutola pass. Bumthang has its own unique geographical feature that separates it from all other regions. Composed of four smaller valleys, the deeply spiritual region of Bumthang is shrouded in religious legend.

A part from the Dzong at Jakar, smaller monasteries are situated all over the valley. Tales of Guru Padma Sambhava dominate these holy shrines. The valley is home to the sacred Jampa and Kurjey monasteries. Bumthang is also the traditional home to the great Buddhist teacher Pema Lingpa to whom the present monarchy traces its an central lingeage. Bumthang Tsechu (festival) a long with the Paro and Thimphu Tsechu are the most popular festivals in Bhutan.

This is the last town on the highway before entering Central Bhutan. Sitting on the top, of a hill, the formidable dzong is the town’s most visible features. In the 17th century, Wangdue played a crucial role in unifying western, central and southern Bhutan. The town itself is little more than an enlarged village with well-provided shops and hotels.

The road from Wangdue to Trongsa is one of the prettiest in Bhutan passing through streams forest and villages before climbing the Pelela pass on the Black Mountain ranges into the Trongsa valley. South of the highway is the Gangtey Gompa, an old monastery dating from the 17th century. A few kilometers past the Gompa is the village of Phobjikha one of the winter homes of the Black Necked cranes which migrate to Bhutan from central Asia.

Paro, the winter capital of Bhutan, is 52 km far away from Thimphu. With patchwork fields willow glades, murmuring trout-filled streams and scattered hamlets, Paro is the most attractive of Bhutan’s valleys. Bursting with colour and tradition, this tiny town is overlooked by a dramatic dzong, while hamlets and isolated farms dot the countryside. The houses here are considered to be among the most beautiful in the country.