Travel in Dochula Pass

Dochula is a pass, not a town. The road between Thimphu and the Punakha valley climbs to about 3,080 metres and goes over the top, and every Bhutan itinerary in our programme uses that road. There is no hotel up there and no trip spends a night anywhere near it. What you get is a stop by the roadside — the 108 small chortens, the prayer flags, and, if the weather plays along, the snow peaks of the eastern Himalayas and Bhutan's highest mountain behind them. Then you drive on. Anyone selling you Dochula as a destination in its own right is stretching it.

Three private trips run in Bhutan, and all three cross the pass twice — once heading east into the Punakha valley, once coming back west. The land of happiness (six days, from EUR 2,160) crosses on day three out of Thimphu, with the day named after the view, and returns over the pass towards Paro on day four. The Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon (eight days, from EUR 2,500) does the same thing on days three and five. The magic of the gigantic Himalayas (eight days, from EUR 2,010) is the odd one out: it drives from Paro airport straight over the pass to Punakha on arrival day, a few hours after landing, and crosses back towards Thimphu on day three.

Only one itinerary gives you more than a photo stop. On the arrival day of The magic of the gigantic Himalayas the day plan offers a walk to the top of the pass to break up a long drive, or a three-hour hike from the chortens up to the Lungchuzekha Monastery instead. No other route carries that hike. On the other two trips Dochula is a view on the way somewhere else, and the walking those days happens lower down — to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyel Chorten in the Punakha valley, or to Chime Lhakhang on the drive back.

At 3,080 metres it is the second-highest road point in the programme, after the Chelela Pass at 3,988 metres on the Ha Valley route. You cross it, you do not sleep at it: the night falls in Punakha, one of the warmest valleys in Bhutan, where cacti and poinsettias grow. Two of the three routes reach Dochula only after two nights in Thimphu at 2,320 metres. The trip that crosses on arrival day is the sharpest jump, which is worth knowing if altitude concerns you. All three trips are graded easy.

Every trip is private — your party only, on dates set around you, with no scheduled group departures. A German-speaking guide is included on all three, along with hotels, breakfast, a bottle of water on arrival and someone reachable 24 hours a day. International flights are not included, and all three itineraries route home via Delhi. Rooms are quoted at Standard or Deluxe level on the standard quote; there is no five-star tier in this programme.

If the pass matters to you, pick the route by how it crosses. Two of them arrive from Thimphu after a settled day at altitude. One hits it jet-lagged on the drive in from the airport.