It also offers visitors opportunity to enjoy the bio-cultural heritage through its eco tourism attractions like Nomads’ Festival, Farm houses, eco trails, hot springs and other attractions. Bumthang is now also connected by flights from Paro and Yonphula every alternate day.
We welcome you to come and enjoy the beauty of Wangchcuk Centennial National Park and learn more aboutthePark.
Nomads Festival
It is a two days mega event organized by WCNP in close collaboration with various stakeholders in order to showcase nomadic culture and tradition. The festival has traditional dances, games, food products, handicrafts and other products displayed during the event. The event is held annually or alternate year from 23-25th February in Bumthang.
Farm Houses
Visitors to WCNP can avail themselves of Bhutanese alpine and organic farm house experience at Nasiphel and Tang valley where the visitors will be treated with true bucolic Bhutanese hospitality. The facilities at the farm houses include hot stone bath, evening cultural program, village walk, opportunity to partake in traditional games like Khuru and degor beside the optionto trek alongthe Orochhototrail and Bumthang cultural trek. Farm houses are recognized by the Tourism Council of Bhutan.
Orochhoto Day Hike
This short trail named after Raven (National bird) beak takes you through a mix of blue pine, hemlock, fir forests and Rhododendron and provides you with an opportunity to experience nature’s beauty. The trail overlooks the valley and offers magnificent view of the near by hills and hamlets.
Bumthang Cultural Trek(Febila Trek)
This is roughly 10 km eco trail takes around 6 hours to complete and passes through the habitat of the endangered Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens). The trek takes you across mixed coniferous forests, meadows and roosting places of numerous birds before you reach Tandingang. The trail used to be trading route for the people of Chhokortoe and Tang in the oldendays.
Dapham Dzong Ruins
The ruins sits at a strategic location in the centre of the Chokortoe valley and has monitored the trade routes between Bhutan and Tibet. The dzong could belong to the second half of the 16th century with its upper castle built between 1550-1700, according to archaeologists. The ruins are merely half an hour of walkfrom Nganglhakhang.
Dorjibee Weaving Centre
Locatedin Dorjibi village, half an hour drive from Chamkhar has 20 women engaged in making Bhutanese weaves using local dyes and improved looms. It is joint initiative by WWF Bhutan and Wangchuck Centennial NationalPark aimed at providing additional source of income for the mostly potato growing communities and preserve the culture of weaving using locally available raw materials and reduce pressure on natural resources.
Bebzur Chukpo’s Mansion
This old three storey traditional house that belongedto the rich man of Bebzur village in Tang valley has 23 doors, living rooms, store and corridorsinsidethehouse.Thecentralandoriginal part of the building is untouched and firm in design and architecture.
Due to a lack of maintenance and coordination, the house slowly started to disintegrate but given the historical significance of the house, interventions were made and restored by Wangchuck Centennial National Park. Visitors to this traditional house can also see the footprint of Thugsey Dawa, son of Terton Pema Lingpaplacedon the altar of the house today.
Dhur hotsprings
Dhur is five days of trek from the nearest village in Menchugang. It has nine hot springs with different medicinal properties like curing rheumatism, arthritis, skin lesions and ulcers, body aches, headaches, and TB. A community– managed guest house with modern toilets and showers, kitchen, soak pools with sheds, drinking water facilities is available for visitors. Porters can be hired from Dhur and Lusibe villages.
Jule Tsho
Jule Tsho lies en route Dhur hotspring and before reaching Julela. It is almost 800 meters long and 200 meters wide. It is a glacier-fed lake with crystal clear water. Around 45 minutes walk from this lake visitor can see Mt. Gangkar Punsum the highest unclimbed peak in the world with a height of 7570 meters. It can be seen from Julela on a clear day. The mountain is sacred to Bhutanese and is believed to be the abode of local deities.
