It has been 7yrs since our last Adventure Unicyclist UniTour to Cambodia. This year we are headed to Bhutan with 5 unicyclists, in March/April 2026. This is the country that set off my interest in Unicycle Touring, after Nathan Hoover and Kris Holm’s 2003 documentary, into the Thunder Dragon:

https://vimeo.com/416489186?fl=pl&fe=sh

Jason Williams from Pedal Pedal is again leading our group, guiding us through this mountainous Himalayan kingdom.

This is our route:

• DAY 1: ARRIVE IN PARO A dramatic flight will bring you to the town of Paro where we will be picked up by our local team and transferred to our hotel. Flights generally arrive in the morning so there will be time to visit Paro Museum and gain an introduction to the culture, history and religion of Bhutan.
• DAY 2: PARO DAY RIDE (35KM)To become accustomed to the altitude (2200m at Paro), bikes, and conditions we will take a ride up the Paro Valley to the end of the sealed road. Here we explore Drukgyel Dzong which now lies in ruins. A dzong is a combined temple, administrative office and fortress. They are located all over Bhutan and are imposingly large for a country with no large modern buildings. We will visit a number of dzong throughout the trip. On the return ride we will make a stop at a local farmer’s house to see what is inside a typical Bhutanese house.
• DAY 3: CYCLE PARO TO THIMPHU (55KM) Time to begin the journey east. This ride is the easiest point-to-point ride of the trip with a nice distance, the best road in Bhutan, and no major climbs. Thimphu is Bhutan’s capital city and the busiest part of the country. There is time in the afternoon to visit the markets, the huge Buddha image overlooking town and city dzong.
• DAY 4: CYCLE THIMPHU TO PUNAKHA (65KM) The day starts with a short warm up then the first real climb of the trip which is 18km long and takes us out of the Thimphu Valley at 2100m, up, up , up to Dochula Pass at 3050m. On a clear day the views from the top are expansive and includes distant snow capped peaks. The prayer flags on the pass along with 108 chortens (or stupa, a Buddhist monument) mark this important point in the country.From the top it’s hard to believe that ahead of you is a 40km descent winding down past villages and monasteries all the way to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Divine Madman. The temple is from Tantric Buddhism and very different from what you might expect of a Buddhist temple. From here it is a short ride along the valley to Punakha which sits at 1350m and has a very different climate to the rest of Bhutan.
• DAY 5: PUNAKHA DAY RIDE (15KM) A leisurely day allows us to explore the beautiful area of Punakha. While the ride is short there’s plenty to see. We take a back road upstream along the Pho River then cross the river via the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan. This a pedestrian bridge that spans 200m across the river which makes for an exciting little ride (and great photos!). Nearby is Punakha Dzong, built in 1638 it is one of the oldest and most important in the country. Sitting at the confluence of the Pho and Mo River (Father and Mother Rivers) the dzong is picture postcard beautiful. We will visit the dzong before returning to our hotel where you have a free afternoon to relax or explore further.
• DAY 6: TRANSFER TO GANGTEY, CYCLE (20KM) It is a massive climb up to Gangtey so we will hop in the bus for this journey.Gangtey is also known as the Phobjikha Valley, famous as the the winter home to a group of globally endangered black necked cranes that arrive every year from the Tibetan Plateau. It is also home to a very cozy lodge, one of our favourite places to stay anywhere in the world!We will break out the bikes in the afternoon for a ride through the valley.
• DAY 7: CYCLE GANGTEY TO TRONGSA (80KM) In the morning cycle over Pele La Pass (3390m) in the Black Mountains, considered the traditional boundary between east and west. The Pass is marked by a large monument and many prayer flags. There is an abrupt change in vegetation at this point, with mountain forest replaced by high altitude dwarf bamboo. The 27km downhill from here winds through pristine pine forests, wayside villages and markets. You then have a gentle climb up to Trongsa (2300m), home of Bhutan’s largest dzong.
• DAY 8: CYCLE TRONGSA TO BUMTHANG (67KM) The final day of riding brings more climbing, the highest pass of the tour and a great sense of satisfaction as you ride into Bumthang having ridden halfway across the country over some serious terrain. There are two passes to get over today, Yutong La (3425m) and Kiki La (2860m) so it will be an up and down ride taking you through pine forests, wide open farming valleys, down to the Bumthang Valley. The valley is actually a combination of four valleys with altitudes from 2600m to 4000m and home to many prominent Buddhist temples and monasteries.
• DAY 9: EXPLORE THE BUMTHANG VALLEY To explore the sites of the valley we will take an easy walk to explore Bhutan’s oldest temple, the local farmland and the family temple of a local friend. For those with the energy we will also hold our own Bhutanese dart competition where you can try your hand at hitting a tiny target from 30m. Hitting the target is worth it for the song and dance that your local team mates perform in your honour!
• DAY 10: DRIVE TO PARO Bhutan basically consists of one main east-west road so today we start the journey back to the west. You will be retracing the roads you had previously cycled but this time in the support vehicle. To break up the journey we will make a stop in Trongsa to visit the impressive museum.
• DAY 11: TREK TO THE TIGERS NEST MONASTERY Our final day in Bhutan will be a trek up to one of Bhutan’s most venerated places, the Tigers Nest Monastery, which is precariously perched on the side of a cliff 900m above the Paro Valley floor. This site has been recognised as one of the most spiritual sites in Bhutan and many eminent saints have meditated in this area. In the evening we celebrate the end of our amazing journey through Bhutan.
• DAY 12: END OF TOUR The tour ends with your transfer to the Paro Airport in time for your departing flight.