The first time in 60 years that a historic Bhutan trail will be open is set to happen. Editor’s If you want to know what’s going on, sign up for the weekly e-newsletter from CNN Journey, Unlocking the World. Get information about places that are opening and closing, as well as ideas for future trips. You can also learn about the most recent aviation, food and drink, where to stay, and other travel trends.
(CNN) — This is how it works: Bhutan is one of the world’s most mysterious places.
The Land of the Thunder Dragon might be hard to get to, but there’s a new reason to finally cross it off your bucket list in 2022, when the Trans Bhutan Path might be open to tourists for the first time in 60 years.
The Bhutan Canada Foundation, which is the main donor to the project, says that the 250-mile route connects nine districts, 28 gewogs (native governments), two municipalities, one national park, 400 historic and cultural sites, and one national park.
Tourists who follow the whole path will cross 18 main bridges and climb 10,000 stairs. It will be possible to walk or ride a mountain bike.
“This is going to be a community-based project from start to finish,” says Sam Blyth, the chair of the Bhutan Canada Foundation, in a press release. “It’s going to restore a historical cultural icon and provide a sustainable, carbon-free experience for pilgrims and tourists.”
He said that the Trans Bhutan Path also shows the country’s philosophy of Gross National Happiness and can allow the children of Bhutan to walk in the footsteps of their ancestors.
As it gets farther west, it comes to Haa, a city that is close to the border with Tibet and is called that way. The easternmost level is Trashigang, which is near the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
The entire trail can be done in a few months by an adventurous walker, says a representative for the Bhutan Canada Foundation. Most tourists will likely enjoy shorter parts of the trail on three-, four-, or seven-day trips.
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Bhutan’s 41-year-old monarch, has been a big part of restoring the path, which used to be a Buddhist pilgrimage route but fell into disrepair when Bhutan started building roads in the 1960s.
In March, he’ll open the path with a ceremony in Trongsa, a sacred city in central Bhutan, where he lives.
Bhutan was the first country on the planet to become carbon neutral.
The Trans Bhutan Path
Some thousand people came to Bhutan every year before the pandemic because of its “high value, low impact” tourism strategy.
At $250 per day, the country wants to avoid overtourism. This includes land transportation, lodging, food, and a service that tells you about things to do. The cost makes it very difficult for many people to go.
To walk the Trans Bhutan path, people who want to do it should apply for a permit. When they begin in April, they’ll do that.
There might be a problem with planning trips to Bhutan, but in the meantime, the country in the Himalayas isn’t open to tourists (with one notable exception).
Rumors have spread that the country is moving toward a full or partial reopening in spring 2022, so the timing of the Trans Bhutan Path event could be good.
