Signature
Dagala Thousand Lakes
Five quiet days on the lake plateau above Thimphu — tarns, yak pastures and, on a clear day, the whole western Himalaya in a line.
Duration
5 Days
Distance
52 km
Max altitude
4,520 m
Grade
Moderate
Group
8–12
Overview
South of Thimphu the ridges flatten into a high plateau scattered with tarns — the “thousand lakes” of Dagala, a slight exaggeration that feels true when the cloud lifts. This five-day circuit is the quietest of Bhutan’s short treks: no famous monument at the end of it, just lake after lake, herders’ shelters, and a horizon that runs from Kanchenjunga to Jomolhari on a clear day.
It is a walkers’ walk — steady climbs, open country, camps by the water and trout rising at dusk. Herders bring their yaks up in summer; for most of the year you are likely to have the plateau to yourselves.
Day by day
A short drive south of Thimphu to the trailhead at Genekha village, then a climb through oak and rhododendron forest to the meadow camp at Gur.
Up onto the open plateau, past herders’ shelters and grazing yaks, to the heart of the lake country at Labatama. The afternoon is yours to wander the shore of Utsho Tsho.
A gentle circuit of Setsho and Jagetsho, or the climb to a 4,520 m viewpoint where the whole western Himalaya stands in a line — Kanchenjunga at one end, Jomolhari at the other.
Contour east beneath the ridgeline, crossing a pair of small passes hung with prayer flags, to a last camp above the tree line at Panka.
A long descent through changing forest to the road at Chamgang and the short drive back into Thimphu.
What’s included
Included
- A licensed Bhutanese guide & camp cook
- All camping gear & meals on trek
- Pack ponies or yaks to carry the loads
- Permits & the Sustainable Development Fee
- Airport transfers in Paro
- A pre-trek briefing in Paro
Not included
- International flights to Paro
- Travel & medical insurance
- Sleeping-bag hire
- Tips for your crew
- Drinks & personal items
Best time to go
April to June for wildflowers across the plateau, September to October for still water and sharp skies. The lakes sit high, so we avoid midwinter ice and the July–August rains.
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