Bhutan has long been the kind of place people put on a wishlist and keep there. Mostly because getting there and traveling responsibly has never been as simple as, say, booking a weekend city break. Now the conversation is shifting—partly to access, partly to walking.
Misryoum newsroom reported that Bhutan is opening up to all tourists on 23 September, 2022 without any quarantine requirements. Misryoum editorial desk noted that Bhutan’s pandemic approach leaned on community and trusted leadership, including vaccinating 85% of adults (first shot) in April 2021 in just one week, with a booster campaign finishing in early 2022.
For many travelers, the draw won’t be just the reopening date though. It’s the trails. One route getting particular attention is the Trans Bhutan Trail, a new hiking route in Bhutan coming available in 2022. Misryoum analysis indicates this trail’s history goes back thousands of years as ancient trading and pilgrimage routes between Bhutan and Tibet. It once linked Dzongs across remote areas of the Bhutanese Kingdom, and Buddhist pilgrims used it to reach sacred sites and temples in western Bhutan and Tibet.
Things changed when the trail fell into disrepair and disuse in the 1960s. Misryoum newsroom reported that repair work began in 2018, then accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic—when 900 furloughed workers rebuilt bridges and created hundreds of miles of footpaths. The plan is to open the Trans Bhutan Trail to the public in April 2022 for the first time in 60 years. It runs 403km / 250 miles long from Haa in the west to Trashigang in the east, and travelers can pick shorter segments rather than doing the whole thing end-to-end.
Misryoum editorial team stated the goal of hiking the Trans Bhutan Trail isn’t just the scenery, though the high Himalayan mountains are obviously the headline. The route is also designed to connect visitors with local people, culture and communities through village homestays, sourcing food from local farms, and other community initiatives. There’s also a sustainability angle that’s hard to miss on paper: a zero plastics policy along the trail—including refillable water bottles and filtered water—and planting a tree for each international visitor.
If the Trans Bhutan Trail is about reopening ancient pathways, the Druk Path Trek is more like the classic Bhutan warm-up—one that still makes people feel small in a good way. Misryoum analysis indicates the Druk Path Trek (Thunder Dragon Path) takes you approximately 36-45 km (22-28 miles) through pine forests and rhododendron thickets, along mountain ridges and past alpine lakes in western Bhutan. The trail follows an ancient mule route connecting Paro and Thimphu, and Labana Pass sits at 4,200 meters / 13,800 feet. Campsites largely sit near 4,000 meters / 13,100 feet, which is why the trek is considered medium-difficulty even though it’s not technical.
A real moment that sticks: on a winter night at Tshokam, with the cold creeping in as the sun went down, a bonfire and the smell of warm wood kind of anchored everything. Days were paced with early starts—tea inside tents around 6:30 A.M., breakfast around 7:00—and the idea of setting off while the skies were clearer, before clouds build the way they often do in the Himalayas. Misryoum newsroom reported that winter conditions bring snow and ice, with nights down to -10 C / 14 F, and the route may be adjusted for safety—especially so the mules carrying gear don’t injure themselves on slick patches.
Trek planning details matter here. Bhutan can’t be trekked independently, so travelers must use an authorized tour operator, with a fully supported setup including a trekking guide, cook, helpers and mule porters. Misryoum editorial desk noted that trekkers are limited to bringing a maximum of 7.5 kilos per person for the mules, while day packs are for what you need on the move—layers, camera, snacks, and the small stuff that saves you when weather flips.
So, the picture for 2022 looks like this: Bhutan opening for tourism on 23 September, a revived Trans Bhutan Trail starting in April, and trekkers still lining up for the Druk Path Trek—sometimes in winter for that extra stillness, even if it’s not the “recommended” season on paper. And yes, weather can always be variable. The mountains don’t really care what you planned—just what you packed.
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