Trans Bhutan Trail welcomes first hikers in half century on new multi-day walk

On Wednesday, His Majesty the King of Bhutan officially declares the Trans Bhutan Trail open to the public.

At a ceremony in Thimphu, the first international hikers on a sold out itinerary by operators G Adventures will receive a special welcome to the notoriously hard to visit destination.

A 400km route through the mountain Kingdom, past cliffside monasteries and Himalayan forests, unseen by western tourists for over 60 years, it is a moment adventure travellers and trampers across the world have been waiting for.

It's got all the ingredients for a blockbuster fantasy film, never mind a world-class multi-day hiking trail.

Leading into the East, and away from the traditional tourism centre for Bhutan, the TBT promises to take trampers to places nobody has been for half a century.

Fortified monastery the Tiger's Nest, Bhutan. Photo / File

Opening up new areas in a country that is famously strict on its admission to international tourists, the clearing of the ancient pilgrimage route is just as important as a cultural milestone for the Bhutanese Kingdom.

The 500-year-old mountain route is an artery that bisects the country, East to West. As a messenger and trading route, until the 1950s it was the only 'highway' for foot traffic connecting the disparate regions of the mountain country.

That was until the construction of the main roads and the introduction of new transport. Bypassed by motor traffic the mountain routes quickly fell into disrepair, leaving them unused for the best part of six decades.

When, founder of the Bhutan Canadian Foundation, Sam Blyth first came to the country in the 1980s, only the oldest of residents remembered walking the path as children.

"I'd always heard of this legendary trail and experience, because it had a big impact on very young children," he said in a statement.

Having worked with the kingdom on restoring the route during the pandemic as a method of stimulating jobs for 900 furloughed tourist workers and others, it has transformed the outlook for tourism in the country.

They installed over 10,000 steps and 18 footbridges through the mountainous terrain.

The last country in the world to have welcomed the internet, only legalising the landline ISPs in 1999, Bhutan is now welcoming visitors with a multi-language mobile app, logging an index of 400 cultural sites. The last people to walk it would hardly recognise the country today.

Beyond tourism, Bhutan is ready to reclaim this storied route for its own cultural heritage.

Walking and maintenance of the Bhutan Trail will now be a part of national service and the story taught on the school curriculum. Taking 27 days to tramp across an area the size of Switzerland and even more mountainous, it will take a lot of upkeep.

The first international guests on the Trans Bhutan Trail depart this week. Photo / Adhli Wahid, Unsplash

Bhutan: High value tourists and national happiness

Once known as the only country to measure prosperity in 'Gross National Happiness', Bhutan is now famous for the world's most expensive tourist tax.

In 2022, ancient mountain passes aren't the only thing to experience a hike:

As part of a programme to avoid over tourism - and maximise revenue from visitors - Bhutan charges $440 a day in tourist taxes. That's almost four times the pre-pandemic visa charge of $115.

Although this covers many aspects of travel including food, transport and guiding services it does make the route prohibitively expensive for most international visitors.

Costing well over $12000 in taxes alone to hike the full trail, the tramp is something there will not be a mass market for.

"Covid-19 has allowed us to reset - to rethink how the sector can be best structured and operated... while keeping carbon footprints low," said Tandi Dorji, the country's foreign minister said earlier this year, proposing the higher fee.

All walkers must apply for a visa through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mfa.gov.bt/visa/. Trampers must also apply for a permit through the Trans Bhutan Trail. transbhutantrail.com