Chasing Hoppiness: Five Beer Hikes in the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon
For lovers of beer, hiking, and travel, Bhutan—the Land of the Thunder Dragon—represents one of the most unique destinations on Earth. This story features five obeer hikes made as we travelled from east to west through the heart of the country. Before getting into the hikes, let me set the stage for hiking in Bhutan.
The high peaks of Bhutan are considered sacred, the abode of gods and protective deities. This deep spiritual respect led to a strict ban on all mountaineering activities since 2003, with climbing peaks above 6,000 meters prohibited as early as 1994. This policy ensures environmental conservation, and as a result, Bhutan is home to the world’s highest unclimbed mountain, Gangkhar Puensum (7,570 meters / 24,836 feet).
But don’t mistake the lack of extreme climbing for a lack of adventure! Hiking in Bhutan offers an incredibly diverse range of experiences, from Gentle Walks and cultural day hikes to challenging Multi-Day Treks. Unlike other Himalayan regions, where teahouses are common, all multi-day treks in Bhutan are fully supported, camping-based experiences organized by tour operators. These operators arrange guides, support staff, ponies or yaks, tents, and meals, ensuring the pristine environment is protected.
Hiking in Bhutan combines rigorous physical activity with cultural immersion. And what better way to accumulate spiritual merit and memories than by concluding your day with a perfectly chilled, locally crafted Bhutanese brew?
Here are five Beer Hikes from the heartland of the Himalayas, culminating in well-earned gross personal hoppiness.
1. The Trail to the Holy Waters: Membartsho
This hike begins in a typical gathering of farmhouses along the Bumthang-Ura Highway, offering a glimpse into isolated rural life characterized by traditional, multi-story stone and timber farmhouses. The route follows a section of the historic Trans-Bhutan Trail (TBT), descending into the Tang Valley and crossing the Tang Chhu river on a footbridge.
The trail passes through a forest dominated by blue pine, rhododendron, and oak as it descends to the river, where a small footbridge is located.
Near the bridge is Membartsho, the “Burning Lake,” a revered pool in a steep, rocky gorge. The pool is a deep spot in the river rather than a lake. This site is famous for the miracle performed by the great treasure-discoverer, Pema Lingpa (1450–1521). Pema Lingpa, an incarnated disciple of Guru Rinpoche, declared he would retrieve spiritual treasures (terma) hidden in the river. Challenged by skeptics, he plunged into the churning waters holding a lit butter lamp, declaring he would emerge with both the treasure and the lamp still alight—which he miraculously did. Today, it remains a powerful pilgrimage spot where devotees offer prayers and butter lamps to accumulate merit.
The Well-Earned Sip: A Red Panda Beer
After completing the hike and returning to Bumthang’s main town, Jakar, we stopped at the Swiss Guest House. This is Bhutan’s first microbrewery. Founded by Swiss national Fritz Maurer, this local institution is situated adjacent to the Red Panda Brewery. Here, you can toast your successful hike with their signature, much-loved Red Panda Beer. This unfiltered, pale straw-colored Hefeweizen (a type of wheat beer) is named after the elusive Himalayan mammal, offering a slightly sweet and cloudy finish to a morning of hiking.
2. The Valley of the Cranes: Phobjikha Valley Hike
We began our day at the majestic Gangtey Monastery (Gangteng Goenpa), situated high on a rocky outcropping overlooking the vast grasslands of the glacial Phobjikha Valley. The monastery was founded in 1613 by Pema Trinley, the grandson and reincarnation of the great Pema Lingpa (the treasure revealer from the Burning Lake). Pema Lingpa, who lived in the 15th century, had prophesied that one of his descendants would build a monastery on this “Gangteng” (summit) and make it famous as the seat of his tradition.
The hike itself, sometimes referred to as the Gangtey Nature Trail, is a beautiful and easy walk, typically taking 1.5 to 2 hours. The trail descends from the monastery through a cool, dense forest, mostly of pine trees and towering bushes of jade-hued dwarf bamboo. This bamboo is a staple food of the valley’s most cherished visitor: the endangered Black-Necked Crane.
This valley is where the cranes winter after flying in from the Tibetan Plateau. Legend has it that upon arrival, and before their departure, the cranes circle the monastery three times in a ceremonial flight, affirming the holiness of the site. As you amble past traditional farmhouses and through the expansive, grassy marshlands, you might be rewarded with the sight of these magnificent birds (if visiting in winter, between late October and mid-February).
The Well-Earned Sip: Serja Beer
Tired, dusty, and with a heart full of Bhutanese tranquility, my day ended with a well-deserved cold beer at the hotel. I popped open a can of Serja Beer from the town of Samdrup Jongkhar in southeastern Bhutan. This one was a crisp Premium Lager Beer (5% ABV) crafted from Himalayan Glacier Water. That first cool sip after a walk among the pines and the cranes’ sanctuary was a perfect conclusion to a beautiful day.
3. The Pilgrimage for Peace: Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chörten
This day hike begins near Kabjisa, crossing a pedestrian suspension bridge draped with colorful prayer flags that sway gently above the jade-green Mo Chhu River. Rafters were loading up for a river adventure on the bank below the bridge. The hike begins through terraced fields in the Punakha Valley. Here, you walk along narrow tracks flanked by rice paddies, meticulously shaped and fed by traditional irrigation channels.
The level walk soon gives way to the true trailhead, where the terrain shifts dramatically to a steady, winding uphill climb through a fragrant pine forest. The path is well-maintained but provides a solid workout, with the forest offering welcome shade. The walk from the river soon brought us to the true trailhead, a small, sheltered structure housing a large prayer wheel. After pausing to spin the wheel for good measure, the terrain shifted dramatically. We began our steady, winding uphill climb through a fragrant pine forest. The path is well-maintained but a solid workout, with the forest providing welcome shade. The tall, straight trunks of the Himalayan pines, filtered the sunlight, giving the forest a deep, peaceful quality.
After about an hour of uphill, the trees part, revealing the magnificent Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chörten. Commissioned by the Queen Mother (the King’s mom), this structure was conceived as a magical tool and was built according to traditional Holy Scriptures. It is dedicated to bringing peace and harmony to the world. The lower floors house statues and images of intense, multi-headed wrathful protector deities intended to transform negative energies. As you walk up to upper levels, they give way to more serene, peaceful deities. From the rooftop level, the panoramic views up and down the Mo Chhu Valley are breathtaking.
The Well-Earned Sip: Ser Bhum Lager
After admiring the complex and spiritually charged architecture and completing the relaxing descent along the opposite slope, a post-hike beer awaits: a well-deserved, cold bottle of Ser Bhum lager. It was a thirst-quenching complement to a spiritually recharging day in the tranquil Punakha Valley.
4. The Serenity Trail: Buddha Dordenma to Changangkha Lhakhang
This hike starts on Kuenselphodrang Hill, near the colossal, gold-gilded, 169-foot-tall bronze Buddha Dordenma. This statue fulfills an ancient prophecy from the 8th century and was built to bring universal peace and happiness.
The hike follows the tranquil path, part of the popular Kuenselphodrang Nature Trail. It’s a well-maintained, rolling path traversing the mountainside through a beautiful, shaded forest of Blue Pine, blooming Rhododendron, and magnolia. You walk amidst long strands of colorful prayer flags, catching spectacular views of the Thimphu Valley sprawling below. You also get stunning views looking back through the trees to the giant Buddha Dordenma, its golden sheen framed by the deep green forest.
The hike concludes at the Changangkha Lhakhang, one of the oldest and most revered temples in Thimphu, which was built in the 12th century. The temple sits majestically on a ridge overlooking the city, serving as the place where parents bring their newborn babies to receive blessings.
The Well-Earned Sip: Druk 11000
With the serenity of the mountain forest still fresh, we stopped at the welcoming Urban Dumra Beer Garden, Bhutan’s first beer garden. A cold 650ml bottle of Druk 11000 was my choice. This is a Bhutanese factory-made beer. A strong lager (around 8% ABV), which was malty and smooth enough to satisfy after the hike. I took a sip in a silent toast to the serene mountains and my steadily increasing Gross Personal Happiness.
5. A Unique Beer Hike: Tiger’s Nest
No Bhutanese hiking story is complete without the iconic pilgrimage to Paro Taktsang, also known as the Tiger’s Nest. The trail, starting at the trailhead in the Paro Valley, is a steady and relentless uphill climb with an elevation gain of approximately 1,700 feet (520 meters). There is no way to drive there. We frequently encountered maroon-clad monks ascending with shopping bags of provisions.
The route zigzags through a dense forest of blue pine and rhododendrons, occasionally lined with vibrant arrays of prayer flags strung between the trees. About halfway up (around 1.5 to 2 hours), a cafeteria perched on an outcropping provides the spectacular, iconic, straight-on view of the monastery clinging impossibly to the cliff face.
The final approach is dramatic: a steep descent down stone steps and across a bridge spanning a deep chasm, leading to the base of a roaring waterfall, before the final ascent of hundreds of more steps into the monastery complex. The monastery’s name, “The Tiger’s Lair,” comes from the legend that Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) flew here on the back of a flying tigress to meditate for an extended period and subdue local evil spirits.
He is said to have meditated in a cave here for three years, three months, three weeks, three days, and three hours to subdue the local evil spirits. The monastery, built much later around the sacred cave, remains the most sacred pilgrimage site in Bhutan, a powerful symbol of faith and national identity. Inside, we toured the numerous temples, shrines, and meditation caves, walking over stone pathways and wooden staircases that were built directly into the cliff.
The Well-Earned Sip: Namgay Artisanal Brew
The journey back down is easier on the lungs but tough on the knees, requiring a steady 1.5 to 2 hours to return to the trailhead. Our ultimate decompression involved two steps: first, a traditional Bhutanese Menchu (hot stone bath) at a nearby farm, where fire-heated river stones release therapeutic minerals and heat into the water in our wooden tubs. Mugwort and other soothing herbs float on the surface of the steaming water. Bang on the wall, and an attendant fetches more hot stones from the fire and drops them into the tub.
Finally, the day is capped off at the Namgay Artisanal Brewery (NAB) in Paro. NAB is a pioneer in Bhutan’s craft beer scene, blending local ingredients with international techniques. Their flagship brew is the Red Rice Lager. It has a beautiful amber/red color and a smooth, easy-drinking body. The use of Bhutanese Red Rice imparts a mild, slightly nutty, earthy, and malty flavor, offering a modern taste of Bhutanese culture to balance the ancient spirituality of the Tiger’s Nest.
End of the Trails
These five beer hikes—from the eastern Tang Valley to the iconic western cliffs of Paro traverse the spiritual heartland of the Himalayas. They prove that adventure in Bhutan is defined not by conquering the highest peaks, which remain sacred and untouched, but by experiencing the beauty of the place, its culture, and the spirituality of its people.
Read more about beer culture and artisanal breweries in Bhutan.
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