Destination
Haa
Over Chele La to a valley few visitors see
- 2,700 m
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
The valley
About Haa
Haa lies one ridge west of Paro and feels much further away. The valley opened to visitors only in the early 2000s, and most itineraries still leave it out, so the farmhouses, temples and river are much as they were.
The way in is half the reason to go. The road from Paro climbs through blue pine and rhododendron to Chele La at 3,988 m, usually described as the highest road pass in Bhutan. On a clear day you look north to Jomolhari and down into both valleys at once. Prayer flags cover the ridge, and a short walk along it takes you away from the cars.
Haa works well as a day trip from Paro, or as one quiet night for those who want to see village life without an audience.
See and do
What to see
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Chele La
The pass at 3,988 m, with views to Jomolhari in clear weather and an easy ridge walk among prayer flags.
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Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo
The White Temple and the Black Temple, a short walk apart, both said to date from the 7th century.
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Kila Goenpa
A nunnery built into a cliff below Chele La on the Paro side, reached by a forest path of about an hour.
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Haa town and valley walks
A single street of shops, and flat walks along the river between villages.
Go there
Trips that visit Haa
Cultural tour
Bhutan Highlands Explorer
Thimphu, Punakha, Phobjikha and 2 more
Eight days through western Bhutan at an easier pace, with Phobjikha, a third night in Thimphu and the drive up to Chele La at 3,988 m.
Cultural tour
Kingdom in Full
Haa, Bumthang, Trongsa and 2 more
Eleven days and seven valleys, from Haa in the far west to Bumthang in the centre, with every major dzong on the way.
Cultural tour
Bhutan from East to West
Trashigang and the east, Bumthang, Trongsa and 1 more
Seventeen days across the whole country, out to Trashigang and the weaving villages of the east and back to Paro.
Festivals
Festivals in Haa
Haa Tshechu
A valley festival at the White Temple
Ap Chundu Lhasel
Haa honours its guardian, with a white horse at the head
Rongtse Nye Festival
A festival at a hidden holy place in southern Haa