Festival
Chorten Kora
Two walks round the white stupa of Trashi Yangtse
- 20 February 2027
- Chorten Kora, Trashi Yangtse
The festival
What happens
Chorten Kora is a large white stupa beside the Kholong Chhu at Trashi Yangtse, in the north-east corner of Bhutan. It is built in the form of the great stupa of Boudhanath at Kathmandu, with the same painted eyes looking out from the tower, and by tradition it was raised in 1740 by Lama Ngawang Loday to subdue a demon that troubled the valley.
Two stories are told about it. One is that the lama went to Nepal to copy Boudhanath and carved a model of it from a radish to bring home, and that the radish shrank on the journey, which is why this stupa is not quite the shape of the other. The second is that a girl of the Dakpa people of Tawang, across what is now the Indian border, was sealed inside the stupa of her own will as it was finished, as an offering.
Two days
The festival is two separate days in the first month of the Bhutanese calendar. On the 15th, at the full moon, is the Dakpa Kora, when people of Tawang come over the mountains to walk round the stupa in memory of the girl. On the 30th, at the new moon, is the Drukpa Kora, when the Bhutanese of the eastern districts come to do the same. In 2027 the two fall on 20 February and 8 March.
On both days the kora goes on from early morning. Pilgrims walk round the stupa as many times as they can manage, turning prayer wheels and telling beads, and a market is set up beside it. It is a religious occasion and a fair at once.
Practical notes
- Trashi Yangtse lies at 1,750 m. Days in February and March are mild and nights are cold.
- The east is far from Paro: three days by road. Most visitors come in by road from Guwahati in India.
- Hotels in Trashi Yangtse and Trashigang are few and simple.
- Walk clockwise round the stupa, with everyone else.
- Tell us which of the two days you want to see. The Drukpa Kora, on the 30th, is usually the larger. The Dakpa Kora is the one that pilgrims from Tawang walk over the mountains for, and in recent years few of them have come. There are no masked dances on either day: the walk round the stupa is the festival.
See it for yourself
A trip planned around Chorten Kora
A private trip, with your own guide and driver, timed so that you are there for the festival. Every day of it can be changed.
- 11 days / 10 nights
- Samdrup Jongkhar to Paro
From US$2,635 per person Enquire about this trip
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Day 1
Arrive at Samdrup Jongkhar
Guwahati, in Assam, is the nearest airport, about three hours by road from the border. Your guide meets you at the gate at Samdrup Jongkhar, and the evening is free in this small, warm border town.
- Travel
- About 3 hours by road from Guwahati
- Overnight
- Samdrup Jongkhar
- Meals
- Dinner
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Day 2
Samdrup Jongkhar to Trashigang
A full day on the road north, climbing out of the plains through forest to the ridges of the east. We stop at the weaving centre at Khaling and at Sherubtse College in Kanglung before the road drops to Trashigang.
- Travel
- 180 km, about 7 hours
- Altitude
- Trashigang, 1,160 m
- Overnight
- Trashigang
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
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Day 3
Chorten Kora
We leave early and follow the river north to Trashi Yangtse to join the pilgrims at the stupa for as long as you wish. Later we visit the school where the traditional arts of the east are taught, and the workshops where wooden bowls are turned.
- Travel
- 112 km there and back, about 4 hours of driving
- Altitude
- Trashi Yangtse, 1,750 m
- Overnight
- Trashigang
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
-
Day 4
Gom Kora and the villages above Trashigang
We visit Gom Kora, the temple and black rock beside the river where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated, and drive up to the weaving villages near Radhi.
- Travel
- About 88 km in all, about 4 hours of driving
- Altitude
- Trashigang, 1,160 m
- Overnight
- Trashigang
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
-
Day 5
Trashigang to Mongar
We visit Trashigang Dzong on its spur above the river in the morning, then drive west over Kori La to Mongar.
- Travel
- 90 km, 3 to 4 hours
- Altitude
- Mongar, 1,600 m
- Overnight
- Mongar
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
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Day 6
Over Thrumshing La to Bumthang
The longest drive of the trip and the finest: down to the Kuri Chhu, then up through cliffs and forest to Thrumshing La, the highest road pass on the highway, and down past Ura into Bumthang.
- Travel
- 198 km, 7 to 8 hours
- Altitude
- Bumthang, 2,600 m
- Overnight
- Bumthang
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
-
Day 7
The temples of Bumthang
We visit Jambay Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in the country, walk on to Kurjey Lhakhang and cross the river to Tamshing Lhakhang.
- Altitude
- Bumthang, 2,600 m
- Overnight
- Bumthang
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
-
Day 8
Fly to Paro
The flight to Paro takes about 25 minutes. In the afternoon we visit the National Museum and Rinpung Dzong.
- Travel
- Flight of about 25 minutes
- Altitude
- Paro, 2,200 m
- Overnight
- Paro
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
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Day 9
Hike to Tiger's Nest
We walk up to Taktsang in the morning, with a rest at the teahouse on the way, and visit Kyichu Lhakhang in the afternoon.
- Travel
- About 7 km on foot, 4 to 5 hours
- Altitude
- Tiger's Nest, 3,120 m
- Overnight
- Paro
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
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Day 10
Thimphu
An hour's drive brings us to the capital for the day: the Buddha Dordenma, the National Memorial Chorten and the weekend market if it is on. We return to Paro in the evening.
- Travel
- 108 km there and back, about 2 hours of driving
- Altitude
- Thimphu, 2,334 m
- Overnight
- Paro
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
-
Day 11
Depart from Paro
Your guide and driver take you to the airport after breakfast.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Prices
What the trip costs
| Group size | Price in US dollars |
|---|---|
| Solo traveller | US$3,505 |
| 2 travellers | US$2,835 per person |
| 3 or more travellers | US$2,635 per person |
Prices are per person in US dollars and include the Sustainable Development Fee and the visa fee. The domestic flight from Bumthang to Paro is not included: it is charged at the airline's fare.
This trip runs privately, on the dates of the festival. Festival dates are tentative until the year itself, so confirm them with us before you book flights.
Included
- Sustainable Development Fee (US$100 per person per night)
- Bhutan visa fee (US$40) and visa processing
- 3-star hotels, in a twin or double room
- All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Licensed English-speaking guide throughout
- Private vehicle and driver, including airport transfers
- Bottled water in the vehicle
Not included
- Entry fees for monuments and museums, about US$90 per person
- Flights to and from Paro
- Domestic flight from Bumthang to Paro
- Travel insurance
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Drinks, laundry and personal spending
- Single room supplement, US$35 per room per night
See it for yourself
Other trips that fit this festival
Any of these can be timed to the festival dates. Tell us which days you want to be there.
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.
Where
Chorten Kora, Trashi Yangtse
- Chorten Kora, Trashi Yangtse Festival ground
Trashiyangtse
Chorten Kora, wintering cranes and wooden bowls
Trashigang and the east
Weaving villages, pilgrim sites and long roads
Mongar
Over Thrumshing La into the east
Questions
Asked about this festival
Are festival dates fixed?
Most are not. Bhutan’s festivals follow the lunar calendar, so they fall on different dates each year. The Department of Tourism and the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators publish a list for each year and label it tentative, because dates can still move.
Our festival calendar shows the official dates and the day we last checked them. Confirm with us before you book flights. The Black-Necked Crane Festival is the exception: it is held on 11 November every year. If you are deciding between festivals, read how to choose a Bhutan festival.
Can I take photographs at a festival?
Yes, in the courtyard or festival ground, from where you are sitting. Do not step into the dance area or block other people’s view, and ask before photographing anyone at close range. Photography is never allowed inside temples and shrines.
A few rituals may not be photographed at all, among them the midnight Tercham at Jambay Lhakhang. Your guide will tell you. Drones are not permitted.
What should I wear to a festival?
A festival is a religious occasion and Bhutanese come in their best clothes. Wear long sleeves and full-length trousers or a long skirt, and take off your hat inside a dzong. You will be sitting on stone for hours, often in strong sun, so bring a cushion, a sun hat for outside the dzong, water and a warm layer for the early morning.
Enquire
Plan a trip around Chorten Kora
Hotels near festival grounds fill early. Tell us your dates and we will check what is still available.