Questions & Answers for the Royal Highland Festival in Bhutan.

Q. When & where is the Royal Highland Festival (RHF) held in Bhutan?
A: It is held annually on 23 & 24OCT in the remote village of Laya, located in the Gasa Dzongkhag (area), high above the Punakha valley in north-western Bhutan.

Q: What happens at the Royal Highland Festival?
A: It was established in 2016 by the 5th King, to celebrate and showcase the culture, traditions and resilience of Bhutan’s highland communities. There will be religious offerings & ceremonies, traditional dances, competitions for strenuous feats, stalls offering local produce, a highland animal parade, and a wealth of cultural programs by both Layaps and a wide range of other highland peoples. You will meet & mingle with yak herders, nomads, and Bhutanese from towns and valleys.

Q. How do I get to Laya to witness the Royal Highland Festival?
A: The logistics require 2-3 days of acclimatising in Thimphu and Punakha valleys, en-route to Laya, plus a night in a farmhouse in the village of Gasa. From Gasa a 4WD vehicle takes travellers to the end of the road & approx 2 hrs hike on to remote Laya village. A horse can carry gear, or even be ridden for those 2 hrs of steeper ascending trail, however a horse is not able to be ridden back down again after the festival.

Q: What accommodation is available for the Royal Highland Festival?
A: Very little in fact! Aside from a Govt run guesthouse, reserved for Royalty & VIP’s, the only other accom option for visitors is in local farmhouses. Our small group tour to the RHF has accessed a farmhouse in both Gasa and Laya where tour members will share communal bedrooms & basic bathroom facilities for those 3 nts. All other nights on our tour feature 3-star hotels with private bathrooms and bedrooms.

Q: What level of fitness do I need to attend the RHF in Bhutan?
A: You must be fit & adaptable, in both body & mind. You will be required to hike for approx 2 hours from end of the road, after Gasa, into Laya village at the start and end of the festival. The trail ascends quite steeply in places. A horse can be arranged to either carry gear (for 2 persons), or to be ridden but only on the journey up to Laya and not possible for riding on the downhill journey back to Gasa.