Compare Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park for Women by Road Scholar vs Bhutan The Last Shangri La Tour by Himalayan Glacier Adventure

Day 1
Safety Orientation/Introductions
Estes Park, CO D Alpine Trail Ridge Inn
Activity note: All of our daily hikes will be in Rocky Mountain National Park, routes selected will depend upon fitness of the group, and will allow for adjusting to altitude and difficulty as week progresses. Some modifications in the daily schedule may be necessary due to group needs, trail maintenance in the National Park, weather considerations, or unforeseen circumstances.

Dinner: Dinner in local restaurant

Evening: Introductions, planning for the week

Day 2
Day long hike in Loch Vale
Estes Park, CO B,L,D Alpine Trail Ridge Inn
Activity note: Trailhead elevation is 9,475 feet. Today's hike is 6.2 miles with an elevation gain/loss of 990 feet.

Breakfast: Breakfast at local restaurant

Morning: Loch Vale is one of the most beautiful and most popular hikes in the park. We’ll start at the Bear Lake trailhead, unless we find a place to park at Glacier Gorge. Bear Lake is 9475 ft. elevation. We will first see Alberta falls; the most photographed falls in the park. It was named after Abner Sprague’s wife. Sprague was an Estes Park pioneer. Loch was named after a guest in Sprague’s lodge named Locke. It was changed to Loch, the Scottish name for lake. Loch Vale is a crystal clear alpine lake. The broad cliff at the Loch is Cathedral Wall, a favorite for rock climbers. We’ll eat lunch at the lake and continue toward Andrew’s glacier if the group is up to 1.3 miles more. We also have the option of seeing Mills Lake on our return (.6 miles) The trail is good, but we gain 990 ft from Glacier Gorge to the Loch. (3.1 miles one way to Loch Vale)

Lunch: Picnic box lunch on trail

Afternoon: Continue morning hike, stop at Beaver Meadow's Visitor's Center before returning to motel.

Dinner: Dinner in local restaurant

Evening: Short "debrief" on today's hike and planning for tomorrow then time for reflection, relaxation

Day 3
All day hike to Fern Lake
Estes Park, CO B,L Alpine Trail Ridge Inn
Activity note: Trailhead elevation is 8,165 feet. Today's hike is from 7.6 miles RT with an elevation gain/loss of 1,400 feet.

Breakfast: Breakfast at local restaurant

Morning: The Fern Lake Trail follows the Big Thompson River all the way to The Pool, and alternates between forest and a few open areas that provide some pretty good views of the Big Thompson Valley. Along the way the good trail passes through a mixed forest of aspens, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, willows and cottonwoods, as well as a variety of wildflowers in the spring and summer. Arriving at the lake, there are great views of 12,129-foot Notchtop Mountain, 11,586-foot Little Matterhorn, 12,331-foot Knobtop Mountain and 11,018-foot The Gable.

Lunch: Picnic box lunch on trail

Afternoon: Continue morning hike. We will return to our motel for a short day's debrief and to clean up and have dinner in Estes Park. Dinner will be on your own. We will visit the historic Stanley Hotel, as a group if there is interest.

Dinner: Dinner on own to explore the varied restaurants of the quaint town of Estes Park.

Evening: Free time for exploring and shopping in downtown Estes Park.

Day 4
Over the top-Trail Ridge Road
Estes Park, CO B,L,D Alpine Trail Ridge Inn
Activity note: We will travel by van over the highest Federal Highway in the U.S.: Trail Ridge Road. Morning hike, Ute Trail, 3 miles, elevation gain 800 feet, highest elevation, 12,150 feet. Afternoon several short interpretive hikes to viewpoints along highway

Breakfast: Breakfast at local restaurant

Morning: Today you will travel on Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous highway in the U.S. We will start in the Montane ecosystem, below 9,000 ft, travel to the Subalpine, 9,000-11,400 ft, and end up in the Alpine ecosystem above 11,400 ft. We’ll drive to the Ute Trail and hike for several hours. This is an out and back hike. You’ll experience the beauty of the alpine tundra and beautiful views. It’s important to stay on the trail because plants are very fragile in this harsh environment. We’ll get back in the van and drive to the Alpine Visitor center. It’s a great place to look at the views, shop in the gift shop and eat lunch outside.

Lunch: Picnic box lunch at Alpine Visitor Center or adjacent location depending upon weather.

Afternoon: On our way back we’ll take a short hike at high altitude on the tundra trailhead. Hopefully, we’ll see herds of elk along the road. If there is interest we’ll stop by the Alluvial Fan. In 1982 a dam broke and washed down rocky debris creating alluvial fan. Return to motel.

Dinner: Dinner in local restaurant

Evening: Short "debrief" on today's hike and planning for tomorrow then time for reflection, relaxation

Day 5
Hike to the top of Flattop Mountain
Estes Park, CO B,L,D Alpine Trail Ridge Inn
Activity note: Bear Lake Trailhead elevation 9,745 feet. All day hike of 8.4 miles roundtrip, elevation gain/loss 2,877 feet. Very early morning start for maximum climbing time and to get ahead of afternoon thunderstorms.

Breakfast: Breakfast at local restaurant

Morning: From Bear Lake, the Flattop Mountain Trail heads northwest. The methodical upward climb—over 2,800 feet in 4 miles—begins almost immediately and traverses rich conifer forests intermixed with aspen. At mile 1.6, there is an impressive view of Dream Lake's shimmering surface against the rugged mountains. From the overlook, continue upward on the tight, switch backing trail. Just before breaking treeline, the trail passes another overlook above Emerald Lake with views of Glacier Gorge and Longs Peak. that open up to the southeast. Look southwest toward Hallett Peak, and pick out the level profile of Flattop Mountain now in view. The remaining 1.3 miles are a steady, slow climb up Flattop Mountain’s high-alpine summit at 12,324 ft.

Lunch: Picnic box lunch on trail

Afternoon: Continue morning hike, summit hike will be weather permitting. Return to motel in late afternoon.

Dinner: Closing Dinner at a local restaurant

Evening: Final debrief and farewells, packing, relaxation

Day 6
Departures after breakfast, motel check-out 10 am.
Estes Park, CO B
Breakfast: Breakfast at local restaurant

Morning: Independent departures after breakfast

Day 1: Arrival in Paro then transfer to Thimphu

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel (Hotel Namgay Heritage)

Travel Distance: 54 km Driving: 1 hour

Maximum Altitude: 2,320m/7,612ft

As your flight nears Bhutan, you can enjoy amazing views of the Himalayas including the sacred Chomolhari and Jichu Drake peaks. At the airport, you will be greeted by a representative from Himalayan Glacier who will take you to your hotel in Thimphu for a good night’s sleep. However, if your flight arrives early and you want to visit a few places in Thimphu then it can be arranged too. Overnight in Thimphu.

Day 2: Sightseeing in Thimphu

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel (Hotel Namgay Heritage)

Maximum Altitude: 2,320m/7,612ft

In the morning, we visit Memorial Chorten (built in memory of the third King of Bhutan who reigned from 1952-1972), nunnery temple, mini zoo to see Takin, the national animal of Bhutan. Today, we also visit other landmarks of Thimphu including the National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Bhutanese traditional painting school, folk heritage museum, the majestic Tashichho Dzong and the traditional paper factory. However, some of the landmarks are closed in the weekends (Saturdays and Sundays). Therefore, if we are in Thimphu during the weekends, we explore the Weekend Market instead. Overnight in Thimphu.

Day 3: Thimphu to Punakha

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel (Kichu Resort)

Travel Distance: 76 km Driving: 2-3 hrs

Maximum Altitude: 1,250m/4,101ft

After breakfast, we drive to Punakha via Dochu La Pass (3,100m), where on a clear day we get spectacular views of the Himalayas. Next, we drive downhill through rhododendron, fir and hemlock forests.  On the way, we visit Chimi Lhakhang, a fertility temple dedicated to the Divine Madman or Lama Drukpa Kuenley. After reaching Punakha, we also visit Punakha Dzong which was built between 1637-1638 and is the second oldest and the second largest dzong in Bhutan. Overnight in Punakha.

Day 4: Excursion to Gangtey

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel (Kichu Resort)

Travel Distance: 164 km Driving: 5-6 hrs

Maximum Altitude: 2,900m/9,515ft

In the morning, we explore Wangduephodrang. The nearby villages are known for their slate and stone carvings. We then drive through dense oak and rhododendron forests to Gangtey, a beautiful village surrounded by amazing snow-capped mountains. From here, we enjoy views of the picturesque Black Mountain ranges as well as the beautiful Phobjikha valley, the winter habitat of the black-necked cranes. Gangtey Monastery is perched atop a small hill that rises from the valley floor. We explore Phobjikha villages before driving back to Punakha for an overnight stay.

Day 5: Punakha to Paro

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel (Hotel Tashi Namgay Resort)

Travel Distance: 130 km Driving: 4 hrs

Maximum Altitude: 2,250m/7,382ft

After breakfast, we begin our drive to the Paro valley. In Paro, we visit Rinpung Dzong which means “fortress made from a heap of jewels.”We will also visit Kichu Lhakhang, the oldest temple in the country and Drugyal Dzong, built in 1646 to commemorate Bhutan’s victory over Tibetan invaders during the 1600s. Overnight in Paro.

Day 6: Hike to Tigers Nest Monastery

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel (Hotel Tashi Namgay Resort)

Hiking: 4-5 hrs

Maximum Altitude: 3,180m/10,434ft

After breakfast, we hike for 4 to 5 hours to Taktsang (Tiger’s Nest) Monastery, which is Bhutan’s most famous monastery situated at 3,180 meters. Guru Rinpoche (spiritual master) is said to have flown on the back of a tigress to meditate in a cave where the Taktsang Monastery now stands. Lunch will be served in the Cafeteria Restaurant, located about halfway up the mountain. After having explored the monastery, we hike down to the valley floor. Overnight in Paro.

Day 7: Final Departure

Meals: Breakfast

Today we bid farewell to the tiny Himalayan Kingdom and her friendly people. Druk Air generally departs in the early morning to avoid adverse weather conditions. Therefore, after breakfast, we will be taken to the airport in the morning for final departure.