Jigme Dorji National Park

Bhutan

The only place on earth where Bengal tigers and snow leopards walk the same ground — and people still herd yaks in the middle of it.

Description

Jigme Dorji National Park runs 4,316 square kilometres across northwestern Bhutan, climbing from subtropical valley floors at 1,400 metres to glaciers above 7,000. Named after the third king and protected since 1974, it holds all four of the country's national symbols — takin, blue poppy, raven and cypress — the only park that does. It is not empty wilderness, though. Around 6,500 people live inside its boundaries, Layap herders among them, running yaks across pastures their families have used for generations. Blue pine gives way to rhododendron, then to bare rock and ice, with Jhomolhari standing over the northern edge.

Best time to visit

April to May for rhododendron and blue poppy in flower, or late September to November for the clearest mountain views.

Traveller tip

Go in with the right expectations — this is not a safari park. Wildlife in Bhutan at these altitudes is genuinely elusive, and snow leopards are seen by researchers with camera traps, not by visitors. What you come for is the landscape and the highland culture. You experience Jigme Dorji National Park Bhutan on foot: the Jhomolhari trek is the most accessible route in, while the Laya Gasa and Snowman treks cross the deepest sections. All of it needs a licensed guide and route permits arranged in advance, so plan the trip months ahead rather than weeks.

For permits, route access and the Sustainable Development Fee, check the official Bhutan tourism portal: bhutan.travel

Best reached on a trekking itinerary — BreakBag Holidays can build the Jhomolhari or Laya Gasa routes into customised Bhutan tour packages with permits and guides arranged.

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