Gasa Travel

Gasa is a remote district in northwestern Bhutan bordering Tibet to the north and Thimphu and Punakha to the south.

Roughly the size of Rhode Island, Gasa harbors fewer than 3,000 residents. Cradled by sawtooth, snow-capped Himalayan peaks, the region beckons with its lush forests, cascading waterfalls, serene alpine meadows, and geothermal hot springs. The hundreds of glacial lakes that skirt the region’s mountains are the wellspring for Bhutan’s Mo Chu and Punatsangchhu Rivers. If this enchanting wilderness feels spiritual, that’s because it is. The entire district of Gasa is considered environmentally sacrosanct land, and its historical significance is undeniable—it served as the entry point for Zhabdrung, the unifier of Bhutan. Some villages are so remote that residents must walk for days to cast a vote in Bhutanese elections. Fewer than one per cent of all Bhutan travelers will venture as far north as Gasa. Those who do are rewarded with jaw-dropping alpine hiking, opportunities to spy rare endangered species, cultural encounters with indigenous Layap people, and total immersion in pristine nature.