Gangtey Nature Trail and Crane Centre, Phobjikha
Overview
Phobjikha is one of Bhutan's few wide, open valleys: a glacial bowl of grassland and marsh at around 2,900 metres, ringed by pine forest. Every winter it fills with black-necked cranes flying in from Tibet, an endangered species the Bhutanese hold sacred. In the 2024–25 season about 640 of them wintered here.
The Gangtey Nature Trail starts by a mani wall above Gangtey Monastery and runs downhill for about 4 to 5 kilometres, past farmhouses and through pine woods, across the open valley floor to Khewang Lhakhang. It takes around two hours at an easy pace. Afterwards, your guide takes you to the Black-necked Crane Information Centre, run by Bhutan's nature conservation society, where telescopes look out over the roosting marsh.
The cranes are here from about late October to February, with the last leaving in March. Outside those months the walk is still one of the loveliest in Bhutan.
Highlights
- Easy, mostly downhill walk of about two hours
- Pine woods, farmhouses and open marshland
- Black-necked cranes in winter
- Telescopes at the crane information centre
- Views back to Gangtey Monastery
What's included
- English-speaking guide
- Drop-off at the start and pick-up at the end of the trail
- Visit to the Black-necked Crane Information Centre
- Centre entrance fee, unless stated
- Tips
Location
Request this tour
Send us your dates and a SkyRay advisor will confirm availability and price.
Itinerary
Frequently asked questions
From about late October to February; most have gone by mid-March. Numbers and dates vary each year. On 11 November the Black-Necked Crane Festival is held at Gangtey Monastery.
No. It's mostly downhill or flat and takes about two hours. Wear walking shoes; the valley floor can be muddy.
