The Yutongla pass and a series of hair raising- bends at 11,500 feet separates the valley of Tongsa and Bhumthang. Views of Tongsa valley on ascent are superb. Bumthang has an individuality that charms its visitors and separates it from other regions. Comprising of four smaller valleys, the deeply spiritual region of Bumthang is shrouded in religious legend.

Apart from the Dzongs at Jakar smaller temples can be found throughout the hills. Tales of Padma Sambhava dominate these holy shrines. The valley is home to the sacred Jampa and Kurje Monasteries where bodily marks of Guru Rimpoche  are impressed upon rock.

Bumthang is also the Traditional home to the great Buddhist teacher Pema Lingpa to whose descendants the present dynasty traces its ancestry.

Jakar : The town of Jakar is the largest between Thimphu in the west and tashigang in the east. Jakar is the famous for its honey production, cheese, apples and apricots. Its arable land and Swiss and German aid project have helped the local economy to dramatically improve over recent years. A number of modern houses are evidence of the valley,s increased prosperity.

Visitors to Jakar should plan to spend a few days taking advantage of the valley’s relatively gentle slopes to hike to nearby medieval temples and glimpse Bhuta’s mostly rural population.

Ura Village : The eastern most valleys in central Bhutan before the Thumsingla pass in the Ura valley with the village of Ura its center. A small but old Dzongs and cobble stoned paths give the village a medieval feel. Elderly women can still be seen walking around Ura wearing sheepskins on their backs (they lay the sheepskins on the ground and sleep on them).

Ura is the last settlement before the climb to the highest pass (12,456 feet) in the kingdom at Thumsingla.