Royal Highland Festival

Royal Highland Festival is an annual cultural celebration held each October in Laya, one of Bhutan’s most remote and spectacular highland villages in Gasa District. Perched at over 4,000 metres above sea level, the festival showcases the distinctive traditions, lifestyle, and resilience of Bhutan’s highland communities while highlighting the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayan highlands.

Organized under the Royal Vision to support sustainable highland livelihoods, the festival brings together highlanders from Laya and other alpine regions to celebrate their unique culture through songs, dances, traditional games, indigenous sports, and vibrant festivals of costume and craftsmanship.

Visitors to the Royal Highland Festival can enjoy a wide range of cultural experiences, including:

• Traditional music, dance, and poetry recitals performed by the Layap and other highland communities.
• Animal parades and competitions, including yaks, horses, and mastiff dogs decorated in colorful attire.
• Exhibitions and stalls featuring highland produce, yak-derived products, woven textiles, medicinal herbs, and local crafts.
• Traditional games, races, and cultural showcases that reflect the strength, skill, and heritage of the mountain peoples.
• The Laya Run, a scenic 25-km trail race that winds along the Mochu River
• Beyond celebration, the festival promotes the sustainable development of highland economies, supports cultural preservation, and invites visitors to experience the authentic simplicity and spiritual richness of life in the high mountains.
• The nearby Snow Man Run and other adventure events often coincide with the festival

Update on Accessibility:
Previously, the feeder road from Gasa —which remains unpaved (not blacktopped)—extended only as far as Tongchudra. Recently, the road has been further extended up to Taktse Makhang (Army Post), located below Laya village. The drive from Gasa to Taktse Makhang takes approximately three hours on this rough road. From Taktse Makhang, visitors must continue on foot, with a steep uphill hike of less than two hours to reach Laya village.