Journey Through Bhutan

This is our most comprehensive tour of Bhutan.

Begin with comprehensive touring in Paro, a resort town. Visit the National Museum, explore the surrounding valleys, and visit Tiger's Nest, a breathtaking monastery clinging to a cliff that is one of the most important icons of Bhutan. Other options include shopping for crafts and Himalayan and Buddhist items, a private archery lesson, a biking excursion, or simply relaxing and enjoying traditional Bhutanese spa treatments.

Next, enjoy a beautiful drive along rivers and through mountains to Thimphu, Bhutan's charming capital. Enjoy comprehensive touring of Thimphu’s many cultural attractions and important Buddhist highlights. Meet local people, learn about local traditions, explore a bustling market, and visit various small museums specializing in textiles, folk heritage, and traditional Bhutanese arts and crafts. Other activities can be incorporated based on your interests, such as a private day hike to rural villages and monasteries, a private Bhutanese cooking lesson at a local home, a meeting with a Bhutanese astrologer, or a private meditation session with monks.

Continue to Punakha, the ancient winter capital located in a sub-tropical valley where rhododendron and magnolia bloom and orange and banana trees flourish. Relax at your luxurious farmhouse-style lodge, set among rice terraces, chili and cabbage fields and traditional Bhutanese farmhouses. Enjoy a peaceful walk through rural farming villages, receive a blessing from a monk, opt to hike up a mountain for beautiful panoramic views of the valley, and visit the stunning Punakha Dzong.

Next, explore dramatic landscapes en route to the Bumthang region, located in the heart of the country. Visit villages, orchards, forests, ancient temples and monasteries—this area is considered the sacred heart of Bhutan and is the revered birthplace of many saints to whom the Bhutanese royalty trace their lineage. Also visit fortresses, glacier valleys, and wildlife conservation areas.

Continue past snow-capped mountains, protected valleys, fields and forests of rhododendron, juniper, and bamboo to Gangtey (locally known as Phobjika). Visit the isolated valleys of Gangtey, which is home to the endangered and graceful black-necked cranes that fly in from northern China, Mongolia and Siberia. Its secluded monasteries and temples today represent a literary treasure trove that is largely unharmed and still unexplored. The people who live in this area are known as the Bjopkha (normadic people) who speak a different dialect from Dzongkha — the official language of Bhutan. Return to Paro for your last night.

Please let us know your interests so we can tailor the touring accordingly. Upon request, we can incorporate activities such as overnight treks, meetings with local specialists, farm visits, monastery visits, soft-adventure activities (hiking, biking, archery rafting, fly-fishing or golf), shopping, cooking classes, blessings and meditations led by monks, and more.