independent travel and group trips
The Last
Shangri-La.
Bhutan doesn’t do mass tourism. That’s the point. This is a country that measures success in Gross National Happiness — and once you land in Paro, breathing that first hit of cold mountain air, you’ll understand exactly why.
“A kingdom tucked into the eastern Himalayas where monastery bells echo across pine forests, ancient fortress-cities guard river confluences, and the world’s most dramatic monastery clings to a cliff face 900 metres above the valley floor.”
Bhutan has kept its doors deliberately, thoughtfully closed to the world. The result? A culture so intact it feels almost like stepping into another century — except the roads are good and the vegan options are better than you’d expect.
From Thimphu’s butter-lamp-lit temples and rooftop views over the Himalayas, to a picnic in a royal botanical park and the legendary hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery — this is the kind of trip you stop talking about only when you start planning to go back.
Landscapes That Stop You Mid-Sentence
You’ll cross Dochula Pass at 3,100m where 108 memorial chortens frame a panorama of snow-capped Himalayan peaks. You’ll drive a cliff road to Chelela Pass — one of Bhutan’s highest motorable routes — prayer flags snapping in the wind overhead. And then there’s the view of Tiger’s Nest from the trail. No photo does it justice.
Fortress Cities & Living History
Bhutan’s Dzongs aren’t ruins — they’re still in use. The 17th-century Punakha Dzong, built at the confluence of two rivers, still serves as the winter seat of Bhutan’s Central Monastic Body. Tashichhodzong in Thimphu is the King’s palace and government headquarters. History here isn’t behind glass.
The Hike Everyone Talks About
The five-hour round-trip to Taktsang Monastery — Tiger’s Nest — is one of the great hikes in Asia. Perched on a sheer cliff face 900m above the valley floor, this is where Guru Rinpoche is said to have arrived on the back of a tigress. Every Bhutanese visits at least once in their lifetime. Now it’s your turn.
Eat Like a Local, Live Like a Traveler
Lunch at the Folk Heritage Museum Restaurant in Kawazangsa. A riverside picnic in the shadow of the royal botanical park. Bhutanese cuisine leans heavily on vegetables, rice, and chilies — which means eating plant-based here is less a restriction and more just… dinner. We’ll show you the best of it.
Your 7 days
in the kingdom.
Punakha · Wangdue
Paro
Your plane descends alongside Tiger’s Nest before touching down in the valley. That first breath of cold mountain air is yours before you’ve even collected your bags. Private transfer to your hotel, and a welcome dinner to ease into the rhythms of the kingdom.
Visit Buddha Point (160ft statue, 2,850m altitude), the Memorial Chorten, and the BBS Tower — home to the Takin, Bhutan’s wonderfully bizarre national animal. Lunch at the Folk Heritage Museum. Evening free in the Handicraft Market.
Cross Dochula Pass at 3,100m — 108 chortens, Himalayan panorama, deep breath. Down into Punakha valley (1,242m) where warm air and the Chimi Lhakhang fertility temple await. Afternoon at the majestic Punakha Dzong.
Hike through rice paddies to Khamsum Yueley Namgyal Chorten, built by the Queen Mother. Picnic lunch on the riverbank. Then on to Wangduephodrang Dzong, perched on a strategic spur where two rivers meet — built in 1639 and still commanding.
A morning in Lamperi Royal Botanical Park — 46 species of rhododendron, rare wildlife, and the Dochula range as your backdrop. Picnic lunch surrounded by the kind of pristine forest Bhutan has made its mission to protect. Afternoon back in Paro to rest your legs for tomorrow.
The hike. Early start, ~5 hours round trip to Taktsang Monastery — 900m above the valley floor, clinging to sheer cliff. Alternatively, drive to Chelela Pass (3,988m) for Himalayan views and visit the cliff-side Dzongdrakha temple complex before exploring the ancient Kyichu Lhakhang.
Breakfast at your own pace, then a transfer to Paro airport (PBH). You’ll leave with a memory card full of monastery shots, legs that earned their rest, and the distinct feeling that Bhutan is a place you’ll spend a long time trying to explain to people who weren’t there.
The moments
you’ll be talking
about for years.
Seven days that cover more ground — spiritually, physically, scenically — than most places manage in a month.
Everything
taken care of.
Seriously.
Bhutan requires a licensed guide and pre-arranged itinerary for all visitors. We’ve handled every detail — so all you need to do is show up and be curious.
Included
Not Included
Ready to earn
that Tiger’s Nest view?
Seven days. One kingdom. Zero regrets.