Stop 1 · Paro Or PunakhaStarting point
Begin in Paro Or Punakha
Touch down on one of the most dramatic landings anywhere, threading between ridges into a valley of rice fields watched over by Rinpung Dzong.
Kuzuzangpo la - welcome to Bhutan
Your journey to the last Himalayan kingdom begins here
Begin in Paro or Punakha, then wander through dzongs, festivals and high mountain valleys, one stop at a time.
Before you land
A kingdom that measures happiness
71%of the country is covered in forest
7,570 mGangkhar Puensum, the highest unclimbed mountain on earth
20dzongkhags, each with its own fortress and festival
1of the very few carbon-negative countries in the world
The route
Seven stops across the Dragon Kingdom
Start your journey in Paro or Punakha, whichever suits your trip, and follow the road to the cliffs of Taktsang. Every stop can be part of your trip.
- Stop 2 · Thimphu
A capital without traffic lights
A policeman still directs traffic by hand. Meet artisans at the weekend market and stand beneath the giant Buddha Dordenma.
- Stop 3 · Dochula
108 chortens at Dochula pass
At around 3,100 m, prayer flags snap in the wind and, on a clear day, the eastern Himalaya fill the horizon.
- Stop 4 · PunakhaStarting point
Or begin in Punakha
Start your trip in the warm Punakha valley, where Bhutan's most beautiful fortress sits at the meeting of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers, framed by jacaranda in spring.
- Stop 5 · Phobjikha
The valley of the black-necked cranes
A wide glacial valley where rare cranes arrive each winter, circling Gangtey monastery before they land.
- Stop 6 · Bumthang
Bumthang, the spiritual heartland
Ancient temples, apple orchards and buckwheat pancakes in the valleys where Bhutanese Buddhism took root.
- Stop 7 · Taktsang
The climb to Tiger's Nest
Your final high point: Paro Taktsang, clinging to a cliff some 900 m above the valley floor.
Culture and tradition
Living traditions, not museum pieces
Bhutan kept its culture by living it every day. These are the moments guests remember long after they fly home.
Tsechu festivals
Masked monks perform sacred cham dances in dzong courtyards, and whole valleys turn out in their finest.
Archery, the national sport
Teams shoot at targets 145 m away, with singing, dancing and good-natured teasing between rounds.
Ema datshi and butter tea
Chillies are a vegetable here, not a spice. Our guides know the farmhouse kitchens worth the detour.
Gho and kira
The national dress is worn every day. Try one on - we will help you tie it the proper way.
Prayer flags and wheels
Every flutter of a flag and turn of a wheel is said to carry a prayer out across the mountains.
Gross National Happiness
A country that weighs wellbeing, culture and nature alongside money - and it shows in how you are welcomed.
Travel with locals
Planned in Bhutan, by people from Bhutan
We are a Bhutanese team. Your guide grew up in these valleys, your driver knows every bend of the lateral road, and we handle your visa, permits and paperwork before you arrive.
Tell us how you like to travel and we will build the trip around it - festival dates, slow days, hard treks or hot-stone baths.
Through our lens
Moments from the road
Photos from trips we have run across the kingdom.
Journey's end - or the beginning
Ready to begin your own journey
Tell us when you would like to travel and who is coming. We reply on WhatsApp, usually within the day.