Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Bhutan: Paro, Punakha, Phobjikha, Trongsa and Bumthang
11 days from Paro across western and central Bhutan: Thimphu, Punakha, the crane valley of Phobjikha, Trongsa and two nights in Bumthang, then a flight back for the Tiger's Nest.
11 days · Round trip from Paro · up to 12 guests
The Tiger's Nest above the Paro valley, walked on day 10 Photo: Original: Nina R from Africa Derivative work: UnpetitproleX, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paro_Taktsang,_Bhutan_(edited).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 11 days, 10 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Paro
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4 h on day 6No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
One demanding morning: the Tiger's Nest walk on day 10 climbs from about 2,600 m to the cafeteria viewpoint at about 2,900 m in roughly 1.5 hours, and those who go on to the monastery (about 3,100 m) add another hour of steps each way. You can stop at the cafeteria, or ride a pony up. The other walks run 30 minutes to 2 hours, including the Gangtey Nature Trail (mostly downhill) and the field path to Tamshing. Nights range from about 1,200 m in Punakha to about 2,900 m in Phobjikha, and three road passes reach about 3,100 to 3,400 m.
- Meals included
- 10 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 8 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,340 (estimated price)
- Season
- Best in spring and autumn
Highlights
Why this trip
- Dochula Pass and its 108 chortens before the morning cloud builds
- Punakha Dzong soon after it opens, at the meeting of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers
- The black-necked cranes on the Phobjikha marsh, late October to February
- The Gangtey Nature Trail from the monastery down across the valley floor
- Trongsa Dzong, where Bhutan's kings serve before taking the throne
- Jambay, Kurjey and Tamshing temples on foot in Bumthang, then a farmhouse hot stone bath
- A half-hour flight back west instead of two long road days
- The Tiger's Nest at the end, after a week at altitude
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,340 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4 h, on day 6.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Paro, on to Thimphu
Paro International Airport to Tachog Lhakhang and Chuzom, then Thimphu
- Lunch and welcome dinner
- Stay in Thimphu
- Drive about 1.5 h
Land at Paro International Airport (PBH), Bhutan's only international airport, where your See Sight Tours guide and our licensed Bhutanese guide meet you outside arrivals.
Morning
Flights operate in daylight only and most land in the morning. Paro's own sights wait for the end of the trip, when we come back to it for two nights, so today we drive about an hour and a half east along the Paro Chhu to Thimphu, the capital, at about 2,300 m. On the way we stop at Tachog Lhakhang, where an iron chain bridge in the style of the 15th-century bridge-builder Thangtong Gyalpo crosses the river to a small temple, and at Chuzom, where the Paro and Thimphu rivers meet below three chortens.
Afternoon
After lunch in Thimphu and time to settle in, we walk to the National Memorial Chorten, built in 1974 for the third king, where older residents circle it and turn the prayer wheels in the late afternoon.
Evening
The group meets for a briefing on the route, then a welcome dinner.
Included
- Pick-up at Paro International Airport (PBH)
- Tachog Lhakhang and its iron chain bridge
- Chuzom, the confluence of the Paro and Thimphu rivers
- Lunch in Thimphu
- National Memorial Chorten
- Welcome briefing and dinner
Free time: Time to rest at the hotel after lunch
Activity: Plan to land by about midday to join lunch and the afternoon; later arrivals are met and join at dinner. Thimphu sits at about 2,300 m, so we keep the first day gentle.
Thimphu, the capital
Buddha Dordenma, the Takin Preserve, the Folk Heritage Museum, Zorig Chusum and Tashichho Dzong
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Thimphu
- Drive about 30 min
Evening
A full day in the capital, with the evening free. We start at Buddha Dordenma, the giant gilded Buddha on the ridge south of the city, while the morning light is on the valley, then drive up to the Motithang Takin Preserve, a fenced forest where Bhutan's national animal grazes, and on to the Sangaygang viewpoint by the broadcasting tower. Back in town, the Folk Heritage Museum is a restored three-storey farmhouse of rammed earth and timber, a good lesson in the rural life we see later in Phobjikha and Bumthang. On weekdays, when classes run, we visit the National Institute for Zorig Chusum, where students train in the thirteen traditional arts, from thangka painting to wood carving; from Friday to Sunday we walk the Centenary Farmers Market by the river instead. Lunch is in town. Late in the afternoon we visit Tashichho Dzong, which opens to visitors after office hours, as the monks and civil servants who share it finish their day. Dinner is your choice tonight, in the town with the widest choice of restaurants on the route.
Included
- Buddha Dordenma (Buddha Point)
- Motithang Takin Preserve and the Sangaygang viewpoint
- Folk Heritage Museum
- National Institute for Zorig Chusum (weekdays) or the Centenary Farmers Market (Friday to Sunday)
- Tashichho Dzong after office hours
Easier option: Skip the Sangaygang stop and take an hour at the hotel before the dzong visit.
More active option: Walk with your guide from Sangaygang through pine forest to Wangditse Lhakhang, about 1.5 hours, and rejoin the group in town for lunch.
Free time: Evening free; dinner on your own
Activity: Tashichho Dzong's visiting slot after office hours is short and changes by season; on a weekend or government holiday ops moves it to the visiting hours confirmed for that day.
Over the Dochula Pass to Punakha
Thimphu to the Dochula Pass, Sopsokha and Chimi Lhakhang, then Punakha
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Punakha
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
Cloud usually builds over the pass by late morning, so we leave Thimphu at 8 am to reach Dochula, at about 3,100 m, while the northern horizon is clearest. On a good day, most often in autumn and winter, the snow peaks of the high Himalaya line up beyond the 108 Druk Wangyal chortens on the saddle. There is time for tea and a walk among the chortens before the road drops through forest, about 1,900 m in all, into the warm Punakha valley, where rice terraces line the rivers at about 1,200 m.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a farm restaurant near Sopsokha. Then we walk about 20 to 30 minutes through the village and between terraced paddies to the low hill of Chimi Lhakhang, the temple built in 1499 for Drukpa Kunley, the Divine Madman, where couples still come for fertility blessings. We reach the hotel by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day is free. The drive is about 75 km and two and a half to three hours.
Included
- Dochula Pass and the 108 Druk Wangyal chortens
- Lunch near Sopsokha
- Walk through the rice fields to Chimi Lhakhang
Free time: Late afternoon free at the hotel
Activity: The road is narrow and winding on both sides of the pass; if you are prone to motion sickness, take a front seat and medication before we leave.
Punakha Dzong and the valley
Punakha Dzong, the Punakha Suspension Bridge and Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Punakha
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
The light on Punakha Dzong's whitewashed walls is best in the morning, so we cross the wooden cantilever bridge over the Mo Chhu soon after it opens to visitors. Built in 1637 to 1638 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers meet, it was the seat of government until the capital moved to Thimphu in the 1950s, and the central monk body still spends the winter here. Inside, the courtyards open one after another, and your guides explain the murals in the assembly hall; we allow about two hours. Then a short drive upriver to the Punakha Suspension Bridge, strung with prayer flags high over the Pho Chhu. The active option climbs about 45 minutes through rice fields to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten for the view up the valley; the easy option drives to the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery on its ridge.
Afternoon
A picnic lunch by the river, then a free afternoon, the first of the trip, before tomorrow's climb into the high valleys.
Included
- Punakha Dzong with your guides
- Punakha Suspension Bridge
- Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten or the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery
- Picnic lunch by the river
Easier option: Drive up to the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery for the valley view instead of the chorten hike.
More active option: Hike about 45 minutes up through rice fields to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten and climb to its roof for the view.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: Punakha is the warmest stop on the route; bring sun protection.
Up to the Phobjikha valley
Punakha to Wangdue Phodrang Dzong and the Lawa La, then Phobjikha (Gangtey)
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Phobjikha
- Drive about 3 h
We drive south from Punakha down the river to Wangdue Phodrang, where the dzong on its ridge above the confluence was rebuilt after a fire in 2012, and stop for a visit. From there the road climbs steadily through oak and rhododendron forest, over the Lawa La at about 3,300 m, and drops into the Phobjikha valley at about 2,900 m, a wide glacial bowl of farmland, marsh and pine on the western slope of the Black Mountains.
Afternoon
The drive is about 80 km and three hours, and we arrive for lunch. In the afternoon we visit the Black-necked Crane Information Centre, run by the Royal Society for Protection of Nature, where telescopes look out over the marsh. From about late October to February the cranes winter here after flying in from the Tibetan plateau; outside those months the valley is quiet farmland and the centre explains their story.
Evening
The evening is free in a valley with no town to speak of; Phobjikha is cold at night for much of the year, so bring a warm layer.
Included
- Wangdue Phodrang Dzong
- Lunch in Phobjikha
- Black-necked Crane Information Centre
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: The cranes are in the valley from about late October to February only; the Black-necked Crane Festival is held at Gangtey Goemba each year in November. Phobjikha has the highest night on the route, at about 2,900 m.
Gangtey Goemba and on to Trongsa
Gangtey Goemba and the Gangtey Nature Trail, then the Pele La and Chendebji Chorten to Trongsa
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Trongsa
- Drive about 4 h
Evening
A one-night stop in Phobjikha is the price of keeping every drive near four hours, so we make the morning count. After an early breakfast we visit Gangtey Goemba, the 17th-century monastery on the knoll above the valley and a seat of the Pema Lingpa tradition of the Nyingma school, then walk the Gangtey Nature Trail, about 1.5 to 2 hours downhill through pine and across the valley floor, past farmhouses and, in winter, the cranes feeding in the marsh. Our vehicle meets us at the end. The drive to Trongsa is about 110 km and four hours, the longest drive of the trip: we climb over the Pele La at about 3,400 m, the pass between western and central Bhutan, and stop for a sit-down lunch near Chendebji Chorten, an old chorten in the Nepali style beside the river. Then the road follows the Mangde Chhu valley until Trongsa Dzong appears across the gorge in the late light, its tiers of roofs stepping down the ridge.
Included
- Gangtey Goemba
- Gangtey Nature Trail walk
- Pele La
- Lunch near Chendebji Chorten
Easier option: Walk only the first part of the nature trail, about 30 minutes, and ride on to its end with the driver.
More active option: Walk the full Gangtey Nature Trail, about 1.5 to 2 hours, with the guide.
Free time: Evening free in Trongsa
Activity: The longest road day, about four hours, broken by the nature-trail walk before it, the Pele La and a sit-down lunch.
Trongsa Dzong, then Bumthang
Trongsa Dzong and the Tower of Trongsa, then the Yotong La to Jakar in Bumthang
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Bumthang
- Drive about 3 h
Trongsa Dzong is one of the largest dzongs in Bhutan, founded in the 1640s on a spur above the Mangde Chhu, and the seat from which the Wangchuck family rose to become kings; by tradition the crown prince serves as Trongsa Penlop before taking the throne.
Morning
We visit it in the morning, then climb to the Ta Dzong watchtower above it, now the Tower of Trongsa museum on the royal family and the dzong's history.
Afternoon
After an early lunch in Trongsa we drive about 68 km and two and a half to three hours over the Yotong La, at about 3,400 m, through fir and rhododendron forest and down into Chumey, the first of Bumthang's valleys, where we stop at a yathra weaving workshop to see the woollen cloth the region is known for.
Evening
We reach Jakar, the main town of Bumthang at about 2,600 m, in the late afternoon, with time to walk its short main street before dinner. Bumthang gets two nights, so you unpack once for the central valleys.
Included
- Trongsa Dzong
- Tower of Trongsa museum (Ta Dzong)
- Yathra weaving in Chumey
Free time: Late afternoon free in Jakar
Activity: Trongsa Dzong's opening hours vary on festival and government days; ops confirms them for each departure.
Bumthang's temples and a farmhouse evening
Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang, Tamshing Lhakhang and Jakar Dzong, then a Bumthang farmhouse
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Bumthang
- Drive about 30 min
Bumthang is called the spiritual heart of Bhutan, and its temples sit close together on the Chamkhar valley floor, so today is mostly on foot. We start at Jambay Lhakhang, by tradition one of the temples built by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century, then walk on to Kurjey Lhakhang, where Guru Rinpoche is said to have left the imprint of his body in the rock of a meditation cave. From Kurjey a footbridge crosses the Chamkhar Chhu and a path leads about 30 minutes through fields to Tamshing Lhakhang, founded in 1501 by the treasure-revealer Pema Lingpa, with old murals and a chain-mail coat that pilgrims carry around the inner sanctum.
Afternoon
Lunch is back in Jakar. In the afternoon, Jakar Dzong on the ridge above town, or free time.
Evening
In the evening a Bumthang farmhouse heats river stones for a traditional hot stone bath, then serves dinner with the family, buckwheat dishes included.
Included
- Jambay Lhakhang
- Kurjey Lhakhang
- Walk across the river to Tamshing Lhakhang
- Jakar Dzong
- Hot stone bath and dinner at a Bumthang farmhouse
Easier option: Ride between the temples in the vehicle and skip the afternoon visit to Jakar Dzong.
More active option: Walk up to Jakar Dzong from town and on along the ridge with your guide, about an hour.
Free time: Afternoon free if you skip Jakar Dzong
Activity: Shoes come off and photography stops inside each temple; slip-on shoes help.
Fly to Paro
Jakar to Bathpalathang airport, a domestic flight to Paro, then Rinpung Dzong and the National Museum
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Paro
- Drive about 30 min
Driving back west from Bumthang to Paro takes two long days, so we fly instead: a domestic flight of about half an hour from Bathpalathang airport, a few minutes from Jakar, over the ridges we crossed by road.
Morning
The flight runs only on some days of the week, so departure dates are built around it, and its time sets the morning; if it leaves late, there is time for a last walk in Jakar.
Evening
Domestic flights depend on the weather, and if the flight cannot operate, we drive back west in two days with a night in Punakha or Wangdue and give up the second Paro night (ops plans this with each departure). In Paro, at about 2,200 m, we have lunch in town, then walk down to the Paro Chhu and over the covered wooden bridge below Rinpung Dzong, the fortress-monastery completed in 1646 that still houses the district's monks and offices. Above it, the round Ta Dzong watchtower holds the National Museum, with masks, thangka paintings and Bhutanese history. The evening is free in Paro's painted main street.
Included
- Domestic flight from Bathpalathang (Bumthang) to Paro
- Lunch in Paro
- Rinpung Dzong and the covered bridge over the Paro Chhu
- Ta Dzong National Museum
Free time: Late afternoon free in Paro
Activity: Domestic flights are weather dependent and the schedule is confirmed close to departure.
The Tiger's Nest walk
Paro to the Taktsang trailhead, the cafeteria viewpoint and the monastery, then Kyichu Lhakhang
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Paro
- Drive about 1 h
We leave at about 7:30 am for the 20-minute drive to the trailhead at about 2,600 m, so we are on the path before the heat and the main flow of walkers. By now, after a week at altitude, the climb is easier than it would be on the first days. Paro Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest, clings to a cliff about 900 m above the valley floor, around the cave where, by tradition, Guru Rinpoche meditated. The trail climbs through blue pine and oak hung with prayer flags to the cafeteria viewpoint, about an hour and a half up, facing the monastery across the gorge. Everyone can stop here. Those who want to go on walk about another hour, down and up several hundred steps past a waterfall, to the monastery itself, where bags and cameras are left at the gate.
Afternoon
We all meet for a sit-down lunch at the cafeteria, walk down together and stop at Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest temples.
Evening
The farewell dinner is in Paro tonight.
Included
- Guided walk to the Tiger's Nest (Paro Taktsang) cafeteria viewpoint, with the option to continue to the monastery
- Sit-down lunch at the Tiger's Nest cafeteria
- Kyichu Lhakhang
- Farewell dinner in Paro
Optional experiences
- A pony from the trailhead to the cafeteria (uphill only, paid locally)
Easier option: Stop at the cafeteria viewpoint: tea and the full view of the monastery across the gorge while the others go on, then lunch together.
More active option: Continue from the cafeteria to the monastery, about an hour each way on steps, and go inside the temples with our Bhutanese guide.
Free time: Late afternoon free before the farewell dinner
Activity: The hardest morning of the trip: about 4 to 6 hours on the trail for the full walk, or about 3 hours to the cafeteria and back. Walking poles and layers help; the descent is steep and dusty.
Leave from Paro
Your hotel in Paro to Paro International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 15 min
Morning
Breakfast at the hotel, then a transfer of about ten minutes to Paro International Airport. Flights out of Paro operate in daylight only and most leave in the morning, so plan to be at the airport about two hours before departure; your guides see you to the terminal and help with check-in before saying goodbye. If you fly to Kathmandu or Delhi, ask for a window on the right-hand side: on a clear morning the high Himalaya can run along the horizon, though the view depends on the weather and the route flown. If your flight leaves later in the day, the morning is free in Paro, and your guide can suggest a short walk in the valley or a last visit to the shops on the main street, with a later transfer.
Evening
If you would like to stay longer in Bhutan, ask us when you book and we can quote extra nights in Paro, though each extra night also carries the government's Sustainable Development Fee, which we would add to the quote.
Included
- Drop-off at Paro International Airport (PBH)
Free time: Morning free if your flight leaves later
Activity: Book any flight out of Paro; all departures are in daylight and the airport is about ten minutes from the hotel.
- Parostart
- Thimphu2 nights
- Punakha2 nights
- Phobjikha1 night
- Trongsa1 night
- Bumthang2 nights
- Paro2 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Late September to December brings the clearest skies and the best chance of a Himalayan view from Dochula, with cold nights in Phobjikha and Bumthang. The black-necked cranes winter in Phobjikha from about late October to February, so autumn and December departures see them. March to May is warmer, with rhododendrons in flower on the passes and more haze. June to August is the monsoon, with rain and landslides on the roads, so we do not run departures then.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want more of Bhutan than the western week, with the central valleys and their temples
- Birdwatchers and photographers timing an autumn or winter departure for the cranes of Phobjikha
- Walkers who want the Tiger's Nest with a choice of how far to go
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a single price shown up front
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who need step-free access: dzongs, temples and the Tiger's Nest trail all have steep steps
- Anyone who wants every night in the same bed: two stops are single nights to keep the drives short
- Travellers who dislike winding mountain roads or small domestic flights
- Travellers with only a week; our 8-day Paro, Thimphu and Punakha trip covers the west
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
10 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Thimphu2 nights
- Punakha2 nights
- Phobjikha1 night
- Trongsa1 night
- Bumthang2 nights
- Paro2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 10 nights: 2 in Thimphu, 2 in Punakha, 1 in Phobjikha, 1 in Trongsa, 2 in Bumthang (Jakar) and 2 in Paro
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard, central where the town has a centre (Punakha and Phobjikha hotels are spread along their valleys), heated and certified for international visitors; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Paro International Airport (PBH)
- Our own vehicle and driver for the group from day 1 to day 8 and in Paro, with road days of about 1.5 to 4 hours
- The domestic flight from Bathpalathang (Bumthang) to Paro on day 9, in place of two long road days
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 11
- A licensed Bhutanese guide throughout (Bhutan requires a licensed guide for most tours)
Activities
- On the road to Thimphu: Tachog Lhakhang and Chuzom
- Thimphu: National Memorial Chorten, Buddha Dordenma, the Takin Preserve, Sangaygang, the Folk Heritage Museum, the Zorig Chusum institute or the Centenary Farmers Market, and Tashichho Dzong
- The Dochula Pass and its 108 chortens
- Punakha: Chimi Lhakhang, Punakha Dzong, the Punakha Suspension Bridge and Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten or the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery
- Wangdue Phodrang Dzong
- Phobjikha: the Black-necked Crane Information Centre, Gangtey Goemba and the Gangtey Nature Trail
- Chendebji Chorten
- Trongsa: Trongsa Dzong and the Tower of Trongsa museum
- Bumthang: yathra weaving in Chumey, Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang, Tamshing Lhakhang, Jakar Dzong, and a hot stone bath and dinner at a farmhouse
- Paro: Rinpung Dzong, the Ta Dzong National Museum, the Tiger's Nest walk (Paro Taktsang) and Kyichu Lhakhang
- All entrance fees for included sights
- Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee for 10 nights
Meals
- 10 breakfasts
- 10 lunches, including a picnic in Punakha and lunch at the Tiger's Nest cafeteria
- 9 dinners, including a welcome dinner, the Bumthang farmhouse dinner and a farewell dinner
Not included
- International flights to and from Paro
- Bhutan visa fee (currently USD 40)
- Travel insurance
- Dinner on day 2 in Thimphu
- Drinks
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Optional activities, such as a pony to the Tiger's Nest cafeteria
- Personal expenses
Local fees
- None. Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee (currently USD 100 per person per night, USD 1,000 for this trip's 10 nights) is included in the price; the figure is confirmed when you book.
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,340 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Ten nights in 3-star-plus hotels, 10 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 9 dinners, airport transfers, our own vehicle and driver, the domestic flight from Bumthang to Paro, a See Sight Tours guide and a licensed Bhutanese guide throughout, every site entry, the farmhouse hot stone bath and Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee. The visa fee, international flights, drinks and tips are extra.
Is Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee included?
Yes. The Sustainable Development Fee is a government fee charged per person per night, currently USD 100, so USD 1,000 for this trip's 10 nights, and it is already in our price. If the government changes the figure before you travel, we confirm the difference when you book.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so everyone fits in one vehicle and around one table, and the group moves through dzong courtyards and temple doors without queueing behind itself. If you want fewer people, the private style is your party only.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from arrival in Paro to the last morning. A licensed Bhutanese guide joins for the whole trip too, since Bhutan requires a licensed guide for most tours, and leads inside the dzongs and temples. We name your guide when we confirm your departure.
How long are the drives in central Bhutan?
No road day is longer than about four hours. Thimphu to Punakha is about 2.5 to 3 hours, Punakha to Phobjikha about 3, Phobjikha to Trongsa about 4 and Trongsa to Bumthang about 2.5 to 3. We fly back from Bumthang to Paro in about 30 minutes rather than drive two long days.
What happens if the flight from Bumthang is cancelled?
We drive back west instead, over two days with a night in Punakha or Wangdue, and the second night in Paro is lost. The Bumthang to Paro flight runs only some days a week, so we set departure dates around it, and it depends on the weather. The extra costs of the drive are ours, and the Tiger's Nest walk is kept.
How fit do I need to be for the Tiger's Nest?
It is the one demanding morning, placed near the end when you are used to the altitude. The trail climbs about 300 m in roughly an hour and a half to the cafeteria viewpoint facing the monastery. Going on adds about an hour each way on steps. You can stop at the cafeteria or ride a pony up.
Will we see the black-necked cranes?
Only on departures between about late October and February, when the cranes winter in the Phobjikha valley after flying in from the Tibetan plateau. On those dates we watch them from the crane centre and the nature trail. In spring the valley is quiet farmland, and the centre explains their story.
I'm travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 1,340 more than the shared price, shown before you book and not added at checkout. Solo travellers join the same group, tables and activities as everyone else. If you would rather share, tell us and we will try to match you with another solo guest of the same gender, though we cannot guarantee a match.
When is the best time to go?
Late September to December has the clearest skies and, from late October, the cranes in Phobjikha, with cold nights in the high valleys. March to May is warmer, with rhododendrons on the passes and more haze. June to August is the monsoon, so we do not run departures then. Festival dates change every year.
How does booking work, and can we choose our own dates?
Choose a departure and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. For your own dates, the private style runs for your party only. Independent travel on your own dates is a separate quote, though Bhutan requires a licensed guide, so we include one.
Do I need a visa for Bhutan?
Most visitors need a Bhutan visa, applied for online before travel, and we file it for you with your passport details once your place is confirmed. The visa fee is currently USD 40 and is not in our price. Drukair and Bhutan Airlines fly into Paro from cities including Delhi, Kathmandu, Bangkok and Singapore.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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- Local1-289-271-9767
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