Bhutan SignatureBhutan in 7 nights

Our fullest Bhutan: Thimphu and Punakha, then two nights in the wide glacial valley of Phobjikha at Gangtey, before Paro and the Tiger's Nest. Gangtey is the quiet heart of the trip, a valley of farmhouses, pine forest and, from about November to February, the black-necked cranes. It suits couples, nature lovers and photographers who don't mind one long drive.

Day 1

Arrive Paro – Thimphu (2 Nights)

About 55 km · 1–1.5 hours by road

The landing into Paro, between forested ridges, is one of the most memorable in Asia. Your Bhutanese guide and driver meet you outside the terminal, in national dress, once your entry permit is stamped. You drive along the Paro river to Chuzom, where it meets the Thimphu river, stopping at Tachog Lhakhang and its iron-chain bridge. Check in at Thimphu and rest. In the late afternoon you drive up to the Buddha Dordenma, a giant gilded bronze Buddha above the valley, for the evening light over the capital. Overnight in Thimphu.

• Paro airport landing
• Tachog Lhakhang iron bridge
• Chuzom confluence
• Buddha Dordenma

• Note: Carry the original passport or voter ID you will travel on; it is needed for the entry permit at Paro.

Prafull’s tipAn easy first evening helps with the altitude. Save your energy for Gangtey's walks and Tiger's Nest.

No meals included today

Day 2

Thimphu

A full day in the capital with your guide. Start at the Memorial Chorten, where older residents walk their prayer rounds from first light, then the Motithang takin reserve to see Bhutan's odd-looking national animal. Next, the National Institute for Zorig Chusum, where students learn the thirteen traditional arts, from thangka painting to woodcarving, and the Folk Heritage Museum in a restored farmhouse. In the evening, Tashichho Dzong after office hours. Your guide also collects your route permits for Punakha and Gangtey today. Overnight in Thimphu.

• National Memorial Chorten
• Motithang Takin Preserve
• National Institute for Zorig Chusum
• Folk Heritage Museum
• Tashichho Dzong

• Note: The crafts school is closed at weekends and on government holidays; on a Saturday or Sunday we visit the Centenary Farmers' Market instead.
• Note: Tashichho Dzong opens to visitors after office hours on weekdays, and for longer at weekends.

Prafull’s tipThimphu's crafts shops are the best place in Bhutan for textiles. Ask your guide how to tell handwoven from machine-made.

Breakfast

Day 3

Thimphu – Punakha via Dochula (1 Night)

About 75 km · 2.5–3 hours by road

You climb out of Thimphu to the Dochula pass at about 3,100 metres and its 108 memorial chortens, with the eastern Himalaya on the horizon on a clear day. Then down through forest to the warm Punakha valley. After lunch, Punakha Dzong, built where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers meet, and the long suspension bridge strung with prayer flags. If time allows, a short walk through rice fields to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the 'Divine Madman'. Overnight in Punakha.

• Dochula pass
• Druk Wangyal chortens
• Punakha Dzong
• Punakha suspension bridge
• Chimi Lhakhang

Prafull’s tipPunakha is much warmer than Thimphu. Wear layers you can peel off as you come down from the pass.

Breakfast

Day 4

Punakha – Gangtey (2 Nights)

About 80 km · 3 hours by road

You drive south past the rebuilt Wangdue Phodrang Dzong on its ridge, then climb through oak and rhododendron forest over the Lawa La pass. The road drops into the Phobjikha valley, a broad glacial bowl of farms, pine forest and marshland at about 2,900 metres. In the afternoon, Gangtey Goenpa, the monastery on the ridge above the valley, with its courtyard of carved wood. Settle in by the wood stove at your lodge; nights here are cold. Overnight in Gangtey.

• Wangdue Phodrang Dzong
• Lawa La pass
• Gangtey Goenpa
• Phobjikha valley

• Note: Route permits for Punakha and Gangtey are processed by us and checked at road checkpoints; your guide handles them.

Prafull’s tipGangtey is at about 2,900 metres. Bring a warm jacket and woollen socks even in spring and autumn.

Breakfast

Day 5

Gangtey

A walking day in the valley. In the morning, the Gangtey nature trail, an easy walk of about 1.5 to 2 hours from the monastery down through pine forest and across the valley floor, past farmhouses and prayer flags. After lunch, the Black-necked Crane Information Centre, with telescopes looking over the marsh; from about November to February you can watch the cranes feeding, and the rest of the year you see the valley at its greenest. The evening is quiet and starry. Overnight in Gangtey.

• Gangtey nature trail
• Black-necked Crane Information Centre
• Phobjikha marshes
• Gangtey village

• Note: The Black-necked Crane Festival is usually held in the courtyard of Gangtey Goenpa on 11 November; ask us if your dates are close.

Prafull’s tipKeep your voice low near the marsh and never walk into it. The cranes are easily disturbed, and the valley is a protected area.

Breakfast

Day 6

Gangtey – Paro (2 Nights)

About 190 km · 6–6.5 hours by road

The longest day of the trip. An early start west, back over the Lawa La pass and down through Wangdue, then up once more to Dochula, with a lunch stop on the way. You pass Thimphu in the afternoon and follow the river into the Paro valley. We stop every hour or so to stretch, and your guide will happily break the drive at a temple or viewpoint. An easy evening at your hotel, with an early night before the hike. Overnight in Paro.

• Lawa La pass
• Dochula pass
• Paro valley

Prafull’s tipTell your driver whenever you want a break. If anyone is prone to car sickness, take a tablet before leaving and sit in front.

Breakfast

Day 7

Paro – Tiger's Nest Hike

The big day. You leave at about 7.30 am for the trailhead, 20 minutes away, then climb for two to three hours through pine forest to Paro Taktsang, the monastery built into a cliff some 900 metres above the valley. Ponies can carry you up to the cafeteria at about the halfway mark, which looks straight across at the monastery. Your guide takes you through the shrines, then you walk down, with lunch at the cafeteria on the way. On the way back, Rinpung Dzong if you still have energy, then a traditional hot-stone bath at a Paro farmhouse: heated river stones in a wooden tub with herbs. Overnight in Paro.

• Paro Taktsang (Tiger's Nest)
• Taktsang cafeteria viewpoint
• Rinpung Dzong
• Farmhouse hot-stone bath

• Note: Ponies go uphill only, as far as the cafeteria, and are paid locally. Walking down is on foot.

Prafull’s tipBook the hot-stone bath for after the hike, not before. Tired legs appreciate it most.

Breakfast

Day 8

Paro – Departure

About 6 km · 15 minutes to the airport

A last breakfast with the view of the Paro valley. Flights out of Paro usually leave in the morning, as the winds pick up later in the day, so check-out is early. Your guide and driver take you to the airport, about 15 minutes away, help with your bags and see you to the terminal. If your flight is later, there is time for a final walk along Paro's main street of painted wooden shopfronts. Tashi delek! Your holiday ends here.

• Paro valley
• Paro International Airport

• Note: Paro flights can be delayed by weather. Don't book a tight onward connection the same day.

Prafull’s tipFlying west to Delhi on a clear morning, sit on the right side for the line of Himalayan peaks.

Breakfast

Tour details

Accommodation

Choose the hotel category. The same route and sightseeing in every category.

Hotels are confirmed when you book. If a hotel is full, we give you one of the same category in the same area, and tell you before you pay.

Optional add-ons

Not in the price. Prafull can book them for you or you can pay locally.

Tour information

Read this to prepare for your holiday.

Good to know

• Indians need no visa, but must carry a passport (six months' validity) or voter ID for the entry permit. Aadhaar alone is not accepted. Children can use a birth certificate.
• Gangtey is at about 2,900 metres and cold at night in every season. Lodges there are simpler and heated by wood stoves.
• Expect one long drive of about six hours from Gangtey to Paro, on winding mountain roads.
• Dzongs and temples require long sleeves and full-length trousers or skirts, and no caps. Photography is not allowed inside shrines.
• The ngultrum is at par with the rupee and rupees are widely accepted; carry smaller notes. Cards work only in larger hotels and shops. Bhutan is 30 minutes ahead of India.
• Mobile signal is patchy in Phobjikha. A local B-Mobile or TashiCell SIM works well elsewhere.

When to go

March to May, and September to November. Clear mountain views and pleasant days; spring brings rhododendrons, autumn brings festivals. Winter is cold but clear, and black-necked cranes winter at Gangtey from about November to February.

Our favourite months

Cancellation policy & payment terms

• Cancellations must be sent in writing, on email or WhatsApp; the date we receive it is the cancellation date.
• Flights, trains, visa fees and non-refundable hotel or activity bookings are refunded only as their own rules allow.
• Date changes are free when made 30 days or more before travel, subject to hotel availability and any difference in price.
• Refunds are paid within 14 working days of us receiving them from the hotels and suppliers.
• No refund is possible for services not used during the holiday.
• Hotels may ask for a refundable security deposit at check-in, paid directly to the hotel.

Questions about this holiday