Private Guided
Bhutan
Bhutan from East to West
Sixteen days across the whole of Bhutan, from the weaving villages of the far east through Bumthang and Punakha to Paro
Duration
16 Days
From
$6,420
Cliffside monasteries, crane valleys and fortresses where rivers meet
Country Overview
Cliffside monasteries, crane valleys and fortresses where rivers meet
Bhutan climbs from subtropical forest on the edge of the Indian plains to glaciers on the Tibetan border in less than two hundred kilometres. Between the two lie the deep river valleys where most Bhutanese live, each watched over by a dzong, the fortress-monasteries that have housed both government and monks since the seventeenth century. The kingdom stayed closed to outsiders until 1974, still measures its progress by Gross National Happiness, and writes into its constitution that at least sixty per cent of the land must stay forested for all time. Tigers range from the lowland jungle to the alpine meadows, black-necked cranes fly over the Himalaya each winter to roost at Phobjikha, and in the far east Brokpa herders still move their yaks between Merak and Sakteng.
Ecovoyager Experiences
Small group expeditions through Bhutan, run with vetted local operators and ground guides.
Private Guided
Bhutan
Sixteen days across the whole of Bhutan, from the weaving villages of the far east through Bumthang and Punakha to Paro
Private Guided
Bhutan
Thirteen days in Bhutan, with eight on foot to the base camp below Jomolhari and over the Bhonte La, plus Tiger's Nest and Thimphu
Bespoke Travel
Skip the standard itineraries. We design journeys around your interests, timeline, and curiosity, with access you will not find on any platform.
Experiences
Thirty experiences across the kingdom, grouped by what draws you there.
Paro Taktsang clings to a cliff about 900 metres above the valley floor, where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated in the eighth century. The walk up through pine forest takes most of a morning.
Built in 1637 where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers meet, Punakha Dzong is the finest of Bhutan's fortresses and the winter home of the central monk body. In spring the jacarandas flower purple.
Rinpung Dzong in Paro and Trongsa Dzong, once the seat of the Wangchuck kings, show how the dzongs still work: district offices on one side of the courtyard, monks on the other.
Bumthang holds some of Bhutan's oldest temples: Jambay Lhakhang, said to date from the seventh century, Kurjey, where Guru Rinpoche left his body print in rock, and Tamshing, founded by Pema Lingpa.
At Membartsho in the Tang valley, the treasure-revealer Pema Lingpa is said to have dived into the river holding a lamp and returned with sacred texts, the lamp still alight. Pilgrims leave butter lamps above the water.
Masked dances in the dzong courtyards honour Guru Rinpoche over several days, and whole valleys turn out in their finest gho and kira. At Paro and Thimphu a giant thangka is unrolled at dawn on the final morning.
Archery is played over 145 metres, with teams singing, dancing and heckling their opponents between shots. Matches run most weekends, and anyone can stand at the edge of the field and watch.
Every November the children of Phobjikha dance as cranes in the courtyard of Gangtey Goenpa to welcome the birds back for the winter, alongside masked dances and local songs.
Stay with a farming family in a traditional rammed-earth house, eat red rice by the stove, and soak in a dotsho, a wooden tub heated with river stones and medicinal herbs.
Watch students learn painting, woodcarving, sculpture and embroidery at the Institute for Zorig Chusum in Thimphu, the school that keeps Bhutan's thirteen traditional arts alive.
The classic first trek runs between Paro and Thimphu along ridges above 4,000 metres, past high lakes and with views north to the Himalaya on clear mornings. Four to six days on foot.
Walk up the Paro valley to the foot of Jomolhari, a 7,326-metre peak sacred to the Bhutanese, past yak herders' camps and the hilltop fort at Lingshi. Blue sheep graze the slopes above camp.
Close to a month in the remote north, crossing eleven passes, many above 5,000 metres, to the glacial lakes of Lunana. It is one of the hardest treks in the Himalaya and one of the least walked.
A short trek south of Thimphu over open ridges scattered with alpine lakes, with yak herders in summer and views across the Himalaya to Gangkhar Puensum on clear days.
Chele La, the highest road pass in the west at nearly 4,000 metres, looks straight across to Jomolhari. Further east, Dochula's 108 chortens and the rhododendron forests of Thrumshing La break the long drives.
From November to February, black-necked cranes roost in the wetlands of Phobjikha and Bumdeling after crossing the Himalaya from Tibet. Their numbers in Bhutan have nearly doubled since the first count in 1987.
The takin, Bhutan's national animal, is a heavy, shaggy relative of the goat. See them at the preserve above Thimphu, or in the wild along the high routes of Jigme Dorji National Park.
The golden langur lives only in central Bhutan and neighbouring Assam. Troops are often seen from the road between Trongsa and Zhemgang, feeding in the treetops above the Mangde Chhu.
The forests around Thrumshing La are among the best birding routes in the Himalaya, with satyr tragopan, Himalayan monal and rufous-necked hornbill. Red pandas feed in the bamboo here in spring.
Bhutan's tiger population has grown by more than a quarter in a decade, and its tigers range from the southern jungle to alpine meadows. Sightings are rare, but Royal Manas and the south are where they live.
One of the last western valleys opened to visitors, Haa has farmhouse stays, the white and black temples of Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo, and a quiet road over Chele La from Paro.
Walk down through pine forest and dwarf bamboo to the edge of the crane wetlands at Phobjikha, then visit Gangtey Goenpa, the seventeenth-century monastery on the ridge above the valley.
Bhutanese weaving is among the finest in Asia. See the national collection at the Textile Museum in Thimphu, then the backstrap looms of the east, where every valley has its own patterns.
Ura is a cobbled highland village at the head of a wide valley in Bumthang, known for its spring Yakchoe festival and for the matsutake mushrooms its families gather in August.
Trashiyangtse is known for wooden bowls turned from maple burls and for its school of traditional arts. Nearby, the white Chorten Kora stands beside the river, modelled on the great stupa of Boudhanath.
In Bhutan chillies are a vegetable, not a seasoning. Ema datshi, chillies cooked in soft cheese, comes to almost every meal alongside Bhutanese red rice.
Bumthang is too high for rice, so the valley cooks with buckwheat: puta noodles and khuli pancakes, with local cheese and honey, and Red Panda beer from the brewery in Jakar.
Suja, salted butter tea, is offered in every home and monastery. In the villages you will also be poured ara, a spirit distilled from rice, wheat or maize, sometimes warmed with butter and egg.
Thimphu's weekend market fills with chillies, mushrooms, fern shoots, river weed and strings of dried yak cheese. It is the best place in the country to see what Bhutan grows.
Learn to make ema datshi, kewa datshi and buckwheat dumplings with a farming family, starting with vegetables from their own fields and finishing at their table.
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Explore Destinations
Locations
Bumthang is four high valleys in the centre of Bhutan, Chhoekhor, Tang, Chhume and Ura, strung along cold rivers at around 2,600 metres and above. This is where Guru Rinpoche left the print of…
Bumthang Dzongkhag, Central Bhutan
Bumthang is four high valleys in the centre of Bhutan, Chhoekhor, Tang, Chhume and Ura, strung along cold rivers at around 2,600 metres and above. This is where Guru Rinpoche left the print of…
Haa Dzongkhag, Western Bhutan
Over Chele La, at 3,988 metres the highest road pass in Bhutan, lies a narrow alpine valley that foreign visitors were not allowed to enter until 2002. Haa sits at around 2,700 metres beneath…
Paro Dzongkhag, Western Bhutan
Almost every journey to Bhutan begins in Paro, with a landing between forested ridges into a valley of rice terraces, apple orchards and big painted farmhouses. For centuries this was the country's western door,…
Wangdue Phodrang Dzongkhag, Central Bhutan
Phobjikha is a wide glacial valley at around 2,900 metres on the eastern side of the Black Mountains, its floor a marsh of dwarf bamboo threaded by a slow river. Each year in late…
Punakha Dzongkhag, Western Bhutan
Over Dochula and down through rhododendron forest, the road drops nearly two thousand metres into a warm valley of rice terraces and orange trees. Here the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu, the male and…
Thimphu Dzongkhag, Western Bhutan
Thimphu runs long and narrow along the Wang Chhu, a capital of well over a hundred thousand people at around 2,300 metres, where a white-gloved policeman still directs traffic at the main junction because…
Paro Taktsang, Paro Valley
Paro Taktsang clings to a sheer cliff some 900 metres above the Paro valley, a cluster of whitewashed temples under gold roofs that seems to grow straight out of the rock. Bhutanese tradition holds…
Plan Your Journey
Every season reveals a different face of the country. Here’s how to find yours.
January
Peak7 places to go in January
Crane Season
The valley's great season. Cranes build to their highest numbers from mid-November, the festival falls on 11 November and January brings the national count. Days are bright and nights are well below freezing, with occasional snow on the valley floor and the passes.
Winter
Cold nights and bright, sunny days, with almost no rain and very few visitors. It is a fine season for photographers and birders, as ibisbills feed along the river near the airport. Snow can close Chele La for a few days at a time.
Winter
Punakha's secret season. While Paro and Thimphu freeze at night, days here stay mild and sunny, the monk body is in residence at the dzong, and the Druk Wangyel festival is held among the chortens at Dochula on 13 December, with the Himalaya at its clearest.
Winter
Cold, clear and quiet. Days are bright and the views excellent, but mornings at the monastery fall below freezing and the shaded steps can carry frost or ice. Start a little later than in summer and bring proper layers.
Winter
Hard frosts, bright skies and almost no other visitors. Nights fall well below freezing and hotel rooms rely on wood stoves and heaters, so pack warm layers. December brings small festivals at Jambay Lhakhang and Nalakhar.
Winter
Bright, dry and bitterly cold, with nights well below freezing and snow that can close Chele La for a day or two. Lomba, Haa's own new year, falls in early winter, and the clear nights are made for stargazing. Farmhouse stoves keep homestays warm.
Winter
Cold, clear and quiet, with bright sunny days and nights below freezing. Snow can close the passes for a day or two. National Day in December and the King's birthday in February bring celebrations to the city.
February
Peak7 places to go in February
Spring
The festival season. The Punakha Dromchoe and Tshechu fill the dzong in February, the Talo Tshechu follows in March, and by late March the jacaranda trees around the dzong flower purple. Rhododendrons bloom at Lamperi in April. Book well ahead for festival weeks.
Winter
Cold nights and bright, sunny days, with almost no rain and very few visitors. It is a fine season for photographers and birders, as ibisbills feed along the river near the airport. Snow can close Chele La for a few days at a time.
Late Winter and Spring
The last cranes leave during February. Spring thaws the valley, rhododendrons bloom on the passes and the trekking routes open, making this a quiet, rewarding time to walk, though the cranes themselves are gone.
Winter
Cold, clear and quiet. Days are bright and the views excellent, but mornings at the monastery fall below freezing and the shaded steps can carry frost or ice. Start a little later than in summer and bring proper layers.
Winter
Hard frosts, bright skies and almost no other visitors. Nights fall well below freezing and hotel rooms rely on wood stoves and heaters, so pack warm layers. December brings small festivals at Jambay Lhakhang and Nalakhar.
Winter
Bright, dry and bitterly cold, with nights well below freezing and snow that can close Chele La for a day or two. Lomba, Haa's own new year, falls in early winter, and the clear nights are made for stargazing. Farmhouse stoves keep homestays warm.
Winter
Cold, clear and quiet, with bright sunny days and nights below freezing. Snow can close the passes for a day or two. National Day in December and the King's birthday in February bring celebrations to the city.
March
Peak7 places to go in March
Spring
The valley thaws, rhododendrons bloom on Chele La and the trails open. The Haa Spring Festival fills Yangthang in April, and May brings warm, clear days that are ideal for the Panorama Trail and the walk to Paro.
Spring
Blossom in the orchards, rhododendrons on Chele La and the Paro festival, which brings the valley's busiest week. Rice nurseries turn the fields green in April and transplanting follows in May, when afternoon cloud starts to build over the passes.
Spring
The festival season. The Punakha Dromchoe and Tshechu fill the dzong in February, the Talo Tshechu follows in March, and by late March the jacaranda trees around the dzong flower purple. Rhododendrons bloom at Lamperi in April. Book well ahead for festival weeks.
Spring
Warming days, rhododendrons on the ridges above the city and some of the best walking of the year. April is the pick. Afternoon showers build through May, and the clear winter views start to haze over.
Spring
Rhododendrons bloom along the trail from late March, the paths are dry, and the Paro festival brings the valley to life, along with its busiest weeks. Mornings are clear, and by May cloud often builds around midday, so start early.
Spring
The valleys thaw, rhododendrons bloom on Yotong La and Thrumshing La, and village festivals fill Domkhar and Ura. April is the pick. By May the birding east of Thrumshing La is at its best and afternoon showers begin to build.
Late Winter and Spring
The last cranes leave during February. Spring thaws the valley, rhododendrons bloom on the passes and the trekking routes open, making this a quiet, rewarding time to walk, though the cranes themselves are gone.
April
Peak7 places to go in April
Spring
The valley thaws, rhododendrons bloom on Chele La and the trails open. The Haa Spring Festival fills Yangthang in April, and May brings warm, clear days that are ideal for the Panorama Trail and the walk to Paro.
Spring
Blossom in the orchards, rhododendrons on Chele La and the Paro festival, which brings the valley's busiest week. Rice nurseries turn the fields green in April and transplanting follows in May, when afternoon cloud starts to build over the passes.
Spring
The festival season. The Punakha Dromchoe and Tshechu fill the dzong in February, the Talo Tshechu follows in March, and by late March the jacaranda trees around the dzong flower purple. Rhododendrons bloom at Lamperi in April. Book well ahead for festival weeks.
Spring
Warming days, rhododendrons on the ridges above the city and some of the best walking of the year. April is the pick. Afternoon showers build through May, and the clear winter views start to haze over.
Spring
Rhododendrons bloom along the trail from late March, the paths are dry, and the Paro festival brings the valley to life, along with its busiest weeks. Mornings are clear, and by May cloud often builds around midday, so start early.
Spring
The valleys thaw, rhododendrons bloom on Yotong La and Thrumshing La, and village festivals fill Domkhar and Ura. April is the pick. By May the birding east of Thrumshing La is at its best and afternoon showers begin to build.
Late Winter and Spring
The last cranes leave during February. Spring thaws the valley, rhododendrons bloom on the passes and the trekking routes open, making this a quiet, rewarding time to walk, though the cranes themselves are gone.
May
Peak7 places to go in May
Spring
The valley thaws, rhododendrons bloom on Chele La and the trails open. The Haa Spring Festival fills Yangthang in April, and May brings warm, clear days that are ideal for the Panorama Trail and the walk to Paro.
Spring
Blossom in the orchards, rhododendrons on Chele La and the Paro festival, which brings the valley's busiest week. Rice nurseries turn the fields green in April and transplanting follows in May, when afternoon cloud starts to build over the passes.
Spring
Warming days, rhododendrons on the ridges above the city and some of the best walking of the year. April is the pick. Afternoon showers build through May, and the clear winter views start to haze over.
Spring
Rhododendrons bloom along the trail from late March, the paths are dry, and the Paro festival brings the valley to life, along with its busiest weeks. Mornings are clear, and by May cloud often builds around midday, so start early.
Spring
The valleys thaw, rhododendrons bloom on Yotong La and Thrumshing La, and village festivals fill Domkhar and Ura. April is the pick. By May the birding east of Thrumshing La is at its best and afternoon showers begin to build.
Late Winter and Spring
The last cranes leave during February. Spring thaws the valley, rhododendrons bloom on the passes and the trekking routes open, making this a quiet, rewarding time to walk, though the cranes themselves are gone.
Monsoon
Hot, humid and green, with rice going into the terraces. Rain falls most afternoons from June, the rivers run high and landslides can close the approach roads, so build in spare time. The valley is lush and quiet, and Dochula is usually in cloud.
June
Shoulder7 places to go in June
Monsoon
Green and quiet, with the Kurjey and Nimalung festivals in June and the matsutake harvest in Ura from late July. Rain falls most afternoons, flights to Bathpalathang are unreliable and landslides can slow the roads, so build in spare time.
Monsoon
Green, wet and very quiet. Alpine flowers peak on the high-lake treks, but rain falls most days, trails get muddy and landslides can slow the roads into the valley, so build in spare time.
Monsoon
The terraces are at their greenest and visitors at their fewest. Rain falls most afternoons, mountain views are rare, forest trails grow muddy and flights can be delayed, but the valley is quiet and the farm work is in full swing.
Monsoon
Mild, green and very wet, with July the wettest month. The cranes are on their breeding grounds in Tibet, trails are muddy and roads can be slowed by landslides. The two rescued cranes at the visitor centre are the only birds you will see.
Monsoon
Hot, humid and green, with rice going into the terraces. Rain falls most afternoons from June, the rivers run high and landslides can close the approach roads, so build in spare time. The valley is lush and quiet, and Dochula is usually in cloud.
Monsoon
The valley turns deep green and the city is at its quietest. Rain falls most days, forest trails get muddy and leeches appear, and landslides can slow the roads to Punakha and Phuentsholing. Monasteries and museums carry on as normal.
Monsoon
The trail stays open, but mist often hides the cliff, the steps turn slippery and the lower forest is muddy and full of leeches. The reward is a green, quiet valley and very few other hikers. Conditions improve noticeably in late September.
July
Shoulder7 places to go in July
Monsoon
Green and quiet, with the Kurjey and Nimalung festivals in June and the matsutake harvest in Ura from late July. Rain falls most afternoons, flights to Bathpalathang are unreliable and landslides can slow the roads, so build in spare time.
Monsoon
Green, wet and very quiet. Alpine flowers peak on the high-lake treks, but rain falls most days, trails get muddy and landslides can slow the roads into the valley, so build in spare time.
Monsoon
The terraces are at their greenest and visitors at their fewest. Rain falls most afternoons, mountain views are rare, forest trails grow muddy and flights can be delayed, but the valley is quiet and the farm work is in full swing.
Monsoon
Mild, green and very wet, with July the wettest month. The cranes are on their breeding grounds in Tibet, trails are muddy and roads can be slowed by landslides. The two rescued cranes at the visitor centre are the only birds you will see.
Monsoon
Hot, humid and green, with rice going into the terraces. Rain falls most afternoons from June, the rivers run high and landslides can close the approach roads, so build in spare time. The valley is lush and quiet, and Dochula is usually in cloud.
Monsoon
The valley turns deep green and the city is at its quietest. Rain falls most days, forest trails get muddy and leeches appear, and landslides can slow the roads to Punakha and Phuentsholing. Monasteries and museums carry on as normal.
Monsoon
The trail stays open, but mist often hides the cliff, the steps turn slippery and the lower forest is muddy and full of leeches. The reward is a green, quiet valley and very few other hikers. Conditions improve noticeably in late September.
August
Shoulder7 places to go in August
Monsoon
Green and quiet, with the Kurjey and Nimalung festivals in June and the matsutake harvest in Ura from late July. Rain falls most afternoons, flights to Bathpalathang are unreliable and landslides can slow the roads, so build in spare time.
Monsoon
Green, wet and very quiet. Alpine flowers peak on the high-lake treks, but rain falls most days, trails get muddy and landslides can slow the roads into the valley, so build in spare time.
Monsoon
The terraces are at their greenest and visitors at their fewest. Rain falls most afternoons, mountain views are rare, forest trails grow muddy and flights can be delayed, but the valley is quiet and the farm work is in full swing.
Monsoon
Mild, green and very wet, with July the wettest month. The cranes are on their breeding grounds in Tibet, trails are muddy and roads can be slowed by landslides. The two rescued cranes at the visitor centre are the only birds you will see.
Monsoon
Hot, humid and green, with rice going into the terraces. Rain falls most afternoons from June, the rivers run high and landslides can close the approach roads, so build in spare time. The valley is lush and quiet, and Dochula is usually in cloud.
Monsoon
The valley turns deep green and the city is at its quietest. Rain falls most days, forest trails get muddy and leeches appear, and landslides can slow the roads to Punakha and Phuentsholing. Monasteries and museums carry on as normal.
Monsoon
The trail stays open, but mist often hides the cliff, the steps turn slippery and the lower forest is muddy and full of leeches. The reward is a green, quiet valley and very few other hikers. Conditions improve noticeably in late September.
September
Peak7 places to go in September
Autumn
The best season. Skies clear through September, buckwheat flowers pink in the fields, and October brings the Jakar Tshechu and the Jambay Lhakhang Drup, the valley's busiest weeks. November is crisp, clear and quieter, with the harvest coming in.
Autumn
The rains ease through September, and October and November bring the clearest skies of the year, with the best views from Chele La. The Haa Tshechu is held at the White Temple in autumn, and November is the driest month, with frosty nights.
Autumn
The monsoon clears through September and October brings the clearest skies of the year, with the rice turning gold before harvest. November is the driest month of all, cool and sharp, with excellent views from the passes and fewer visitors than October.
Autumn
The rains ease through September, and in October the terraces turn gold for the harvest. November is the driest month of the year, with clear skies over Dochula and comfortable walking weather. The Wangdue Tshechu falls in October.
Autumn
The rains ease through September and October brings clear skies, harvest colour and the Thimphu festival, which falls in late September or October depending on the lunar calendar. November is dry, cool and sharp, with the best mountain views of the year.
Autumn
Skies clear, the potato harvest comes in and the Gangtey Tshechu is held at the monastery. The first cranes arrive in the last week of October, so a late October visit can catch the valley at the turn of the season.
Monsoon
The trail stays open, but mist often hides the cliff, the steps turn slippery and the lower forest is muddy and full of leeches. The reward is a green, quiet valley and very few other hikers. Conditions improve noticeably in late September.
October
Peak7 places to go in October
Autumn
The best season. Skies clear through September, buckwheat flowers pink in the fields, and October brings the Jakar Tshechu and the Jambay Lhakhang Drup, the valley's busiest weeks. November is crisp, clear and quieter, with the harvest coming in.
Autumn
The rains ease through September, and October and November bring the clearest skies of the year, with the best views from Chele La. The Haa Tshechu is held at the White Temple in autumn, and November is the driest month, with frosty nights.
Autumn
The monsoon clears through September and October brings the clearest skies of the year, with the rice turning gold before harvest. November is the driest month of all, cool and sharp, with excellent views from the passes and fewer visitors than October.
Autumn
The rains ease through September, and in October the terraces turn gold for the harvest. November is the driest month of the year, with clear skies over Dochula and comfortable walking weather. The Wangdue Tshechu falls in October.
Autumn
The rains ease through September and October brings clear skies, harvest colour and the Thimphu festival, which falls in late September or October depending on the lunar calendar. November is dry, cool and sharp, with the best mountain views of the year.
Autumn
The best time to come. The monsoon has cleared, the air is sharp and the cliff stands out in hard, clean light. October is the busiest month of the year on the trail, and November is almost as clear with noticeably fewer people.
Autumn
Skies clear, the potato harvest comes in and the Gangtey Tshechu is held at the monastery. The first cranes arrive in the last week of October, so a late October visit can catch the valley at the turn of the season.
November
Peak7 places to go in November
Autumn
The best season. Skies clear through September, buckwheat flowers pink in the fields, and October brings the Jakar Tshechu and the Jambay Lhakhang Drup, the valley's busiest weeks. November is crisp, clear and quieter, with the harvest coming in.
Autumn
The rains ease through September, and October and November bring the clearest skies of the year, with the best views from Chele La. The Haa Tshechu is held at the White Temple in autumn, and November is the driest month, with frosty nights.
Autumn
The monsoon clears through September and October brings the clearest skies of the year, with the rice turning gold before harvest. November is the driest month of all, cool and sharp, with excellent views from the passes and fewer visitors than October.
Crane Season
The valley's great season. Cranes build to their highest numbers from mid-November, the festival falls on 11 November and January brings the national count. Days are bright and nights are well below freezing, with occasional snow on the valley floor and the passes.
Autumn
The rains ease through September, and in October the terraces turn gold for the harvest. November is the driest month of the year, with clear skies over Dochula and comfortable walking weather. The Wangdue Tshechu falls in October.
Autumn
The rains ease through September and October brings clear skies, harvest colour and the Thimphu festival, which falls in late September or October depending on the lunar calendar. November is dry, cool and sharp, with the best mountain views of the year.
Autumn
The best time to come. The monsoon has cleared, the air is sharp and the cliff stands out in hard, clean light. October is the busiest month of the year on the trail, and November is almost as clear with noticeably fewer people.
December
Peak7 places to go in December
Crane Season
The valley's great season. Cranes build to their highest numbers from mid-November, the festival falls on 11 November and January brings the national count. Days are bright and nights are well below freezing, with occasional snow on the valley floor and the passes.
Winter
Cold nights and bright, sunny days, with almost no rain and very few visitors. It is a fine season for photographers and birders, as ibisbills feed along the river near the airport. Snow can close Chele La for a few days at a time.
Winter
Punakha's secret season. While Paro and Thimphu freeze at night, days here stay mild and sunny, the monk body is in residence at the dzong, and the Druk Wangyel festival is held among the chortens at Dochula on 13 December, with the Himalaya at its clearest.
Winter
Cold, clear and quiet. Days are bright and the views excellent, but mornings at the monastery fall below freezing and the shaded steps can carry frost or ice. Start a little later than in summer and bring proper layers.
Winter
Hard frosts, bright skies and almost no other visitors. Nights fall well below freezing and hotel rooms rely on wood stoves and heaters, so pack warm layers. December brings small festivals at Jambay Lhakhang and Nalakhar.
Winter
Bright, dry and bitterly cold, with nights well below freezing and snow that can close Chele La for a day or two. Lomba, Haa's own new year, falls in early winter, and the clear nights are made for stargazing. Farmhouse stoves keep homestays warm.
Winter
Cold, clear and quiet, with bright sunny days and nights below freezing. Snow can close the passes for a day or two. National Day in December and the King's birthday in February bring celebrations to the city.
From the Journal
Bhutan joins EcoVoyager for 2027, with cultural journeys, an east-to-west crossing and Himalayan treks for small groups and private travelers.
Read ArticleFlora & Fauna
Panthera uncia
Resident above the treeline across the Tien Shan. Tracks are far more likely than a sighting; the Song-Köl basin holds a small, monitored population.
Pseudois nayaur
Neither true sheep nor goat, this unique ungulate displays blue-gray coloring that provides camouflage on rocky slopes.
Lophophorus impejanus
Pakistan's national bird, the male's iridescent plumage shimmers in metallic greens, purples, and copper across mountain forests.
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"The trip was thoughtfully curated for a REAL Cuban cultural experience, juxtaposing between the island's insolvency and the faux luxuries propped up by foreign investment."
"The salt flats at sunrise were even more stunning than I'd imagined. Our guide positioned us perfectly for the reflections."
"EcoVoyager put my mind at ease with expert guidance on how to stay safe and enjoy the vibes. If I were to plan another solo trip to an unfamiliar country, I'd trust EcoVoyager to help me through it all."
"I had a wonderful time. Organization was superb and our experiences were maximized due to great planning and enthusiasm."
"Staying with nomadic families, riding through valleys with no other tourists in sight. This is the kind of travel I didn't know I was missing."
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