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Bhutan history & culture

Festivals & Temples of Bhutan

From $4,455 USD
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Overview

Festivals & Temples of Bhutan

Continent

Asia

Days

11 days

Nights

10 nights

Group Size

10 people

Activity

Moderate

Interest

History & Culture

Highlights

  • Drive through a stunning valley home to grassy meadows, blue pines, and rare, black-necked cranes.
  • Tour a traditional incense factory.
  • Learn what it takes to live in a Buddhist temple from a teacher or student.
  • Learn how ancient astrology traditions are being kept alive at the institute that determines the yearly Bhutanese calendar.
  • Trek across Bhutan's longest suspension bridge with epic valley views.
  • Ascent the cliffside monastery nicknamed the Tiger's Nest.
Bhutan 11 days 10 nights

Festivals, astrology, and epic landscapes in Bhutan.

Day 1

Welcome to Thimphu!

National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, Bhutan.
National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Day 2

Thimphu Tshechu

Dancers during Thimphu Tshechu.
Dancers during Thimphu Tshechu., Marcy Milks
  • Special note

Day 3

Greetings from 125,000 Buddhas

Buddha Dordenma Statue.
Buddha Dordenma Statue.

Day 4

Phobjikha Valley & Black-Necked Cranes

Landscape of Phobjikha valley, Bhutan.
Landscape of Phobjikha valley, Bhutan.
  • Special note

Day 5

Exploring Punakha’s Waterways

Suspension bridge.
Suspension bridge.

Day 6

Deities, Saints & a Fertility Temple

Tokens in the fertility temple.
Tokens in the fertility temple.

Day 7

Spiritual Life in Bhutan

Prayer flags in Dochula Pass.
Prayer flags in Dochula Pass.

Day 8

Temples of Haa

Haa valley.
Haa valley.

Day 9

Paro at Your Own Pace

Monk walking towards Rinpung Monastery in Paro.
Monk walking towards Rinpung Monastery in Paro.
  • Special note

Day 10

To the Tiger’s Nest

The Tiger's Nest.
The Tiger's Nest.

Day 11

Departure from Paro

A view of the Himilayas.
A view of the Himilayas.

What is included?


What is not included?


Upcoming departures

4 available dates
  • Nov 7–Nov 17, 2024
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  • Apr 2–Apr 12, 2025
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  • Oct 1–Oct 11, 2025
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  • Nov 8–Nov 18, 2025
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Additional info

Pricing & Trip Deposit

Deposit to book your trip: $250 USD.

Balance due 90 days prior to departure.

The listed price of the trip is per person based on double occupancy.

Traveling Solo?

You’re in good company.

Opt for a Private Room to yourself, subject to availability, for a supplemental cost of $470 USD. 

Solo travelers typically make up about half of our small groups. With curiosity at the center of our experiences, there’s a natural camaraderie that develops over the course of a trip. 

If you don’t opt for a Private Room, you'll be matched with another solo traveler of the same gender.

Activity Level

Travelers should be comfortable walking between three and five miles per day without difficulty, and spending extended periods of time on their feet. For those interested in trekking, there will be opportunities for longer and more challenging hikes on certain days of the trip. Some of the places visited on this trip are extremely remote. It can take days to reach the nearest modern medical facility.  Travelers prone to vertigo are discouraged to do the Suspension bridge walk in Punakha. The Tiger's Nest Hike on Day 11 is a challenging hike that requires uphill trekking and stairs. For those concerned with the difficulty level, there is the option to hike half way at a slower pace and enjoy the view from the cafe at the halfway point. 

Arrival & Departure

You should plan to arrive by 2pm on Day 1, and depart anytime on Day 11. Paro International Airport (PBH) connects to a range of flight hubs in Asia, including Bangkok, Kathmandu and Kolkata.  The best flight connections to Paro are offered by Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines.

Entry to Bhutan is very strict. Travelers can only enter Bhutan on a group visa as part of a tour. All travelers must arrive on Day 1 and depart on Day 11 to be eligible for a group visa.

Entry Requirements

All nationalities require a visa for Bhutan. Travelers can only enter Bhutan on a group visa as part of a tour. Independent visas are not issued. The cost of the visa is included in your tour.

The information and materials below are required at time of booking in order for us to apply for your group’s visa. Please note that the requirements for Bhutanese visas are quite particular. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. What you'll need to provide: 

- A clear, uncut, scanned color copy of the two-page personal-details section of your passport. Passports must have 6 months validity from the time of travel.- A scanned color passport photo with no border. Passport photo must be portrait-style and taken against a white background. Your eyes must be open, and your forehead and ears clearly visible. - Email address that you will access while traveling.- Arrival and departure flight details.

The group visa application can only be submitted once we have the above details from all travelers in your group. Missing information or materials can slow the visa-issuing process, and delay the visa for the whole group.

The group visa will be issued between 5 days and 48 hours from departure. We will send your visa to your traveling email address. Please print this visa as you must show it at check-in for your flight to Bhutan and on arrival at immigration in Bhutan, where you will have an entry stamp placed in your passport.

Elevation, Health, and Safety

The elevations reached on this trip range from approximately 4,000 feet in Punakha to approximately 11,000 feet when crossing the journey's highest pass by road. Travelers should speak with their doctors about appropriate precautions to take, and consider spending an extra night en route to rest and recover from jet lag before continuing on to Bhutan. It's important to bear in mind that high-quality emergency medical care may be a day or more away due to the remoteness of some of the areas we'll visit. 

Local Farmstay

For one night in Haa we will be hosted in a local farmstay. Our accommodations here will be comfortable but rustic, with bedding consisting of mattresses placed on the floor, shared western toilet facilities, and a home-cooked meal.

While there is running water for washing, separate drinking water, tea, and coffee will be provided. There will be no shower or bathing facilities at the farm stay for this one night.

Should the group reach close to full capacity, the group may be split amongst two different local famrstays. 

Have more questions?

Check out the Essential Trip Information for this trip or our general FAQs.

Any questions about this trip? Don't hesitate to reach out

  • "Magnificent scenery, daily hikes & daily meditations in glorious temples. This trip was by far the very best I've ever taken."

    Marge - Savannah, GA

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