Bhutan

Portrait – Activities & Conditions – Tour Idea – Facts – Request – Bhutan News

A dense fog lies above the hills which we climb in slow motion. We started early, there is no one on the path except us. The high wall of bamboo trees moves lightly in the wind, it swooshes, the air is humid and the prayer flags swing below the trees. It is very silent. After an hour walk the trail starts to rise, we approach a rock face and discover, for the first time, the Tigers Nest in some distance.
It’s dark inside the monastery. A few candles give light to the rooms, monks slip in between the houses, obviously performing their morning routines and the few physical activities of their daily life. I listen to the horns in the background, the taste of incense enters my nose. I have to sit down in a corner of a small room, barefoot, put everything aside what I brought with me, relax. The room starts to impact me, suddenly. A big gong brings me back to reality, I watch outside through the open door, see monks in dark-red dresses, I stand up and walk out through another exit, come out of the building to a terrace. The fog disappears and for the first time I see the snow covered mountains of the Himalaya. Tomorrow the trek begins.

Bhutan is a kingdom in the Himalaya and borders to China in the north and to India in the south. As it lies south of the main chain of the Himalaya, the country is influenced by the south Asian climate.
Fall and spring are the best seasons for trekking. It’s comfortably cool and to too rainy. The monsoon arrives between May and August.
The mountains reach altitudes almost of 8.000 m.

Bhutan offers some very interesting, seldom visited long distance treks. One of the is the Jhomolhari Trek with a maximum altitude reached of 4.800 m.
The Laya-Gasa Trek is a few days longer and passes just in front of Jhomolhari (7.341 m).
Snowman Trek: it’s the longest, with a maximum altitude reached of 5.320 m. Due to it’s long distance, you need a bigger budget to finance it (approx. 4.500 US$).
It is much more interesting to assemble your own trek together with our expertise and to pursue own ideas and goals during your stay in Bhutan.

All activities on the mountains (with or without ski) are restricted in Bhutan very much, as the access to the mountains is not allowed since the 90ies.

Bhutan is a buddhist country with a large heritage of cultural places. A journey to Bhutan is always a cultural trip too.
Mountain biking: you can get almost everywhere with a bike. The roads are rough, and the traffic almost not existent, except on the main axis.
Bird Watching: the most interesting bird in Bhutan is the black-necked crane.
Pls note: to get to Bhutan at all, Bhutanese officials ask for a daily tourist fee, which is collected through your tour operator. This fee covers all your main expenses as accommodation, food, entry fees, transport in a private vehicle, guides and drivers. Our partner in Bhutan prepares your stay on your wishes, so you can be sure to get a customized tour.

Day 1: Arrival & meeting in Paro Airport, Bhutan. Lunch/Dinner and sightseeing of town. Accomodation in 3-star hotel in Paro.
Day 2: We visit the famous monastery Taktshang (aka Tigers Nest) as acclimatization tour.
Day 3-11: We start our after a drive to Drukgyal Dzong. In the following days we will pass along valleys and walk for 120 km in total. We will cross several passes like Nyele-la pass (4.700 m), Bhonte La pass (4.890 m) and Yelila pass (4.950 m), sometimes very close one of the highest mountains of Bhutan: Jomolhari and Jichu Drake. We sleep mostly in tents, which are carried by yaks. The landscape changes constantly with the altitude. We will meet with nomads on the trek but also visit other monasteries before arriving in Thimpu.
Day 8: Transfer to the airport and departure.

Base for the calculation: 2 persons
Costs per person: 2.520 Euro
All meals, transport (includes airport shuttle), private vehicle, visa for Bhutan, accommodation, entries and permits as the government tourism fee are included in the price
Camping gear (tents, sleeping mats, cooking stove and gear) included
Team: Guide, driver, cook, yaks
The prices depend from the booked services and can be arranged individually.
This tour and the price is given as an orientation to you.

This tour idea is just one of many possibilities. You want to visit more monasteries and shorten the trek? Or you need some equipment for rent? We can organize everything for you …
Send us your request and we can answer your questions immediately.

Then drop us a line and we can consult you about your possibilities in this fascinating country in the Himalaya!

Visa for UK/US/CAN: necessary before arrival, it’s a complex process that needs some time!
Currency: Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN) – Converter
Time zone: UTC +6 or 11 hours ahead of New York City