14-Day Bhutan Private Tour Package

14 Days 13 Nights

This 14-Day Bhutan Private Tour invites travelers who want to experience Bhutan beyond the well-worn western circuit. From Thimphu and Punakha to the rarely visited East Mongar, Trashigang, and Ura, this private tour moves through ancient dzongs, glacial valleys, crane wetlands, and mountain monasteries at a pace that allows genuine encounters rather than surface-level sightseeing.

  • 3,120m/10,240 ft
  • March to May and September to November
  • Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Government approved 3 stars and Above
  • Private car, van or bus (Depends on group size)
  • Private Tour

Overview

Highlights of the Private 14-Day Bhutan tour package

  • Punakha Dzong, the most breathtaking fortress-monastery in the Himalayas, rising from the confluence of two sacred rivers at 1,310m, where the Je Khenpo winters and royal marriages have been consecrated

  • Phobjikha Valley & Gangtey Monastery: a glacial bowl of extraordinary silence, winter home to hundreds of endangered black-necked cranes, and one of the last great Nyingma monastery complexes in Bhutan

  • Bumthang's Sacred Circuit: Kurjey Lhakhang, Jambay Lhakhang, and Mebar Tsho (the Burning Lake), three sites where Buddhism arrived, took root, and became inseparable from the landscape

  • Ura Valley one of Bhutan's highest and most self-contained farming communities, where kushuthara silk is still woven on backstrap looms and the village lanes are too narrow for the modern world to enter

  • Eastern Bhutan: Mongar & Trashigang, the Bhutan that tourism has not yet reshaped; frontier towns with genuine markets, instinctive hospitality, and a landscape that rewards the long drive with compound interest

  • Thrumshing La (3,750m), Bhutan's highest motorable pass on the east-west highway, crossing into subtropical gorge terrain that most visitors to the kingdom never witness

  • Tiger's Nest Monastery (Taktsang): four sacred cave temples at 3,120m, clinging to a sheer cliff above Paro Valley, reached by a two-hour forest ascent that earns every step

  • Fully private, fully guided: your own TCB-certified guide and vehicle for all 14 days, moving at your pace through a country that rewards those who slow down

Overview of the Bhutan luxury private tour

Most people who visit Bhutan leave having seen the same country. The same teahouse ledge provided the same dzongs, the same valley views, and the same Tiger's Nest photograph.

That version of Bhutan is real and worth seeing. But it is also the version that ends at the western edge of a much larger kingdom, and our 14-Day Bhutan Private Tour Package is built for travelers who want to understand what lies beyond it.

Bhutan is one of the few places left on earth where the way a country governs itself, worships, builds, farms, and trades has remained coherent across centuries. That coherence is not a museum piece.

It is alive in the courtyards of Tashichho Dzong, where monks in crimson robes share administrative space with civil servants in traditional gho; the dual governance system, known as the chhoe-sid-nyi, operates today exactly as it was designed centuries ago under the Royal Government of Bhutan

The narrow lanes of Ura, where women weave kushuthara silk on backstrap looms in open doorways, remain unchanged even as visitors watch.

What we offer in this journey is access to that coherence, not as a series of scheduled viewings but as a sustained encounter with a country that rewards the traveler who moves slowly and stays longer.

We connect the western highlights that most Bhutan tours cover with the eastern districts of Mongar and Trashigang, which almost none of them reach. 

The east is not a bonus extension. It is where Bhutan's character becomes fully legible, where the roads narrow above gorges, where the towns exist for the people who live in them rather than the people passing through, and where the hospitality is genuine because foreign visitors remain uncommon enough to be genuinely captivating.

The cultural weight of this journey accumulates as it moves. Punakha holds the most architecturally remarkable fortress-monastery in the Himalayas, built in 1637 at the confluence of two rivers, still serving as the winter seat of Bhutan's religious authority.

Gangtey Monastery sits above the Phobjikha glacial bowl, a rare Nyingma institution above wetlands that go silent with a completeness that city people experience as unsettling at first and do not want to leave afterward. 

Bumthang carries thirteen centuries of uninterrupted sacred use in a landscape of stone-walled fields, apple orchards, and river valleys where the air is noticeably cleaner and the sense of antiquity is immediate.

Trongsa Dzong, perched above the Mangde Chhu gorge, controlled the only road through Bhutan for centuries and produced the dynasty that unified the kingdom. These are not background details. They are the substance that makes up this journey.

We design every departure as a fully private experience: your own guide, licensed and certified by the Department of Tourism, Bhutan; your vehicle; and your own schedule.

There are no shared groups, no compromise on pace, and no fixed departure windows that force you to move before a place has given what it has to give. 

Our guides are selected specifically for their knowledge of the eastern circuit, which requires a depth of regional familiarity that western-only guiding simply does not build.

Many of them have been leading the Mongar and Trashigang route for over a decade and carry personal relationships with the communities along the way that quietly but meaningfully shape what you experience in those towns.

East of Bumthang, the journey crosses Thrumshing La at 3,750m, the highest motorable pass on Bhutan's east-west highway, and descends into a landscape that most visitors to this country never see.

Mongar, a ridge town with a frontier quality, has genuine markets, a compact dzong, and a welcome that has not been smoothed by repetition. 

Trashigang, the commercial and administrative capital of the east, sits above a river confluence with the energy of a place that has been trading for centuries.

The driving days here are long, and the roads are dramatic, and our team considers them part of the experience rather than a cost of it. Travelers who make this journey east with us almost universally say it was the part that reframed everything else.

This journey is ideal for travelers who have a genuine curiosity about how Bhutan's governance, religious life, and the relationship between tradition and daily practice actually function.

It suits repeat visitors who completed the western circuit and sensed there was more. It suits couples, solo travelers, and small private groups who are comfortable with long mountain drives and understand that the road itself, in a country this dramatic, is part of what they came for. The difficulty is moderate throughout. 

The Tiger's Nest hike is the single most physically demanding day, lasting five to six hours, with 900 meters of elevation gain, but every other day is well within reach for anyone in reasonable general health.

This journey does not suit travelers looking for a highlights reel on a tight schedule. For that, we have shorter options. This one is for the traveler who wants the whole picture.

14-Day Bhutan Private Tour Package Itinerary

  • Day
    01

    Arrival Paro (2,250m) and Transfer to Thimphu (2,350m)

    Your Bhutan journey begins with one of aviation's most dramatic approaches, the aircraft threading narrow Himalayan ridgelines before touching down in Paro's tight valley.

    Only a handful of certified pilots in the world are cleared to land here, and the experience sets the tone for a country that operates on entirely its terms.

    After you clear immigration and collect your visa stamp (arranged in advance), your licensed TCB guide greets you with a traditional white khata scarf.

    The drive to Thimphu follows the Paro Chu river past terraced fields, chorten-dotted hillsides, and farmhouses painted with protective symbols.

    Thimphu, a capital city that has deliberately resisted the pace of the modern world, receives you gently.

    Use the evening to acclimatize: walk the clock tower square, observe the weekend market, and settle into the altitude at 2,350m before tomorrow's drive. Dinner at your hotel. Drive: 1.5 hours.

  • Day
    02

    Thimphu to Punakha (1,310m) via Dochula Pass (3,100m)

    The morning begins in Thimphu with key sightseeing before heading east.

    Tashichho Dzong, the seat of the Royal Government and summer residence of the Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot), is a living administrative center where monks in crimson robes share courtyards with civil servants, the dual governance system made visible.

    The National Institute for Zorig Chusum introduces Bhutan's 13 traditional arts, where young students still learn thangka painting, wood carving, and lacquerwork by hand. Then the drive climbs to Dochula Pass at 3,100m, where 108 chortens built in memory of soldiers lost in a 2003 border operation stand against a sky that, on clear mornings, reveals the entire eastern Himalayan range.

    Descend into Punakha, where 800m lower, climatically distinct banana groves replace pine forest, rice paddies glow green, and the afternoon light on Punakha Dzong, built in 1637 at the confluence of two rivers, is worth arriving for. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Drive: 3 hours.

  • Day
    03

    Punakha to Gangtey (2,320m)

    Morning begins at Punakha Dzong's interior; the courtyard contains a tree said to have been planted by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of Bhutan, and the dzong serves as the winter residence of the Je Khenpo.

    The walk through rice paddies to Chimi Lhakhang, the Temple of the Divine Madman, offers a particular window into the irreverent, life-affirming strand of Bhutanese Buddhism that coexists with its more formal tradition.

    After lunch, the road climbs back toward Gangtey through the Wangdue Phodrang valley. Gangtey Monastery, a rare Nyingma institution, sits on a forested ridge above the Phobjikha glacial bowl.

    In season (October to March), several hundred black-necked cranes winter on the wetland floor below, one of the most remarkable wildlife spectacles in the Himalayas.

    Even outside crane season, the valley's quality of silence and open sky is unlike anything else in Bhutan. An evening walk along the wetland trail is recommended. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Drive: 4 hours.

  • Day
    04

    Gangtey to Bumthang (2,800m) via Trongsa

    The road east to Bumthang crosses the Pelé La pass at 3,300m, through rhododendron forest draped in prayer flags, before descending sharply into the Trongsa gorge.

    A stop at Trongsa Dzong is essential context for everything east of here: perched above the Mangde Chhu river, this fortress controlled the only road through Bhutan for centuries, and the dynasty that held it became the dynasty that unified the kingdom.

    The adjacent Ta Dzong watchtower now houses the national museum of royal regalia, the most historically rich museum stop on the entire route. Continuing east, the road climbs into Bumthang's broad valley at 2,800m.

    The light is cleaner here, the air noticeably cooler, and the sense of having arrived somewhere genuinely ancient is immediate.

    Bumthang is Bhutan's spiritual heartland; its temples predate Buddhism's formal introduction to the country, and its landscape carries thirteen centuries of continuous sacred use. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Drive: 5–6 hours.

  • Day
    05

    Bumthang Full Day Sightseeing

    It is a full day inside Bhutan's oldest sacred geography. Kurjey Lhakhang, named for the body imprint Guru Rinpoche left pressed into rock during an eighth-century meditation session, remains an active pilgrimage site where monks complete long retreat cycles in surrounding hermitages.

    Jambay Lhakhang, one of 108 temples built simultaneously across the Himalayas by Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century, predates the formal arrival of Buddhism in Bhutan.

    Mebar Tsho, the Burning Lake, is not a lake but a narrow river gorge where the treasure-revealer Pema Lingpa dove with a burning butter lamp and surfaced with sacred texts, the flame still alight.

    One of Bhutan's most resonant spiritual stories, it is a site that continues to draw pilgrims.

    The afternoon can include Jakar Dzong, the White Bird Castle, which crowns a ridge above the valley floor and serves as both a functioning monastery and an administrative center. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.

  • Day
    06

    Bumthang to Ura Valley Day Trip — Bumthang (2,800m)

    The Ura Valley sits a half-hour drive east of Bumthang at over 3,000m, one of Bhutan's highest and most traditional farming communities.

    The village clusters tightly around Ura Lhakhang, its lanes narrow enough that neighbors exchange food across rooftops.

    Local women weave kushuthara silk textiles on backstrap looms in open doorways, a practice maintained with no concession to tourism.

    The surrounding meadows and yak pastures stretch toward ridgelines that carry an uninterrupted quality of space.

    The return to Bumthang in the late afternoon, light falling across apple orchards and buckwheat fields, allows time for a second visit to any Bumthang site that earned it on Day 5.

    This experience is the kind of day that quiet travelers mention years later. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Drive: 1 hour each way.

  • Day
    07

    Bumthang to Mongar (1,700m) via Thrumshing La (3,750m)

    East of Bumthang, Bhutan changes character. The road climbs to Thrumshing La at 3,750m, Bhutan's highest motorable pass on the east-west highway, before descending through extraordinary gorge terrain toward Mongar.

    This is a long, demanding drive through a landscape that most visitors to Bhutan never see: subtropical forest giving way to sheer cliff faces, rivers flashing silver far below, and roadside tea shops serving butter tea to truck drivers and monks alike.

    Mongar itself is a small ridge town perched above a deep river valley with a compact dzong and a market that supplies the surrounding eastern villages.

    The east has a frontier quality; the welcome is genuine, the tourist infrastructure is minimal, and the landscape compensates with a rawness that western Bhutan has softened. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Drive: 6–7 hours.

  • Day
    08

    Mongar to Trashigang (approx. 1,100m)

    The road from Mongar to Trashigang winds through some of eastern Bhutan's most vertiginous terrain, dropping into river valleys and climbing out through subtropical forest as altitude changes repeatedly across a relatively short distance.

    Trashigang is the largest town in eastern Bhutan and has the particular energy of a place that has been trading for centuries: markets carry goods arriving from India through Samdrup Jongkhar, and the mix of traders, monks, weavers, and farmers reflects a commercial vitality different from the more polished western circuit.

    Trashigang Dzong, dramatically cantilevered above a river confluence, earns a long afternoon visit. The gorge below fills with shadow in the late afternoon, while the fortress glows above it.

    It is one of those views that photographers underestimate before they arrive. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Drive: 2.5 hours.

  • Day
    09

    Trashigang to Mongar (1,600m)

    The return drive to Mongar follows the same road in reverse, which is not repetition; the perspectives shift, the light falls differently, and details missed on the descent reveal themselves on the climb.

    A detour to Trashi Yangtse is possible for those drawn further east, where Chorten Kora, a large stupa modeled on Bodhnath in Kathmandu, stands in a wide river valley and draws pilgrims during its March festival for circumambulation.

    Eastern Bhutan's pace is slower and its hospitality more instinctive than practiced. A morning spent at any roadside market between Trashigang and Mongar watching the transaction of daily life is worth more than most formal sightseeing stops.

    Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Drive: 2.5 hours.

  • Day
    10

    Mongar – Bumthang (2800m)

    Retracing the road west to Bumthang, the day recrosses Thrumshing La and moves back through the central highlands with the unhurried confidence of a journey that knows where it is going. The pass at 3,750m, seen now from the eastern approach, reveals the full arc of the journey made over the past three days. Back in Bumthang by afternoon, the valley's familiarity is genuinely comforting; the same apple orchards and chorten-lined lanes that first received you now feel like a brief return rather than a transit point. An evening walk along the Chamkhar Chhu river, past farmhouses where smoke rises from yak-dung fires and children play in the last of the light, closes a long driving day in the most restorative way this country knows. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Drive: 6–7 hours.

  • Day
    11

    Bumthang – Gangtey (2320m)

    After breakfast, re-trace the same route back towards Gangtey and the road journey today is bit longer with 8 hours of drive. Upon arrival at Gangtey, check-in hotel. Overnight at Hotel (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner included)

  • Day
    12

    Gangtey – Paro (2250m)

    After breakfast, drive back to Paro cross Dochula pass which is about 5 hours drive. PM: Stroll around the streets of Paro. Overnight at Hotel.(Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner included)

  • Day
    13

    Hike to Taktsang Monastery ‘Tiger’s Nest’ (3120m)

    After breakfast drive towards the base camp of Taktsang for the hike up to the Taktsang Monastery-Tiger’s Nest. It’s about two hours hike up the cafeteria. From this point, enjoy the spectacular view of the monastery, where Guru Padmasambhava landed on the back of a tigress in 8th century. 

    Then visit the Taktsang Monastery and hike back to the road point then drive to Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest and most sacred shrines in Bhutan. Also visit Rinpung Dzong built in 1646 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the first spiritual and temporal ruler of Bhutan; the Dzong continues its age-old function as the seat of the district administration, district court and the monastic body.

    The southern approach to the Dzong has a traditional roofed cantilever bridge called Nemi Zam. Overnight at Hotel (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner included)

  • Day
    14

    Paro depart

    After breakfast, transfer to the airport to catch the onward flight. Bid farewell to the remote and legendary Dragon Kingdom disappearing again behind its guardian mountains. (Breakfast only included)

The Cost Includes

  • Airport pick-up and drop-off by private vehicle.
  • Accommodation in 3, 4 or 5 stars accommodation as per your requirements.
  • Bhutan visa fee – including all necessary processing
  • Route Permit
  • Three meals per day during your stay in Bhutan
  • A licensed Bhutanese tour guide
  • All land transportation by private vehicle
  • Camping equipment and haulage for trekking tours
  • Sightseeing as per itinerary
  • Drinking water
  • All internal taxes and charges
  • Monuments entrance fees where applicable
  • A sustainable development fee of $100 per person per night. (This sustainable development fee goes towards free education, free healthcare, poverty alleviation, along with the building of infrastructure.)

The Cost Excludes

  • Airfare & Travel Insurance
  • Expenses of personal nature, Tips to guides and drivers
  • Expenses occurred due to unavoidable events i.e. road wrecks, flight delays etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How physically demanding is this Bhutan Private Tour? 

Our team sets a moderate pace designed around genuine comfort, not endurance. The one demanding day is Tiger's Nest, five to six hours, 900 meters up, and we arrange pony support for the first section if needed. Every other day is manageable for anyone in reasonable health. Our guides adjust the pace around you, not around a schedule.

2. Is eastern Bhutan worth the extra days? 

We consider it the best part of the journey, and so does almost every traveler we have taken there. The towns are real, the hospitality is instinctive, and the landscape is more dramatic than anything the western circuit offers. Every guest we have sent east has come back saying it was worth it.

3. How experienced are the guides? 

Every guide we assign is TCB-certified, fluent in English, and selected specifically for eastern circuit knowledge. Many of our guides have led the Mongar and Trashigang route for over a decade. That regional depth is not something that western-only guiding provides. If you need a language beyond English, tell us at inquiry, and we will advise.

4. Can this Bhutan Private Tour itinerary be customized? 

We do not run fixed departures. Every journey we build is designed around the specific group traveling it. We can extend east, shorten to ten days, add a Bumthang farmhouse night, or adjust pace anywhere along the route. Tell us your dates and what draws you to Bhutan; we design your journey from scratch at no obligation.

5. What is the group size of the Bhutan Private Tour? 

Fully private, without exception. Your guide, your vehicle, your schedule, and no strangers will join at any point. We build every departure around the specific party booking it, whether that is one traveler or eight. We do not operate shared group tours on this itinerary.

6. Do I need special permits for the eastern destinations? 

Yes, and we handle every single one as part of your booking. Mongar, Trashigang, and Ura all require route permits beyond the standard visa. Our team submits all documentation well ahead of your departure. You manage nothing. Our TCB-licensed status means we issue every permit correctly and on time.

7. What if Thrumshing La closes due to snow? 

We monitor pass conditions from the planning stage through your departure date and flag any timing risk before you travel. If closure happens mid-tour, our contingency routing activates immediately. Our guides know every lower-altitude alternative, and we restructure the eastern section around them. You will never be left without a plan.

8. Is travel insurance required for a Bhutan Private Tour? 

We strongly recommend comprehensive coverage for every guest, and for the eastern sections, we consider helicopter evacuation cover non-negotiable. The route crosses multiple passes above 3,700m, and Bhutan's main hospitals are in Thimphu and Paro, far from where the east takes you. Insurance is not included in our price, but we advise you on the exact coverage to look for before you travel.

9. What accommodation is included, and can we upgrade? 

Three-star accommodation is fully included across all fourteen nights, with en-suite rooms, hot water, traditional décor, and Wi-Fi at every destination, including the east. For travelers who want more, we offer deluxe boutique and full Amankora luxury tiers in Western destinations, both at an additional supplement. The included standard is solid. Every upgrade above it is transparent and optional.

10. How far in advance should we book for a Bhutan Private Tour? 

We recommend three months minimum and six months for autumn departures when demand is highest. Visas need passport details four weeks before arrival, and Eastern permits require extra lead time. The earlier we start building your journey, the more we can align accommodation, festivals, and pace to exactly how you travel.

Additional Travel Info

How Much Does a 14-Day Bhutan Private Tour Package Cost?

Planning a trip to Bhutan is a unique experience. The cost of the 14-Day Bhutan Private Tour Package depends on how keen you are to explore this beautiful Himalayan kingdom. Unlike standard holiday packages with fixed prices, every Bhutan journey is customized according to your travel preferences, interests, and budget, unlike standard holiday packages with fixed prices. The total cost of our Bhutan trip may vary based on several factors, including:

Customized experiences: Special activities, private guides, unique cultural experiences, trekking options, and personal requests can influence your final package price.

Since every traveller has different expectations, we do not offer fixed prices for our Bhutan tour packages. Instead, our Bhutan travel experts create a personalized itinerary and detailed quotation based on your requirements, ensuring you receive the best value for your journey.

Just share your preferred travel dates, group size, accommodation preferences, and travel interests with us. We will design a customized itinerary with a transparent cost breakdown and no obligation to book.

Request Your Personalised Bhutan Quote Today

📧 Email: info@tourinbhutan.com
💬 WhatsApp: +1 401 328 1478
📞 Phone: +1 401 328 1478

Number of travelers: Private tours, family holidays, and group trips have different pricing structures.

Accommodation choice: Select from comfortable 3-star hotels, premium 4-star stays, luxury 5-star properties, or exclusive luxury accommodations.

Travel season and dates: Bhutan tour costs can change depending on peak seasons, festivals, and travel availability.

Trip duration: The number of days you spend exploring Bhutan’s cultural landmarks, monasteries, valleys, and natural landscapes affects the overall cost.

Customized experiences: Special activities, private guides, unique cultural experiences, trekking options, and personal requests can influence your final package price.

Since every traveller has different expectations, we do not offer fixed prices for our Bhutan tour packages. Instead, our Bhutan travel experts create a personalized itinerary and detailed quotation based on your requirements, ensuring you receive the best value for your journey.

Just share your preferred travel dates, group size, accommodation preferences, and travel interests with us. We will design a customized itinerary with a transparent cost breakdown and no obligation to book.

Request Your Personalised Bhutan Quote Today

📧 Email: info@tourinbhutan.com
💬 WhatsApp: +1 401 328 1478
📞 Phone: +1 401 328 1478

Best Time for This Bhutan Private Travel Package

Bhutan's seasons define the experience as much as the destinations themselves. Autumn (mid-September to mid-November) is the most consistently rewarding window for this Private itinerary.

The monsoon clears by late September, leaving skies sharp and mountain views unobstructed.

The Thimphu Tshechu festival in October draws thousands of Bhutanese from across the country. Trail conditions on the Tiger's Nest and Bumthang highland routes are at their best.

The Phobjikha Valley receives its black-necked cranes from late October onward. Temperatures are comfortable at lower altitudes and cold but manageable in Bumthang and the eastern highlands.

Spring (late March to May) offers the most dramatic roadside color: rhododendrons bloom along the Pele La and Dochula passes in pink, red, and white, a visual reward that is entirely specific to this season. The Paro Tsechu festival in March or April brings sacred Cham mask dances to the valley. Skies are generally clear before the pre-monsoon haze builds in May.

Winter (December to February) is cold. At night, temperatures in Bumthang drop to -5°C, and the eastern highlands are even colder.

However, they reward you with empty roads, brilliant light, and the Punakha Drubchen festival in February, which is one of Bhutan's most dramatic ceremonial events. The black-necked cranes are present in Phobjikha through February.

Monsoon (June to August) brings heavy rainfall, potential road disruptions on eastern mountain passes, and limited trekking conditions.

This specific itinerary is not recommended due to its eastern extent and high-pass crossings.

Gear and Equipment

Clothing

  • Moisture-wicking base layers (3–4 sets)
  • Mid-layer fleece or down jacket
  • A waterproof outer shell essential, not optional
  • Lightweight trekking trousers
  • Modest clothing for all temple and dzong visits (knees and shoulders covered)
  • Warm hat, gloves, and neck gaiter for high passes
  • Quick-dry socks and underwear

Footwear

  • Waterproof trekking boots, broken in before departure
  • Lightweight sandals for lodge evenings
  • Trekking socks, 5–6 pairs (wool or synthetic)
  • Gaiters optional but useful after rain

Health and Safety

  • Personal first aid kit
  • Altitude sickness Medication: Consult your doctor about Diamox (acetazolamide) before departure
  • Water purification tablets or a personal filter
  • Sunscreen SPF 50+ and UV-protective sunglasses
  • Blister prevention (moleskin or sports tape)
  • All personal prescription medications in adequate supply

Tech and Power

  • Universal power adapter (Bhutan uses Type D and F sockets)
  • Portable power bank, minimum 10,000 mAh
  • A camera with extra memory cards and a spare battery
  • Headlamp with spare batteries
  • Offline maps downloaded before eastern sections; data coverage is absent in many areas east of Bumthang

Bags

  • Daypack 20–25L for hikes
  • Main luggage maximum 20kg for vehicle storage
  • Dry bags or waterproof stuff sacks for mountain driving days
  • Reusable 1L water bottle minimum

Essential Extras

  • Biodegradable soap and toiletries
  • Cash: Bhutanese Ngultrum, Indian Rupees, and USD 200–300 equivalent for tips and personal expenses
  • Printed copies of the visa, booking confirmation, and route permits
  • High-calorie snacks for long mountain drives
  • Lightweight binoculars particularly valuable for the Phobjikha crane viewing and eastern birdwatching

Accommodation

Every hotel we place you in is chosen for location, character, and a warmth that Bhutan's traditional architectural regulations make impossible to get wrong: timber facades, decorative woodwork, and valley-facing rooms that feel rooted in the landscape rather than dropped into it.

Your tour price fully includes three-star accommodation for all fourteen nights, from Paro to Trashigang, with nothing extra to pay.

For travelers who want more, our team offers deluxe boutique and full luxury upgrades in the western destinations, both available for an additional supplement.

Essential Travel Tips for Bhutan

  • Visa and Entry: All nationalities except those from India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives require a Bhutan visa processed through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator. We handle the full application; submit your passport copy at least four weeks before departure. Your visa is approved digitally, and the physical stamp is collected on arrival at Paro Airport. Route permits for eastern destinations (Mongar, Trashigang, and Ura) are arranged separately and must be in place before Day 7.
  • Currency: The Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN) is pegged 1:1 to the Indian Rupee, and both are accepted throughout Bhutan. ATMs exist in Thimphu, Paro, and Punakha but are absent or unreliable in eastern destinations. Carry a USD 200–300 cash equivalent before departing Bumthang for Mongar. Credit cards are accepted at major hotels only.
  • Altitude: Paro sits at 2,250m; Bumthang at 2,800m; Thrumshing La crosses at 3,750m; the Tiger's Nest viewpoint reaches 3,120m. Acclimatize gradually, drink at least 3 liters of water daily, avoid alcohol for the first two days, and consult your doctor about Diamox if you have had altitude issues previously.
  • Temple and Dzong Etiquette: Remove shoes before entering all temples and dzongs. Walk clockwise around chortens and prayer wheels without exception. Do not photograph monks, altar offerings, or sacred statues without explicit permission. Covered knees and shoulders are mandatory at all religious sites throughout the country.
  • Internet and Connectivity: TashiCell and B-Mobile SIM cards are available at Paro Airport for approximately USD 3 for 30-day data. Coverage is reliable in Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, and Bumthang. Mobile coverage is absent on most mountain roads and in the Phobjikha Valley. East of Bumthang, Mongar, and Trashigang coverage is patchy and unreliable. Download offline maps, save important documents locally, and inform your family of any expected communication gaps before Day 7.
  • Dress Code: Bhutanese society dresses conservatively and takes visible pride in traditional clothing. Visitors should dress modestly throughout, particularly in dzong towns and eastern settlements where foreign tourists are uncommon. Avoid shorts and sleeveless tops. Wearing a kira (women) or gho (men) for dzong visits is appreciated; rentals are available at most major sites.
  • Health: No specific vaccinations are required for Bhutan, though updating routine immunizations (hepatitis A, typhoid) is recommended. Bhutan has capable hospitals in Thimphu and Paro. For the eastern sections, insurance for emergency helicopter evacuation is strongly recommended; it is not an unnecessary precaution on a route crossing multiple high passes.
  • Time Zone: Bhutan Standard Time is UTC+6, the same as Bangladesh and 30 minutes ahead of India.

Important Notes:

On the day of departure, the ‘local agents’ host obligation shall be limited to providing breakfast only, and any extra requirements shall be payable on a usage basis.

Bumthang/Paro flights (with a day’s gap) are available to avoid the return overland journey back to Paro from Bumthang.

Normally, during the monsoon season (June, July & Aug), the road conditions between Thimphu and Bumthang are muddy and bumpy.

Other than Land Cruisers, the journey is not easy, and even with them, it is still bumpy. Another option will be flying into Bumthang and driving back or vice versa. But in other seasons, such is not the case.

Plan Your 14-Day Bhutan Private Itinerary Today

Every journey we build starts with a conversation: your dates, your pace, and your reasons for going. This is our most complete Bhutan offering, and no two departures look the same.

Send an inquiry, WhatsApp us directly, or request a custom itinerary at no obligation. This is not a tour you book from a brochure. It is a journey we build with you.

Trip Reviews

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TripAdvisor
Rated Excellent by our travellers
★★★★★
"Best Bhutan Tour Operator"
"Aura Trails made our Bhutan trip absolutely unforgettable. Every detail was perfectly planned."
Sarah M.
Australia · Cultural Tour
TripAdvisor
★★★★★
"Exceeded All Expectations"
"From landing in Paro to our last day in Thimphu, everything was seamless. Highly recommend!"
James K.
USA · Trekking Tour
TripAdvisor
★★★★★
"A Dream Come True"
"The festival tour was magical. Our guide Karma was exceptional — so much local knowledge and warmth."
Emma L.
UK · Festival Tour
TripAdvisor
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