Slow Bhutan
The country at half-pace, with afternoon time to read.
Why we created this journey
Every journey we design starts with a question rather than an itinerary. What is the one thing about this part of Bhutan that someone should understand before they leave? The places and the days follow from that question, not the other way around.
We do not build journeys by stringing together famous sights. We build them by thinking about who the traveller is, what they will notice, and what they will carry home with them. That takes longer. We think it is worth it.
Moments you may remember
- Watching first light reach the valley before anyone else is awake
- A conversation that runs longer than the meal
- An afternoon with nowhere particular to be
- The sound of a river you did not know you needed to hear
- A handwritten postcard arriving after you have returned home
This journey may suit you if
- You prefer a few places experienced well over many places ticked off
- You are more interested in how people live than in how many temples you visit
- You value time and space in your travels
- You do not want to change hotels every night
- You are comfortable at a slower pace and find that pace more rewarding
From USD 350 per person per day for groups of 2, fully inclusive of accommodation, private vehicle and licensed guide, all meals, permits, SDF, and 24-hour support. Rates are tailored to your group. Customised to fit you.
Highlights of this journey
- Tiger's Nest, walked at first light, before the bus groups arrive
- A mandala painted with a thangka teacher in his Paro studio
- Khamsum Yuelley monastery, walked to in ninety minutes
- A picnic on a flat rock by the Mo Chhu in Punakha
- Dinner cooked together in a Paro home
- Three hand-picked hotels in each valley
- A handwritten postcard sent home from Thimphu after you leave
Sample itineraries
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Day 1 Arrive Paro. Slow drive to Thimphu.
Land at Paro on the Drukair morning flight. Our team meets you at the airport with a flask of hot suja. We drive ninety minutes to Thimphu through pine and prayer-flag forest, stopping wherever you want. Late afternoon: a slow walk through Thimphu's central market, then quiet check-in. Dinner at the hotel.
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Day 2 Thimphu. The capital, slow.
A late breakfast. Mid-morning visit to a textile workshop where a Thagzo weaver explains what kira and gho actually mean. Lunch at a local Bhutanese kitchen — ema datshi, red rice, dried beef. Afternoon at the National Memorial Chorten or the Royal Botanical Garden, depending on light and mood. Optional GNH talk if you booked one.
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Day 3 Thimphu to Punakha. Over Dochula.
After breakfast, we drive east over Dochula Pass — 3,100 metres, 108 chortens, the eastern Himalaya laid out behind them on a clear day. Lunch at the pass. The descent into Punakha brings you down through subtropical forest into rice country. Late afternoon arrival in Punakha; soft check-in with time to read on the balcony before dinner.
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Day 4 Punakha. Khamsum monastery and the Mo Chhu river.
A 90-minute walk to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten — a hilltop monastery built by the Queen Mother, with views across the Punakha Valley. Light lunch back in town, then a slow afternoon by the Mo Chhu river. Optional whitewater rafting if the season allows; otherwise a riverside picnic with red rice and dried meat under a willow.
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Day 5 Punakha to Paro. Wangdue's old roads.
We re-cross Dochula by mid-morning and continue west through Wangdue, stopping where you want. Afternoon arrival in Paro. Check in early. The hotel courtyard is quiet at this time of day; we plan nothing else for it.
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Day 6 Paro. Tiger's Nest, early.
We start at six. The hike to Taktsang — Tiger's Nest — is gentler at first light: you reach the cliff before the bus groups arrive. Three hours up, an hour at the monastery itself, two hours down. Late lunch at a farmhouse below the trail, then a long quiet afternoon at the hotel.
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Day 7 Paro. Drukgyel ruins and a free afternoon.
A slow morning. Mid-morning drive to the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong — the fortress that once watched the trail to Tibet — and to Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest temples. Lunch in town. The afternoon is yours: walk in town, sleep, swim, read. Our team is here if you want company.
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Day 8 Paro. The hand and the kitchen.
A working day with your hands. Morning: a Mandala Painting session with a thangka teacher in his studio. Afternoon: a Bhutanese cooking class in a Paro home — chillies are vegetables here. We eat what you cooked together for dinner.
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Day 9 Depart Paro.
Breakfast at the hotel. Our team drives you to the airport for your Drukair flight. We send a postcard from Thimphu after you go home — it arrives in about three weeks.
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Day 1 Arrive Paro. Slow drive to Thimphu.
Land at Paro on the Drukair morning flight. Our team meets you at the airport with a flask of hot suja. We drive ninety minutes to Thimphu through pine and prayer-flag forest. Late afternoon walk through Thimphu's central market; quiet check-in; dinner at the hotel.
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Day 2 Thimphu. The capital, slow.
A late breakfast. A textile workshop, lunch at a Bhutanese kitchen, an afternoon at the National Memorial Chorten or the Royal Botanical Garden depending on light. Optional GNH talk if you booked one.
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Day 3 Thimphu to Punakha. Over Dochula.
After breakfast, east over Dochula Pass — 3,100 metres, 108 chortens, the eastern Himalaya behind them on a clear day. Lunch at the pass; descend through subtropical forest into Punakha's rice country. Late-afternoon check-in.
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Day 4 Punakha. Khamsum monastery and the Mo Chhu.
A 90-minute walk to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten. Light lunch back in town, then a slow afternoon by the Mo Chhu river. Optional whitewater rafting if the season allows; otherwise a riverside picnic under a willow.
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Day 5 Punakha to Trongsa. The Pelela road.
A long, beautiful drive day — five to six hours over Pelela Pass (3,420m) and down to Trongsa, the geographical heart of Bhutan. Lunch at a roadside dhaba. Late afternoon: Trongsa Dzong, the longest in Bhutan, set against the gorge. Quiet evening at our partner inn.
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Day 6 Trongsa to Bumthang. The cultural heart.
A shorter drive over Yotongla Pass (3,400m) into Bumthang — Bhutan's spiritual heartland, home to the country's oldest temples. Check in at the lodge in Jakar by lunch. Afternoon: Jakar Dzong above town, and a slow visit to Jambay Lhakhang, one of 108 temples said to have been built in a single day in the 7th century.
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Day 7 Bumthang. Four valleys, slowly.
A full day moving between Bumthang's four valleys — Chumey, Choekhor, Tang, and Ura. A weaving workshop in Chumey, a cheese factory in Choekhor, lunch at a family farm. Afternoon at Kurjey Lhakhang or Tamshing Goemba, depending on energy and weather. Late return for dinner.
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Day 8 Bumthang to Phobjikha. The cranes' valley.
We retrace west to Phobjikha — a glacial U-shaped valley, the winter home of the black-necked cranes (October to March). A long but beautiful driving day. Arrive late afternoon to wide, open marshland and a quiet lodge. If the cranes are in, you may see them from the lodge windows.
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Day 9 Phobjikha to Paro. Across the country in a day.
After a morning walk in the Gangtey Nature Trail, we drive west all the way to Paro — about six hours, over Dochula again, through Thimphu, and up the Paro valley. Late check-in. Dinner kept simple at the hotel.
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Day 10 Paro. Tiger's Nest, early.
We start at six. The hike to Taktsang — Tiger's Nest — is gentler at first light. Three hours up, an hour at the monastery, two hours down. Late lunch at a farmhouse below the trail; long quiet afternoon at the hotel.
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Day 11 Paro. The hand and the kitchen.
A slow morning. Mandala painting with a thangka teacher mid-morning; a Bhutanese cooking class in a Paro home in the afternoon. We eat what you cooked together for dinner.
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Day 12 Depart Paro.
Breakfast at the hotel. Our team drives you to the airport for your Drukair flight. We send a postcard from Thimphu after you go home — it arrives in about three weeks.
What is included
All accommodation, on the basis described per day
Private vehicle and licensed driver throughout
Licensed Bhutanese guide throughout
All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
All permits and entry fees
Sustainable Development Fee (SDF)
Internal flights where included in the day-by-day
24-hour in-country support
What is not included
International flights to Paro
Visa fee (USD 40)
Travel insurance
Personal expenses, tipping, drinks at meals
Optional experiences (browse and add to your wishlist)
Who you will be working with
You may want to add
What your journey gives back.
Bhutan is a carbon negative kingdom, where more than 70 percent of the land is covered in forests and the rivers remain clean and alive. The Sustainable Development Fee supports free healthcare, free education, and the protection of this extraordinary place.
This is not a tax. It is a shared commitment to preserve Bhutan for every generation that follows.
By visiting, you are not a tourist. You are a co-guardian of this kingdom.
Ready when you are.
Tell us roughly when you would like to come and how many you are. Our team in Thimphu will reply personally within 24 hours.
Plan this journey with our team