Bhutan Private Expedition

Arrive in Bangkok for an overnight stop on your journey to Bhutan. Transfer independently to your airport hotel, connected to the terminals by covered walkways.
Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

The adventure begins on your way to the kingdom in the clouds, before your feet even touch the ground: On a clear day, the flight from Thailand over the eastern Himalaya offers extraordinary views of the range’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest. Upon landing in Paro, travel to Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital and the best place to witness the country’s newly embraced modernity. Meet your Bhutanese guide, who will travel with you throughout your stay. Then visit a wildlife sanctuary for the takin, Bhutan's national animal, described as having the body of a cow and the head of a goat.

Taj Tashi (B/L/D)

Delve deeper into Thimphu on a private tour of the city. Gain insight into rural Bhutanese life at the Folk Heritage Museum, a replica of a traditional mud-and-timber farmhouse. Observe the delicate artistry involved in creating deh-sho, or locally handmade paper, at the Jungshi Paper Factory. End your excursion with a walk alongside local parents to Changangkha Lhakhang, a 12th-century monastery popular for providing blessings to newborns.
Taj Tashi (B/L/D)

This morning, visit Thimphu's Royal Textile Academy and admire the displays of intricate and diverse Bhutanese weavings, which are considered spiritual expressions. Journey to Punakha by way of the Dochu La pass. With its circular formation of 108 chortens set against a panoramic backdrop of majestic mountains, the pass is an awe-inspiring and spiritual place. Upon arrival in Punakha, set out on a hike through the surrounding rice paddies to Chimi Lhakhang—a temple blessed by Drukpa Kunley, known as the "Mad Saint."
Zhingkham Resort or RKPO Green Resort (B/L/D)

Spend the day discovering Punakha, the old capital of Bhutan that still retains its regal feel. Hike to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, a colourful temple poised on a scenic mountain ridge overlooking the Punakha valley. After lunch, explore the elaborately designed fortress of Punakha Dzong; its positioning at the confluence of the Mo (mother) and Pho (father) Rivers helps make this dzong one of the most beautiful in the country. End the day with a blessing from the nuns at the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup temple and nunnery.
Zhingkham Resort or RKPO Green Resort (B/L/D)

Travel through the emerald rice paddies and quaint farming villages of the Paro valley, and visit Jangtsa Dumtseg Lhakhang, a unique temple designed in the architectural style of a chorten. Settle into the stunning Zhiwa Ling Hotel that celebrates the artistry of Bhutanese architecture and embodies the principles of the country’s Gross National Happiness initiative. Immerse yourself in the peaceful customs of the Bhutanese as you linger in the lodge’s intricate temple, meditation house, and tearoom.
Zhiwa Ling Heritage (B/L/D)

Spend the day discovering Paro. Visit the National Museum of Bhutan, and admire the impressive architecture of the Paro Dzong, a stronghold that once defended the country from Tibetan invasions. Lunch at a local farmstead, and then return to the lodge for an afternoon devoted to Bhutanese traditions—an experience exclusively offered to National Geographic travellers. Learn how ritual cakes are baked and decorated to offer the deities, and participate in a butter-lamp offering with monks.
Zhiwa Ling Hotel (B/L/D)

Your journey through Bhutan culminates at the kingdom’s most iconic site: Taktsang Lhakhang, famously called the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. This majestic structure is poised high above the Paro valley, built dramatically on the ledge of a granite cliff face. Make the steep, strenuous trek to the temple or hike to a nearby viewpoint, taking in a landscape dotted with pine trees, prayer flags, and ancient shrines. Enjoy lunch at the home of a local farmer before returning to Paro for the evening.
Zhiwa Ling Hotel (B/L/D)

Depart for Bangkok, where you can connect with your international flight home. (B)