Bhutan
Bhutan is a small Himalayan kingdom nestled between India and China, known for its stunning mountain landscapes, vibrant cultural festivals, and commitment to Gross National Happiness. As the world’s only carbon-negative country, Bhutan draws travelers seeking peace, authenticity, and meaningful connection. Visitors can expect serene monasteries, colorful prayer flags fluttering in the wind, and warm, respectful encounters with local communities deeply rooted in Buddhist traditions.
Best Time to Visit Bhutan
The best time to visit Bhutan is March to May and September to November, when the weather is clear and ideal for trekking and sightseeing. Spring brings blooming rhododendrons, while fall is festival season, featuring events like Thimphu Tshechu and Paro Tshechu, where masked dances and traditional rituals come to life. Average daytime temperatures range from 60–75°F (15–24°C) in the valleys, though higher elevations can be much cooler. A 10+ day trip is recommended to fully explore Bhutan’s valleys, temples, and rural communities at a relaxed pace.
Sustainable Package Trips in Bhutan
We designed this privately guided package trip as a custom request from a client who wished to participate in the Black Necked Crane Festival, which usually occurs in November. Our Nepali partner assisted with this trip through their connections to expert, local guides in Bhutan. This trip specializes in showcasing Bhutan’s deep cultural heritage, sacred sites like the iconic Tiger's Nest Monastery, and breathtaking natural beauty. You’ll travel with friendly and knowledgeable Bhutanese guides who bring Bhutan’s stories, spirituality, and landscapes to life!
How to Get to Bhutan
Bhutan is accessible via flights into Paro International Airport (PBH). It can be challenging to get direct flights into Paro, and most travelers come through gateway cities like Delhi, Bangkok, or Kathmandu. Because of the travel distances and times, it's advisable to begin your journey two days before your Bhutan trip is scheduled to begin. This allows an opportunity to break up the long travel day(s) with an overnight in the layover city, and then take a shorter flight the following morning into Paro. Be aware that Bhutan has a mandatory tourism tax of $100 per person per night, and this will always be included in our package tour prices.
Customize your Bhutan Trip
Our Bhutan itineraries can be customized, and traveling to enjoy particular festivals is a popular way to visit this country! Contact us to start designing your personalized Bhutan journey, and we will help ensure a safe, inspiring, and festive adventure.
Reviews
Kim L.
Feb 13, 2025
My first Privately Guided Trip... I loved it!
This was a privately guided trip booked through Yugan Earthside that I would highly recommend. I have never done a guided tour before and found it to be relaxing and informative. Loved it!
I highly recommend booking a trip through Yugen Earthside. They were supportive, flexible and worked with us to create the trip we wanted. Everything went so smoothly, we could not have asked for a more perfect adventure! Our guides were friendly, fun and knowledgeable, while also being flexible to our wishes and goals for our trip. We learned so much from our guides! They made all the difference when traveling in a foreign country.
My favorite parts of the trip:
Exploring Bhutan and learning about the culture and climbing Tigers Nest.
Yugen Earthside provides sustainable and low carbon impact traveling, which is very important to us. Our trip included low-carbon impact activities (walking, trekking...), local and eco-friendly lodgings, slow travel (2+ nights in each lodging), vegetarian & vegan options, supported small local businesses, rural tourism ('tourism dispersal') and meaningful local interactions. We observed "leave no trace" principles in action!
Working with Yugen was easy and supportive and I am very satisfied with the customer service and the trip overall!
I would definitely book another trip through them.
Debi S.
Nov 30, 2024
Excellent trip & guides; just what we wanted!
Our wonderful guide and driver made this trip excellent. They were supportive, flexible, and efficient! I was constantly amazed at all the knowledge our guide shared with us. We learned so much about Bhutan, its culture, and Buddhism. Our guides made our trip so interesting.
This trip was perfectly planned. Our time at each location was just right. Our accommodations were very nice. Everyone was kind, and helpful with smiles!
I loved the variety of activities we did. Hiking up to Tiger's Nest Monastery was a challenge. I made it due to the support of the guide, driver, and my travel buddy! The Black Necked Crane Festival was another highlight.
Bhutan is an absolutely beautiful country! I highly recommend this trip. The whole trip just perfectly flowed. The trip was just what we wanted.
We went in November and had great weather. March would be a month to go with the flowers blooming! There are many festivals to attend.