Tailor Made Bhutan: Land of the Peaceful Dragon

Fly to Paro, where you receive a tashi khadda (traditional welcome). Known to locals as the “Land of the Peaceful Dragon,” Bhutan is a country of sprawling forests, venerated monasteries, lush green valleys, and age-old spiritual and medicinal practices. Its people ar...

Take a scenic drive to visit the Buddha Dordenma, a massive, golden statue that sits atop a gilded meditation hall at Kuensel Phodrang, and take in panoramic views of Thimphu and the surrounding mountains. Continue to the National Institute of Traditional Medicine, a ...

Journey overland to Gangtey in the glacial Gangtey (also known as Phobjikha) Valley, travelling through forests of pine festooned with hanging lichen, and taking in awe-inspiring vistas of the snow-covered Himalaya. Pause en route at Dochula Pass at an altitude of 10,...

Begin the day on a spiritual note when you visit a shedra, a Tibetan Buddhist place of learning. Join monks for a Tara Puja ceremony (morning prayers), offered at a time when the body and mind are considered most pure. Then, make morning rounds alongside a monk-teache...

Depart for Punakha, former capital of Bhutan, set in a fertile, picturesque valley at the confluence of the Mo Chhu (Mother River) and Pho Chhu (Father River). En route, take a short hike to Chimi Lhakhang. Perched on a round hillock flanked by prayer flags, this Budd...

Venture overland through ruggedly beautiful landscapes to Paro, again crossing Dochula Pass and following the dramatic Wang Chhu and Paro Chhu River Valleys. Upon arrival visit the National Museum of Bhutan, seeing its collection of relics, religious thangka (scroll) ...

Embark on a challenging hike to one of Bhutan’s most revered icons, Taktsang Monastery (“Tiger’s Nest”), which clings to a cliff 3,000 feet above the valley floor. Take in the views at this sacred site, where the great tantric mystic Guru Rinpoche is believed to have ...