Some hotels and restaurants we visit see few Western travelers and therefore lack many Western-style services. The leisurely service found in neighborhood restaurants and the limited supply of beer can all be appreciated as part of the journey.

Bhutan is a remote corner of the world where ancient culture, traditions and religion are still the deep-rooted cornerstones of everyday life. That said, modern Bhutan is not always the Shangri-la depicted in glossy travel magazines. Rather, it’s a developing country, where the scenes of poverty, trash and pollution can be jarring.  And yet, the beauty of the people, the culture and the landscape shine through. Our itineraries and Trip Leaders remove as many obstacles and inconveniences as possible, but we can’t remove haze and noise from the air, or replace a poorly maintained road or trail—it’s all part of the experience here!

We ordinarily staff our trips with three leaders: two leaders out on the trail offering support—allowing everyone to have the experience they want, whether it’s an easygoing interpretative walk or a rigorous hike—while the third leader moves the van from trailhead to trail end. This trip is a little different in that our routes are a combination of loop hikes and out-and-back trails that begin and end in the same location. This means that you’ll still have the same two leaders providing excellent trail support without the need for a third leader to move the van.

This trip includes travel on a commercial flight so that we can explore the best of your destination. Please note that flight schedules can change with little advance warning, which may require us to adjust our activities on a travel day. Your Trip Leaders will provide more details on any changes should this occur.