Bhutan: Dzongs, Valleys & Tiger's Nest
Eight days across Thimphu, Punakha and Paro
Bhutan is arranged around valleys, and this trip takes the three that matter: Thimphu for the capital's weaving workshops and monasteries, Punakha for the fortress at the river confluence, and Paro for the cliff-top monastery of Tiger's Nest. You fly into Paro, spend two nights each in Thimphu and Punakha, and finish with three in Paro, with a licensed guide and private car throughout. Visitors pay a daily Sustainable Development Fee, which we show in the price.
This is a starting-point itinerary — we adapt every detail to your travel dates, interests, pace, and group. Speak to our concierge to begin.
Indicative price
from €350 per person per day
For 2 travellers sharing a room, from published entry-level hotel rates and ground costs read on 10 October 2026. How we calculate it
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Marco Setti
East Asia Specialist
Your specialist
“Culture trips in Asia work best when the pace allows you to actually absorb a place. I design them with breathing room built in.”
Speak with MarcoIncluded
- 7 nights' accommodation in one of the lodges or hotels named for each stage
- Licensed Bhutanese guide, private vehicle and driver
- Visa arrangements and the Sustainable Development Fee, paid on your behalf
- A named Excurze concierge before and during the trip
Each stage has two or three hotels we know well. We propose the one that fits your dates and budget, and swap it if you prefer another.
Thimphu2 nights
Luxury
Amankora Thimphu
Motithang, above the capital
A lodge in the pine forest above the city.
Luxury
Six Senses Thimphu
Hills above the capital
One of Six Senses' five lodges in Bhutan.
Luxury
Pemako Thimphu
Thimphu
Formerly the Taj Tashi.
Punakha2 nights
Luxury
Amankora Punakha
Punakha valley
A lodge in the valley of the Punakha Dzong.
Luxury
Six Senses Punakha
Punakha valley
A lodge in the valley.
Luxury
COMO Uma Punakha
Punakha valley
COMO's lodge in the valley.
Paro3 nights
Luxury
Amankora Paro
Paro valley
A lodge in the valley, below Tiger's Nest.
Luxury
Six Senses Paro
Paro valley
A lodge in the valley.
Luxury
COMO Uma Paro
Paro valley
A hotel with daily yoga included.
Thimphu
Fly into Paro, drive to Thimphu
The flight into Paro's valley is one of the most scenic landings anywhere
Meet your licensed guide and driver after immigration
About an hour and a half by road to Thimphu
Sleep: Thimphu (2 nights)
Thimphu
Thimphu
Buddha Dordenma and the National Memorial Chorten
A paper-making and weaving workshop
Tashichho Dzong, the seat of government, in the late afternoon
Sleep: Thimphu
Punakha
Over Dochula Pass to Punakha
Dochula Pass at about 3,100 metres, with its 108 memorial chortens
Punakha Dzong at the confluence of two rivers
Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Divine Madman
Sleep: Punakha (2 nights)
Punakha
Punakha valley
The walk through the paddies to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten
A suspension-bridge walk over the river
Afternoon free at the lodge
Sleep: Punakha
Paro
To Paro
About five hours by road back over the pass
Rinpung Dzong above the town of Paro
Sleep: Paro (3 nights)
Paro
Tiger's Nest
The hike to Paro Taktsang, the monastery on the cliff; allow four to five hours for the round trip
Horses are available to the halfway point for an extra fee
A hot-stone bath in the evening
Sleep: Paro
Paro
A free day in Paro
Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest temples
A farmhouse lunch
A quiet day to rest before flying
Sleep: Paro
Paro
Departure
Transfer to Paro airport
Himalayan sunrise mountain flight
A scenic flight over the eastern Himalaya at sunrise.
Phobjikha and Gangtey
A night in the glacial valley where black-necked cranes winter from November to February.
Bumthang
Add two nights in the central valleys, reached by a domestic flight.
Kathmandu and the Everest flight
Combine Bhutan with Nepal and a mountain flight from Kathmandu.
Best time to go
March to May, and September to November
Clear mountain views and dry weather. Spring brings rhododendrons, and the Paro and Thimphu festivals (tsechu) fall in these months.
Less suited: June to August (monsoon, with road delays) and the coldest weeks of winter
from €350 per person per day
This is an indication, not a quote. It adds up the lowest published entry-level rates we found for the hotel we priced at each stage, plus the cost of a private guide and car, divides by 2 travellers and 8 days, and rounds up to the next €50. Peak-season rates, larger rooms and the other hotels named above will change it. Your quote will be built on your dates.
| Item | Rate | In euros |
|---|---|---|
Thimphu, 2 nights at Pemako Thimphu (low end of its range) Tripadvisor, Pemako Thimphu | 715 USD × 2 | €1,276 |
Punakha, 2 nights at COMO Uma Punakha (approximate entry price) Bhutan Memories, luxury hotels (updated 29 January 2026) | 500 USD × 2 | €892 |
Paro, 3 nights at COMO Uma Paro (approximate entry price) Bhutan Memories, luxury hotels (updated 29 January 2026) | 400 USD × 3 | €1,071 |
Sustainable Development Fee, USD 100 per person per night (2 travellers, 7 nights) Druk Asia, Bhutan visa and SDF tariff | 100 USD × 14 | €1,249 |
Visa fee USD 40 plus USD 10 processing, per traveller Druk Asia, Bhutan visa and SDF tariff | 50 USD × 2 | €89 |
Licensed guide with private vehicle and driver, 8 days (top of the quoted range) Third Rock Adventures, Bhutan travel cost | 100 USD × 8 | €714 |
| Total for 2 travellers | €5,292 | |
| Per person per day (€5,292 ÷ 2 ÷ 8), rounded up to €50 | €350 | |
The figure covers
- 7 nights at the hotel priced at each stage (Amankora and Six Senses lodges cost from about US$1,500 a night, so they raise this figure a lot)
- The Sustainable Development Fee, visa and processing fee
- A licensed guide with private vehicle and driver every day, including airport transfers
Not included
- International flights, including the flight to Paro
- Meals not included in the hotel rate
- Entrance fees, optional modules and tips
Converted at the European Central Bank reference rates of 9 October 2026. Hotel rates come from third-party booking and guide sites and change with dates and availability; each line links to the page we read.
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