Day 1-Arrival in Kathmandu

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This is a standalone tour of Bhutan but you will likely be joining some of the travellers who have been in Nepal for the past 2 weeks tracking tigers, leopards and having an amazing time. If you are joining us here, you will fly into Kathmandu airport and we'll pick you up and transport you to the iconic Kathmandu Guest House to settle in and get ready for your departure in the morning. You'll join us in the evening for a combination Welcome/Farewell dinner as some of the Nepal group will be leaving in the morning. 

This trip can also be booked as an add-on to the Nepal give-back tour where the price is slightly lower as it is part of the package. 

Meals: Dinner

Accomodation: Kathmandu Guest House

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Day 2 - Fly Kathmandu – Paro, transfer to Thimphu

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The flight from Kathmandu into Paro is genuinely cinematic, sweeping past Everest, Kanchenjunga, Jomolhari and Jichu Drakey as ridgelines drift by like a moving mural. As you descend into Paro, the landscape tightens into forested slopes, the silver ribbon of the Pa Chu, and Paro Dzong resting like a guardian above the valley. After immigration, your guide will welcome you and begin the one-hour drive to Thimphu. En route, you’ll pause at Tamchog Lhakang, crossing its restored iron bridge built with links from the original 13th-century chainwork. On arrival at your hotel, take a moment to decompress before heading out in the early evening to visit the Memorial Chorten, a revered stupa built in honour of Bhutan’s third king. Dinner will feature classic Bhutanese flavours. 

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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight in Thimphu

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Day 3 - Explore Thimphu, Buddha Dordenma viewpoint hike & cultural sites

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After breakfast, you’ll drive up to Kuensel Phodrang where the 169-foot Buddha Dordenma keeps watch over the valley. From here, an easy 6km hike leads along wooded trails to Changangkha Lhakhang, a temple that has watched over Thimphu for centuries. Back in town, lunch will be at one of Thimphu’s favourite cafés; the kind of spot where office workers, monks and travellers all intersect. The afternoon opens up Bhutanese culture in sharper focus: first at the Folk Heritage Museum, a traditional 19th-century farmhouse offering a lens into rural life, and then at the Royal Textile Museum & Academy, where Bhutan’s intricate weaving traditions take centre stage. You’ll end your day wandering the Crafts Bazaar, a row of stalls showcasing local artisans’ work. If it’s a weekend, the visit extends to the Centennial and Kaja Thorm markets, lively social hubs where vendors sell produce, snacks and spices while locals gather for food and music. 

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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Overnight in Thimphu

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Day 4 - Dochula Pass, Trans-Bhutan Trail walk & Chhimi Lhakhang

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Today you leave the city behind. After breakfast, you’ll drive to Dochula Pass (3,140m), where 108 chortens sit poised against the Himalayan skyline, prayer flags framing mountain silhouettes. You then continue to Lamperi for a descent along a restored section of the Trans-Bhutan Trail, passing through thick old-growth forest and scattered villages. A picnic lunch awaits at the trail’s end, overlooking the rice terraces below. After lunch, the landscape softens into the rice-growing valley of Lobesa, where a short walk through fields leads to Chhimi Lhakhang — the monastery dedicated to Drukpa Kunley, Bhutan’s eccentric saint known locally as the Divine Madman. Before reaching your hotel, you’ll visit a local Thangka artist whose work keeps ancient Buddhist painting techniques alive. ​

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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Overnight in Punakha

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Day 5 - Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal hike, river float & Punakha Dzong​

 

This morning begins with a 45-minute uphill walk through terraced fields to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal, a temple famed for its intricate design and wide valley views. Back at the river, you’ll board a boat for a gentle float downstream; a serene way to absorb village life and spot Bhutan’s bird species. Lunch will be a picnic at Zomlingthang, a riverside clearing often used by locals for archery, the national sport. After lunch, you’ll visit Punakha Dzong, arguably the kingdom’s most beautiful fortress, set at the confluence of two rivers and is the winter residence of the monastic leadership and still serves as the administrative headquarters for the Punakha region. The day ends with a drive into the broad, glacial-carved basin of Gangtey Valley.

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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Overnight in Gangtey.

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​Day 6 - Gangtey nature trail, Gantey Gompa & transfer to Paro

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After breakfast, you’ll walk the nature trail that wraps around the roosting grounds of the black-necked cranes; migratory birds that travel thousands of kilometres from the Tibetan Plateau each winter. The path moves through quiet hamlets and banks of towering bamboo, eventually opening to a cluster of traditional homes with carved windows and wood-panelled roofs. From here, you’ll visit Gantey Gompa, one of Bhutan’s oldest Nyingmapa monasteries, with the chance to spend time among the monks or join a short meditation session. In the afternoon, you’ll drive back to Paro, crossing Dochula once again before arriving at a local farmhouse for a traditional hot-stone bath and dinner featuring regional dishes unique to this valley.

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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Overnight in Paro.

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Day 7 - Taktshang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest) & Kyichu Lhakhang

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This is the marquee moment. The trail to Taktshang rises steadily through pine forest, with over 800 steps leading to the monastery perched on its cliff. Built in 1692, Tiger’s Nest has become a symbol of Bhutanese spirituality and endurance. Ponies can be hired for the uphill half, though the final ascent is always on foot. You must also make the descent on foot, as the ponies are not allowed to do this part of the journey.

 

After descending, you’ll visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan’s oldest temples and home to a revered statue of Jowo Jamba, said to radiate a profound sense of calm. Back in Paro, there’s time to refresh before your farewell dinner and a final wander through the town’s shops and lanes. 

 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight in Paro.

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​Day 8 - Depart

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After breakfast at your hotel, your driver will take you to the airport for your return flight to Kathmandu.

We hope you'll come away from your week in Bhutan rested, inspired and peaceful. It's been our pleasure to host you and we look forward to seeing you on another EVA trip in the future

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Meals: Breakfast