SIGNATURE JOURNEY
The Heart of Happiness
The activities on this trip are rated as moderate and suits a wide range of interests and physical fitness levels. The hikes on this trip can range from moderate to challenging, depending on your abilities. Trip members should be in good health and comfortable standing or walking for extended periods of time and confident navigating mixed and steep terrain that may include rocky trails, slippery conditions and, or, steps and stairs. Daily activities include city walking tours, hiking to and entering monasteries, temples and fortresses, driving over winding mountain roads and easy to moderate hiking with some strenuous options where possible. The general elevations in the valleys will mostly range from 6,800 ft to 9,000 ft, with drives that will take us over higher passes before descending to the average elevations mentioned above. The final hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery is 10,000 ft.
Accommodations
The high-end accommodations on this journey feature traditional Bhutanese style with modern elements. The lodges are handpicked for regional character, comfort, and hospitality, including our beautiful family lodge in the central highlands of Bhutan, the Mountain Resort (see more on the Mountain Resort below). In peak season, depending on availability, we may use lodges comparable to the ones we have listed or advertised.
Expedition Staff
Every expedition is curated by expert native-born guides and trip leaders who also facilitate meetings and learning experiences with other locally knowledgeable people along the way. Our experienced team shares valuable insights and local expertise to ensure a culturally rich adventure of discovery through the Himalayan landscape and traditions of Bhutan.
The activities on this trip are rated as moderate and suits a wide range of interests and physical fitness levels. The hikes on this trip can range from moderate to challenging, depending on your abilities. Trip members should be in good health and comfortable standing or walking for extended periods of time and confident navigating mixed and steep terrain that may include rocky trails, slippery conditions and, or, steps and stairs. Daily activities include city walking tours, hiking to and entering monasteries, temples and fortresses, driving over winding mountain roads and easy to moderate hiking with some strenuous options where possible. The general elevations in the valleys will mostly range from 6,800 ft to 9,000 ft, with drives that will take us over higher passes before descending to the average elevations mentioned above. The final hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery is 10,000 ft.
Accommodations
The high-end accommodations on this journey feature traditional Bhutanese style with modern elements. The lodges are handpicked for regional character, comfort, and hospitality, including our beautiful family lodge in the central highlands of Bhutan, the Mountain Resort (see more on the Mountain Resort below). In peak season, depending on availability, we may use lodges comparable to the ones we have listed or advertised.
Expedition Staff
Every expedition is curated by expert native-born guides and trip leaders who also facilitate meetings and learning experiences with other locally knowledgeable people along the way. Our experienced team shares valuable insights and local expertise to ensure a culturally rich adventure of discovery through the Himalayan landscape and traditions of Bhutan.
The activities on this trip are rated as moderate and suits a wide range of interests and physical fitness levels. The hikes on this trip can range from moderate to challenging, depending on your abilities. Trip members should be in good health and comfortable standing or walking for extended periods of time and confident navigating mixed and steep terrain that may include rocky trails, slippery conditions and, or, steps and stairs. Daily activities include city walking tours, hiking to and entering monasteries, temples and fortresses, driving over winding mountain roads and easy to moderate hiking with some strenuous options where possible. The general elevations in the valleys will mostly range from 6,800 ft to 9,000 ft, with drives that will take us over higher passes before descending to the average elevations mentioned above. The final hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery is 10,000 ft.
Accommodations
The high-end accommodations on this journey feature traditional Bhutanese style with modern elements. The lodges are handpicked for regional character, comfort, and hospitality, including our beautiful family lodge in the central highlands of Bhutan, the Mountain Resort (see more on the Mountain Resort below). In peak season, depending on availability, we may use lodges comparable to the ones we have listed or advertised.
Expedition Staff
Every expedition is curated by expert native-born guides and trip leaders who also facilitate meetings and learning experiences with other locally knowledgeable people along the way. Our experienced team shares valuable insights and local expertise to ensure a culturally rich adventure of discovery through the Himalayan landscape and traditions of Bhutan.
The activities on this trip are rated as moderate and suits a wide range of interests and physical fitness levels. The hikes on this trip can range from moderate to challenging, depending on your abilities. Trip members should be in good health and comfortable standing or walking for extended periods of time and confident navigating mixed and steep terrain that may include rocky trails, slippery conditions and, or, steps and stairs. Daily activities include city walking tours, hiking to and entering monasteries, temples and fortresses, driving over winding mountain roads and easy to moderate hiking with some strenuous options where possible. The general elevations in the valleys will mostly range from 6,800 ft to 9,000 ft, with drives that will take us over higher passes before descending to the average elevations mentioned above. The final hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery is 10,000 ft.
Accommodations
The high-end accommodations on this journey feature traditional Bhutanese style with modern elements. The lodges are handpicked for regional character, comfort, and hospitality, including our beautiful family lodge in the central highlands of Bhutan, the Mountain Resort (see more on the Mountain Resort below). In peak season, depending on availability, we may use lodges comparable to the ones we have listed or advertised.
Expedition Staff
Every expedition is curated by expert native-born guides and trip leaders who also facilitate meetings and learning experiences with other locally knowledgeable people along the way. Our experienced team shares valuable insights and local expertise to ensure a culturally rich adventure of discovery through the Himalayan landscape and traditions of Bhutan.
Bhutan is often described as a “happy place,” a reference to the government’s stated goal of “Gross National Happiness” for its citizens. The beautiful Himalayan landscape, the overarching cultural and spiritual sensibilities, and the philosophical outlook of the people make Bhutan’s quest for a meaningful human existence more than mere Utopian lip service.
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Travel to Bhutan’s spiritual & cultural interiors to learn about a government in the service of human happiness
HEALTH & SAFETY
HEALTH & SAFETY
We are following strict national and international safety guidelines and protocols (Royal Government of Bhutan, WHO, and CDC (US) recommendations) to keep you, our staff, and the Bhutanese people safe. This includes new measures for maintaining personal health and hygiene, social distancing best practices, face covering requirements, cleaning, handwashing and more.
UPDATED BOOKING & CANCELLATION POLICY
UPDATED BOOKING & CANCELLATION POLICY
With global travel resuming, we have changed our booking and cancellation policies back to normal. Normal cancellation policies are now in effect and final trip payment is due (4 months/120 days before trip start date, whichever is earlier). Trip cancellation policies are outlined in our trip confirmation emails and available by request.
ITINERARY
In a world driven by consumerism and ego politics, Bhutan begs the question: “What are the secrets to happiness in a country where human well-being, described as Gross National Happiness, is held in higher esteem than GDP?” To answer this question, we explore the spiritual underpinnings that shaped the Bhutanese government’s GNH philosophy. We meet well-known personalities and local thought leaders familiar with Bhutan’s Great Social Experiment. Taking a dramatic Himalayan flight from the western center of Paro to the cultural heartland, Bumthang, we visit exquisite temples and monasteries dating from the 8th to 17th centuries. We decode Vajrayana Buddhist art and cosmology. We learn about Bhutan’s ancient customs and traditions. We attend a colorful mask dance festival that opens a vibrant window into the people’s communal lives. Finally, we close with an early morning trek up to “Tiger’s Nest,” Bhutan’s holiest of holies, a magnificent Buddhist shrine perched 2,000-foot-high on a vertical cliff! If you’re a traveler who likes to make the world better and loves to positively impact lives around you, this is a carefully curated journey that ensures you’ll return with not just happy memories but valuable life-lessons you can use in your day-to-day.
VIEW DAY BY DAY
DAY 1: BANGKOK/BHUTAN, PARO/THIMPHU
Depart from Bangkok or another gateway city and arrive in Paro Valley. Stroll into Paro town, visit the national museum and 7th century Kyichu Temple. Settle into your comfortable, well-appointed lodge.
Meals included: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: The Olathang Hotel or comparable
DAY 02: MOUNTAIN FLIGHT TO BUMTHANG
Take the beautiful mountain flight to Bumthang valley in central Bhutan and relax at our beautiful family lodge across the street from the historic Wangdicholing Palace.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Mountain Resort or comparable
DAY 03: JAKAR PILGRIM’S HIKE
Take the mostly-level loop hike (est. 6-8 miles) around the valley, exploring a string of legendary Buddhist temples dating to the 8th-century en route.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations:Mountain Resort or comparable
DAY 04: THE SACRED JAKAR TSHECHU FESTIVAL
Join the people of Bumthang at their annual mask dance festival. The spectacular religious pageantry, performances and deep spiritual symbolism of the proceedings provide a unique window into the vibrant local culture and Bhutan's ancient Buddhist traditions.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Mountain Resort or comparable
DAY 05: HIKE TO TANG VALLEY
Enjoy a second day at central Bhutan's remarkable annual festival, or explore the beautiful trails of Chamkhar on foot (optional) or alternately explore some of the valley's more remote temples and monasteries. Explore the beautiful Tang valley, gateway to Eastern Bhutan. Learn about traditional life as it has existed for centuries; visit a hilltop Buddhist nunnery.
Meals included:Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodations:Mountain Resort or comparable
DAY 06: DRIVE TO TRONGSA, VISIT THE MUSEUM OF ROYAL ANTIQUITIES,
Drive from the scenic highlands Bumthang into the lush gorges and valleys of Trongsa; visit the royal museum and the magnificent fortress of Trongsa, the longest of its kind in Bhutan.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Mountain Resort or comparable
DAY 07: DRIVE TO PUNAKHA VALLEY
Drive over the high pass of Pele-La (11,220 feet) and descend into the warm valleys of Punakha, with scenic stops enroute.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: The Mountain Resort or comparable
DAY 08: EXPLORE PUNAKHA, BHUTAN’S BEAUTIFUL ANCIENT CAPITAL
Visit beautiful Punakha Dzong, and wander its ancient corridors and magnificent shrines . See the ancient Bo tree, a descendant of the original Bodhi tree under which the Buddha is said to have become enlightened.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: The Zhingkham Resort or comparable
DAY 09: SCENIC VALLEY HIKES; CULTURAL EXPLORATIONS
Today's hiking options include visits to scenic villages, a hike past ancient rice terraces, or a short uphill stretch to a moutaintop pagoda followed by a riverside picnic.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: The Zhingkham Resort or comparable
DAY 10: MEET BHUTANESE LEADERS & EXPLORE THE CAPITAL
Cross the high pass of Dochu La (10,200 feet) to enter the nation's capital, Thimphu, with views of snowcapped Himalayan peaks; explore the busy markets and monuments of Bhutan’s premier city; evening dinner with Bhutanese dignitaries, thought leaders and artists for an exchange of ideas. Take advantage of the opportunities to gain first-hand insights from the people who face the challenges of translating Bhutan’s national happiness philosophy into reality. Explore the downtown Thimphu, its museums, markets and monuments.
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: The City Hotel, Thimphu, or comparable
DAY 11: TIGER’S NEST HIKE FAREWELL DINNER
Cap your journey across Bhutan with an early hike to the famous cliffside monastery at Taktshang, or the “Tiger’s Nest.” Complete the strenuous hike to the monastery, perched on a steep rock face more than 2,000ft above the valley floor, or rest at the halfway viewpoint to admire the beauty of the surrounding mountains, the magnificent temple, and meditation retreats that sit above the famous site. Return to the Paro’s for a delicious lunch at a special friend’s busy restaurant before walking along the shops and windows to people-watch or pick up last-minute gifts and reminders of your trip. This evening we have a special farewell feast at a surprise location featuring some familiar and some new Himalayan delicacies.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations:Olathang Hotel or comparable
DAY 12: BANGKOK, THAILAND/DELHI, INDIA | DEPARTURE
This morning/afternoon we bring you back to the airport in time for you to catch your flight to Bangkok or another gateway city, from where you can connect with your international flight home, or travel to other destinations.
