Tour · 12 nights · with Explore Worldwide
Festivals of Bhutan
A 12-night escorted tour with Explore Worldwide through Bhutan’s mountain valleys and colourful festivals, beginning and ending in the bustling city of Kathmandu with time to explore Nepal’s temples and markets.
- Duration
- 12 nights
- Departs
- 13 Mar 2027
- Countries
- Nepal, Bhutan
- Operator
- Explore Worldwide
- From
- £5,375
- per person
Highlights
What makes this one worth it
The annual Black Neck Crane Festival in Phobjika Valley
Tiger’s Nest Monastery perched 900m above Paro Valley
Punakhha Dzong’s riverside location and Buddhist architecture
Kathmandu’s Durbar Square and Pashupatinath Hindu temple
Traditional thangka painting and weaving workshops in Thimphu
About the trip
This small group tour with Explore Worldwide opens in Kathmandu, a city where centuries-old shrines sit close to lively bazaars beneath the watchful gaze of the Himalayas. After a day of acclimatising, the trip shifts to Bhutan, starting in Paro where some of the country’s largest dzongs overlook terraced fields.
Travelling east across the Dochu La pass, you’ll follow rice terraces and forests to Punakha Valley and visit the ‘Mad Monk’s’ monastery, known for its irreverent saint. The nearby Punakha Dzong sits at the meeting point of two rivers and is a fine example of Bhutanese architecture. The journey continues through the Phobjika Valley, home to black-necked cranes, timed to coincide with the local festival celebrating their return.
Thimphu offers a blend of traditional and modern Bhutanese life, from handicraft markets to a city with no traffic lights. The trek up to Tiger’s Nest Monastery near Paro is a highlight, demanding but rewarding, set on cliffs that seem carved out of the mountainside. The tour finishes back in Kathmandu with visits to Durbar Square, Pashupatinath temple and the famously cheeky monkeys of Swayambunath.
- 1 Kathmandu
- 2 Paro
- 3 Punakha
- 4 Phobjikha Valley
- 5 Thimphu
Itinerary
The route
Kathmandu
Paro
Punakha
Phobjikha Valley
Thimphu
These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.
When to go
Departures and prices
Lowest price each month, per person.
Explore Worldwide confirms exact dates, availability and prices when you book.
Need to know
Before you book
- Price based on
- Per personThe operator confirms the exact basis when you book.
- Travelling alone
- Check with Explore Worldwide
- Flights
- Not included: you book your own to the start
- What’s included
- Check with Explore Worldwide
- Accessibility
- Check with Explore Worldwide
For full details of what’s included, check with Explore Worldwide. See the full details on their site
Questions people ask
- How long is Festivals of Bhutan?
- Festivals of Bhutan is a 12 nights tour holiday.
- Who operates Festivals of Bhutan?
- Festivals of Bhutan is operated by Explore Worldwide.
- How much does Festivals of Bhutan cost?
- Prices for Festivals of Bhutan start from £5,375, subject to availability.
The operator
Explore Worldwide
Small-group adventures, walking and wildlife
Small groups with local leaders, and a fondness for the places at the end of the road. Trips are graded so you know how active they are.
You book with Explore Worldwide directly. They confirm your place, take payment, and look after you from the moment you leave home; Atlas & Passage’s part ends when you click through.
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