Bhutan is the Himalayan kingdom of dzongs, prayer flags and one monastery clinging to a cliff that everyone wants to photograph: Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest. Every tour on our Bhutan tours page includes it. What differs is everything around it: a compact week, a trip timed for a festival, a walking holiday on the restored Trans Bhutan Trail, or Bhutan as one part of a longer Himalayan journey.
This guide is for anyone comparing Bhutan tours. We line up all seven, with who each suits, its honest drawback and, because it matters in Bhutan, whether the visa and the Sustainable Development Fee are included. Calves, prepare yourselves.
The quick answer
- If you have a week, pick Bhutan Discovered.
- If you want masked dances, pick the Paro Festival or the Black-Necked Crane Festival.
- If you want to walk, pick Hike the Trans Bhutan Trail.
- If you want luxury and Nepal too, pick Luxury Nepal & Bhutan.
- If you want UK flights and Darjeeling, pick Himalayan Kingdoms.
Every Bhutan tour compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhutan only | ||||||
| Bhutan Discovered: Thimphu, Punakha & Tiger’s Nest – 7 Days | 7 | £2,376 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | A first look in a week |
| Hike the Trans Bhutan Trail – 11 Days | 11 | £3,175 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Keen walkers |
| Festival tours | ||||||
| Bhutan’s Paro Festival & the Tiger’s Nest – 11 Days | 11 | £5,080 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | The Paro Festival |
| Bhutan’s Black-Necked Crane Festival & the Tiger’s Nest – 11 Days | 11 | £4,992 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Cranes and a November festival |
| Bhutan with Nepal or India | ||||||
| Luxury Nepal & Bhutan: Kathmandu, Thimphu & Tiger’s Nest – 10 Days | 10 | £6,187 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Luxury, with Kathmandu |
| Himalayan Kingdoms: Darjeeling, Sikkim & Bhutan with Flights – 24 Days | 24 | £6,790 pp incl. flights | Medium | Max 28 | Yes | UK flights, Darjeeling and Sikkim |
| Discover Darjeeling & Bhutan: Kolkata to Kathmandu – 21 Days | 21 | £5,675 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | The Sundarbans to Kathmandu |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
Ask us which Bhutan tour fits →
Visa and Sustainable Development Fee: what is included
- Black-Necked Crane Festival: the Bhutan visa and the Sustainable Development Fee are both included.
- Trans Bhutan Trail: the Sustainable Development Fee is included; the Bhutan visa is not.
- Paro Festival: the Bhutanese visa is included.
- Bhutan Discovered: the visa and the Sustainable Development Fee are not included.
- For the other tours, check the inclusions on each tour page, or ask us.
Bhutan only
A week in Bhutan
Bhutan Discovered: Thimphu, Punakha & Tiger’s Nest – 7 Days
- 7 days
- From £2,376 per person
- Max 12 people
- Thimphu, Bhutan to Paro, Bhutan
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December
Seven days from Thimphu to Paro with a local leader and up to 12 travellers, with breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Thimphu brings the National Memorial Chorten, the giant Buddha Dordenma and a walk to Cheri Monastery; you cross the Dochula Pass to Punakha for its riverside dzong and Chimi Lhakhang, then finish in Paro with the Tiger’s Nest hike and a home-cooked farewell dinner.
Suits: first-time visitors to Bhutan. The honest drawback: the hikes are steep, the hotels are not luxurious, and the visa and Sustainable Development Fee are extra.
Walking the Trans Bhutan Trail
Hike the Trans Bhutan Trail – 11 Days
- 11 days
- From £3,175 per person
- Max 16 people
- Starts and ends in Paro, Bhutan
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December
Eleven days walking sections of the restored Trans Bhutan Trail, an ancient route that once linked the kingdom’s dzongs, with a local leader and up to 16 travellers. You hike to Buddha Point and over the Dochula Pass, descend from the Pelela Pass towards Trongsa, explore the Tang Valley in Bumthang with a farmhouse lunch, walk the Divine Madman Trail near Punakha and finish with the Tiger’s Nest. All meals are included.
Suits: keen walkers. The honest drawback: several long walking days at altitude, and hotels are comfortable rather than luxurious.
Festival tours
The Paro Festival
Bhutan’s Paro Festival & the Tiger’s Nest – 11 Days
- 11 days
- From £5,080 per person
- Max 16 people
- Starts and ends in Kathmandu, Nepal
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in March
Eleven days from Kathmandu, timed for the Paro Festival, one of the kingdom’s largest religious celebrations, with a full day watching monks perform masked dances. A tour leader and four to 16 travellers fly to Paro, then visit Thimphu, spend two nights in the Phobjikha Valley with the black-necked crane centre, see Punakha Dzong and Chimi Lhakhang, and hike to the Tiger’s Nest.
Suits: culture lovers and photographers. The honest drawback: it runs only at festival time, the mountain roads are winding, and the hotels are not luxurious.
The Black-Necked Crane Festival
Bhutan’s Black-Necked Crane Festival & the Tiger’s Nest – 11 Days
- 11 days
- From £4,992 per person
- Max 16 people
- Starts and ends in Kathmandu, Nepal
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in November
Eleven days from Kathmandu, timed for the Black-Necked Crane Festival in the Phobjikha Valley, held each November to welcome the endangered cranes that winter there. Four to 16 travellers aged 16 and over have a leader and a local Bhutanese guide, three nights in Gangtey, a valley hike, Punakha Dzong and the Tiger’s Nest, in locally owned hotels and lodges with heaters.
Suits: birdwatchers and culturally curious travellers. The honest drawback: dates are fixed by the festival, and there are early starts and hikes at altitude.
Bhutan with Nepal or India
Luxury, with Kathmandu
Luxury Nepal & Bhutan: Kathmandu, Thimphu & Tiger’s Nest – 10 Days
- 10 days
- From £6,187 per person
- Max 16 people
- Starts and ends in Kathmandu, Nepal
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in March, April, May, September, October
Ten days for four to 16 travellers aged 18 and over, with every meal, flights between Kathmandu and Paro and gratuities for local staff included. You stay at The Dwarika’s in Kathmandu, or similar, and three nights at a Himalayan wellbeing retreat in Dhulikhel before Thimphu and Paro, with private experiences such as a lama’s blessing and an astrology reading with monks. The Tiger’s Nest hike can be shortened by riding a horse part of the way.
Suits: couples and anyone interested in Buddhism and wellbeing. The honest drawback: it is a luxury price, visas are not included, and the only big walk is the Tiger’s Nest.
Himalayan Kingdoms (24 days) includes return flights from the UK and nearly all meals, with a tour director and 12 to 28 travellers aged 12 and over: Kolkata, Darjeeling with a Tiger Hill sunrise, Sikkim’s monasteries, a jeep safari at Gorumara and Bhutan, including Punakha Dzong and the Tiger’s Nest. Discover Darjeeling & Bhutan (21 days) adds the Sundarbans and the Darjeeling Toy Train for four to 16 travellers aged 16 and over, ending with a flight to Kathmandu; expect some drives of around eight hours.
How to choose
By time available. A week: Bhutan Discovered. Ten or 11 days: the festival tours, the Trans Bhutan Trail or Luxury Nepal & Bhutan. Three weeks or more: the Darjeeling combinations.
By budget. Bhutan Discovered and the Trans Bhutan Trail cost the least, though check what each includes for the visa and Sustainable Development Fee. Live prices are in the table above.
By fitness. Every tour has the steep Tiger’s Nest hike, optional on Himalayan Kingdoms. The Trans Bhutan Trail has several long walking days at altitude.
By style. Festival crowds and masked dances on the festival tours; quiet trails on the Trans Bhutan Trail; luxury hotels and private experiences on Luxury Nepal & Bhutan.
When to go
Bhutan Discovered and the Trans Bhutan Trail depart in most months. The Paro Festival tour runs in March and the Black-Necked Crane Festival tour in November. The months for each tour are in its fact panel above.
Before you travel, check the FCDO travel advice for Bhutan, plus Nepal and India if your tour goes there.
Frequently asked questions
Do all Bhutan tours include the Tiger's Nest?
Yes, every tour here includes the Tiger’s Nest; on Himalayan Kingdoms the steep hike is optional.
Is the Sustainable Development Fee included?
On the Black-Necked Crane Festival and the Trans Bhutan Trail, yes. On Bhutan Discovered, no. For the others, check the tour page or ask us.
Is there a Bhutan walking holiday?
Yes, Hike the Trans Bhutan Trail, 11 days on sections of the restored trail.
Which Bhutan tours are timed for a festival?
The Paro Festival tour in March and the Black-Necked Crane Festival tour in November.
Can I combine Bhutan with Nepal?
Yes: Luxury Nepal & Bhutan, the two festival tours, which start and end in Kathmandu, and Discover Darjeeling & Bhutan, which ends there.
Do any Bhutan tours include flights from the UK?
Yes, Himalayan Kingdoms. The others are land-only, though several include regional flights between Kathmandu and Paro.
Ready for Bhutan?
Tell us how long you have and whether you want a festival, a trail or both, and a Travelisto specialist will compare the Bhutan tours with you.
Keep planning
- All escorted tours in Bhutan
- Escorted tours in Nepal
- Escorted tours in India
- Japan tours compared
- Bhutan holidays
Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
