Journey through Bhutan’s temples and lush valleys on a women-only expedition
Join an 11-day trip through the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan with a group of like-minded women and a local leader by your side. Hike up a cliff to the Tiger’s Nest monastery in Paro, see the huge gilded bronze Buddha Dordenma in Thimphu, meet the nuns at the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery and experience a sound bath in the Bumthang Valley. Watch local artisans at work, then browse the vibrant wares at the Bhutanese Crafts Bazaar. Learn how to make Bhutan’s national dish in a cooking class led by local women, dine at women-owned restaurants and stay at female-owned accommodation.
Start: Thimphu, Bhutan
End: Paro, Bhutan
Duration:
Thimphu
Minimum age:
15 years old
Group size
1 to 12
Style
Original
Theme
Women’s Expeditions
Physical rating
3 out 5
From
Itinerary for 1 January 2026 to 31
December 2026Trip details may change across seasons. Change season to check before you book.
We’re in the process of figuring out how much CO2-e this trip generates. In the meantime, learn more about our climate commitment.
Kuzu zangpo la! Welcome to Bhutan, the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’. When you arrive at Paro International Airport, you’ll be met by your female local leader and transferred to your hotel in Thimphu – Bhutan’s capital city which sits at around 2300 m (7550 ft) above sea level. Catch your first glimpses of the Thimphu Valley during the drive! Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. This evening, you’ll have a welcome dinner with your group. Your accommodation tonight is at Thimphu Tower – female owner Tshering Wangmo turned what was once her family home into this hotel in the 1980s and swiftly made it her goal to empower local women and girls with job opportunities in the hospitality industry. Tshering employs girls and single mothers who don’t hold a university degree – an endeavour inspired by her own challenges being taken seriously in the hospitality industry without formal training of her own.
Special information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.
Your travel time today will be approximately 2 hours.
Travel in Bhutan is strictly controlled and to do any independent travel outside of a group trip is extremely difficult and expensive to arrange. We provide a group visa for travellers on our trips in Bhutan, which stipulates that all travellers must arrive and depart on the same days that your trip starts and finishes. Travel outside the trip dates on independent visas is not permitted, and additional nights of accommodation cannot be booked.
After breakfast, start your day with a light hike to Wangditse Monastery. The trail begins at the Sangaygang Viewpoint and winds through pine forests before reaching the monastery. Take a moment for some quiet reflection at this 18th-century temple, soaking in the views of the valley surrounding you. Have a Bhutanese lunch at female-owned restaurant Edelweiss, then visit the Buddha Dordenma – a 54-m-tall gilded bronze Buddha statue housing 125,000 smaller Buddha statues. Next, stop by the Bhutan Post Office Headquarters, where you can make your own personalised postal stamps – take them home as a souvenir or send a postcard home with a special touch! The Bhutan Postal Museum showcases some of the nation’s most rare and unusual stamps, like the famous ‘talking stamps’ (tiny playable vinyl records). Later, visit the Gagyel Lhundrup Weaving Centre where you can watch local artisans make their wares and buy some of your own, if you wish. End your day with a visit to the Bhutanese Crafts Bazaar, browsing the 80 stalls selling traditional handicrafts like vibrant tshoglham (embroidered boots) and thangkas (intricate paintings).Kuzu zangpo la! Welcome to Bhutan, the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’. When you arrive at Paro International Airport, you’ll be met by your female local leader and transferred to your hotel in Thimphu – Bhutan’s capital city which sits at around 2300 m (7550 ft) above sea level. Catch your first glimpses of the Thimphu Valley during the drive! Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. This evening, you’ll have a welcome dinner with your group. Your accommodation tonight is at Thimphu Tower – female owner Tshering Wangmo turned what was once her family home into this hotel in the 1980s and swiftly made it her goal to empower local women and girls with job opportunities in the hospitality industry. Tshering employs girls and single mothers who don’t hold a university degree – an endeavour inspired by her own challenges being taken seriously in the hospitality industry without formal training of her own.
Special information
Your hiking time today will be approximately 2 hours.
This morning, head to the Gangtey Valley – known for its lush forests and meadows. Stop at Dochula Pass along the way. Sitting at 3100 m (10,170 ft), this pass provides panoramic views of the Eastern Himalayas, particularly on clear days. Here, you’ll also see the 108 Druk Wangyal Chortens (monuments) built in honour of Bhutan’s fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Continue your drive, then stop for lunch with a view of the Punatsangchu River. Arrive at Gangtey in the late afternoon and have some free time to relax before dinner.
Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
After breakfast, start your day with a light hike to Wangditse Monastery. The trail begins at the Sangaygang Viewpoint and winds through pine forests before reaching the monastery. Take a moment for some quiet reflection at this 18th-century temple, soaking in the views of the valley surrounding you. Have a Bhutanese lunch at female-owned restaurant Edelweiss, then visit the Buddha Dordenma – a 54-m-tall gilded bronze Buddha statue housing 125,000 smaller Buddha statues. Next, stop by the Bhutan Post Office Headquarters, where you can make your own personalised postal stamps – take them home as a souvenir or send a postcard home with a special touch! The Bhutan Postal Museum showcases some of the nation’s most rare and unusual stamps, like the famous ‘talking stamps’ (tiny playable vinyl records). Later, visit the Gagyel Lhundrup Weaving Centre where you can watch local artisans make their wares and buy some of your own, if you wish. End your day with a visit to the Bhutanese Crafts Bazaar, browsing the 80 stalls selling traditional handicrafts like vibrant tshoglham (embroidered boots) and thangkas (intricate paintings).Kuzu zangpo la! Welcome to Bhutan, the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’. When you arrive at Paro International Airport, you’ll be met by your female local leader and transferred to your hotel in Thimphu – Bhutan’s capital city which sits at around 2300 m (7550 ft) above sea level. Catch your first glimpses of the Thimphu Valley during the drive! Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. This evening, you’ll have a welcome dinner with your group. Your accommodation tonight is at Thimphu Tower – female owner Tshering Wangmo turned what was once her family home into this hotel in the 1980s and swiftly made it her goal to empower local women and girls with job opportunities in the hospitality industry. Tshering employs girls and single mothers who don’t hold a university degree – an endeavour inspired by her own challenges being taken seriously in the hospitality industry without formal training of her own.
Special information
Your hiking time today will be approximately 2 hours.
Start your day with a scenic drive to Bumthang (known as Bhutan’s spiritual heartland). On the way, make a stop to visit Trongsa Dzong – a historic watchtower that’s now a museum showcasing Bhutan’s royal history. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant on the way, then continue to Bumthang. When you arrive, visit the Yathra Factory – a weaving centre and shop selling textiles woven by local women, made from sheep and yak wool. End your day exploring Chamkhar Town – the centre of Bumthang, filled with bustling markets.
Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.
This morning, head to Jambay Lhakhang – one of Bhutan’s oldest and most sacred temples, built around the 7th century by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo. After, visit Kurjey Lhakhang – a monastery where Guru Rinpoche – the founder of the Nyingma school of Buddhism – is said to have meditated. You’ll also embark on a short, easy hike through the Bumthang Valley today, before your local leader guides you in a sound bath set among the pine forests. This ancient practice uses Himalayan singing bowls and is said to ease stress.
Special information
Your hiking time today will be approximately 1 hour.
Travel to Punakha, Bhutan’s former capital, arriving in the afternoon. Visit the Punakha Dzong – a 17th-century palace located at the junction of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers. This grand palace served as the seat of the Bhutan government until the 1950s. After, walk across the 180-m-long Punakha Suspension Bridge – one of the longest in Bhutan. Look out over the views of the river and landscape far below you. Tonight, check into your hotel and have dinner with your group.
Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 7 hours.
This morning, hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. This temple looks out over the Punakha Valley. Have a picnic lunch on the riverbank, then visit the hilltop Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery. Here, you’ll spend time with one of the nuns, sharing tea and snacks. Then, go on a leisurely walk across the paddy fields to Chimi Lhakhang (known as the Fertility Temple).
Special information
Your hiking time today will be approximately 1 hour.
This morning, hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. This temple looks out over the Punakha Valley. Have a picnic lunch on the riverbank, then visit the hilltop Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery. Here, you’ll spend time with one of the nuns, sharing tea and snacks. Then, go on a leisurely walk across the paddy fields to Chimi Lhakhang (known as the Fertility Temple).
Special information
Your hiking time today will be approximately 1 hour.
This morning, hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. This temple looks out over the Punakha Valley. Have a picnic lunch on the riverbank, then visit the hilltop Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery. Here, you’ll spend time with one of the nuns, sharing tea and snacks. Then, go on a leisurely walk across the paddy fields to Chimi Lhakhang (known as the Fertility Temple).
Special information
Your hiking time today will be approximately 1 hour.
This morning, hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. This temple looks out over the Punakha Valley. Have a picnic lunch on the riverbank, then visit the hilltop Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery. Here, you’ll spend time with one of the nuns, sharing tea and snacks. Then, go on a leisurely walk across the paddy fields to Chimi Lhakhang (known as the Fertility Temple).
Special information
Your hiking time today will be approximately 1 hour.
Bhutan
10 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 10 dinners
Private vehicle
Hotel (8 nights), Guesthouse (2 night)
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1. Complimentary airport arrival and departure transfers are included. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
3. Entry to Bhutan is very strict and travellers can only enter Bhutan on a group visa as part of a tour. All travellers must arrive on Day 1 and depart on Day 11 to be eligible for a group visa. At time of booking, please provide your booking agent with a scanned colour copy of your passport, a scanned colour passport photo.
4. The Sustainable Development Fee, charged by the government of Bhutan, is included in your trip price.
5. Please provide your full name exactly as per passport at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on your passport). Fees may apply for adding or amending details within 60 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing new tickets.
6. All flights to and from Bhutan are operated by a Bhutanese national carrier which fly direct to several cities within Asia/Middle East. It is not uncommon for these airlines to make last minute changes to their flight timetables or be subject to delays. Therefore, it is recommended that you allow plenty of transit time both before your connecting flight to Bhutan, and after your flight from Bhutan ahead of your onward flight connection.
7. If you have booked additional accommodation and transfers in Kathmandu, please see the ‘Passports, visas and entry requirements’ section of the Essential Trip Information for details regarding visas and arrival in Nepal.
Hotel (8 nights), Guesthouse (2 night)
The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
Hotel Thimpu Tower
194 Clock Tower Square Thimphu BHUTAN
Phone: +975 2335367
A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel. Paro International Airport is the only international airport in Bhutan. Upon arrival, after you’ve cleared custom and baggage claim, your tour leader and driver will pick you up at the arrival hall, holding an Intrepid sign. Thimphu is about 50 km from this airport and it’ll take about 1.5 hours to get to your hotel. If you have issue with locating your leader or driver, please contact the emergency number of our local operator +975 17556636 or +975 17825675.
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