Byways Tours & Travels
Travel to Bhutan with Byways, a licensed tour operator in Bhutan
From Byways to Highways — your local team, based in Thimphu.
We plan private, all-inclusive journeys through Bhutan — your visa, licensed guide, hotels, meals and the daily Sustainable Development Fee, all arranged.
Travel to Bhutan: how it works
The process is unlike anywhere else, but once you know these five points it is one of the easiest trips to arrange, because almost everything is done for you.
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You do not apply for a visa at an embassy. We handle the Bhutan visa application from a passport copy and a photo, in about five working days.
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You prepay the Sustainable Development Fee. The Sustainable Development Fee is paid with the visa, and our packages include both.
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A licensed guide accompanies you. Mandatory for the whole stay, and the best part of the system: translator, historian and friend in one.
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Only two airlines operate in Bhutan. Drukair and Bhutan Airlines fly in; how to get to Bhutan covers every route, so confirm this sector before booking your long-haul flight.
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Your trip is pre-arranged. Hotels, transport and visa are set before you land.
That is the whole system. Tell us your dates and interests, and the kingdom effectively organises itself around you. Travelling from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany or Singapore? Each has its own page with the routing and visa answers for that passport.
When to travel to Bhutan
Spring brings colourful flowers and the Paro Festival; autumn brings the clearest Himalayan skies and the Thimphu Festival. Winter is quiet and crisp and brings the Druk Wangyel Festival, and the monsoon months are green and uncrowded.
Best time to visit BhutanWhat a Bhutan travel package includes
Your Bhutan travel package includes 3-star hotels, all meals, your guide, a driver and private vehicle, entry fees, the daily Sustainable Development Fee and the visa fee.
Bhutan trip cost in fullPlan your travel to Bhutan
Planning a trip to Bhutan can feel like a lot: the visa and the Sustainable Development Fee, flights or the road in, and everything on the ground from the airport transfer to a hotel in each valley. Byways Tours & Travels takes all of it on.
- Free itinerary & quote — no payment, no obligation
- Visa and SDF paperwork handled for you
- Response within 24 hours from a licensed local operator
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Why travel to Bhutan
People travel to Bhutan for the dzongs (fortresses), the tshechus (festivals) and the lhakhangs (temples), and for the quiet of being one of a few hundred visitors on any given day.
Gross National Happiness
The kingdom measures its progress in happiness, not only in Gross Domestic Product.
A carbon-negative kingdom
The world's first carbon-negative country, with sixty percent forest cover written into its constitution.
Unique culture and tradition
The gho and kira are everyday dress, dzongs still house monks and government, and festivals are held for the community first.
Lesser crowds
A “High Value, Low Volume” policy keeps visitor numbers small and the valleys quiet.
Festivals in every season
Paro in spring, Thimphu under autumn's clear skies, Druk Wangyel in winter, and a green, uncrowded monsoon.
Walk the Trans Bhutan Trail
A restored 403-kilometre path across the whole country, linking villages and monasteries that traded along it for centuries.
A tshechu dance, one step at a time
Travel to Bhutan to witness the cham, the masked dance of every tshechu, rehearsed here by a monk inside a Bhutanese temple.
Festival dances of Bhutan
In the temple courtyard, a monk takes his first steps of the cham, the sacred dance performed at every tshechu.
The turns are rehearsed for weeks. Each one belongs to a story about a guardian deity or the taming of a demon.
At the festival, the same dancer wears the mask. See the 2026 and 2027 festival dates and plan your trip around one.
Explore our Bhutan tour packages
Every trip is private and all-inclusive: visa, daily fee, hotels, meals, guide and driver arranged. Pick a length, a festival, or a trail as your starting point. We know there is no one-size-fits-all trip, so we shape every package around you: add a valley, slow the pace, swap a hike for a farmhouse lunch.
Cultural Tours
Dzongs, monasteries and valley life, from four days to two weeks
4 days · Cultural tour
4 Days Bhutan Tour
The shortest itinerary we run: a night in Thimphu, two in Paro, and Tiger's Nest on the last full day.
5 days · Cultural tour
5 Days Bhutan Tour
The shortest itinerary that reaches all three western valleys - Paro, Thimphu and Punakha.
6 days · Cultural tour
6 Days Bhutan Tour
The five-day route with a night in Punakha, so the old winter capital is not a day trip.
7 days · Cultural tour
7 Days Bhutan Tour
The shortest itinerary that reaches Phobjikha, winter home of the black-necked cranes.
8 days · Cultural tour
8 Days Bhutan Tour
Crosses the Black Mountains into central Bhutan for Trongsa's fortress and two nights in Phobjikha.
9 days · Cultural tour
9 Days Bhutan Tour
The shortest trip that reaches Bumthang, Bhutan's spiritual heartland.
10 days · Cultural tour
10 Days Bhutan Tour
Three nights in Bumthang and a day in the highland village of Ura, with no day spent purely in transit.
11 days · Cultural tour
11 Days Bhutan Tour
The ten-day central circuit plus a hike to Tango Monastery, for walking woven through the trip.
12 days · Cultural tour
12 Days Bhutan Tour
Our most unhurried central route - three hikes, and time to sit in a temple courtyard.
13 days · Cultural tour
13 Days Bhutan Tour
Adds the Haa valley over Chele La, Bhutan's highest road pass, to the full central circuit.
14 days · Cultural tour
14 Days Bhutan Tour
The full traverse - Paro to Trashigang in the far east, over the 3,780m Thrumshingla Pass.
Festival Tours
Timed to the tshechus: mask dances, fire blessings and the crane festival
Oct 22–30, 2026 · 9 Days
Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival Tour
Timed for the Mewang fire blessing at Jambay Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan.
Mar 18–22, 2027 · 5 Days
Paro Festival Tour
Experience the spectacular Paro Festival with sacred mask dances at the historic Paro Rinpung Dzong.
Oct 9–13, 2027 · 5 Days
Thimphu Festival Tour
Join the grand Thimphu Festival at Tashichho Dzong, the capital's biggest celebration.
Feb 14–19, 2027 · 6 Days
Punakha Festival Tour
Experience Punakha Festival at the stunning Punakha Dzong, one of Bhutan's oldest festivals.
Nov 9–15, 2026 · 7 Days
Black-Necked Crane Festival Tour
Celebrate the arrival of endangered black-necked cranes in the beautiful Phobjikha Valley.
Dec 10–15, 2026 · 6 Days
Druk-Wangyel Festival Tour
Witness the Druk Wangyel Festival at Dochula Pass honoring the King with spectacular mountain backdrop.
Apr 20–25, 2027 · 6 Days
Rhododendron Festival Tour
Celebrate Bhutan's national flower with exhibitions, hikes, and cultural performances.
Jun 9–17, 2027 · 9 Days
Kurjey Lhakhang Festival Tour
Experience the sacred Kurjey Festival at the temple where Guru Rinpoche left his body print.
Feb 17–25, 2027 · 9 Days
Thangbi Mani Festival Tour
Experience the unique fire blessing festival at Thangbi Lhakhang with traditional fire rituals.
Himalayan Treks
Pristine trails through forests and mountain villages
6 Days · Easy · to 3,900m
Bumdra Trek
Trek the Bumdra route in 6 days - camp at sacred Bumdra monastery (3,900m), descend to Tiger's Nest, and enjoy…
7 Days · Easy · to 3,770m
Tshaluna Trek
Trek to Tshaluna hermitage in 7 days - easy trail through forests to a sacred meditation site at 3,770m, visit…
9 Days · Moderate · to 4,720m
Dagala Thousand Lakes Trek
Explore Dagala's pristine alpine lakes in 9 days - trek through yak pastures to 4,720m, discover hidden glacial…
9 Days · Moderate · to 4,210m
Druk Path Trek
Trek the classic Druk Path in 9 days - ancient trade route from Paro to Thimphu via pristine lakes, ruined dzongs…
9 Days · Arduous · to 4,080m
Jomolhari Trek
Conquer the legendary Jomolhari Trek in 9 days - base camp views of sacred Mount Jomolhari (7,326m), remote…
10 Days · Moderate · to 4,890m
Soe Yaksa Trek
Discover the Soi Yaksa Trek in 10 days - pristine lakes at 4,890m, fewer trekkers, yak herder camps, and stunning…
17 Days · Hard · to 5,005m
Laya Gasa Trek
Trek to remote Laya village in 17 days - meet the unique Layap people, soak in Gasa hot springs, cross 5,005m…
32 Days · Extreme · to 5,320m
Snowman Trek
One of the hardest treks in the world - 32 days from Laya into Lunana, camping above 5,000m more than once.
Why choose us as your tour operator in Bhutan
Bhutan's Department of Tourism certifies every tour operator, guide and hotel that serves visitors and keeps the public register. Byways Tours & Travels is listed there as a tour operator in Bhutan under licence no. 1055548, based in Thimphu and run by Bhutanese staff.
A licensed operator files your visa and the Sustainable Development Fee through the Department's system, books hotels on the approved list and puts a licensed guide beside you from the airport. Choosing one based in Bhutan means the people who planned your trip are the people who answer the phone while you are here, and every price on this site is the whole price, with the fee and the visa already inside.
Check our listing on the Department of Tourism portalLicensed, and on the public register
Department of Tourism licence no. 1055548. Your visa and the Sustainable Development Fee are filed through it and included in every price.
Bhutanese-run, based in Thimphu
Our office is in Babesa, Thimphu. The team that plans your trip is the team you can reach on WhatsApp for the whole of your stay.
Private trips, honest prices
No coach groups. Every tour is yours alone, and the per-person price for one, two or more travellers is published on its page, with nothing added on arrival.
Licensed Bhutanese guides
Every guide who travels with you holds a Department of Tourism guide licence. Many grew up in the valleys they show you.
A free quote within 24 hours
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. A Bhutanese travel expert replies within a day, and there is no payment until you confirm.
Itineraries built around you
Every route on this site is a starting point. Add a festival day, a farmhouse night or a hike, or slow the whole trip down, and we shape the days around you.
The Perfect Honeymoon Destination
Begin your married life in one of the world's most romantic destinations. Bhutan offers couples an unparalleled blend of natural beauty, spiritual blessings, and luxury experiences.
Bhutan Tour Package for Senior Citizens
An 11-day journey through Paro, Thimphu and Punakha built around comfort: two to three nights in each valley, no daily repacking, and a walker's option and a wanderer's option every day. Nobody is ever the slow one.
Meet our team of Bhutan travel experts
Byways Tours and Travels is a fully licensed tour operator in Bhutan, based in Thimphu. Our name is our promise: from the quiet byways most tours never reach to the grand highways of Bhutanese culture, we take you the whole way.
Certified by the Department of Tourism (licence no. 1055548) and committed to Bhutan's "High Value, Low Volume" philosophy, our guides — many of whom grew up in remote villages across Bhutan — bring unmatched knowledge of hidden trails, sacred sites, and local customs. We don't just show you Bhutan; we invite you into our home.
Questions about travelling to Bhutan with an operator
Short answers, each with the guide that goes into detail. Anything else, ask us and we reply within a day.
- Can I travel to Bhutan without a tour operator?
- Yes. Since September 2022 visitors may book independently, but a licensed guide must accompany you at all times and every trek must be arranged through an accredited operator or guide. Most visitors still book through an operator because the visa, the Sustainable Development Fee, hotels, guide and transport all have to be confirmed before arrival. How to book a Bhutan tour →
- How do I check that a tour operator in Bhutan is licensed?
- Search the Department of Tourism services portal at services.bhutan.travel. Every certified operator, guide and hotel has a listing there. Ours shows Byways Tours & Travels with licence no. 1055548. Our Department of Tourism listing →
- What does a Byways tour package include?
- The visa fee and the Sustainable Development Fee, hotels on a twin-sharing basis, all meals, a licensed Bhutanese guide, a driver with a private vehicle, and government taxes. International airfare and travel insurance are not included. Cultural tour packages with prices →
- How much does it cost to travel to Bhutan?
- The Sustainable Development Fee is US$100 per adult per night (children aged 6 to 11 pay half, under-sixes nothing, and Indian nationals pay Nu. 1,200), and the visa fee is US$40. Hotels, meals, guide and transport come on top. A seven-night private cultural tour with Byways is US$1,720–US$2,240 per person, depending on group size, with all of the above included. What a Bhutan trip costs →
Glimpses of Bhutan
Scenes from across the Land of the Thunder Dragon
