Is one week enough for Bhutan?
For a first visit to western Bhutan, yes. Seven days and six nights cover the three classic valleys of Paro, Thimphu and Punakha at an unhurried pace and add Phobjikha, the glacial valley most one-week visitors never reach, with Tiger's Nest on the last full day. No drive is longer than three hours. What a week does not reach is central and eastern Bhutan: Trongsa and Bumthang need our 8 Days Bhutan Tour or longer, and the far east ten days or more. If your dates are fixed by flights or leave, a week is the length we recommend to most first-time guests.
When can I see the black-necked cranes?
From early November to the end of February. The cranes fly in from the Tibetan plateau in late October and early November and leave again in late February or early March, so a trip in that window finds them feeding on the marsh floor of Phobjikha, with the crane centre's telescopes to watch them through. The Black-Necked Crane Festival at Gangtey Monastery falls on 11 November each year, with schoolchildren dancing in crane costumes; our Black-Necked Crane Festival Tour is built around it. Outside the crane season the valley's nature trail and monastery are still the reason to come, and the Phobjikha page describes it month by month.
When is the best time of year to do the 7 day Bhutan tour?
Spring and autumn are the two windows most travellers choose. March to May brings the rhododendrons into bloom; October to December gives the clearest Himalayan views. Both carry the big tshechu festivals — Paro in March or April, Thimphu in September or October. Winter is quieter and colder but the valleys stay open, and the monsoon months are green and uncrowded. Our month-by-month guide breaks it down in detail.
How much does the 7 days Bhutan tour cost?
The 7 days Bhutan tour package costs US$1,510 per person for three or more travellers, US$1,560 each for two, and US$1,890 travelling solo. Those are all-inclusive figures: the Sustainable Development Fee of US$100 per person per night — US$600 across your six nights — and the one-off US$40 visa fee are already inside them, along with 3-star hotels, all meals, a guide, driver and private transport. Nothing further is payable on arrival.
Is the Tiger's Nest hike included in the 7 days Bhutan tour?
Yes. The hike to Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) sits on your last full day, once you have had 6 nights to acclimatise. The round trip is about 7.4 km and takes roughly five hours including the tea-house stop.
Which places does the 6 nights / 7 days Bhutan tour cover?
Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and Phobjikha.
Can I visit Bumthang on a 7 days Bhutan tour?
Not in 7 days. Bumthang is reached on our 9 Days Bhutan Tour, the shortest itinerary that gets there.
Is the tour private or will I join a group?
Private. You travel with your own guide and driver, and your group is never merged with another.
Can I do this tour on my own?
Yes. Every tour here can be booked for one traveller, and the solo rate of US$1,890 is the whole price: your own guide and driver, a room to yourself, and no separate single supplement. The difference from the pair rate of US$1,560 each is the share of guide, car and room that a second traveller would split. Evenings and strolls around Thimphu and Paro are your own, and women who prefer a female guide can ask for one when booking. Our solo travel guide covers safety, costs and where you can go on your own.
