Bhutan: Of Mountains, Rivers and Dzongs
A unique multi-sport itinerary in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. This trip involves trekking to hidden, ancient monasteries and fortresses (“Dzongs”), whitewater rafting two different Class 3-4 rivers, and an immersion into one of the most intact, authentic, unique cultures in Asia.
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Trip Highlights
- Trek in the snow-capped Eastern Himalayas with local expert guidance
- Visit ancient monasteries and dramatic dzongs
- Participate in vibrant Buddhist festivals
- Experience Class II–IV whitewater rafting on two rivers, including a float past Punakha Dzong
- Enjoy optional adventures like mountain biking and sightseeing
- Immerse yourself in Bhutan’s landscapes, traditions, and joyful culture
About this trip
Bhutan: Of Mountains, Rivers and Dzongs
The “Mountains, Rivers and Dzongs” Bhutan adventure is a unique blend of culture and adventure, designed with local partners to showcase the best of this Himalayan kingdom. The trip combines trekking in the snow-capped Eastern Himalayas, visits to ancient monasteries and dramatic dzongs, and participation in vibrant Buddhist festivals.
Highlights include three days of trekking to high-altitude lakes and monasteries, Class II–IV whitewater rafting on two rivers including a float past the iconic Punakha Dzong and added adventures like mountain biking and sightseeing. It’s an exciting, immersive journey into Bhutan’s landscapes, traditions, and joyful spirit.
Itinerary
What to expect
Days 1–2: Arrive & Set the Scene
Arrive in Paro and ease into Bhutan with valley sightseeing before continuing to Thimphu. Explore the capital and hike (or opt out) to the sacred Phajoding Monastery, perched high above the valley, your first taste of Bhutan’s dramatic landscapes and spiritual depth.
Days 3–5: Trek the Himalayas
Follow an ancient trade route on the 3-day Sinchula Trek, hiking through pine forests, over the Sinchula Pass (3,530 m), and down into the lush Punakha Valley. Camps, suspension bridges, and historic temples make this a true Himalayan adventure.
Days 6–8: Rivers, Dzongs & Culture
Raft the Po Chhu, charging Class III–IV rapids and floating past the iconic Punakha Dzong, then cross Pele La Pass toward Trongsa. Paddle the Mangde Chhu through a thrilling canyon and enjoy traditional music and mask dances by night.
Days 9–10: Bumthang Adventure Hub
Head over Yotung La Pass into Bumthang, choosing your own adventure, mountain biking, hiking to monasteries, or rafting the Chamkhar Chhu all set among Bhutan’s most sacred landscapes.
Days 11–13: Tiger’s Nest Finale
Fly back to Paro for the ultimate finale: a hike to the legendary Tiger’s Nest Monastery, clinging to a cliff high above the valley. Celebrate with a farewell dinner before departing Bhutan, inspired by mountains, rivers, and timeless culture.
Lodging
Where you'll stay
Thimphu
A luxury four-star hotel is a part of the Tashi Group and has been in operation since 1985. Over the years, it has been renovated to give it a chic and modern edge that is powerfully felt in uncluttered spaces. Each floor, differently inspired, explores a subtle palette drawn from water, air, earth, fire and sky.
Punakha
Trongsa
Bumthang
Paro
Perched on the mountain slopes above the airport and opposite the important Paro Dzong and historical Taa Dzong (the National museum). This location therefore offers all our guests a magnificent view of the Paro valley from the comfort of their bedroom or private veranda.
Dates & Pricing
Plan your trip
Dates
Custom trips available with 4 or more people in March and April, October, November and December.
Pricing
$5,800 per person, based on double occupancy
Not included: R/T Flight from BKK (Bangkok) to Paro, Bhutan. Pricing TBA – Added to invoice once ticketed, and based on current pricing. Estimate $700/person.
**International flights should be booked on your own, R/T to BKK.
You will need to arrive the night prior to Day One of your trip, to make the group’s morning flight in the early morning of Day One. The Novotel is the suggested airport hotel by BKK.
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Hey Marc,
While the trip did have a bumpy start, it was incredible.
The original bus driver who was with us the whole way, also named Karma, was incredible. He (was) friendly, funny, kind and a very conscientious driver. The road was crazy as he had to look out for potholes, giant puddles, eroded side walls and up in the air for cranes high on the mountain not to drop rocks on us. All very exciting.
Pema, who was apparently also the office manager, was delightful. An incredible source of information about the Bhutanese culture with unending patience for our questions. He even found a monk to sit with us in a temple and chat with us about the Buddhist lifestyle in Bhutan.
Tsee Tsee, the trekking guide who has guided the snowman trek 11 times, was great. Funny, always up for anything and finding ways to help out everyone at all kinds of crazy times. He is clearly very close with the rafting/kayaking guides as well and we really had fun on the river with him.
Sonam, who drove the bike truck, biked and played hackey sac across the country with us, was priceless. The most amazing smile and attitude. He always was up for fun.
Kinley, our raft guide, was fantastic. As you had said, world class boater as were the kayakers. We felt completely comfortable with them, even watching my son run a class IV+ rapid didn’t make me too terribly nervous as the kayakers clearly had him covered. We really loved the river running and may return for more! Actually, Ugyen invited our son to come and run rivers with his guides, especially the Drangme Chhu on which we hear you did the first descent with Kinley.
Howie (our son) is bound and determined to do some guiding. He has his WFR, Whitewater safety and avalanche safety certifications and spent the summer doing some apprentice guiding for Zac de Ugarte in Peru. While in Cusco Zac arranged for him to kayak with some of guys who have worked for Bio Bio as well. Zac was an amazing mentor for him and I believe Howie will remain lifelong friends with his family. The offer to do some more boating with the guys in Bhutan left him speechless and he is likely to take them up on it! So you have had an amazing impact on Howie without even knowing it. Thanks.
Anyway, I want to be sure you know that our trip was phenomenal. My brother’s family is already looking at your website to arrange some travel in South America next spring. They are looking at organized trips on your website. We highly recommended the Futaleufu, but the dates don’t line up.
Thanks so much for everything. We will be back! Hopefully we get to see you on one of our trips soon.
Cheers,
Martha
Bhutan – November 2016
This past November 2017 Kay and I traveled to Bhutan with Marc, Diego, and a great, fun group. I can’t say enough how fantastic the trip was. It was an adventure of a lifetime. From the caring and knowledgeable Bhutanese guides (Karma, Tshe Tshe, Thingley, and Chencho) who we now consider friends to the friendly Bhutanese people, from the stunning architecture to the exposure to a society that has a way of thinking like no other place, from the amazing scenery and whitewater to the camaraderie of the group, from the tasty, spicy food to the Bio Bio crew on the trip our experiences in Bhutan exceeded all our expectations.
The chance to kayak 3 new rivers and our first rivers in Asia was the cherry on top. There is really nothing I would change about the trip although I can’t comment on the trek since we kayaked those days. I have been all over the world with Bio bio and can easily say that Bhutan is easily one of the best, if not the best, of the trips I have done with you.
Bhutan!!! What a fantastic country to immerse oneself in!!! Every day was a new adventure, whether we were on the river, the trail or the road. Our guides Tshe Tshe and Karma were a wealth of information on the Bhutanese people and culture, the geography, flora and fauna, and anything and everything having to do with the history and religion of Buddhism. Their passion for their country was contagious! Sonam our driver performed like a Class V river guide behind the wheel!!! Be selective on which side of the bus you choose to sit on, not for the faint of heart! To round out our support team, we were fortunate to have Diego Ibañez as our trip leader and as an added bonus, Marc Goddard, who was able to join us for part of this adventure. The entire team worked together to ensure our adventure was safe, trouble free and a complete success.
The treks were tough but rewarding. Be prepared for altitude and cold weather. Hiking poles are a must as you step gingerly from one rock to another as the trail passes through multiple streams. We were served the most amazing hot meals, both in camp and on the trail! Extra sleeping bags were provided for those who thought they might need an extra layer to stay warm through the night. Lots of little touches like these made the treks easier for all of us.
The rivers and surrounding mountains were beautiful though you had to look fast. Low, fast water made for a lot of technical maneuvering through the boulder strewn rapids. No worries, our river guides were more than up for the challenge!
Bike riding through the countryside was beautiful, though it took some getting used to riding on the opposite side of the road most of us are used to. Look both ways, then look again!
There is not a thing I would change in the itinerary, except to add on a few more days! Time flew by much too quickly!
Thank you Marc & Bio Bio for yet, another perfect, epic adventure!!!
Shirley Wampler, Bhutan 2017
Everyone was thrilled with every minute of every day.
The river guides were fabulous and took great care of Howie while he was kayaking (and us on the rafts). He had the time of his life!
My brother in law and his wife were so impressed with the trip they plan to organize another adventure trip with BioBio in the near future! They can’t imagine booking with anyone else. Stay tuned……….
Marc, thanks making our trip a most memorable experience to be talked about forever.
Marc, Ugyen and Karma Our trip was amazing! We’ve been home a week now and have had time to reflect on so much. From the moment we arrived being met by Karma til we left with sad farewells, our experiences were very positive. Everyday brought some special moment that we will never forget. Karma became a friend as well as a guide and showed us the people, culture and religion of Bhutan in a meaningful and sincere way that has changed us forever positively. His knowledge base is extremely broad and helpful on just about every subject. We had great discussions with our group of 8 and Karma all the time. If/when we come back to Bhutan we would want him again! Sonam, our driver, was great. He ensured our safety on the crazy roads and looked after our bags and valuables perfectly.
We wouldn’t change anything about the trip other than adding another day in Phobjika Valley so that we could have enjoyed the fabulous hotel, peace and tranquility. Biking around that valley would have been very special. All the hotels were great. Karma certainly went out of his way to find us wonderful food, especially his sister’s restaurant. We all loved the tour of Paro’s hospital. Bill and Si plan to make a presentation to their medical colleagues in Orillia.
The trek was the highlight for us. We would have liked warmer sleeping bags although we appreciated the extra blankets and hot water bottles. Great touch but a warmer bag would have been better! One of the reasons we came to Bhutan was its reputation as a “green” country preserving its natural flora and fauna and way of life. We loved being immersed in the Buddhist faith. In our opinion, the tariff of $250 per day per tourist is a very good way to protect Bhutan’s environment from the ravages of cheap tourism that we have seen destroy many other developing countries on our travels. We were thrilled by the native forests that are still intact. We hope that wisdom prevails in future policy making and tourism is carefully managed.
Thank you all for making this trip so special! Will we return? Hope so! Karma certainly enticed us with other treks and rafting and elephant safaris. Keep us posted.
Best wishes and many “OK sures”
Wendy & Si
The Bhutan trip was amazing!!! We loved it. The rivers were gorgeous and the itinerary was perfect. We got to see so much of the country in addition to the Chhu’s. Our Bhutanese guide, Tshe Tshe, was great. He was super knowledgeable and flexible. It was great to have the same car and driver and guide the whole time. And we are super glad we got to take the plane between Bumthang and Paro. That drive back would have been brutal!!!!
All the places we stayed and the food we ate were perfect!! We even got to meet and have dinner Yougs on 2 occasions – which was nice. The stay at the palace and the cultural show and Mangedu Chhu float were all phenomenal as well. And we had the right amount of rafting and hiking mixed in with seeing the Temple and Dzongs. So as you can tell from above all 5 of us pretty much loved the trip!
Thanks again!
Rachael Dent , Bhutan 2014
Marc, here we are in Thimphu a happy bunch our trip was fabulous I loved the country of Bhutan and the friendly Bhutanese people. we had beautiful weather in Nov. with rich blue skies. it was cold at night when camping , the hot water bottles were brilliant. Our guide Karma was informative, flexible, fun and caring,our days were organized and punctual. We felt like we made a new friend. Our driver Sonom was safe and also fun. we enjoyed the variety of hiking , camping, biking and rafting. I would say the hiking was not moderate but moderate to difficult. Our longest hike day was 18 km up and down valleys and in elevation . Our Monastery tours were informative. all in all a wow trip. thank you for your organization and attention to detail to make our trip a success. Ennis Coleman — Ennis Coleman