Beginning in the east, our fabulous Bhutan birding tours traverse the breadth of this remarkable country, passing through lush broad-leaved forests dripping with orchids, blazes of rhododendrons and magnolias, seemingly endless coniferous forests, and arguably the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world. The Bhutanese birds are no less extravagant with a brilliant array of colors and seldom-seen rarities including species that are unlikely to be encountered outside of this pristine Kingdom. Targets include Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan, White-bellied Heron, Ibisbill, Ward’s Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Beautiful Nuthatch, Sikkim Wedge-billed Babbler and Fire-tailed Myzornis. Our Bhutan birding tour includes comfortable camping, often at spectacular sites, where our needs are catered for by a team of helpful camp assistants. The pace is easy and most of our Bhutan birding is done whilst walking the most productive sections of the breath-taking road that winds its way across the Kingdom. Join us on this adventure through a paradise of culture, birds and scenic vistas as we explore the heavenly riches of Bhutan!

Top Birds

Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan, Blood Pheasant, White-bellied Heron, Ibisbill, Ward’s Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Beautiful Nuthatch, Sikkim Wedge-billed and Long-billed Wren-Babbler, Slender-billed and Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, Black-headed Shrike-Babbler, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Himalayan Cutia, Spotted Laughingthrush and a host of parrotbills

Top Mammals

Golden Langur, Capped Langur, Himalayan Goral, Nepal Grey Langur, Yellow-throated Marten, Hodgson's Giant Flying Squirrel, Black Giant Squirrel and Large-eared Pika

Habitats Covered

low to high elevation forests (including bamboo, coniferous & mixed broad-leafed), pastures, wetlands, rocky slopes, rivers

Expected Climate

warm and tropical to temperate and cold, some rain expected

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader, 9 - 12 with 2 Rockjumper leaders

Tour Pace & Walking

moderate pace, undemanding walks, some long drives

Accommodation

simple lodges and comfortable camping

Ease of Birding

simple lodges and comfortable camping

Number of Species Expected

320 - 350

Other Attractions

buddhist culture, dzongs (temple-fortresses), incredible mountain scenery and magnificent forests, a land little touched by time

Photographic Opportunities

excellent

What our clients say about us

Gregory de Klerk
CS, Bhutan 2018

Another great trip!!! Many thanks to all at Rockjumper. The tour was excellent, both David Erterius and Greg de Klerk did a great job as leaders, both in finding birds, making sure we all saw them and just being fun to be with. We would love to travel with either of them again - they were what we have come to expect from Rockjumper! The field agents were also brilliant and could not have done more for us... All-in-all, a great trip - I will recommend Bhutan to anyone (and, of course, Rockjumper). Already looking forward to our next adventure with you.

Daniel Danckwerts
DS & JS, Bhutan 2020

"Thank you, Rockjumper, for the great birding adventure in Bhutan. And, thank you for providing such an extremely competent guide in Daniel. He was amazing! It was rather incredible, his knowledge of the birds, hearing, seeing and identifying them with lightning speed. We felt lucky to have him as our leader. And, add to that his really delightful and positive spirit over all 14 days. He was awesome! The ""on-the-ground"" Bhutanese guides were fantastic as well. They were so helpful, and joyful to spend our days with. While we waited for birds, they enlightened us culturally, every day. We left Bhutan knowing so much more about where we had visited. Wonderful. We will remember them with much fondness. The driver was also terrific; some of the roads were rather frightening, and he was cautious and skilled and did an excellent job for all of us. A really fabulous adventure for us! Please give our best to Daniel; we hope to travel with him again one of these days."

André Bernon
KW, Bhutan 2023

We finally made it to Bhutan after a wait of 3 years due to Covid! Great trip. the culture, the Bhutanese people and of course, the birds. Those pheasants are incredible! We also got some great butterflies! Andre was a fantastic guide. We enjoyed his relaxed, fun personality and his handling of the group. He has AMAZING birding skills, able to spot stuff moving and able to predict where it might pop out of the shrubbery for a view. His bird call recognition and mimicking was excellent. We did find the group was a bit to large for our liking, so we might explore using RJs private custom tour service.

Glen Valentine
LM, Bhutan

Glen & Rainer worked well together. Both were most attentive to client needs, no matter how trivial. Their sense of humour was keen and attention to birding very much appreciated. This was probably one of THE BEST tours I have been on. Wonderful combination of scenery, cultures and over-the-top birds.

Keith Valentine
VG - Bhutan 2024

What an amazing trip. Exhausting, but amazing. Very well researched, planned and executed. The hotels were all outstanding accommodations and the camping, while not “glamping” was as comfortable and easy as possible for people who’ve not camped in ages. The food exceeded my expectations from the hotels, to small restaurants to the campground and road-side dining. I love trying new local foods when I travel and am so glad that the Indian and Bhutanese cuisine was featured at most meals. Keith and Glen are outstanding guides in every sense of the word—knowledgeable, skilled birders, good humored, fun loving and the patience of saints dealing with prickly guests. I’ve been to Kenya with Glen and he’s the one that “sold” me on Bhutan. Toss in Keith for their natural symbiotic relationship and it was a great time. I’d go anywhere with these two leading. Though they animatedly told me not to go on Cameroon or Philippines RJ Trips. Out of my comfort zone. They know me now. We all know there are different types of birders—the casual, the hard core, the photographer-only type, etc. I feel like I’m a bit of a hybrid—love the birds and exotic locations, the outdoors and adventure, but also mixed with culture, good local food, beer and wine and a bit of down time in order to enjoy the fine accommodations and the local attractions. Our local guides in both Assam and Bhutan were kind, exceptional guides and generally lots of fun. Good job finding them.

Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom I 2025

16 Mar 2025 - 04 Apr 2025 (20 days)

USD10,795 - 1 Space Available

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Tour Leader: Gregory de Klerk

Tour price (Per person): USD10,795 * GBP8,610 * EUR10,071 * AUD16,517

Single Supplement: USD650 * GBP518 * EUR606 * AUD995

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Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom II 2025

04 Apr 2025 - 23 Apr 2025 (20 days)

USD10,795 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Nigel Redman

Tour price (Per person): USD10,795 * GBP8,610 * EUR10,071 * AUD16,517

Single Supplement: USD650 * GBP518 * EUR606 * AUD995

Can be linked with:

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Tour Route Map

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