One of the least spoilt countries in the mighty Himalayan range, Bhutan boasts incredible mountain scenery and endless verdant forests, whilst shrouded in Buddhist myth and legend and replete with a plethora of incredible and beautiful birds!
On a typical day’s birding with us in this avian wonderland, you will find yourself in breath-taking surroundings searching for legendary birds in pristine forests, with mighty Himalayan peaks towering in the distance – all in all, Bhutan is a destination like no other! As we journey through this fabled land, we will regularly cross dramatic mountain passes, that are adorned with brightly coloured prayer flags and chortens/stupas (temples), and these give way to vast countryside, often dominated by impressive dzongs (temple-fortresses) that so characterise this unique country. We look forward to having you aboard this adventure through a paradise of culture, birds and scenic vistas as we explore the heavenly riches of Bhutan!
*The SDF tourism levy was fortunately reduced from the mandatory $200 per person per day to a lower variable figure dependent on the length of tour (01/06/2023)*
Himalayan Monal; Satyr Tragopan; Blood Pheasant; White-bellied Heron; Ibisbill; Ward’s & Red-headed Trogons; Rufous-necked, Wreathed & Giant Hornbills; Beautiful Nuthatch; Slender-billed & Black-crowned Scimitar Babblers; Black-headed Shrike-Babbler; Fire-tailed Myzornis; Fire-tailed Sunbird; Himalayan Cutia; Bhutan & Spotted Laughingthrushes; Blue-bearded Bee-eater; Spotted Elachura; Long-tailed Broadbill; Sultan Tit; Pied Falconet; Red-faced Liocichla; Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch; Golden-breasted Fulvetta; Golden Bush Robin; Darjeeling Woodpecker; and a host of parrotbills
Golden, Nepal Grey & Capped Langurs; Himalayan Goral; Yellow-throated Marten; Hodgson's Giant Flying Squirrel; Black Giant Squirrel; Large-eared Pika.
low to high elevation forests (including bamboo, coniferous & mixed broad-leafed), pastures, wetlands, rocky slopes, rivers
warm and tropical to temperate and cold, some rain expected
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader, 9 - 12 with 2 Rockjumper leaders
moderate pace, undemanding walks, some long drives
simple lodges and comfortable camping
mostly easy
320 - 350
buddhist culture, dzongs (temple-fortresses), incredible mountain scenery and magnificent forests, a land little touched by time
good to excellent
The trip was wonderful. Keith and Glen were wonderful guides. The local "crew" was also excellent, both on a daily basis as well as when we used them for camping. The bus was comfortable. Laundry was available on most 2-night stays. Hotels were good. Food was good, but I think the hotel in Paro was the weakest on the food front. It would have been nice to have 1 meal, just one meal, that was not Bhutanese/Indian. I enjoyed the mixing of the Bhutanese cultural aspects with the birding. I may have small complaints (pillows weren't comfortable), but otherwise I really have nothing negative to say. Good job guys.
Yeah this one was as close to perfect as it comes. Talking with Keith, I understand this is a newish itinerary based on road constructions and all so I can't compare to previous years where RJ used to visit the Eastern part of the country but the current itinerary is impeccable, ensuring various habitats and a very good bird list overall. Local guides and logistics were flawless. Camping was simply amazing. Food was great. And traveling with both Glen and Keith is simply amazing. Both have exhaustive knowledge of the birds in Bhutan but also are a gold mine of information on rare sightings, splits, subspecies and other wildlife sightings. Time management was among the best I had in birding trips; balance between rest time, pacing of walks and everything else was perfect. Two small suggestions, which I have already shared with Keith during the trip : the pre-trip documentation, specifically the itinerary descriptions with potential species need to be reviewed. This is minor as basically no one opens up that document while we are traveling but it is still inaccurate in many ways. Also, on long(ish) days where there is a significant gap between breakfast and lunch (eg 5AM to 2PM), more snacks would be needed, something simple like bananas and/or apples depending on availability, just to keep the hungrier people like me a little bit more fed! But overall this trip was a success from A to Z. I already had high expectations for Bhutan but everything was above and beyond.
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.
"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."
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.
16 Mar 2025 - 04 Apr 2025 (20 days)
USD10,795 - 2 Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Gregory de Klerk
04 Apr 2025 - 23 Apr 2025 (20 days)
USD10,795 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Nigel Redman
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