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Bhutan - Highlights of Spring

© Blood Pheasant by David Hoddinott
Bhutan - Highlights of Spring 2027

23 Apr 2027 - 05 May 2027 (13 days)

USD7,895 1 SPACE AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Paul Varney

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Tour Price (Per person): USD7,895 (GBP6,081 * EUR6,948 * AUD11,276)

Single Supplement: USD450 (GBP347 * EUR396 * AUD643)

This tour pairs with: Bhutan & India - Assam Extension

Pricing notes : ***NO CAMPING**

Bhutan - Highlights of Spring 2028

21 Apr 2028 - 03 May 2028 (13 days)

USD8,600 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Joshua Olszewski

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Tour Price (Per person): USD8,600 (GBP6,624 * EUR7,569 * AUD12,283)

This tour pairs with: Bhutan & India - Assam Extension

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated, and dates may change* **NO CAMPING**

Bhutan - Highlights of Spring 2029

21 Apr 2029 - 03 May 2029 (13 days)

USD9,100 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

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Tour Price (Per person): USD9,100 (GBP7,009 * EUR8,009 * AUD12,997)

This tour pairs with: Bhutan & India - Assam Extension

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated, and dates may change* **NO CAMPING**

This itinerary has also been specifically designed to maximise comfort, with all nights spent in hotel accommodation, no camping required.

Bhutan remains one of the least spoiled and most culturally intact countries in the Himalayas. Cloaked in vast forests, scattered with ancient monasteries and fortress-like dzongs, and framed by snow-capped peaks, this remarkable kingdom offers some of the most spectacular birding scenery anywhere in Asia.

Our journey through this Himalayan wonderland takes us from subtropical river valleys to high mountain passes draped in colourful prayer flags, traversing a remarkable range of habitats in search of an exceptional diversity of birds. Along the way we will explore pristine broad-leaved and coniferous forests, scenic alpine slopes and fast-flowing rivers while searching for a host of Himalayan specialities, including Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan, Ward’s Trogon, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Beautiful Rosefinch, White-bellied Heron and the dazzling Fire-tailed Sunbird.

Beyond the birding, Bhutan’s unique Buddhist culture remains deeply woven into everyday life. Impressive dzongs, remote monasteries and traditional villages all contribute to the distinctive atmosphere of this extraordinary country, while dramatic mountain scenery provides a constant backdrop throughout the tour.

*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)*

Top Birds

Himalayan Monal; Satyr Tragopan; Blood Pheasant; White-bellied Heron; Ibisbill; Ward’s Trogon; Slender-billed Scimitar Babblers; Black-headed Shrike-Babbler; Fire-tailed Myzornis; Fire-tailed, Green-tailed & Mrs. Gould’s Sunbirds; Himalayan Cutia; Black-faced & Spotted Laughingthrushes; Spotted Elachura; Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch; White-browed & Rufous-winged Fulvettas; Golden Bush Robin; Darjeeling & Rufous-bellied Woodpeckers; Himalayan Bluetail; Rusty-flanked & Sikkim Treecreepers; and a host of parrotbills.

Top Mammals

Himalayan Goral; Yellow-throated Marten; Royle's & Large-eared Pika.

Habitats Covered

medium 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

Tour Pace & Walking

UNDEMANDING: This tour is ideal for birders and wildlife enthusiasts of all experience levels. It’s suitable for most mobility levels and offers a relaxed pace, ensuring an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Suitable for all birding and wildlife interest levels, though participants should be comfortable with some walking at altitude.

Accommodation

All nights in comfortable hotel lodging. Some nights at high elevation (2 500 – 3 000m / 8 400 – 10 000ft)

Ease of Birding

Most species are usually seen well, often in relatively open conditions.

Other Attractions

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

Photographic Opportunities

Average to good. No dedicated hides. Good cultural photo opportunities.

What our clients say about us

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.

Gregory de Klerk
PD, Bhutan 2018

I would like to add that our group was small, only 6 guests, which enhanced the birding experiences. The Rockjumper guides, Greg de Klerk and David Erterius, did a great job getting everyone onto most of the species every time. The small group also made for more comfortable travelling.

Glen Valentine
JM, Bhutan 2024

Overall a very good tour and Glen was an exceptional guide: thoroughly knew the birds and was always professional, friendly, and patient. Just the right low-key personality for a long trip.

Glen Valentine
TC - Bhutan 2024

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.

Glen Valentine
TJ - Bhutan 2024

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.

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