Tiger's Nest in Bhutan

Bhutan

Measure your adventure in happiness gained, clifftop monasteries seen and masked dance festivals

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Adventure Holidays in Bhutan

The secretive kingdom of Bhutan is an unforgettable destination steeped in ancient traditions, spectacular mountain scenery and vibrant festivals. But nothing is more sacred than Taktsang Monastery, the Tiger’s Nest. Built in the 1692 – at 3,000m above sea level – it’s a place of pure tranquility. Guru Rinpoche may have flewn here on a tigress’ back, you’ll have to climb the many steps. This tiny mountain kingdom is a land of great beauty, and you can't have a holiday in Bhutan without taking part in one of the many celebrations that explode into life throughout the year, complete with dancing, music, elaborate costumes and rituals. Paro in March and Thimpu in October are perhaps the most well known, and worth planning a trip around.  

On a trip to Bhutan you'll be surrounded by awesome scenery – steep forested hills and misty mountains rising from fast flowing rivers – and a facinating culture. It's part of the Himalaya, and the traditional way of life survives unchanged by the passage of time. The superb dzongs (or fortresses, to you and me) dotted in the valleys and on hilltops are full of priceless religious artifacts and many are still active monasteries. It may be one of the world's poorest places but the people here are some of the happiest. Gross National Happiness is a government policy infused into everyday life. Why not join Exodus for a Walking or Cultural holiday to Bhutan this year?

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In focus: festivals in Bhutan

There's at least one festival a month here, meaning that you're more than likely to witness one on your Bhutan holiday. These are genuine cultural spectacles and provide a fascinating insight into local cultures and customs.

Paro: held every spring, it's one of the most colourful and important annual events in the Paro Dzongkhag district. People travel from neighboring districts to participate in the festivities. Early in the morning on the last day of the celebration the monks display a huge embroidered artwork, the Guru Throngdel, inside the temple. It's considered so sacred that simply seeing a Thongdrol is can wash your sins away.

Thimphu: this is the largest of Bhutan’s festivals, and takes place in the capital. Secure your place early in the day to capture striking photographs of masked dancers swirling around the courtyard of the Tashichho dzong. The square becomes ablaze with colour as performers adorn the stage to conduct their religious ritualistic dances to bless their onlookers and to honour of Guru Pinpoche – who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in 8th century. 

We run Special Departures to see these Festivals of Bhutan.

Bhutan map
Responsible Travel

We offer more than 500 holidays across 100 countries on all seven continents. And although we’ve grown in the last 40 years, our philosophy stays the same: to bring like-minded people together on authentic adventures, with minimal impact to the environments and cultures we visit. We only work with reputable partners, with whom we’ve built longstanding relationships, and work on various community and environmental projects around the world. Read more about our Responsible Travel initiatives here.

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