Traveling through deep pine forests in the world’s highest mountains under the watchful eye of the towering peaks of the Himalayas, the remote kingdom of Bhutan is unlike any other destination in the world.  At the time of our visit the hillsides will be ablaze with blossoming magnolia trees and rhododendrons and spring birdsong should brighten every stop.  Buddhist culture reveres all forms of life, and we will find these vast forests in pristine condition and the wildlife remarkably approachable.  Beginning in the east and traveling across the breadth of this remarkable nation, we will sample an avifauna of some 650 species in an area approximately the size of Southeastern Arizona.  These highland birds are no less extravagant than the majestic scenery, with colors as brilliant as the many-hued prayer flags.  Among the birds are the incomparable Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan, Ward’s Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Beautiful Nuthatch, Wedge-billed Wren-Babbler and the green, red, and black Fire-tailed Myzornis, all species unlikely to be seen anywhere else in the world.  More widespread species such as the singular Ibisbill, the Golden-rumped Honeyguide, Golden Bush-Robin, Cutia, or the Scarlet Finch are similarly easier to find in Bhutan than anywhere else in the entirety of Asia.  Bhutan also hosts an avifuana that feels oddly familiar to U.S. birders  Among this group are Northern Goshawk, Peregrine Falcon, Common Cuckoo, Collared Owlet, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, Goldcrest, Brown Dipper, White-collared Blackbird, Green-backed Tit, Eurasian Treecreeper, Gray-backed Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Common Rosefinch, and Red Crossbill, all of which either occur in or have close relatives in North America.  Passes festooned with prayer flags and valleys dominated by massive dzongs (temple-fortresses) serve as central places of worship for the Bhutanese.  We will have an opportunity to visit several dzongs and view the impressive art and sculpture that adorns these structures.  Our visit during the dry season may even make it possible to see peaks over 24,000 feet high during the course of the tour, and Mount Everest on our flight out of Paro on the final day of the tour.  To experience Bhutan to the fullest, it will be necessary to spend nine nights in comfortable tented camps.  Our hosts will make this one of the highlights of the tour, and the camps enable us to awaken to some of the most beautiful forests in the entirety of the country.  Join us on this adventure through a cultural and natural paradise as we explore the heavenly riches of Bhutan.

Leaders: Dave Shackelford & Rick Taylor

Cost of Bhutan includes all accommodations, all meals, all internal transportation, all entrance fees, and all guide services beginning in Guwuhati, India and ending in Paro, Bhutan—$8995.

$100 will be discounted if both Bhutan and the Assam Pre-trip are combined—$12,390.

Photo: Ibisbill
Photo by: Adam Riley

View Bhutan Photo Gallery