Travel with Darter Photography on an unforgettable photography tour to Bhutan! We take you to the mystic land, known for its beautiful mountains, gurgling rivers, rice fields, happy people and Buddhist monastic traditions.
Bhutan’s mountainous landscapes, river valleys, summer slopes filled with colourful flowers and the charming traditional culture come together to provide photography opportunities like nowhere else. The slow pace of life in Bhutan will charm you. On this mentored photography tour, you will make some amazing images of a week well-spent in this Himalayan kingdom!
Paro, Bhutan
PBH - Paro
April 24, 2027
May 01, 2027
Suitable for mountain spring
INR 1,49,450* / Per Person [Indian Nationals]
Airport pickup and drop-off at Paro.
Accommodation on a twin-sharing basis.
Ground transport on all days.
Permits and all entry fees.
All meals start with dinner on Day 1 and end with breakfast on the last day.
Photography-related services as mentioned in the itinerary.
Services of your photography mentor during the tour.
Travel from your location to Paro.
Addition beverages, snacks and mineral water.
All expenses of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, etc.
Tips and other expenses are not mentioned in the inclusion mentioned above.
GST at 5% for Indian nationals.
Tax Collected at Source (TCS) for Indian nationals only. The Govt of India mandates TCS to be collected on all international travel bookings. The TCS amount will be remitted to your PAN account at the end of the financial quarter.
The prices above apply to Indian Nationals only. The price applicable to other nationals is US$ per person for this tour. This is a requirement based on the minimum tariff imposed by the local government.
Also, please note that this price refers to arrival and departure from Paro by flight. If you intend to travel to Bhutan overland, please contact us for more information.
Arrival at Paro Airport. Pick-up from airport and drive to Thimphu (1.5 hours) and check-in to your hotel. In the early evening, you have the option to visit the National Memorial Chorten, built to honor the memory of the third king of Bhutan, and the focal point of worship for Thimphu residents. The locals walk around the memorial and it is a vibrant energy catching all people who walk.
Late evening drive to a point to view the illuminated majestic Thimphu Dzong.
Overnight: Thimphu
In the morning part, you will soak in the sightseeing points of Thimphu, including the Tashicho Dzong or Thimphu Dzong, the royal fort and palace. You can explore the farmer’s cooperative market, one of the largest in Bhutan, where farmers from nearby Thimphu bring their fresh produce. We drive in the afternoon from Thimphu to Punakha (2 hrs), over the Dochu-la pass with some fantastic views of the Himalayas. Stop at the Dochu-la pass at the site of the 108 chortens. Reach Punakha in the evening and check-in to the hotel by the Punatsangchhu river.
Overnight: Punakha
We will visit the Punakha Dzong in the morning, picturesquely situated at the confluence of two rivers. The dzong is also the winter residence for the central monastic body of Bhutan. You will take a short drive after a picnic lunch by the Mo Chhu river to visit one of the most enchanting treks of Punakha Valley, the Khamsum Yulley Namghyel Chorten. This is a short hike through verdant terraced rice fields.
Overnight: Punakha
This morning, we visit the Wangdi Phodrang dzong and walk through the Rinchengang village, one of the oldest villages in this region. You will visit the Chimi Lakhang in the afternoon after a traditional lunch at a Bhutanese farmhouse. Chimi Lakhang is also known as the temple of fertility which is the abode of Drukpa Kunley, also called the Divine Madman. You will then make your way to Paro, a drive of about 4 hours, and check in to your hotel in the evening.
Overnight: Paro
This is your day to see the sights of Paro, including the Paro Dzong, the Khichu Lakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, and the National Museum. The Paro Valley is majestic and has enchanting views to behold. You will get panoramic views of the Paro valley along the Paro Chhu from the Paro Dzong and take a small walk through the main town, watch an archery match, Bhutan’s national sport.
Overnight: Paro
On this day, you will make a day visit to Haa Valley, which is adjacent to the Paro Valley, and crosses the highest motorable pass in Bhutan, the Chele la, where you can spend some time soaking in the panoramic vistas or take a small walk around the pass. You can view the Jhomolhari mountain ranges of the Eastern Himalayas on a clear day from here. You can visit the main monastery in Haa valley, and take a walk through a nearby village and the Haa town area and back to Paro by the evening.
Overnight: Paro
This is your day to make the most significant trek route in Bhutan, the Tiger’s Nest monastery, locally known as Taktsang Monastery. This monastery is perched precariously on the top of a mountain cliff, and you can take the entire day to slowly make this trek, with packed breakfast, as it is best to start early in the morning.
Overnight: Paro
Breakfast and checkout.
Travellers who have opted for ground transport to Bagdogra will drive from Paro, reach the hotel in Bagdogra by evening and check-out next day.
You can reach Paro by two ways – land route or air.
Reaching Paro By Air
Two Bhutan based airlines – Druk Air & Bhutan Airways fly to Paro. Druk Air has connections from Kolkata, Guwahati, Bagdogra and Delhi. Bhutan Air flies from Kolkata and Delhi. Even if you live in Delhi, sometimes it may be less expensive to take a flight from Kolkata instead of flying direct.
Do note that Indian Nationals may have a discounted fare available on these flights. To avail the discount, please select your nationality as ‘SAARC’ when you book your tickets.
If you plan to travel by air, we recommend that you get your tickets at the earliest, as tickets often get sold out months in advance.
Most flights depart early in the morning, which means that you may have to reach your departure city a day earlier.
Reaching by Land
Please visit the itinerary section to see the road-travel option. You may join the group starting from Bagdogra on Day zero. If you intend to travel by road independently, do find necessary travel information below.
The road entry to Bhutan is from a place in norther part of West Bengal, called Phuentsholing. The Indian side of the border town is called Jaigaon.
To get to Jaigaon, you can –
- Fly into Bagdogra or take a train to New Jalpaiguri.
- Take a taxi or train to Jaigaon. Jaigaon is about 150km from Bagdogra/New Jalpaiguri.
- At the border, you need to get your entry permits at the Bhutanese immigration office, which is open between 10am and 2pm. So you may have to stay in Jaigaon for a night and proceed to Paro next day.
- Once you get immigration clearance, you can take a bus or hire a taxi to reach Paro. This will be a simple affair where you can get an awaiting taxi across the border. Paro is 130km from the border.
You can also get to Jaigaon by taking (a) a train from Kolkata to either Hashimara (10km) or New Alipur Duar (60km) stations (b) taking a direct bus from Kolkata to Jaigoan.
* The rules for this keep changing constantly. Please get in touch with us for latest updates.
This tour is intended for amateur as well as serious photography enthusiasts, who have an interest to visit and photograph the beauty of Bhutan. No prior expertise or experience in photography is necessary, as our photography mentor will be there to assist you at every level. You may carry any camera, like a simple aim-and-shoot or a DSLR or Mirrorless.
Travel enthusiasts, who are not photographers but keen to experience the multiple facets of Bhutan, can also benefit from the tour.
Yes, you can. We visit many beautiful places in Bhutan. Having a good time during the trip is as much on the agenda as photography is. Your partner will enjoy the journey with the group.
You can. The answer is exactly same as in the case of previous question. We visit many beautiful places in Bhutan, and having a good time during the trip is as much on the agenda as photography is.
Not really. We will be travelling in Bhutan in four-wheelers. All the places we are going to are connected by road. We will be doing a few short hikes that are easy to moderate level of difficulty. A basic level of fitness is good to have. The trip is meant to be easy on your legs.
– 25% of the tour fee is charged as a cancellation fee for cancellations earlier than 120 days before the start of a tour.
– 50% of the tour fee is charged as a cancellation fee for cancellations between 119 days and 60 days before the start of a tour.
– 80% of the tour fee is charged as a cancellation fee for cancellations between 59 days and 46 days before the start of a tour.
– No refund for cancellation within 45 days of the tour start date or for a no-show.
* This tour requires a quorum of six pax.
Few people can boast of having travelled the high Himalayas like Manish has. For more than 15 years, he has explored these mountains extensively on foot, on bicycles and on two and four wheels, often making his own path. He is a versatile photographer with a history of creating brilliant images of culture, heritage and landscapes.
Photography holidays to interesting and often isolated places where you get up close with traditions, festivals, and the everyday life of people with strong bonds to their roots.
Manish Lakhani
+91 99988 66669Shreeram MV
+91 97400 83260
Thanks Manish for organising a smooth and hassle-free trip as always. Also, thanks to everyone for making it such a memorable experience. Looking forward to meeting you all sometime soon.
Thank You Manish ji for all guidance . This trans will continue next few months with post processing . A very cool trip .
Thanks to everyone on a memorable trip.
It was a very memorable trip - for the mesmerizing theyyams and all you amazing people!
Thank you Manish for all your efforts in arranging this!
Thanks Manish for the great experience at my home town. Learned a lot about Theyyam and Insights on Photography from you. Hope to join more trips with you.It was great experience knowing each of you from different places and countries. We all had a great time.
All good check in as always Manish thanks for the great experience really enjoyed my time.