Nestled in the magnificent Himalayas between India and Tibet lies the seemingly timeless Kingdom of Bhutan. This enchanting country, rich in tradition, folklore, and deep-seated Buddhist beliefs, has recently opened its borders to travelers and naturalists. Enjoy vast stretches of Himalayan forest, snow-capped mountain ranges, and approachable, exceptional wildlife. Experience the traditional culture of Bhutan with visits to monasteries and temples.
We will embark on some of the finest birdwatching adventures in the Himalayas, likely spotting over 250 species. Our search will include sightings of the Satyr Tragopan, Ward’s Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Himalayan Monal, Ibisbill, Wallcreeper, and Beautiful Nuthatch, along with many mammals and exquisite flowers
Join us for an outstanding birding tour in Bhutan, a remarkable destination that continues to uphold its fascinating traditional practices and beliefs.
Our Bhutan birding tour starts on arrival in Delhi, India. Overnight in Delhi.
Day 2: Flight to Guwahati, drive to Samdrup Jongkhar
We start our journey with a morning flight from Delhi to Guwahati, the largest city in the state of Assam, situated on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River. Leaving Guwahati, we navigate busy roads filled with cars, street vendors, and rickshaws, cross the Brahmaputra River, and proceed across the Indian plain of Assam. Along the way, we keep an eye out for Little Cormorants, egrets, Indian Pond Herons, Ashy Drongos, and Red-wattled Lapwings in the roadside wetlands. We may also spot Small Pratincoles, Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, Citrine Wagtails, Rusty-rumped Warblers, and Striated Grassbirds. Special efforts will be made to find the highly endangered Lesser and Greater Adjutants.
We then enter Bhutan, complete the immigration process at the border, and arrive in the town of Samdrup Jongkhar where we will spend the night. Overnight stay in Samdrup Jongkhar.
We spend the morning exploring the lowland forest between Samdrup Jongkhar and Deothang. This forest is remarkably rich and diverse, with target species including the rare Dark-rumped Swift, Pied Falconet, Jungle Babbler, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Wreathed and Great Hornbill, and Puff-throated Babbler. In the afternoon, we begin our ascent from the foothills, where we might encounter Long-tailed Sibia, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Blue-winged Laughingthrush, Common Green Magpie, Silver-eared Mesia, and several species of cuckoos. In the evening, we will search for one of Bhutan's main target birds, the Beautiful Nuthatch. Overnight at the Morong Campsite, situated at 1710 meters.
If we didn't locate the Beautiful Nuthatch the previous day, we will have an early morning outing to try again. After breakfast at the campsite, we will head towards Trashigang, stopping along the way for birdwatching. Today's target species include the Rufous-necked Hornbill, Grey-sided Laughingthrush, and Long-tailed Broadbill, with other possibilities such as the Black Eagle, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, and various species of yuhinas. Overnight in Trashigang.
On our way to Yongkala, we will stop at Kori La. The forest here is rich in mosses and lichens, and we will explore these mountain forests in search of the Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Grey-winged Blackbird, Hoary-throated Barwing, Long-tailed and Short-billed Minivets, Bhutan Laughingthrush, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Brownish-flanked Bush-Warbler, and Spotted Wren-Babbler. In the afternoon, we will arrive at Bhutan’s wet subtropical forest, one of the finest birding areas in the Himalayas, at Campsite Yongkala for a three-night stay. We will bird in these lush forested valleys, searching for shortwings, Black-headed Shrike-Babbler, Ward’s Trogon, Slender-billed Scimitar-Babbler, Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, barbets, Golden Bush Robin, Chestnut-breasted Partridge, and many other rare species alongside Little Forktail, Large Niltava, Russet Bush-Warbler, Violet Cuckoo, and Rufous-faced Warbler. Overnight at Campsite Yongkala (1875m).
We will spend two full days birding along this incredible 80 km long road, ranked among the top ten birding sites in the world, with waterfalls and ravines appearing around every bend. We will search for the area's specialties such as the Wedge-billed Wren-Babbler, Rufous-throated Wren-Babbler, Spotted Wren-Babbler, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler, Slender-billed Scimitar-Babbler, flocks of parrotbills, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Scarlet Finch, Slaty-bellied Tesia, Lesser and White-browed Shortwings, and many more. Overnight at Campsite Yongkala.
We start early, moving uphill in search of high-altitude species, including the Blood Pheasant and Satyr Tragopan, the bird that attracts many birders to Bhutan. The dense coniferous forests host many notable species such as Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Bar-winged Wren-Babbler, Red-headed Bullfinch, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Gold-naped Finch, and Slender-billed Scimitar-Babbler. Our campsite near the pastureland is ideal for spotting thrushes. Overnight at Campsite Sengor (3000m).
Today, we cross one of the high passes, Thrumshing La, at 3800m. Thrumshing La is prime habitat for the Blood Pheasant and also hosts other high-altitude species such as the Snow Pigeon, Orange-flanked Bush-Robin, Spotted Nutcracker, Red-billed Chough, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Great Parrotbill, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Grey-crested and Coal Tits, and White-browed Fulvetta. We may be fortunate enough to encounter one of the most colorful pheasants of all, the magical Himalayan Monal.
We continue through the valley of Bumthang, one of the most beautiful valleys in Bhutan. Crossing another high pass at Yotongla (3500m), we may find Hill Partridge, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Brown Parrotbill, Chestnut-crowned and Black-faced Laughingthrushes, Darjeeling Woodpecker, and Gold-naped Finch. We then head to Trongsa. Overnight in Trongsa.
Today, on our drive to Zhemgang, we will make numerous stops at several forested valleys. We have opportunities to spot Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler, White-browed Scimitar-Babbler, Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Grey-bellied Tesia, Crested Bunting, Long-tailed Shrike, prinias, Rufous Woodpecker, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Spot-winged Starling, Common Green Magpie, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Common Kestrel, and various minivets. This area is also our best chance to see the Golden Langur, a rare monkey endemic to Bhutan, discovered only in the 1950s. Overnight at Campsite Zhemgang (1680m).
Today, we explore a wide variety of habitats along the Zhemgang to Tingtibe road, ranging from mossy forests to streamside lowland forests. This is another opportunity to see the Golden Langur, which is fairly common in this area. We will also search for Rufous-necked and Great Hornbills, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Cutia, White-browed Shrike-Babbler, Scarlet Minivet, various laughingthrushes, woodpeckers, Chestnut-headed and Grey-bellied Tesias, Spotted Wren-Babbler, and have another chance to find the Beautiful Nuthatch. Overnight at Campsite Zhemgang.
Today, we return to Trongsa, stopping at various birding sites along the way to spot any species we might have missed so far. In Trongsa, we embark on our first cultural visit to the impressive Trongsa Dzong. This dzong holds great significance as the ancestral home of the Royal Family of Bhutan. The first king of Bhutan served as the governor of this dzong, and to this day, tradition dictates that any future king of Bhutan must first hold the title of governor of Trongsa.
After a fairly long drive, we reach the Phobjikha Valley, a sacred wintering ground for the Black-necked Crane. We will spend the night either at Campsite Phobjikha or in a hotel.
After an early breakfast, we embark on a drive to the Pele La pass (4000 m) and spend the morning birding along the old road at Pele La, aiming to spot high-altitude species such as the Himalayan Monal, Spotted Laughingthrush, Himalayan Griffon, Brown Parrotbill, and various finches and bush-warblers.
Later, we continue our journey to Punakha, passing through the Wangdi Phodrang valley, where we keep an eye out for Ward’s Trogon, Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, and mixed species flocks.
In the evening, we explore the Pho Chu valley, focusing on finding one of our primary targets, the White-bellied Heron, one of the rarest birds globally with a population of fewer than 200 individuals. Other species we hope to see include the Common and Crested Kingfishers and the elusive Ibisbill. Overnight stay in Punakha.
In the afternoon, we visit the impressive Punakha Dzong, known as Punthang Dechen Phodrang (Palace of Great Bliss), situated at the confluence of the Phochu and Mochu rivers. This dzong holds significant historical importance as it was where Bhutan's first king, Ugyen Wangchuk, was crowned in 1907. It serves as the winter residence for the Je Khenpo (spiritual leader) and the central monastic body. Look out for a Tawny Fishing-Owl roosting in the large trees along the riverside.
Later, we drive to Thimphu via the Dochula pass (3150m). On clear days, this pass offers stunning views of the entire eastern Himalayan range. Overnight stay in Thimphu.
Early in the morning, we visit the local sewage pond to search for the Ibisbill, Black-tailed Crake, and Ruddy-breasted Crake. After breakfast, we drive north of Thimphu and embark on a hike to Cheri Monastery. Along the hike, we may encounter Spotted Laughingthrush, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, White-throated Laughingthrush, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Wallcreeper, Brown Dipper, and White-collared Blackbird. Keep an eye out for Goral (Mountain goat) around the monastery.
Returning to Thimphu for lunch, we then continue our journey to Paro. Overnight stay in Paro.
Early in the morning, we drive through ancient evergreen forests en route to the breathtaking alpine meadow of Cheli La pass (3890m), the highest pass accessible by car in Bhutan. Here, we may be fortunate to spot three different species of pheasants: the Himalayan Monal, flocks of Blood Pheasants, and Kalij Pheasant. Additionally, the area hosts several species of rosefinches, grosbeaks, and laughingthrushes.
Afterwards, we return to Paro for lunch. In the afternoon, our itinerary includes a visit to Kichu Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries dating back to the 7th century. Legend has it that in the 7th century, Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo constructed 108 monasteries to pin a demoness to the earth forever, with Kichu Monastery believed to have been built on the left leg of the demoness. Overnight stay in Paro.
Today, we have a full day to explore the Paro Valley. For those seeking a challenge, there's an option for a strenuous hike up to Taktsang Monastery, famously known as Tiger’s Nest, perched on sheer rock cliffs 2950 meters above sea level. This iconic monastery is sanctified by Guru Rimpoche and is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in the Himalayan region. Many Buddhist masters have visited and meditated here over the centuries. In 1692, the 4th temporal ruler of Bhutan constructed the monastery over the cave where Guru Rimpoche and his consort Khandro Yeshi Tshogyal meditated. The monastic complex clings to the cliffside, towering 800 meters above the valley.
For those who prefer a more leisurely day, we will explore birding spots along the Paro River and take a stroll through town.
Overnight stay in Paro.
Our Bhutan birding tour concludes this morning as we depart from this remarkable country. We will catch our flight to Delhi, where we will connect to late evening international flights.