Bike Bhutan! Land of the Thunder Dragon
This departure is timed to coincide with the annual Thimpu Tsechu (festival).
Apart from the date listed this trip can be run as a private tour for as little as two people, with the same support and inclusions for $3200 on dates of your choosing.
Bicycles and Bhutan are a perfect fit. Come and be charmed by this beautiful and serene country of mountains, monasteries and mysteries, tucked away in the folds of the Himalayas. Intrepid travellers will enjoy experiencing this intriguing country by bike, following a combination of easy mountain trails and paved roads that will lead you through the best of western Bhutan. We'll pedal through Paro and Thimpu and Punhaka , (the country's largest cities but sleepy and charming towns by comparison the cities we're used to), but the real attraction is riding past forested mountains and the thriving Tibetan Buddhist Culture, symbolized by the incredible Dzongs that dominate each valley.
Bhutan sits just south of Tibet and the Great Himalayan ranges and the hot plains of India form it's southern Border. The land of the Thunder Dragon consists of a good deal of high mountains, dramatic valleys, raging glacial rivers and 70% forest cover - an exceptional statistic in todays' world. Several distinct cultures make up the country's population with 19 different languages spoken, but all peacefully united by their love for their King. The Buddhist monasteries still exert a strong influence on society and the Buddhist outlook is evident through the many enlightened policies that Bhutan has adopted - including the restriction of mass tourism! So it is indeed a privilege to visit Bhutan and you'll see little evidence of rampant commercialism here, visitors are still treated graciously and you feel like a traveller.
Bhutan offers a window into a less hurried past and a place where people still value other things above material progress, reflected in their unique policy of placing 'Gross national Happiness' above GDP. You'll meet people who have chosen what they want from the modern world and who still treasure their traditions. So a journey through Bhutan can be very rewarding as you're not exploring the geography of the place but also exploring other ideas about living! A cycling trip lends itself very well to this type of journey and you'll get to meet people and explore the country where the noise of motor cars isn't the predominant sound.
Bhutan is a land of festivals, 'Tsechus', and our trips can be tailored to visit some of these colourful spectacles which take place at Monasteries and villages throughout the country.Our November departure will have an extension to visit the Black Crane festival in Phobjikha, but as we can offer daily departures for two or more people you can find a date and a festival to fit your interests.
We use Trek mountain bikes/ KTM road bikes to discover the main places of interest in Western Bhutan, including Taktsang Monastery, Paro, the Haa Valley, Thimphu, the Dochu La Pass, and Punakha. There will be challenges for those who want them as the road upto the top of the spectacular Dochu La pass with it's 108 Chortens is a long one! At other times you 'll be riding on easy and fairly level terrain in the valleys. But this tour is designed to accommodate a range of abilities; from people who see a 30 km uphill as an opportunity not to be missed, to people who wouldn't skip the 30 km downhill or the sag wagon to get them to the top!
This cycle through Bhutan is a fun trip that is full of pleasant hikes and short days on two wheels. For those who prefer to roll out the miles, longer rides of 60-90 km, with memorable stops in rural Bhutanese towns, are included. In a nutshell, this trip can be flexible enough to accommodate people with different biking goals. The group spends each night together at a variety of accommodations, from inns in rural villages to hotels in Bhutan's biggest city, Thimphu. Small paved roads, moderate trails, and dirt roads await riders of all abilities on this amazing tour of western Bhutan.
NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS
RAW Travel welcomes single travellers and does not require anyone to pay a surcharge for travelling alone. On all of our adventures we will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveller of the same sex and if we cannot match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge ( group trips). If you prefer not to share a room then just pay a single supplement to guarantee your own room. Most of our travellers join trips on their own seeking a social experience!
FREE TRAVEL: If you get a group of 10 people together you can travel for free as the group organizer!
Apart from the date listed this trip can be run as a private tour for as little as two people, with the same support and inclusions for $3200 on dates of your choosing.
Bicycles and Bhutan are a perfect fit. Come and be charmed by this beautiful and serene country of mountains, monasteries and mysteries, tucked away in the folds of the Himalayas. Intrepid travellers will enjoy experiencing this intriguing country by bike, following a combination of easy mountain trails and paved roads that will lead you through the best of western Bhutan. We'll pedal through Paro and Thimpu and Punhaka , (the country's largest cities but sleepy and charming towns by comparison the cities we're used to), but the real attraction is riding past forested mountains and the thriving Tibetan Buddhist Culture, symbolized by the incredible Dzongs that dominate each valley.
Bhutan sits just south of Tibet and the Great Himalayan ranges and the hot plains of India form it's southern Border. The land of the Thunder Dragon consists of a good deal of high mountains, dramatic valleys, raging glacial rivers and 70% forest cover - an exceptional statistic in todays' world. Several distinct cultures make up the country's population with 19 different languages spoken, but all peacefully united by their love for their King. The Buddhist monasteries still exert a strong influence on society and the Buddhist outlook is evident through the many enlightened policies that Bhutan has adopted - including the restriction of mass tourism! So it is indeed a privilege to visit Bhutan and you'll see little evidence of rampant commercialism here, visitors are still treated graciously and you feel like a traveller.
Bhutan offers a window into a less hurried past and a place where people still value other things above material progress, reflected in their unique policy of placing 'Gross national Happiness' above GDP. You'll meet people who have chosen what they want from the modern world and who still treasure their traditions. So a journey through Bhutan can be very rewarding as you're not exploring the geography of the place but also exploring other ideas about living! A cycling trip lends itself very well to this type of journey and you'll get to meet people and explore the country where the noise of motor cars isn't the predominant sound.
Bhutan is a land of festivals, 'Tsechus', and our trips can be tailored to visit some of these colourful spectacles which take place at Monasteries and villages throughout the country.Our November departure will have an extension to visit the Black Crane festival in Phobjikha, but as we can offer daily departures for two or more people you can find a date and a festival to fit your interests.
We use Trek mountain bikes/ KTM road bikes to discover the main places of interest in Western Bhutan, including Taktsang Monastery, Paro, the Haa Valley, Thimphu, the Dochu La Pass, and Punakha. There will be challenges for those who want them as the road upto the top of the spectacular Dochu La pass with it's 108 Chortens is a long one! At other times you 'll be riding on easy and fairly level terrain in the valleys. But this tour is designed to accommodate a range of abilities; from people who see a 30 km uphill as an opportunity not to be missed, to people who wouldn't skip the 30 km downhill or the sag wagon to get them to the top!
This cycle through Bhutan is a fun trip that is full of pleasant hikes and short days on two wheels. For those who prefer to roll out the miles, longer rides of 60-90 km, with memorable stops in rural Bhutanese towns, are included. In a nutshell, this trip can be flexible enough to accommodate people with different biking goals. The group spends each night together at a variety of accommodations, from inns in rural villages to hotels in Bhutan's biggest city, Thimphu. Small paved roads, moderate trails, and dirt roads await riders of all abilities on this amazing tour of western Bhutan.
NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS
RAW Travel welcomes single travellers and does not require anyone to pay a surcharge for travelling alone. On all of our adventures we will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveller of the same sex and if we cannot match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge ( group trips). If you prefer not to share a room then just pay a single supplement to guarantee your own room. Most of our travellers join trips on their own seeking a social experience!
FREE TRAVEL: If you get a group of 10 people together you can travel for free as the group organizer!
Call 1 300 208 245 for more details or outside Australia +613 9787 4366
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Testimonials
"An amazing country and no better way to fully appreciate the scenery, the hills and the people than cycling through. Highly recommended way to explore such a unique and fascinating country".
Itinerary
9 days - Departing Paro
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Day 1:Arrive Paro Bhutan from Bangkok Delhi Kolkata or Kathmandu.
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Day 2:Paro Taktsang Hike & Country Riding
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Day 3:Cycle Paro - Haa Valley
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Day 4:Cycle Haa Valley
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Day 5:Cycle Haa-Thimphu
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Day 6:Cycling around Thimpu
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Day 7:Cycle Thimphu- Punakha
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Day 8:Cycling Punakha
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Day 9:Cycle Punakha-Paro
Level of Difficulty Moderate - Demanding
Whats Included?
- Trek/KTM Mountain Bikes
- Bhutanese Visa
- Knowledgeable Local Guides
- All Tours in itinerary
- Accommodations
- All Meals
- All Entrance Fees and Permits
- Private Ground Transportation
- Airport Transfers in Paro
- Mineral water during cycling
RAW Edge
Other Cycling trips in RAW-Edge
- Mongolia Cycling - 15 days
- Journey through Bhutan - 12 days
KTM Viaggio
Bike Info
A Hybrid bike for frequent, long and with complete Weitradler! This bike would also meet the demands of extreme riding.The Viaggio comes with a triple-butted aluminum frame trek 6061 (Clean shape) with cold forged dropouts, a low-maintenance Suntour SF7-NCX-elastomer suspension fork with adjustable preload and 63 mm of travel and lockout and complete Shimano XT group switching. Among the components high emphasis was placed on robustness - after all, this bike is meant to contact for weeks and months through areas that do not spread to every corner of a well-equipped workshop. There are, of course, fenders front and rear, and all sorts of luggage carrier - front page with a Hebie Lowrider support and the proven rear Hebie Touring R. Furthermore there: Chainstay Protector, bell, pump, spoke protector disc, three bottle holders.
Visit http://www.sportler.com/sportlerShop/produkt/katalog/ktm-viaggio_9791845 to view more
