Bhutan
Birding Tour

This tour uses a fully equipped private vehicle throughout. All accommodation, meals, visa processing, dzong and site entry fees, and cultural guiding are included. A specialist Bhutanese ornithologist guide accompanies the group. Farmhouse and homestay options are available on request for selected nights. Please bring your binoculars, field guide (Inskipp & Inskipp Himalayan Birds is recommended), and appropriate clothing for all elevations.

Arrive at Paro International Airport — one of the world's most dramatic mountain approaches. Your guide meets you at the exit doors. After lunch, spend the afternoon birding along the Paro Chhu river valley and the surrounding farmland and forest edges — an excellent introduction to Bhutanese birdlife. Resident species along the river include Ibisbill, White-capped Water Redstart, Brown Dipper, and Plumbeous Water Redstart. The valley edges offer raptors, laughingthrushes, and woodpeckers. Evening at leisure. Overnight in Paro.

An early drive to Chele-la Pass (3,890 m) — one of Bhutan's highest motorable passes and one of the finest high-altitude birding sites in the entire Himalayas. The fir and rhododendron forest below the pass and the open alpine meadow at the summit are prime habitat for Himalayan Monal, Blood Pheasant, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Beautiful Rosefinch, Grandala, Rufous-breasted Accentor, and alpine swifts. Return to Paro for lunch, then drive to Thimphu (1.5 hrs). Evening birding at the Thimphu sewage treatment pond — an unlikely but reliable site for waders, wagtails, waterfowl, and occasionally scarce migrants. Overnight in Thimphu.

Early morning drive to Dochula Pass (3,150 m), with birding stops in the rhododendron and oak forest above Thimphu. Dochula and the descent to Lamperi Botanical Garden are superb for mixed feeding flocks of warblers, tits, nuthatches, treecreepers, and minivets. Lamperi itself — a protected botanical garden with a rich understorey — is one of the best sites in Bhutan for Bar-throated Siva, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, and various laughingthrush species. Afternoon drive to Punakha, with birding stops along the warm Punakha valley. Visit the magnificent Punakha Dzong. Overnight in Punakha.

Head south of Punakha into some of Bhutan's most pristine and least-visited forest. The road descends through subtropical broadleaf forest — increasingly warm, humid, and rich with low-elevation species not found further north. Afternoon birding in Tsirang and the Darachu area targets lowland species including bulbuls, barbets, drongos, and early hornbill encounters. The transition from temperate to subtropical habitat introduces an entirely new suite of birds. Overnight in Tsirang.

Early morning birding in the Tsirang and Darachu forests before descending to the lowland plains of Gelephu — the lowest birding terrain of the entire tour. At this elevation, the avian community transforms completely: hornbills, pittas, broadbills, minivets, leafbirds, and ioras inhabit a lush tropical world of extraordinary density and noise. Gelephu sits at the southern border with India — the birds here have affinities with the species of the Brahmaputra floodplains and Manas. Overnight in Gelephu.

A full day birding in and around Gelephu. Morning: the sewage pond and surrounding agricultural fields — an outstanding site for waders, wagtails, pratincoles, and occasionally scarce lowland raptors. Afternoon: the lush lowland forests north of Gelephu, renowned as some of the richest and most biodiverse birding habitat in the entire country. The forest here holds Great Hornbill, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Long-tailed Broadbill, Blue-naped Pitta, and various owl species at dusk. Overnight in Gelephu.

One of the most extraordinary days of the entire tour — a rapid ascent from 150 m at the Gelephu foothills to over 2,500 m in the Zhemgang region, passing through virtually every forest zone in a single day. The birding during this ascent is exceptional: the rapid habitat change means new species appear at every few hundred metres of elevation gain. Traverse through Tama-la and into the Zhemgang district — one of the most remote and least-visited birding areas in Bhutan. Overnight in Tingtibe.

Morning birding along the entire length of the Dakphel–Tingtibe road — a superb forest track through mixed broadleaf forest with exceptional species diversity. Afternoon: the Gomphu road, heading toward the Manas National Park boundary — one of the most productive birding roads in Bhutan and the most reliable site in the country for Ward's Trogon, one of the eastern Himalayas' most sought-after birds. The area also holds Brown Hornbill, Long-tailed Broadbill, Sultan Tit, and a variety of rare laughingthrushes. Overnight in Tingtibe.

Final morning birding in the remarkable Zhemgang habitat before heading north toward Bumthang — primarily a transit day but with active birding stops throughout. Lunch in Trongsa, the town dominated by Bhutan's largest dzong perched dramatically above a deep canyon. Continue to Bumthang valley — arriving in the spiritual heartland of Bhutan in the late afternoon. Overnight at your lodge in Bumthang.

Drive east from Bumthang, ascending to Phrumshingla Pass at 3,800 m — crossing the boundary into eastern Bhutan. The pass and surrounding subalpine conifer forest are excellent for Dark-rumped Swift (a great Bhutan speciality), various warblers, Spotted Wren-Babbler, and the beautiful Rufous-vented Yuhina. Descend to Sengor for afternoon and evening birding in the dark conifer forests and forest edges below the pass. This is prime habitat for scarce species including Beautiful Nuthatch and Fire-tailed Myzornis. Overnight in Sengor.

A full day of birding across the Sengor, Phrumshingla, Namling, and Yongkala areas — some of the least-visited and most productive birding terrain in all of Bhutan. The subalpine forests between Sengor and Namling are renowned as one of the finest sites in the eastern Himalayas for Beautiful Nuthatch, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, and Wedge-billed Wren-Babbler. Continue to Yongkala — the base for tomorrow's full birding day in the Lingmithang road area. Overnight in Yongkala.

A legendary day of birding — two full days are ideally spent here, but even one full day on the upper and lower Lingmithang road is extraordinary. This area is widely regarded as one of the premier birding destinations in the entire Himalayas. The combination of upper and lower road levels provides access to a complete series of mid-elevation eastern Himalayan forest habitats. Target species across the two road sections include Rusty-bellied and Bar-winged Wren-Babbler, Beautiful Nuthatch, Sultan Tit, Black-headed Shrike-Babbler, Grey-sided Laughingthrush, and many more. Overnight in Yongkala.

Begin the return journey westward, with active birding stops wherever significant bird activity is encountered along the way. The return route retraces some of the tour's most productive areas, offering a second opportunity for any species missed on the eastbound journey. By evening, arrive in the characterful town of Trongsa — dominated by Bhutan's largest dzong, which can be explored early the following morning. Overnight in Trongsa.

The long return drive from Trongsa to Paro — approximately 6 hours with active birding stops wherever productive flocks or interesting habitat is encountered. The journey retraces the route through the Black Mountain forests, offering second chances at species from Days 3–5. Arrive in Paro in the late afternoon. Tomorrow is Tiger's Nest. Overnight in Paro.

The tiger's nest hike is not just Bhutan's most iconic cultural experience — the pine forest trail is also excellent birding terrain. The moss-draped pines and mixed forest above Satsam Chorten hold Ward's Trogon (occasionally), Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, various flycatchers, and a range of forest species that reward careful observation on both the ascent and descent. The monastery complex itself — clinging to a sheer 900 m cliff face — is one of the Buddhist world's most extraordinary structures. Visit all the temples, including the sacred cave of Guru Rinpoche. Afternoon: optional traditional hot stone bath (Dotsho) in Paro. Overnight in Paro.

A final Bhutanese breakfast — and one last early morning scan of the hotel garden before your guide transfers you to Paro International Airport. The hotel gardens in Paro reliably produce several species at dawn including Eurasian Wryneck, various buntings, and Striated Prinia. As your flight climbs above the Himalayan peaks, your species list — 250+ birds, 10+ mammals, an extraordinary country — flies with you. Safe travels.