Pedal Through
Paradise

A professional support vehicle accompanies the group on every cycling day — carrying luggage, spare parts, snacks, and the option to ride for those who need a break. Quality mountain bicycles are provided unless you prefer to bring your own. All meals, accommodation, cultural guiding, and internal transportation are included. Cycling sections can be adjusted based on the group's fitness level — some segments can be driven if preferred.

Arrive at Paro International Airport — one of the world's most dramatic mountain landings, with the aircraft weaving between Himalayan peaks on approach. Your Found Bhutan representative meets you at the exit doors. After lunch, spend the afternoon exploring Paro: visit the 17th-century Rinpung Dzong, the National Museum in Ta Dzong, and the sacred Kyichu Lhakhang — one of Bhutan's oldest temples. The bikes are checked and fitted in the evening so you are ready to ride from Day 2. Overnight in Paro.

Your first riding day follows the Paro Chhu river valley — a largely favourable gradient with few steep climbs. The road passes through rice fields, coniferous hillside forest, and traditional farming villages with chortens and monasteries dotting the hillsides. A picnic lunch is served at a scenic riverside spot. A narrow gorge section leads to the widening Thimphu valley, and the final approach to the capital passes the historic Simtokha Dzong (1627) and the famous Bridge of Prophecy adorned with prayer flags. Overnight in Thimphu.

A full rest day in Bhutan's vibrant capital — legs recover while the culture absorbs. Begin with the National Memorial Chorten, a striking stupa built by the Royal Queen Mother and featuring exceptional Buddhist paintings and statues. Visit the 12th-century Changangkha Temple, the Drubthob Monastery, and the National School of Arts and Crafts where students master traditional Bhutanese art forms including painting, weaving, and sculpture. The National Library holds manuscripts dating back to the 8th century. If time permits, visit the Takin Preserve and the magnificent Tashichho Dzong. Overnight in Thimphu.

The most dramatic single cycling day of the tour. A 22 km climb of 670 m elevation gain through lush temperate forest of rhododendron and magnolia — home to deer and various monkey species — leads to Dochula Pass at 3,100 m. On clear days, the panoramic view of the Bhutanese Himalayan range from Dochula is simply staggering. Picnic lunch at the pass, beside the famous 108 memorial chortens. Then the reward: a 50-kilometre exhilarating downhill through dense forest to the warm and low-lying Punakha valley. Visit the stunning Punakha Dzong — Bhutan's most beautiful fortress, built in 1637 at the confluence of the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu rivers. Overnight in Punakha.

The route today crosses the boundary between western and central Bhutan via the Pele-la Pass on the Black Mountain range (3,420 m). Begin with a visit to Wangduephodrang and its strategically positioned dzong — built in 1639 at a dramatic river confluence. The ascent to Pele-la passes through the mossy forests of the Black Mountains, a habitat for rare white langur monkeys. The serene 18th-century Chendibji Chorten — adorned with painted eyes facing all four directions — is a memorable stop before Trongsa. The imposing Trongsa Dzong appears dramatically across a deep canyon as you approach the town. Overnight in Trongsa.

Begin the day with a visit to Trongsa Dzong — the largest dzong in Bhutan, with foundations dating to the 16th century and a complex of 22 temples. The road then climbs through a series of dramatic hairpin bends above Trongsa before reaching the Yutung La Pass at approximately 3,400 m. From the pass, a stunning descent through dense enchanting coniferous forest leads to the fertile Chumey Valley — the first of the four Bumthang valleys. A beautiful afternoon ride through cultivated fields and forested hillsides delivers you to the town of Jakar, Bumthang's main centre and the spiritual heartland of Bhutan. Overnight at your lodge in Bumthang.

A day fully devoted to Bumthang's extraordinary concentration of sacred sites. Morning: Kurjey Lhakhang — one of Bhutan's most revered temples, built around the cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated in the 8th century — and Jambay Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest temples, dating to the 7th century and built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. Afternoon: Jakar Dzong (the White Bird Fortress) overlooking the valley, and Tamshing Lhakhang — founded in 1501 by the great treasure-discoverer Pemalingpa and home to exceptional ancient Buddhist wall paintings. Explore Jakar township in the evening. Overnight in Bumthang.

The most challenging and most rewarding cycling day of the entire tour. From Jakar, the route climbs approximately 40 km and 900 m of elevation gain over long, sustained gradients to reach the Shertang La pass at around 3,500 m. Just before the summit, a panoramic view of the Lunana mountain range — Bhutan's most remote and dramatic peaks — rewards the effort. On the other side of the pass lies the Ura Valley: the highest of the four Bumthang valleys, a broad open landscape of vast pasturelands and the picturesque village of Ura itself — one of the most traditional and authentic villages in Bhutan. Sightseeing in Ura, then descend back to Bumthang. Overnight in Bumthang.

The return journey begins — heading west toward Punakha with a lunch stop in Trongsa. Various stretches of road along the return route offer excellent cycling opportunities depending on the group's energy and preference. The support vehicle accompanies throughout, allowing flexibility. By evening, you are back in the warm, low-lying Punakha valley — a welcome contrast after days at altitude. Overnight in Punakha.

A relaxed 12-kilometre ride to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten — a strikingly beautiful four-storey stupa perched on a hillock above the Punakha valley, adorned with paintings from the Nyingmapa tradition and offering sweeping views of the surrounding farmland and river confluence. Picnic lunch beside the riverside before cycling back to Punakha. Drive to Thimphu in the afternoon. Overnight in Thimphu.

After breakfast, you have the choice to cycle back to Paro on the same scenic river road taken on Day 2, or drive and spend the morning exploring Thimphu. If it is the weekend, the Thimphu Weekend Market is an unmissable experience — stalls of fresh chillies, local cheese, fresh greens, Bhutanese handicrafts, and household items. Upon arriving in Paro, check in and rest — tomorrow is the Tiger's Nest hike. Overnight in Paro.

The iconic conclusion to your Bhutan adventure. The hike to Paro Taktsang (Tiger's Nest Monastery) begins at Satsam Chorten — the trail climbing through magnificent pine forest draped in Spanish moss, past groves of prayer flags rustling in the mountain breeze. The monastery complex clings to a sheer cliff face 900 m above the Paro valley — one of the most dramatic architectural sites in the entire Buddhist world. Visit the temples built around the sacred cave where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated for three months in the 8th century. Descend to the valley and enjoy a traditional hot stone bath (Dotsho) in the afternoon — the perfect way to end a cycling adventure. Overnight in Paro.

A final Bhutanese breakfast before your guide transfers you to Paro International Airport. The departure lounge has a selection of Bhutanese textiles, handicrafts, and local products — a last chance to bring the kingdom home with you. As your flight climbs above the Himalayan peaks, the landscape that carried you by bicycle for two weeks falls away below. You leave with pedal-worn legs, a full heart, and the rare satisfaction of having crossed a country under your own power. Safe travels.