Fly Fishing
Odyssey

All fishing is done on a strict catch and release basis in keeping with Bhutan's conservation ethos. Fishing permits are obtained through Found Bhutan and are included in the tour cost. The tour uses a fully equipped private vehicle throughout. Rods and reels can be arranged on request — please indicate when booking. All accommodation, meals, cultural site entry fees, and guiding are included.

Arrive at Paro International Airport — one of the most dramatic mountain approaches in aviation, the aircraft weaving between Himalayan peaks before touching down in the valley. Your Found Bhutan guide meets you at the exit gates and transfers you to Thimphu (approximately 1 hour). After lunch, explore two of the capital's most iconic landmarks: the National Memorial Chorten — a striking golden stupa built as a tribute to the late third king Jigme Dorji Wangchuck — and the Buddha Dordenma, a 51-metre gilded bronze Buddha statue perched on a hilltop with sweeping views of the Thimphu valley below. Check in to your hotel and rest ahead of your first day on the river tomorrow. Overnight in Thimphu.

Your first day on Bhutanese water. After breakfast, drive to the chosen fishing stretch of the Wang Chhu — the river that flows through Thimphu valley, fed by glacial meltwater from the high peaks to the north. With the right flies and approach, you can expect snow trout, various catfish species, and the possibility of brown trout in the cooler upper stretches. Bhutan's Buddhist heritage makes fishing a peaceful and welcomed pursuit here, and the riverside setting — forested banks, granite boulders, and prayer flags on the bridges above — is unmatched for atmosphere. Optional evening city sightseeing in Thimphu if the group wishes. Overnight in Thimphu.

After an early breakfast, choose to fish the Wang Chhu for a final morning session or head directly to Paro. The Paro Chhu is a classic Himalayan river — clear, cold, and fast-flowing — and offers some of the finest snow trout fishing in western Bhutan, along with brown trout in the higher-gradient sections upstream. After fishing, explore Paro town: visit the National Museum of Paro (housed in the ancient Ta Dzong watchtower and exhibiting Bhutanese religious art and artefacts), and Rinpung Dzong — the 17th-century fortress-monastery overlooking the river, reached by a traditional cantilever wooden bridge. Overnight in Paro.

Drive from Paro to Haa valley via the spectacular Chele-la Pass at 3,890 m — one of Bhutan's highest motorable passes. The option for a short hike at the pass allows the group to take in the panoramic alpine views, with nearby Kila Gonpa Nunnery visible on the steep forested hillside below. Descend to Haa valley — a remote valley that only opened to tourists in 2002 and remains one of Bhutan's most authentic and peaceful destinations. Evening fishing session on the Haa Chhu river, where brown trout and catla inhabit the crystal-clear pools. Explore the charming town of Haa. Overnight in Haa.

A final morning session on the Haa Chhu before the drive back to Paro. Picnic lunch on the riverside before departing. On arrival in Paro, visit the town's cultural highlights: the National Museum with its collection of Bhutanese religious artefacts and thangka paintings, Rinpung Dzong itself, and the picturesque traditional cantilever wooden bridge spanning the Paro river — a perfect spot to watch the evening current and reflect on days well spent on Bhutanese water. Overnight in Paro.

The defining non-fishing day of the tour. The hike to Paro Taktsang (Tiger's Nest Monastery) begins at Satsam Chorten below the cliff — the trail climbing through pine forest draped in Spanish moss, past prayer flag groves, to the monastery complex clinging to a sheer 900 m rock face. This is one of the most remarkable sacred buildings in the Buddhist world, built around the cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated for three months in the 8th century. All four temple chapels can be visited. In the afternoon — after the exertion of the hike and days in cold mountain rivers — enjoy a traditional Bhutanese hot stone bath (Dotsho): river stones heated in a wood fire and placed in the bathwater until it reaches a deep, penetrating heat. One of the most therapeutic experiences available in Bhutan. Overnight in Paro.

A final Bhutanese breakfast before your guide transfers you to Paro International Airport. The departure lounge has a good selection of locally made Bhutanese crafts, textiles, and packaged goods. As your aircraft climbs above the Paro valley and banks toward the Himalayan range, the rivers you fished — clear, cold, and alive — glitter far below. You leave Bhutan with full hands: the rod bent, the fish returned, the memories kept. Safe travels.