Mystical Shangrila Travels arranges private tours, festival trips and Himalayan treks across Bhutan. We take care of your visa, the Sustainable Development Fee, hotels, your guide and your driver, so you can simply arrive in Paro.
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These are our most popular routes. Every one runs as a private trip on the dates you choose, and we can change any of them. All tours
Thimphu, the dzong at Punakha and the climb to Tiger's Nest. The shortest trip that still does Bhutan justice.
A full, unhurried loop of the west: Thimphu, Punakha, the crane valley of Phobjikha, Haa and Tiger's Nest.
East over the passes to Trongsa and the temple valleys of Bumthang, where Bhutanese Buddhism began.
Three days of masked dances at the Paro or Thimphu tshechu, with time in Punakha and at Tiger's Nest.
Five days of walking over the ridge between Paro and Thimphu, past high lakes, rhododendron forest and remote dzongs.
To the base camp under Jomolhari (7,326 m), over two high passes and through the yak country of Lingshi.
Want something else, like a family trip, a honeymoon, birdwatching, or Eastern Bhutan? We plan tailor-made trips too.
International visitors to Bhutan need a visa and must pay the government's Sustainable Development Fee. We arrange both, along with everything else, as part of your booking.
Send a booking request with your rough dates, group size and interests. It takes about two minutes.
We reply with a day-by-day plan and an all-inclusive quote. We adjust it with you until it is right.
A deposit secures your hotels and guide. We apply for your visa and pay the SDF on your behalf.
Show your visa approval letter on arrival. Your guide meets you outside the terminal.
Bhutan is small, but its mountain roads are slow, and each valley feels quite different from the next. Here is where most trips go. Destination guide
The international airport, Rinpung Dzong, the National Museum and the trail to Tiger's Nest.
A capital without traffic lights, with craft schools, weekend markets and the giant Buddha Dordenma.
A warm, low valley of rice terraces, home to the most beautiful dzong in the country.
A wide, quiet valley of farmhouses, where black-necked cranes spend the winter.
Four valleys of ancient temples, buckwheat fields and the Burning Lake.
Opened to visitors only in 2002, Haa lies over Chele La, the highest road pass in Bhutan.
Spring and autumn bring the clearest skies and the biggest festivals. Winter is crisp and quiet. The summer monsoon turns the valleys green and leaves them almost empty. Month-by-month guide
Rhododendrons in bloom, the Paro Tshechu, and warm days for trekking.
Afternoon rain, lush valleys, fewer visitors, and the Haa Summer Festival.
The clearest mountain views, the Thimphu Tshechu, and the best trekking weather.
Cold nights, bright days, cranes in Phobjikha, and Punakha in its warm valley.
Bhutan follows a policy of "high value, low volume" tourism. Every visitor pays a daily Sustainable Development Fee, which funds healthcare, education and conservation. On top of that are the costs of your trip itself.
Our quotes include all of it, so the price we send is the price you pay for your time in Bhutan.
| Sustainable Development Fee | Set by the government, per adult per night. Children 6–12 pay half; under-6s pay nothing. | US$100 |
|---|---|---|
| Bhutan tourist visa | One-time fee, applied for by us before you travel. | US$40 |
| Your trip | Hotels, all meals, private guide, vehicle and driver, entrance fees. This depends on the season, group size and hotel standard. | Quoted |
| Flights to Paro | Drukair or Bhutan Airlines from Delhi, Kathmandu, Bangkok, Singapore and more. We can book these for you. | Extra |
Indian nationals pay an SDF of ₹1,200 per night and do not need a visa. Government rates can change, so we always confirm the current figures in your quote.
The things people most often want to know before booking. There are more answers on our FAQ page.
Since 2022 you can apply for a Bhutan visa yourself. In practice, though, you will need a licensed guide for any travel beyond Thimphu and Paro, and for visiting most monuments. A tour operator arranges the guide, vehicle, hotels, visa and SDF together, and you deal with one local team throughout.
All of our trips are private. You travel with your own guide, driver and vehicle, on dates you choose. This applies whether you are travelling alone, as a couple or as a large family.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable. For festival dates and October, book as early as you can, as flights and good hotels fill up quickly. Outside peak season, a few weeks' notice is often enough.
Yes. Our cultural tours involve short walks and can be paced gently. Tiger's Nest is optional, and horses can carry you part of the way. Children under six pay no SDF, and children aged 6 to 12 pay half.
Mystical Shangrila Travels is registered and based in Thimphu. Our guides are licensed Bhutanese guides who know these valleys well, down to the hours when the dzongs are quietest. When you book with us, your money stays with the people who look after you on the ground.
Tell us roughly when and who is travelling. A Thimphu-based planner replies with ideas, a day-by-day route and one all-inclusive price.
Prefer to talk? info@mysticalshangrila.com