Bhutan General Trip Information and Prices
Highlights
- Visit temples, including the famous Tiger’s Lair, monasteries, nunneries, dzongs (fortress), arts-projects, schools and Kutira’s project
- Sample delicious and diverse local cuisine from street markets, fine dining and family homes
- Explore the country’s Buddhist tradition and culture with the help of an expert guide
- Hike up stunning trails and enjoy the breath-taking architecture that Bhutan has to offer
- Enjoy 2 days of luxurious camping in a hot spring region
Trip Includes
- All lodgings and meals
- All transportation within Bhutan
- Our own English-speaking guide
- All daily activities
- Embodied Spirituality and Sustainability teaching by Kutira
- Unexpected Beautiful Surprises!
Accommodations and Food
We will stay in beautiful, comfortable and clean hotels and guest houses with hot water and electricity rated 3 stars basic accommodations. (Any hotel upgrades to 4 or 5 star accommodations are at additional cost and need to be requested early and only available at certain places.) We will be camping for 2 nights in a region where there are no hotels. Internet access may be available, but sometimes access is spotty. Breakfasts and most dinners are in the hotels. Lunches will often be in restaurants or picnic lunches during our hikes. Meals are typically served buffet style, with Bhutanese, Indian, and Chinese dishes as the usual offerings. Vegetarians are easily accommodated. A typical breakfast may include cereal and milk, pancakes (sometimes Buckwheat), omelets, fried potatoes, and fruits in season. Dinners will usually be in restaurants or even the homes of local families we have relationships with. Dinner may include rice, noodles, asparagus or cauliflower, a meat entrée (often chicken), and ema datse, the spicy chili cheese dish often considered as the national dish of Bhutan. Beer is typically available for purchase with lunch or dinner, but wine is limited- drinks are not included in the price.
Trip Difficulty
The trip consists of a mix of hiking, cultural and culinary touring. Anyone in good physical condition who is comfortable walking 2-3 hours on a hilly, rocky terrain should have no difficulty on the hikes. Some of the hikes begin at approximately 11,000 feet elevation and descend. It is important to view the trip as a group activity where the needs of the group may outweigh those of the individual. An open attitude and respect for the culture are important attributes that enhance participant’s enjoyment of the trip. Please feel free to call Kutira and discuss if this would be the perfect journey of your life. It is much easier then you think!
Equipment and Clothing
Hiking boots or trail shoes, rain jacket and pants, and a day-pack are highly recommended. Daytime temperatures will be moderate (approximately 55 to 75 degrees). Nighttime temperatures will be cool (30 to 40 degrees). Autumn, from September to late November follows the rainy season. It is characterized by bright sunny days and some early snowfalls at higher elevations.
Sustainable conservation practices you will enjoy.
Bhutan has adopted a national policy that revolves around conservation of its generally intact natural resources. This comes as a natural extension of its Buddhist practices, as Buddhism believes in the interdependence of all life, be it sentient beings or flora. Given that the country already has the most intact ecosystems of any in existence, it makes for a more successful pursuit of the conservation efforts that have been instituted. As an example of its conservation policies, the government does not harvest lumber for export. It does utilize dead trees and thin out some forests, but with a goal of maintaining over 60% of the land forested; its current level of 72% is well ahead of that objective. Over one-fourth of the land area is preserved in national parks. While conservation is a stated policy of the government, the promotion of tourism (Bhutan’s 2nd leading source of income) poses a challenge to these conservation efforts. We will have discussions about this national policy and contrast this with conservation’s efforts in our own country.
14 Day Journey Pricing
| Dates | October 20th to November 2nd |
| Price | $6300 |
| Deposit | $3800 ($500 non refundable) by June 15th, 2017 |
| Final balance of entire cost due by August 31st , 2017 |
This price is based on 16 participants, if the group is below 16 people there will be an additional surcharge of $300.
NOTE: Costs are based on double occupancy, ie. shared twin hotel accommodation. Single room surcharge $60.00 per day if requested and available. This price also includes Bhutan visa fees, ground transportation in Bhutan, guides, museum entrance fees, food (three meals per day), lodging and Kutira’s cultural and spiritual immersion tour.
| It is important to book your flights in and out of Bhutan as soon as possible, as those flight are very limited during the high season. We are happy to book your Bhutan flights for you or assist you. | |
| Please call us soon so we can help you with arranging your tickets. The last time we had to turn people away, because there were no more seats available. | |
| Phone: 1 808 572 6006 | |
| or send us a request for Skype at: kutira-la or conncet via We Chat or What’s Up. |
The price does not cover: International airfare to and from Bhutan, taxi fee from Guahati airport to the Bhutan boarder, any air port visa fees and any extra days spent outside Bhutan prior to or beyond the dates of the tour, cost of obtaining passport, excess baggage on the flights, phone calls/internet usage fees and faxes during the tour, gratuities to your guide and driver, optional monastery donations, items of a personal nature, laundry, medical and travel insurance coverage.
All prices in $US with a 5% surcharge paid with credit card, international wire fee $45 for each transfer, personal checks and cash are accepted
For more information and to ensure this journey is for you, write to Kutira@KahuaInstitute.com or call her at 808-572-6006.
P.S. Once you have registered to this once in a lifetime adventure, our office will help to prepare you with detailed information. Step by step you will get ready. Participants for the November trip need an additional visa for India as we will enter Bhutan from India by bus.
Click here for more detailed itinerary (route subject to change).