Classic Bhutan holiday, tailor made

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

The itineraries we create are guided by three core pillars: protecting the environment, supporting local communities, and enabling our guests to travel responsibly. To deliver on this, we partner with a boutique team on the ground in Bhutan that has championed responsible tourism since 2005 and shares our values. They employ around 20 permanent staff in their Thimphu office and also have a small sales office in London, England.

We focus on walking tours and hikes, which reduce the number of vehicle journeys. This two-week trip has no internal flights. Some companies fly guests to Bumthang, but we drive instead, which produces lower emissions than flying.

There are several entry points to Bhutan, via Delhi, Bangkok, Singapore or Kathmandu. From the UK we suggest travelling via Delhi, which means a direct flight from London followed by the short Delhi–Paro flight, making it one of the most direct routes into Bhutan.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Throughout the tour, our expert local guides share insights on the fragile ecosystems visited and offer practical tips for responsible travel, such as eating locally, choosing vegetarian meals, picking up any litter seen on treks, and accepting things like brief power cuts as part of the way of life in a country looking to keep its environmental footprint low.

Many of the basic 3* hotels are ‘homely’ and no frills, but we would rather recommend these than modern chain hotels, as we know the money stays local, and this helps sustain local employment. All this helps guests understand the local challenges and how to minimise their footprint.

Where possible, we choose accommodation for what it does locally: almost all – confirm of the lodges grow some of their own food on site, and many limit their power use, which can occasionally mean limited electricity.

Bhutan charges visitors a Sustainable Development Fee of $100 – check current rate per person per day, which goes directly to government projects including environmental conservation and education. Its ‘High Value, Low Volume’ tourism policy makes Bhutan stand out.

Our guides are all hand-selected and nurtured by our local partners to ensure we can fulfil our promise of offering an experience of a lifetime. Their personal touch, knowledge of Bhutan and pleasure in showing their country to visitors help to cement our reputation as a top tour operator.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

People are at the heart of everything we do. Our local partners train guides annually on safety protocols, service, destinations and responsible travel, ensuring they are equipped to make a positive impact.

Each transfer and excursion includes local guides, ensuring employment for residents and authentic storytelling about Bhutanese culture.

All properties chosen on this tour are small boutique or family-owned hotels, to ensure we channel tourism revenue into the local economy, with a focus on employing local staff and suppliers.

We ensure we visit the craft markets in Paro and Thimphu, and encourage guests to buy quality, meaningful gifts made by local artisans, paid for in cash directly to them.

The trip includes lunches in local restaurants as a rule, so local restaurant owners benefit from the holiday as well as hotels.


EMPLOYMENT INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

100% of the people this tour will employ are from Bhutan, all from local communities. They are all paid at least the minimum wage, and are provided with comfortable accommodation throughout the valleys during the tour.