Bhutan
Bhutan calls itself Druk Yul, the land of the thunder dragon. Its fortresses still keep office hours, its high peaks are closed to climbers, and every visitor travels with a licensed Bhutanese guide.
Photo: Sudhan Chitgopkar / Unsplash
Thimphu, 2,320 m (7,610 ft)
The dzongs, fortress monasteries mostly raised in the 1600s, hold both the district government and the monk body. You climb the same stairs as a farmer with a paper to be stamped, while monks study across the courtyard.
Photo: Pema Gyamtsho / Unsplash
The northern skyline
Nobody may climb Bhutan's peaks above 6,000 m (19,690 ft), so Gangkhar Puensum, at 7,570 m, is still the highest unclimbed mountain on earth. From the pass at Dochu La it shows to the northeast on clear days, most often October to February.
Photo: BLOG REGION / Unsplash
When to go
October brings clear skies and harvest gold, and November is the driest month. April is warm, with Dochu La in flower. From mid June the monsoon sets in; July is the wettest month, with rain on about 19 days.
Photo: Daniel Grandfield / Unsplash
Getting in
Drukair flies Bagdogra (IXB) to Paro in about 50 minutes, on set days that change month by month. By road it is 162 km (101 mi) from Bagdogra to the gate at Phuentsholing, a night there, then 5 to 6 hours up to Thimphu.
Photo: Rama Krushna Behera / Unsplash
The rules
On a US passport you need a visa: US$40, applied for online and reviewed in about five working days. The Sustainable Development Fee is US$100 a night until 31 August 2027, and a licensed Bhutanese guide is required for everyone.
Photo: K / Pexels
Planning
That is enough for Thimphu, the pass at Dochu La, the rice valley of Punakha, and Taktsang last, when your legs are ready. Tell us the month you have in mind and we will fit the week to it.
Photo: Nihar Modi / Unsplash