Bhutan Group Tour
8 DAYS · PHUENTSHOLING · THIMPHU · PUNAKHA · PARO
EXPERIENCES
Tashichho Dzong · capital's seat of power · Punakha Dzong · where two rivers meet · Tiger's Nest climb · cliff-side monastery
The Kingdom in the Clouds
Bhutan Group Tour from Kochi, 8 Days Through the Happy Kingdom
Fly out of Kochi, climb from the plains into the Himalayas, and spend a week among fortress monasteries, prayer flags, and mountain passes. Fixed departures, one escorted group.
Why Bhutan
A Country That Measures Happiness, Not Just Growth.
Bhutan does things its own way. It is the only country that counts Gross National Happiness, its capital has no traffic lights, and its fortresses, called dzongs, still run both the monasteries and the government. Television arrived only in 1999, and the mountains kept the outside world at arm's length long before that. What waits inside is a Himalayan kingdom of painted temples, green valleys, and a monastery hanging off a cliff that you climb to on foot. Fortune runs a fixed 8-day group tour from Kochi that covers the heart of it, Phuentsholing, Thimphu, Punakha, and Paro, with an escort from Kerala and a Bhutanese guide on the ground.
The Tour Route
Four Towns, One Climb Into the Himalayas.
The tour enters Bhutan by road from the Indian border and climbs valley by valley. Each stop sits at a different height, and the country changes with the altitude.
Phuentsholing
The border town where Bhutan begins
Cross from the Indian plains, feel the country change in a single street, and complete entry permits before the climb.
Thimphu
The capital, at 2,350 metres
The giant bronze Buddha at Kuensel Phodrang, the Folk Heritage Museum, the Royal Textile Academy, and Tashichho Dzong, seat of the King's offices.
Punakha
Down in a warm river valley, reached over the Dochula Pass and its 108 chortens
Punakha Dzong stands where two rivers meet, and Bhutan's longest suspension bridge hangs nearby.
Paro
The valley of the Tiger's Nest
Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest temples, the National Museum in the round Ta Dzong, and the cliff-side monastery that closes the trip.
Before you go
Bhutan, in brief.
A Himalayan kingdom of monasteries, mountain passes, and slow living, visited as one escorted group. The essentials at a glance.
The Climb Everyone Comes For
A Monastery on the Face of a Cliff
Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest
Nine Hundred Metres Above the Paro Valley
From the valley floor, the Tiger's Nest looks impossible, white walls and golden roofs holding onto bare rock 900 metres up. The path climbs through pine forest hung with prayer flags, and the monastery keeps appearing and disappearing through the trees, closer and more solid each time. Legend says Guru Rinpoche flew to this spot on the back of a tigress and meditated in the cave the monastery now guards. The climb takes the better part of a day, with tea stops on the way, and it is the single image of Bhutan most travellers carry home. The tour keeps a full day in Paro for it.
Worth Knowing
The Capital With No Traffic Lights.
Thimphu is the only capital city in the world without a single traffic light. A police officer in white gloves directs the cars at the main junction, and the city has decided it likes it that way. It says something about Bhutan as a whole. The country moved into the modern world carefully, keeping its dress, its architecture, and its pace. Shops close early, buildings follow traditional design by law, and the mountains are always in view at the end of the street. You adjust to it in about a day, and then it is hard to leave behind.
The Fine Print, Made Simple
What to Sort Before You Travel.
Indian nationals do not need a visa for Bhutan, but every traveller needs an entry permit, and this is where Fortune earns its keep. Permits need a passport with at least six months' validity from the return date, or a voter ID, with an original birth certificate and a student ID for children, plus four passport photos. Documents reach us at least ten working days before travel so advance permits can be processed. The entry permit covers Phuentsholing, Thimphu, and Paro, and the special permit for Punakha is arranged in Thimphu on the way. Pack layers: Phuentsholing sits warm near the plains while Thimphu and Paro sit above 2,200 metres and turn cold after sunset.
The Fortune Way
Small Kingdom, Long Checklist, Handled.
20 Years of Experience
Two decades of escorted group departures from Kerala, with the systems that come from doing it a thousand times.
Permits Without the Queue
Advance online permits processed before departure, so the border is a formality instead of a wait.
Two Guides, One Group
A Fortune escort travels from Kerala, and a Bhutan government-authorised guide leads inside the kingdom.
Meals and Miles Covered
Flights, hotels, daily meals, entry tickets, and drinking water on the road, all inside one booking.
The Fortune Departure
Eight Days, Ex Kochi, Everything Arranged
The set itinerary suits most travellers, and it can also be bent. Extra nights, a different departure, or a private version of the same route can be arranged when you talk to us.
FAQ
Questions with useful answers
No visa, but an entry permit is required. We process advance online permits before departure, which requires your documents at least ten working days ahead. The permit is stamped on arrival against the e-Permit clearance.
The group tour follows a set route, and that is part of what keeps it smooth. Around it, we can add extra nights, shift you to a different departure, or build a private trip on the same circuit. Ask us what you have in mind.
It is a steady uphill walk of several hours, done at your own pace with rest stops. Most travellers in reasonable health complete it. Horse rides part-way are available locally at extra cost for those who want help on the ascent.
Yes. The kingdom is safe, calm, and full of things children remember: giant Buddha statues, suspension bridges, and mountain passes. Children need an original birth certificate in English and a student ID for the permit, and we guide you through it.
A passport valid for at least six months from the return date, or a voter ID, plus four passport photos. Children carry an original English birth certificate and student ID. Clear scanned copies reach us ten working days before departure for the permits.