Arriving in Paro from Delhi, we will be met by our local guide Chubzang and driven to Thimphu, the capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan. Our route to the capital takes us along the banks of Pa Chhu, where we will look for Ibisbill, a wader of Himalayan rivers where its grey and brown plumage provides camouflage among the rocks. The Ibisbill is the only member of the family Ibidorhynchidae and is a much sought-after species. In this area we should also find Pied Wagtail, Rosy Pipit, White-capped and Plumbeous Water Redstarts, the exquisite Blue Whistling-thrush, Oriental Turtle Dove, Common Hoopoe, Crested Goshawk and Brown Dipper. After settling in at our accommodation in Thimphu, we may visit a nearby forest or botanic garden, explore this beautiful city, or simply rest after our long journey to this spectacular country.

Accommodation: Thimphu.

Meals: D. 

We begin our tour of Bhutan by looking for one of the rarest birds in the world – the White-bellied Heron. As we descend the mountains on our long drive from Thimphu, the vegetation changes from coniferous woodland to broadleaf forests, and the birds change along with it. Stopping at lookouts in the Sankosh Valley, we will search for these birds from high viewpoints to prevent disturbance. This species is critically endangered and this is one of the few accessible locations with a chance of sighting. The heron is known from scattered sites in Bhutan, northern India, and Myanmar, where it fishes in pristine rivers and nests in waterside pine and magnolia trees.

Accommodation: Damphu.

Meals: B, L, D. 

Today we continue our descent of the foothills, heading to Gelephu, a mid-sized town bordering the Indian state of Assam. This narrow strip of sub-tropical riverine plain at the northern edge of the Brahmaputra Valley offers a different suite of species from those found in the mountains. Today and tomorrow, we will explore this area, looking for a wide variety of species that make their home in these sub-tropical broadleaf forests, wetlands and paddocks.

Accommodation: Gelephu.

Meals: B, L, D. 

We will spend a day birding around Gelephu. Here we will look for species that we are unlikely to see or which are much less abundant at higher altitudes such as Lesser Whistling-duck, Indian Pond Heron, White-breasted Waterhen, Indian Peafowl, Jungle Babbler Red-breasted, Alexandrine and Rose-ringed Parakeets, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Jerdon’s Baza, Collared Falconet, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Golden-fronted Leafbird, White-rumped Shama, and Indian Pied Starling.

Accommodation: Gelephu.

Meals: B, L, D.

After our time in the lowlands, we return to the mountains today. The first part of our drive follows the valley of the Manas River. On the way, we will look for birds in these foothill forests including Scarlet and Grey-chinned Minivets, Red-tailed and Blue-winged Minlas, Yellow-cheeked Tit and Black Eagle. We will check in at our accommodation above the Mangde Chhu and bird in the local area before dinner.

Accommodation: Tingtibi.

Meals: B, L, D. 

Today we will explore in and around Tingtibi and Shemgang as we have lots of target birds to see. The magnificent and very rarely visited Shemgang Road is one of the most beautiful and peaceful roads in the world, with similar elevations to the now famous Lingmethang Road, we can see an amazing variety of rare and special birds as well as the Golden Leaf Monkey (Langur), which can be seen often as it is their prime habitat. Some of the target birds for the day include Rufous-throated and Chestnut-breasted Partridges, Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Barred Cuckoo Dove, nine species of cuckoos, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, the amazing Rufous-necked and Great Hornbills, White-browed Piculet, Bay Woodpecker, Long-tailed Broadbill, White-tailed Robin, White-browed Scimitar Babbler, the stunning Cutia, Lesser Necklaced, Rufous-vented and Blue-winged Laughingthrushes, (an impressive and elusive species), Rufous-winged and Nepal  

Fulvettas, White-naped, Black-chinned and White-bellied Yuhinas, Sultan Tit, and hopefully Lesser Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Long-billed Wren Babbler, Green Cochoa, and White-hooded Babbler (rare and the only known site for Bhutan).

Accommodation: Tingtibi.

Meals: B, L, D. 

Today we will start early to get to the habitat of the Beautiful Nuthatch, allowing ourselves plenty of time to locate and see this amazing bird. We will also look for other commoner species such as Red-headed Trogon, Greater Yellownape, Red-vented, Striated, Black and Mountain Bulbuls, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Large and Small Niltavas, Spotted and Slaty-backed Forktails, Spotted Elachura, Nepal Fulvetta, Rufous-capped Babbler, Blue-winged Minla, Whiskered Yuhina, Slaty-bellied Tesia, Ashy and Hair-crested Drongos, Spot-winged Grosbeak, Speckled Piculet, and Rufous Woodpecker. After a hot breakfast eaten in yet another stunning location, we will continue birding along the Shemgang Road, stopping at the prime locations to bird. As we drive to Trongsa there are amazing views all along the road and the occasional waterfall gushing its way down the mountain slopes. We will stop for lunch at Kosha La from where we have an amazing view of the valley below. Just before arriving in Trongsa we will pass high cliff-faces where we will stop to look for the Yellow-rumped Honeyguide amongst the cluster of beehives clinging to the rock face and in the nearby waterfall we will look for the regularly seen Little Forktail.

Accommodation: Trongsa.

Meals: B, L, D. 

After a hot drink we will leave early. Along the road, we should encounter, Spotted Forktail, Bhutan Laughingthrush (the only near endemic bird of Bhutan), Elachura, Himalayan Cutia, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Barred Cuckoo Dove, Greater Yellownape, Steppe Eagle, Tibetan Siskin, Large Niltava and Black-eared Shrike Babbler. As we drive towards Yotong La, we ascend  through mixed rhododendron forest where we will look for Fire-tailed Myzornis, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Rufous-vented Yuhina, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker, Darjeeling Woodpecker and White-winged Grosbeak, Great and Brown Parrotbill, Red-headed Bullfinch, Stripe-throated and Whiskered Yuhinas. After Yotong La pass (3,353 m) we will take a detour off the highway to visit Tharpaling monastery where we look for Himalayan Monal, Blood Pheasant and Satyr Tragopan. From the monastery, we return to the highway and cross the Chumey Valley on our way to our accommodation for the night.

Accommodation: Bumthang.

Meals: B, L, D.

Today we leave Bumthang and travel through the picturesque village of Ura. We drive through forests of towering hemlocks, spruce, silver fir and larch which are particularly good for species like Himalayan Monal, Blood Pheasant, and Satyr Tragopan, to the high pass of Thrumshing La at 3,799 m. Here we have breathtaking views of the eastern Himalayas. As we drive to our lodge in Yongkola we will stop at key locations for birding, looking for Himalayan Buzzard, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Great and Fulvous Parrotbills, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, White-collard Blackbird, Himalayan Bluetail, White-browed Bush Robin, Blue-fronted Redstart, Eurasian and Rusty-flanked Treecreepers, Hume’s Bush Warbler, Black-faced and Spotted Laughingthrushes, Red Crossbill, Red-headed Bullfinch, White-winged Grosbeak, Eye-browed, Dusky, and Dark-throated Thrushes. In the afternoon, we will check into our accommodation for the next three nights.

Accommodation:  Yongkola.

Meals: B, L, D. 

The warm broadleaf forests provide the perfect environment for many avian species including many of Bhutan’s sought-after birds. We will spend two full days birding in the upper and lower Yongkola region. In this breathtaking landscape we will bird in a protected area of pristine forests using a paved yet rarely used road, providing the ultimate beneficiary birding opportunities. It is here in this birding hotspot that we can look for Ward’s Trogon (rare), Slender-billed Scimitar-Babbler and Rufous-throated Wren Babbler (a little known and endangered species), Black-headed Shrike Babbler (rare and the only known site for Bhutan), Satyr Tragopan (rare), Bar-winged Wren Babbler, Blue-winged Laughingthrush, White-breasted Parrotbill and perhaps Gould’s Shortwing!  After birding the upper elevations above Yongkola, acknowledged as being one of the great birding roads of the world, we will slowly descend to Yongkola at approximately 1,700 m. We have time to explore the wonderfully rich, subtropical, warm and cool broad- leaved forests along the lower section of this road where ancient trees are festooned with orchids adding a riot of colour to this verdant land. Trails criss-cross the forests, but few birders venture far into their depth, so exactly what avian delights may be around the corner may be a complete surprise! Here we should encounter Hill, Rufous-throated and Chestnut-breasted Partridges, Rufous-bellied and Crested Serpent Eagles, the rare Rufous-necked Hornbill (the forests of Bhutan are the stronghold for this impressive species), Speckled Wood-Pigeon (another rare bird), Blue-bearded Bee-eater and two of the Himalayas’ rarest birds, the cobalt Blue-fronted Robin and the elusive and strange Wedge-billed Wren Babbler. Other regularly seen species include, Bay Woodpecker and Lesser Yellownape, Golden-throated and Blue-throated Barbets, Large Hawk and Himalayan Cuckoos, Collared Owlet, Grey Treepie, Grey-chinned, Short-billed and Long-tailed Minivets, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Verditer Flycatcher, Large Niltava, Hodgson’s Redstart (in farmland at the edge of the forest), Plumbeous Redstart (males can be seen vigorously defending streamside territories), Slaty-backed Forktail, Rusty-flanked Treecreeper, Sultan, Black-throated, Rufous-fronted, Yellow-browed and Yellow-cheeked Tits, Mountain and Ashy Bulbuls, Hill and Striated Prinias, Chestnut-headed, Slaty-bellied and Grey-bellied Tesias, Grey-sided Bush Warbler, Grey-hooded, White-spectacled, Chestnut-crowned, Broad-billed and Black-faced Warblers, White-crested, Striated, Rufous- necked, Grey-sided, and Blue-winged Laughingthrushes, Coral-billed Scimitar-babbler, Rufous-capped and Golden Babblers, Red-billed Leiothrix, White-browed and Black-eared Shrike-babblers, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Chestnut-tailed and Red-tailed Minlas, White-naped, Whiskered, and Black-chinned Yuhinas, and the exquisite Golden-breasted and Yellow-throated Fulvettas (virtually unknown elsewhere), Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Crimson-browed Finch, Spot-winged Grosbeak, and Scarlet Finch (again, incredibly beautiful males). One morning we will rise early to drive to Sengor for the early morning birding, here we will look for the rare Satyr Tragopan and the Bar-winged Wren Babbler amongst commoner species such as Grey-crested, Coal, Green-backed, Yellow-browed and Black-browed Tits, Mrs Gould’s, Green-tailed and Fire-tailed Sunbirds, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Ashy-throated, Lemon-rumped, Large-billed and Blyth’s Leaf-warblers, White-browed and Rufous-winged Fulvettas, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Fire-tailed Sunbird, White-throated Redstart and Green Shrike Babbler. 

Accommodation: Yongkola.

Meals: B, L, D. 

Today we return to Trongsa, giving us an opportunity to look again for some of the species we might have missed or that we might like to see again.

Accommodation: Trongsa.

Meals: B, L, D.

First part of our morning is spent birding along the Trongsa – Chendibji stretch looking for Brown Dipper, Crested Kingfisher, Fire-tailed Myzornis and Yellow-browed Tit. After a hot picnic breakfast, the road will take us through the village of Chendibji where we will stop near the Nepalese-styled Chorten, picturesquely situated alongside the river. After a short break at the stupa, we will continue our journey through Chazam villages before climbing to Pele La (3,350 m) for stunning views of the valleys, hills and mountain ridges leading you up to Mt Kangbum and Jichu Drake. A short break whilst we soak up the view, before descending through forests of rhododendron and fir to the valley of the Black-necked Cranes. Along this road we will look for birds such as Himalayan Griffon, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Solitary Snipe, Black-necked Crane, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Winter Wren, Oriental Skylark and Hen Harrier.

Accommodation: Phobjikha.

Meals: B, L, D. 

We will rise early to get to Pele La pass for birding, looking for Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan, Spotted Laughingthrush, Spotted Nutcracker, Rufous-vented Yuhina, and Crimson-browed Finch. After breakfast we will continue to Punakha, making further stops along Nobding valley for birds such as Ward’s Trogon, Long-billed Thrush, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Himalayan Cutia and more. Arriving in Punakha we will scan the Puna Tshang Chhu (river) looking for some water birds such as Pallas's Fish-eagle, Pallas’s and Black-headed Gulls, Crested Kingfisher, Ruddy Shelduck, Common Merganser, Common and Green Sandpipers, and River Lapwing. In the afternoon we will visit the magnificent Dzong before returning to our hotel. In and around our hotel we will look for birds such as, Slender-billed Oriole, Grey Nightjar, Common Kestrel and Scaly-breasted Munia.

Accommodation: Punakha, (1,300 m).

Meals: B, L, D.  

This morning we leave the terraced fields and sub-tropical forests around Punakha and travel to Royal Botanical Park at Lampelri, which forms one of the critical biological corridors connecting the Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park and the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Park. It has cool broad leaf forests, mixed conifer forests, fir and sub-alpine forests and a temperate rain forest with hundreds of species of flora and fauna. Here we will look for Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Dark-rumped and Dark-breasted Rosefinches. With a bit of luck, we may also encounter rare species of mammals that the park supports: Musk Deer, Tiger, Leopard, Red Panda, and Leopard Cat. Returning to our vehicles we will continue to Dochu La, an awe-inspiring sight with the road festooned with prayer flags and 108 chortens. From here on a clear day, there are magnificent panoramic views of the high Himalayas, including Masagang 7,158 m, Tsendagang 6,960 m, Terigang 7,060 m, Jejegangphug 7,158 m, Kangphugang 7,170 m, Zongphugang 7,060 m and Gangkar Puensum – the highest peak in Bhutan at 7,497 m. From the pass we drive down to Thimphu where we will stop by a marshy land near Babesa looking for Black-tailed Crake.

Accommodation: Paro.

Meals: B, L, D. 

Today we leave the magnificent kingdom of Bhutan and start our journey home.

Accommodation: none.

Meals: B.