We keep adding trips to Bhutan since the demand for this particular trip has been overwhelming (perhaps because our trip costs about $4,000 less than those of other tour operators?) There’s a nice wrinkle to the fall trip—a visit to Bhutan’s annual Crane Festival, a cultural Bhutanese highlight, that takes place annually on November 11. Otherwise, the itinerary is almost identical to the one we run each spring. For a complete list of the 340 species seen by one of our previous groups, check out this trip report.

It’s no wonder that it’s possible to see so many birds in a trip that’s less than three weeks long. Bhutan, a country roughly the size of Maryland, has almost 600 species of birds. Over 70% of its land is forested with 25% protected by National Parks. You’ll visit a range of ecosystems varying from sub-tropical at 150m to alpine at over 4,500m.

On this 19-day trip, some of the major targets you’ll be looking for include the big three pheasants—Himalayan Monal, Satyr Tragopan, and Blood Pheasant—as well as some unusual birds like the Ibisbill, some beautiful birds like the Fire-tailed Myzornis, Ward’s Trogon and the aptly named Beautiful Nuthatch, and some critically endangered birds like the Rufous-necked Hornbill, the White-bellied Heron, and, on this particular tour, the Black-necked Crane. You can also expect to see 10-15 species of mammals (the group last year was fortunate enough to see Red Panda). Our Bhutanese guide from Langur Eco Travels will not only introduce you to the fauna but also the flora of Bhutan (famous for its rhododendrons) and its culture (our trip includes visits to several famous sites, including the Tiger’s Nest Monastery).

For more on Bhutan we recommend the talk our Bhutanese host Chubzang Tangbi gave at one of our special Travel Program Speaker Series talks two years ago. All of the amazing photographs are his. Click here for the talk and slideshow. We also recommend a feature on Bhutan shown on 60 Minutes. Click here to watch it. 

FLIGHTS

Bangkok to Guwahati $462 per person (can be booked by Langur Eco Travels or self-arranged

Paro to Bangkok $520 per person (arranged by Langur Eco Travels)

Note: Flight costs are current prices and are subject to change