16 Mar 2025 - 04 Apr 2025 (20 days)
USD10,795 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Gregory de Klerk
Tour price (Per person): USD10,795 * GBP8,609 * EUR10,388 * AUD17,332
Single Supplement: USD650 * GBP518 * EUR625 * AUD1,044
04 Apr 2025 - 23 Apr 2025 (20 days)
USD10,795 - No Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Nigel Redman
Tour price (Per person): USD10,795 * GBP8,609 * EUR10,388 * AUD17,332
Single Supplement: USD650 * GBP518 * EUR625 * AUD1,044
15 Mar 2026 - 03 Apr 2026 (20 days)
USD11,200 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Adam Walleyn
Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*
Tour price (Per person): USD11,200 * GBP8,932 * EUR10,778 * AUD17,983
03 Apr 2026 - 22 Apr 2026 (20 days)
USD11,200 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Paul Varney
Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*
Tour price (Per person): USD11,200 * GBP8,932 * EUR10,778 * AUD17,983
One of the least spoilt countries in the mighty Himalayan range, Bhutan boasts incredible mountain scenery and endless verdant forests, whilst shrouded in Buddhist myth and legend and replete with a plethora of incredible and beautiful birds!
On a typical day’s birding with us in this avian wonderland, you will find yourself in breath-taking surroundings searching for legendary birds in pristine forests, with mighty Himalayan peaks towering in the distance – all in all, Bhutan is a destination like no other! As we journey through this fabled land, we will regularly cross dramatic mountain passes, that are adorned with brightly coloured prayer flags and chortens/stupas (temples), and these give way to vast countryside, often dominated by impressive dzongs (temple-fortresses) that so characterise this unique country. We look forward to having you aboard this adventure through a paradise of culture, birds and scenic vistas as we explore the heavenly riches of Bhutan!
*The SDF tourism levy was fortunately reduced from the mandatory $200 per person per day to a lower variable figure dependent on the length of tour (01/06/2023)*
Himalayan Monal; Satyr Tragopan; Blood Pheasant; White-bellied Heron; Ibisbill; Ward’s & Red-headed Trogons; Rufous-necked, Wreathed & Great Hornbills; Beautiful Nuthatch; Slender-billed & Black-crowned Scimitar Babblers; Black-headed Shrike-Babbler; Fire-tailed Myzornis; Fire-tailed Sunbird; Himalayan Cutia; Bhutan & Spotted Laughingthrushes; Blue-bearded Bee-eater; Spotted Elachura; Long-tailed Broadbill; Sultan Tit; Pied Falconet; Red-faced Liocichla; Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch; Golden-breasted Fulvetta; Golden Bush Robin; Darjeeling Woodpecker; and a host of parrotbills
Golden, Nepal Grey & Capped Langurs; Himalayan Goral; Yellow-throated Marten; Hodgson's Giant Flying Squirrel; Black Giant Squirrel; Large-eared Pika.
low to high elevation forests (including bamboo, coniferous & mixed broad-leafed), pastures, wetlands, rocky slopes, rivers
warm and tropical to temperate and cold, some rain expected
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader
Mostly undemanding. Suitable for all birding / wildlife interest levels & most mobility capabilities.
Comfortable, several nights in mobile camps (glamping). Two nights at high elevation (2 600 m / 8 500 ft).
Most species provide good visuals in open conditions.
320 - 350
Buddhist culture, dzongs (temple-fortresses), incredible mountain scenery and magnificent forests, a land little touched by time
Average to good. No dedicated hides. Very good cultural photo opportunities.
Yeah this one was as close to perfect as it comes. Talking with Keith, I understand this is a newish itinerary based on road constructions and all so I can't compare to previous years where RJ used to visit the Eastern part of the country but the current itinerary is impeccable, ensuring various habitats and a very good bird list overall. Local guides and logistics were flawless. Camping was simply amazing. Food was great. And traveling with both Glen and Keith is simply amazing. Both have exhaustive knowledge of the birds in Bhutan but also are a gold mine of information on rare sightings, splits, subspecies and other wildlife sightings. Time management was among the best I had in birding trips; balance between rest time, pacing of walks and everything else was perfect. Two small suggestions, which I have already shared with Keith during the trip : the pre-trip documentation, specifically the itinerary descriptions with potential species need to be reviewed. This is minor as basically no one opens up that document while we are traveling but it is still inaccurate in many ways. Also, on long(ish) days where there is a significant gap between breakfast and lunch (eg 5AM to 2PM), more snacks would be needed, something simple like bananas and/or apples depending on availability, just to keep the hungrier people like me a little bit more fed! But overall this trip was a success from A to Z. I already had high expectations for Bhutan but everything was above and beyond.
I would like to add that our group was small, only 6 guests, which enhanced the birding experiences. The Rockjumper guides, Greg de Klerk and David Erterius, did a great job getting everyone onto most of the species every time. The small group also made for more comfortable travelling.
What an amazing trip. Exhausting, but amazing. Very well researched, planned and executed. The hotels were all outstanding accommodations and the camping, while not “glamping” was as comfortable and easy as possible for people who’ve not camped in ages. The food exceeded my expectations from the hotels, to small restaurants to the campground and road-side dining. I love trying new local foods when I travel and am so glad that the Indian and Bhutanese cuisine was featured at most meals. Keith and Glen are outstanding guides in every sense of the word—knowledgeable, skilled birders, good humored, fun loving and the patience of saints dealing with prickly guests. I’ve been to Kenya with Glen and he’s the one that “sold” me on Bhutan. Toss in Keith for their natural symbiotic relationship and it was a great time. I’d go anywhere with these two leading. Though they animatedly told me not to go on Cameroon or Philippines RJ Trips. Out of my comfort zone. They know me now. We all know there are different types of birders—the casual, the hard core, the photographer-only type, etc. I feel like I’m a bit of a hybrid—love the birds and exotic locations, the outdoors and adventure, but also mixed with culture, good local food, beer and wine and a bit of down time in order to enjoy the fine accommodations and the local attractions. Our local guides in both Assam and Bhutan were kind, exceptional guides and generally lots of fun. Good job finding them.
Another great trip!!! Many thanks to all at Rockjumper. The tour was excellent, both David Erterius and Greg de Klerk did a great job as leaders, both in finding birds, making sure we all saw them and just being fun to be with. We would love to travel with either of them again - they were what we have come to expect from Rockjumper! The field agents were also brilliant and could not have done more for us... All-in-all, a great trip - I will recommend Bhutan to anyone (and, of course, Rockjumper). Already looking forward to our next adventure with you.
We finally made it to Bhutan after a wait of 3 years due to Covid! Great trip. the culture, the Bhutanese people and of course, the birds. Those pheasants are incredible! We also got some great butterflies! Andre was a fantastic guide. We enjoyed his relaxed, fun personality and his handling of the group. He has AMAZING birding skills, able to spot stuff moving and able to predict where it might pop out of the shrubbery for a view. His bird call recognition and mimicking was excellent. We did find the group was a bit to large for our liking, so we might explore using RJs private custom tour service.
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom II 2024 - April 2024
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom I 2024 - March 2024
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom II 2023 - April 2023
Bhutan - Blisard 2023 - April 2023
Bhutan - RBC - Kaziranga Ext 2023 - April 2023
Bhutan - Miller - Highlights 2023 - April 2023
Bhutan - RBC Main 2023 - March 2023
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom I 2023 - March 2023
Bhutan - Highlights of Winter 2023 - January 2023
Bhutan - Highlights of Winter 2020 - January 2020
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom Exclusive 2019 - April 2019
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom 2019 - March 2019
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom II 2018 - April 2018
Bhutan - Browne 2018 - April 2018
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom I 2018 - March 2018
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom I 2017 - March 2017
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom - Szabo 2017 - February 2017
Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom II 2016 - April 2016
Sign up now and get the best deals straight in your inbox!
1-888-990-5552
info@rockjumper.com
