Bhutan Photography Tour (2026)

Bhutan – the Land of the Thunder Dragon, a land where traditions endure and inspire.

Tour dates: 24 April – 4 May 2026
Tour length: 11 days
Led by: Seng Mah and Tshangkhap Namgay
Minimum 5 guests to run this tour.
Pace: Moderate (see tour highlights for more information).

Join us on a soul-stirring journey into a kingdom that retains its cultural heritage and spiritual traditions with pride and vigour. In a world where travel and photography seems to be increasingly diluted by the creeping homogeneity of the Western World, Bhutan is an absolute breath of fresh air.

Our photography tour to Bhutan will take you to a land where timeless traditions blends seamlessly with sublime landscapes. Here, you will find ages-old customs still very much an intrinsic part of daily life.

From the majestic Himalayan peaks piercing the sky to the serene valleys dotted with monasteries and streams of fluttering prayer flags, Bhutan is a photographer’s dream come true. In Bhutan, natural beauty, relatively untouched by the tides of modernisation, will leave you moved and inspired. Every frame you take will unveil the story of Bhutan’s deep-rooted spirituality and reverence for its heritage.

We will visit the iconic dzongs of Bhutan, living symbols of the nation’s rich Buddhist heritage. These fortress-like monasteries, adorned with intricate carvings and vibrant paintings, will not only delight photographers, but present windows into Bhutan’s Buddhist traditions. Step inside these sacred structures, breathe in the aura of spirituality, and capture the moments of devotion and reverence that unfold before your lens.

Dzongs and temples give us a glimpse of daily monastic life. We will capture the essence of devotion as butter lamps flicker and prayer wheels spin. Within these moments, Bhutan’s ancient spiritual wisdom resonates, inviting you to capture the practices and activities that have withstood the test of time.

A highlight of this tour is our attendance at at least two teschus (festivals) — the first in the village of Domkhar featuring the whirling wonder of masked dancers, and the second is the famous Ura Yakchoe in the Ura Valley in Bumthang! The festivals are a mosaic of vibrant dances and masked performances. As the beats of traditional music fill the air and locals don elaborate costumes, you’ll find yourself immersed in an incredible visual symphony of colour, movement and energy. 

But it’s not just the festivals that make Bhutan special; it’s the people themselves. Known for their warm hospitality and genuine kindness, we will spend time in the village of Tshangkha, the family home of our guide, Namgay. Tshangkha is as close as you will come to experiencing traditional village life; with only 25 households and all are involved in farming. Our time in Tshangkha will give us the chance to get to know the Bhutanese, to be invited into their close-knit community and to capture their lives through the medium of documentary photography.  You will be touched by the authenticity, generosity and simplicity that is so much a part of traditional Bhutanese life.

Our photography on this tour covers the gamut of styles and genres: documentary, travel, street, life, portraits, landscapes… the aim is to give you the opportunity to discover and photograph this beautiful kingdom and her warm, wonderful people. This photo tour offers a unique experience for those searching for off-the-beaten-path travel and photography experiences, one that is enriches through immersion in a land where the allure of the natural world and the preservation of traditions converge.

Note: This tour begins in and concludes in Paro, with flight connections from/to Bangkok included in the tour price (arrival 24 April, departure 4 May 2026). You will need to organise your own return flight to Bangkok.

Tour highlights

Day 1: Paro

We take the outward bound flight from Bangkok (included) in the early morning and arrive at Paro where we will be met by our guide, Namgay, at Paro International Airport. In the 17th century, Paro served as a trade route between Bhutan and Tibet and our first experience of Bhutan begins with a visit to Paro Dzong, built in 1646 to defend Bhutan from Tibetan invasion. Now, the dzong houses residences for monks as well as administrative offices. Paro Dzong is beautiful and was the location where some scenes from the film Little Buddha was filmed in 1993.

After lunch, we begin our journey to Thimphu, with a photographic stop at Tamcho Lhakang, where prayer-flag festooned swing bridges cross rapids to give access to the temple (lhakang).

Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan, with a population of around 90,000 people. We overnight in Thimphu.

Day 2: Thimphu and Punakha

We kick off a busy morning with a visit to a local chorten (shrine), where the elderly circumabulate the shrine – a great way for some travel candid photography. We also visit the incredible Great Buddha Dordenma, a giant statueof Shakyamuni Buddha built to celebrate the 60th anniversary of fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

We travel from Thimphu to Punakha, which is located 1200m above sea level. Our journey takes us through the Dochu La mountain pass (3150m), where 108 stupas line the ridge overlooking a misty valley. Framed by gnarled pine trees and at 3150m above sea level, Dochu La will impress and mystify.

At Punakha, we photograph Punakha Dzong (also known as the Palace of Great Happiness), built in 1637 at the confluence of the Pho Chu and Mo Chu Rivers. The Dzong is a marvel in traditional Bhutanese architecture, a veritable maze of steps and balconies, lanes and squares, within which monks conduct their daily lives.

Day 3: Punakha

At Punkha, we will spend time at Rinchen Gang village, whose residents are said to be descendents of the artisans and craftsmen who came from Nepal and India to build the Dzong. The village is a cluster of tightly packed, rammed earth houses. It is considered one of the oldest clustered-villages in Bhutan. We will have lunch at the farmhouse and experience local hospitality.

In the afternoon, we visit the most beautiful Punakha dzong. This dzong was built in 1637. Punakha Dzong was the administrative center and the seat of the Government of Bhutan until 1955 when the capital was moved to Thimphu. 

We overnight in Punakha.

Day 4: Tshangkha

We take the mountain road from Punakha to Trongsa today, with photographic stops en route at Pele La Pass. Trongsa was the most powerful State in Bhutan in the 18th and 19th centuries and features a sprawling, majestic Dzong that commands the valley within which it sits. The drive is around 4 to 5 hours and will take us through a beautiful tapestry of landscapes, rice farms, waterfalls and highland valleys.

A special experience to be savoured and remembered is our stay in the village of Tshangkha, the home of Namgay’s family, a farming village where traditional life prevails. The people of Tshangka make a living through farming and selling cheese, butter and vegetables, and the village has only very recently had access to electricity.

Our time in Tshangkha allows us to experience village life in an intimate and immersive way, getting to know the people and to participate in their activities in an authentic, non-touristy way. We will overnight in a traditional farmhouse in Tshangkha (note that this is truly a traditional farmhouse and will not have the same grade of facilities as the various guesthouses and hotels on this tour, but this is why we visit Tshangkha, to gain an authentic experience of rural life in Bhutan. Accommodation in the farmhouse will also be on a shared basis).

Day 5: Tshangkha – Ogyencholing

From Tshangkha, we travel to Bumthang to attend Tsechu (festival) in Domkhar, a village located in Chummey Valley. The festival is held in the small courtyard of Domkhar temple. Every year the villagers take turns to perform at the festival, and it is considered to be an honour to be chosen to be one of the dancers. You will have the chance to photography mask dancers and local people at this festival, which is held in the small courtyard of the temple in Domkhar. This is a wonderful opportunity to get close to the thrill and vivacity of the festival and to capture images that span the energy and verve of the dancers to more intimate moments of villagers attending the tsechu.

Tsechus are large social gatherings where people from various villages come together to witness the religious mask dances which are based on incidents from as long ago as the 8th century from the life of Guru Rimpoche, and to receive blessings from lamas. The event also consists of colorful Bhutanese dances and other entertainment.

After the festival, we drive to Ogrencholing, a charming traditional hilltop village, where we will overnight. Ogyencholing is very much an agricultural village and there will be opportunities to photography village life in all its simplicity and authenticity.

Day 6: Ogyencholing

Ogyencholing holds a very special place in my heart; it is small, intimate, and for travel photographers who enjoy being close to people and place, it is a dream location for documentary photography and portraiture.

Our day in Ogyencholing begins with the hoisting of prayer flags, a cultural practice that stems from the deeply Buddhist faith of the Bhutanese. We will invite lay monks to consecrate the flags and will take part in the rituals conducted by the monks. We will also photograph life in Ogyencholing, along with opportunities for portraits in the courtyard of Ogyencholing Palace.

We overnight in Ogyencholing.

Day 7: Jakar, Bumthang

After an early breakfast, we will drive to Ura valley to attend the famous Ura Yakchoe (festival). The dance is performed during a festival that is held every Spring. During the festival a scared and important relic is put on display so that the people can receive blessing from it. It will be busy but busy is great for photography, with plenty of moments to be captured.

In the evening, we drive to Jakar and overnight there.

Day 8: Bumthang to Wangdi

We depart Bumthang for Wangdi via Trongsa, a drive that will take 4 to 5 hours. We will visit Trongsa Dzong, which was built in 1644. The dzong is a wonderful multi-levelled monastery that serves as both the religious and administrative capital of the region.

We then depart Trongsa for Wangdi in Bumthang, a drive of about 3 hours.

Day 9: Return to Paro

As we near the end of our tour in Bhutan, we begin to make our way back to Paro. Today is a drive through amazing and dramatic country, before we arrive at Paro. In the afternoon, we travel to Chele La Pass (3980m) which is Bhutan’s highest pass to photograph the landscape and, if weather permits, even see Jhomolari Mountain (7500m).

Day 10: Taktshang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest Monastery) in Paro

We culminate our photography tour of Bhutan with a truly epic day out to Taktshang (Tiger’s Nest) Monastery in Paro. This iconic and commanding monastery sits 3120m up on a sheer cliff. Legend has it that Guru Rimpoche flew to the site of the monastery while riding on the back of a tigress, in order to subdue the demon Sengay Samdrup. The hike takes about 5 hours to complete, and is a truly memorable experience with many photographic opportunities along the way.

Please note that this hike will require a good level of fitness – the trail will take you uphill across many steps, and the final climb to the monastery after the lookout may tax your endurance if you are unused to long hikes.

You can complete part of the hike — to the cafe for lunch (where there is a view across the gorge towards the distant monastery), to the lookout (where the iconic images of the monastery are often taken), or to the monastery itself to visit it (note that photography is forbidden within the temples in the monastery). Guests can choose for a more relaxed day instead of taking this pilgrimage hike and we can organise alternative activities for you.

Whichever way you choose, we end the day with a relaxing hot stone bath at a local farmhouse, where you can soak in a stone bath infused with aromatic herbs.

We overnight in Paro.

Day 11: Departure

We wrap up our time in Bhutan and are transferred to the airport in Paro, for our flight to Bangkok (included). The Bhutanese don’t have a word for goodbye; instead, they say “lok jay gay” which means “see you again”, in the hopes that you will return once more to this beautiful land of the thunder dragon.

Tour Inclusions

• 10 nights accommodation (single occupancy for most nights, except for one night in Tshangkha where our accommodation will be shared occupancy in a traditional farmhouse).
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner during the course of the tour (Lunch and Dinner Day 1, BLD Days 2-10, Breakfast Day 11).
• Return airfares Bangkok – Paro (flying Drukair: Royal Bhutan Airlines, departing 13 October, returning 23 October 2024).
• Bhutan entry Visa.
• Arrival and departure transfers (Days 1 and 11 of the tour).
• Land transport in a mini bus during the course of the tour (as per itinerary).
• Photographic and cultural mentoring and guidance during the course of the tour.

Tour Exclusions

• Return flights to Bangkok. Our flight to Paro departs early in the morning of 24 April. We recommend that you arrive in Bangkok on the 23 April and reserve a night in the airport hotel so that you can catch the morning flight from Bangkok to Paro. Our flight from Paro to Bangkok is in the afternoon of the 4 May, so we recommend that you book a late flight from Bangkok, or reserve a room in the airport hotel on the 4 May and fly out on 5 May.
• Comprehensive travel insurance (this is required as a condition of your joining this tour).
• Photographic equipment and insurance for equipment.
• Alcoholic drinks.
• Personal expenses including laundry, medication, personal shopping and gratuities.
• Any transport and fees outside the scope of the itinerary.
• Gratuities for our driver, guide and assistants during the tour.

Tour price

USD$7600 inclusive of single occupancy. If you are traveling with a spouse or life-partner who is also a participating photographer on this tour, and would like to share a room with them, a double occupancy price of USD$7400 per person is available.

A note on festivals

While we time our photography tours for festivals in Bhutan, there is always a small chance that the festival dates may get changed within a few weeks of the actual festival. If a festival date is changed, we will always have a Plan B.

Reserve your place

A deposit of USD$1500 will secure your place on this tour. The balance is payable by 24 January 2026. Note that deposits are non-refundable unless the tour is cancelled by its organisers (Venture Photography Workshops and Tours) before 24 January 2026.

For details of the Terms and Conditions of our tours, including cancellation charges, please read our Photography Tours Terms and Conditions.

To join this tour or contact us with your questions, please use the form below or email seng [at] venturephotography.com.au or telephone +61 417 604 614.