Blood Pheasant— Photo: K. David Bishop

"The Paro Dzong (monastery), guarded by icy crags, sits warming under the late afternoon sun. It seems to welcome our approach to our beautifully located hotel. An Ibisbill, so subtle as to be taken for a glacial stone, dips quietly in the snowmelt. This is indeed the Kingdom of Bhutan and the land of the peaceful Dragon." As Steve Hilty remarked on first setting foot in the kingdom, "This is fairytale land."

— K. David Bishop

We have designed this "slim-downed" version of our full-length Bhutan tour so that participants who are unable to take the longer tour can enjoy the opportunity to explore this extraordinary country.
 
VENT is widely regarded as "the" Bhutan bird tour expert. We first began operating full-length tours to Bhutan in 1994 and have operated tours annually (sometimes twice annually) there ever since. In many ways this is perhaps our most successful and highly regarded Asian tour.

Recent VENT tours to Bhutan continue the revelation that this country is truly paradise on earth. Untouched, primeval forests extend as far as the eye can see, and the birding is fantastic beyond anyone's dreams. Each year we locate more and more little-known, spectacular, and rarely seen species, including some of the rarest on our planet. The Bhutanese people form one of the most fascinating and least disturbed cultures in the world. It is a rich Buddhist culture which respects all forms of life, resulting in a fauna that is not only marvelously diverse, but remarkably visible and approachable.

Despite the reduced length of this Bhutan tour, some of the species we can expect to see include the incomparably beautiful Ward's Trogon; extraordinary numbers (as well as superb, long, close views) of the endangered Rufous-necked Hornbill; Fire-tailed Myzornis; and a wonderful coterie of pheasants including, with luck, a male Satyr Tragopan, Blood and Kalij pheasants, and Himalayan Monal. We may also find the incomparable Beautiful Nuthatch and globally-endangered White-bellied Heron. We will take time to enjoy the cultural features of the country, including a visit to the spectacular Punakah Dzong—a gigantic fortified monastery.

A mix of lodge-style accommodations and comfortable walk-in tented camps with very comfortable cots; elevations from 150 to 13,000 feet; good mix of walking and easy-paced bus drives (in a superb bus driven by a world-class driver); wide mix of weather conditions from hot and sunny to occasionally overcast, with once in a while some rain, and rarely snow at high elevations.