Trip Overview | Information Session | Registration
11-Day Mindfulness-Based
Adventure & Tour
Day 1
- Touch down at the enchanting Paro International Airport
- Receive welcome blessings and a spiritual cleansing from a high lama at Buddhist temple Dungtse Lhakhang
- Enjoy lunch at Aum Deki’s family farm home (depending on your arrival time)
- Transfer to Thimphu, 1.5 hours
- Explore a craft bazaar and Kaja Throm (food market) in Thimphu, the highest capital in Asia by altitude (optional)
- Join the nuns at the Thimphu nunnery in evening prayer
- Dinner at the hotel
- Overnight: 3-star Capital Heritage Hotel, Thimphu
Day 2
- Morning yoga, led by Kate at the hotel
- Enjoy breakfast at the hotel
- Visit the GNH Centre in the Punakha District for an in-depth exploration of Bhutan’s central philosophy of Gross National Happiness
- Witness the Dechenphu Tsechu festival in Thimphu, celebrating the powerful guardian deity believed to protect Bhutan and its people
- Taste tomza, a banana-leaf wrapped lunch consisting of rice, meat/egg, and ema datshi, at the festival grounds
- Transfer to Punakha, 2.5 hours
- Experience Himalayan views at Dochula Pass
- Hang prayer flags to spread goodwill and compassion into all-pervading space
- Find solitude in the serene meditation caves at Dochula
- Plant tree saplings in Lampeiri Park with Green Bhutan
- Dinner at the hotel
- Overnight: 4-star Limbukha Forested Resort, Punakha
Day 3
- Morning yoga, led by Kate at the hotel
- Enjoy breakfast at the hotel
- Take a gentle raft ride down the Mo Chhu river in the Panukha Valley
- Explore the Punakha Dzong fortress
- Walk across Bhutan’s longest suspension bridge, spanning the Pho Chhu River
- Experience a traditional Bhutanese cooking lesson and lunch overlooking the Pho Chhu River Valley
- Visit Aum Karma’s family farm home
- Participate in a traditional dyeing and weaving lesson with Aum Karma, a leading activist for the preservation of traditional textile practices
- Enjoy a home-cooked backyard dinner and bonfire at Aum Karma’s farm home with sacred song and dance
- Overnight: 4-star Limbukha Forested Resort, Punakha
Day 4
- Morning yoga, led by Kate at the hotel
- Enjoy breakfast at the hotel
- Transfer to Gasa, 3 hours
- Lunch at Tashi Dechencholing Farmhouse
- Soak in Gasa’s famed natural hot springs
- Dinner at the farm home
- Overnight: Tashi Dechencholing Farmhouse, Gasa
Day 5
- Enjoy breakfast at the farm home
- Transfer to Gangtey, 6 hours
- Lunch en route
- Check in at the hotel
- Drive to Gangtay Goenba Monastery, 20 mins
- Make a butter lamp offering at Gangtay Goenba Monastery, an architectural marvel nestled amidst the breathtaking scenery of the Phobjikha Valley
- Evening yoga, led by Kate at the hotel
- Dinner at the hotel
- Overnight: 4-star Pinewood Resort, Gangtey
Day 6
- Enjoy breakfast at the hotel
- Hike the Gangtay Nature Trail, 1.5 hours – easy*
- Yoga led by Kate at the viewpoint
- Enjoy a home-cooked traditional Bhutanese food lunch at a family farm home
- Transfer to Taphu Monastery, 1 hour
- Witness a prayer ceremony with the monks
- Participate in a meditation session at the monastery
- Dinner at the hotel
- Overnight: 4-star Pinewood Resort, Gangtey
- Gangtey Nature Trail hike is mostly flat or slightly downhill, with no steep climbs or difficult sections, making it comfortable for most people. You do not walk along any edges or cliffs, it feels more like a pleasant countryside walk than a hike. The walk takes about 1.5 hours.
Day 7
- Morning yoga, led by Kate at the hotel
- Enjoy breakfast at the hotel
- Transfer to Bumthang, 4 hours
- Lunch at Willing Waterfall Cafe
- Explore the magnificent fortress of Trongsa Dzong
- Stop at Chumey Yathra Weaving Centre
- Dinner at the hotel
- Embrace a unique and rare opportunity to witness the Mewang (Fire Blessing/Dance) and the Tercham (Naked Dance)
- Overnight: 3-star Mountain Lodge, Bumthang
Day 8
- Morning yoga, led by Kate at the hotel
- Enjoy breakfast at the hotel
- Witness in the Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival, one of the most significant and timeless festivals in Bhutan
- Taste tomza at the festival grounds
- Make a spiritual pilgrimage to Bhutan’s most sacred monasteries
- Dinner at the hotel
- Overnight: 3-star Mountain Lodge, Bumthang
Day 9
- Enjoy breakfast at the hotel
- Transfer to Paro – 8 hours
- Lunch en route
- Arrive at Neyphu monastery
- Blessing and lighting of butter lamps
- Yoga session led by Kate with the monks
- Join monks in evening prayer
- Dinner with the monks
- Overnight: Neyphu Monastery, Paro
Day 10
- Embark on an iconic trek to the legendary Tiger’s Nest monastery, 3 hours*
- Enter the sacred cave beneath the monastery
- Enjoy a mountainside Comfort Picnic
- Experience a guided meditation and spiritual teaching from a reincarnated spiritual master at the heritage home
- Soak in a traditional hot stone bath with freshly picked local therapeutic herbs at the hotel
- Enjoy a 6-course garden-to-table farewell dinner at the hotel
- Overnight: 5-star Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary Balcony Room, Paro
- Tiger’s Nest Monastery hike takes about 3 hours at a comfortable pace. The first part is a steady uphill walk on a wide forest path, while the final section includes stone steps and some narrower paths along the mountainside as you approach the monastery. Those who prefer a shorter experience can hike up to the viewpoint cafe, which offers a stunning view of the monastery without completing the full trek.
Day 11
- Morning yoga, led by Kate at the hotel
- Enjoy breakfast at the hotel
- Transfer to the Airport
- Depart via Paro International Airport
Travel Considerations
Travel takes place at moderate elevations of approximately 7,000 feet above sea level.
While altitude-related symptoms are uncommon at these heights, some participants may notice mild effects such as headache, fatigue, or changes in sleep, and higher elevations can affect existing health conditions.
The program is active and thoughtfully paced, with some early starts and full travel days. Daily activities typically include one to three miles of walking over uneven terrain, including stairs, cobblestones, and stone paths.
An optional highlight is the hike to Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest)—a memorable and rewarding excursion of about four miles roundtrip, taking 4–6 hours and reaching an altitude of approximately 10,240 feet. Participants may ride a mule or horse to the halfway point or choose to opt out.
The daily yoga that is offered by Kate, who is a Registered Yoga Teacher trained in Yoga for Osteoporosis, is gentle and supportive for travel.
This program is best suited for travelers who enjoy active exploration and are comfortable embracing the rewarding realities of travel in mountainous regions.
A Note about Sustainability
We are coordinating our travel through the wonderful luxury travel designer and outfitter MyBhutan. All of their guests travel with carbon offsets and also sponsor a child’s education. Prior to each guest’s arrival, MyBhutan plants trees to offset their in-country carbon emissions, and sponsors a student’s education for a year on their behalf. Every guest plays a part.
Commitment to Community
MyBhutan is proud to work with partners who are deeply committed to supporting nonprofit projects across the country. From education and cultural preservation to environmental and community initiatives, these efforts ensure that journeys like ours contribute to lasting, positive impact.
More Than Travel
MyBhutan participates in numerous community projects:
- Promoting physical activity and skill development for youth through sports
- Digitizing the nation’s sacred objects from within 2,000+ monasteries and temples
- Supporting a critically endangered craft with only two remaining hatmakers
- Establishing the first spiritual welfare plan for elderly monks
- Arranging booths for socially immobile farmers at a local farmer’s market
- Building community forests and employing villagers to maintain them
The Story of Lho Mon — Bhutan’s Oldest Name
There is evidence suggesting that Bhutan’s earliest settlement dates back to 2000 BC. Bhutan’s early history is steeped in mythology and oral tradition.
It is known by many names such as Land of Thunder Dragon, Land of Medicinal Herbs, Hidden Holy Land, and Lotus Garden of the Gods.
In ancient times, Bhutan was called ‘Lho Mon’ meaning ‘Southern Land of Darkness’.
‘Lho’ means south (located to the south of Tibet) and ‘Mon’ means darkness — because the practice of Buddhism had not flourished in Bhutan like in Tibet and India, and thus the people were “in the dark” (without the light of religion).
If you look at an ancient map of Asia, you may find that the corners of the map end abruptly where Bhutan begins, and that the remaining area (where Bhutan exists) is illustrated with dragons and mythical beings.
This is how you can imagine Bhutan.
Socially, spiritually and geographically, the Dragon People and the sacred place that surrounds them have remained shrouded in mystery for the duration of time.
With that, Bhutan is not a place that is ordinarily traveled. It is not meant to be, either.
As our travel hosts like to say, “You do not find Bhutan. Bhutan is a place that finds you.”
We look forward to meeting — and being embraced by — this remarkable kingdom of mindfulness with you.