Archery in Bhutan is far more than a sport. It is the national game, and on weekends whole villages gather to watch teams shoot at tiny targets 145 metres away, while the players sing, dance and tease their rivals.
With your guide, you can watch a match and then try a bow yourself. It is a joyful way to meet local people and feel the spirit of the country.
First, you watch a match and learn the rules, the songs and the little dance that follows a hit. Then a local archer shows you how to hold a traditional bamboo bow, and you shoot at a closer target.
Afterwards, you can try khuru, a game of heavy darts thrown across a field. In addition, if you are lucky, you will be invited to share tea or a snack with the teams.
Like every part of your trip, this experience is private, with your own guide and driver. We plan it around your pace, the weather and local events, and your guide translates and explains the meaning behind everything you see, so you always feel welcome.
Archery is easy to add to almost any day, for example on our Bhutan village tour or our 7-day Bhutan itinerary. You can also pick it on our curate your own trip page, and we will fit it into the right day. For more ideas, see all our Bhutan cultural activities.
For more about the national sport, see Bhutan’s official tourism site.
Yes. You shoot at a close target, away from the match, with a local archer beside you.
Often, yes. Tell us your dates and we look for matches near your route.
Every activity can be added to any of our private tours. Tell us what you would like, and we fit it into the right day.
Curate your trip Ask us