7 days/ 6 nights · Private tour
Tour highlights
About this tour
This Bhutan motorcycle tour takes you over three high passes to the temples of Bumthang and back in seven days. You ride your own bike on some of the quietest mountain roads in Asia, while your guide leads the way and a support vehicle carries your bags. It is the shortest way to ride into the heart of Bhutan.
Most motorcycle trips here last twelve days or more. Instead, this route packs the best riding into one week, so it fits a normal holiday. If you are a confident rider who wants mountain roads, prayer flags and real culture between rides, this is your trip.
Roads are narrow, winding and mostly paved, with some rough patches after rain. Traffic is light, and Bhutanese drivers are calm and courteous. As a result, the riding is relaxed rather than fast, with long climbs, endless bends and passes above 3,000 metres.
You ride sturdy touring motorcycles chosen for mountain roads. Your guide rides with you, and the support vehicle carries luggage, spare parts and anyone who wants a break. Passengers are welcome too.
You need a valid licence with a motorcycle category, an International Driving Permit and real experience on winding roads. Meanwhile, we handle your permits, fuel and route, and a mechanic travels with the group. Bring your own helmet if you prefer, or use one of ours.
Thinking about something gentler? Our Bhutan mountain biking tour swaps the engine for pedals. Or see every Bhutan adventure tour.
Spring, from March to May, and autumn, from October to November, bring dry roads and clear mountain views. Winter, from December to February, is cold on the passes but often sunny and very quiet. However, the monsoon from June to September can bring landslides, so we avoid it. For visas and packing, read our Bhutan travel information guide.
Your Bhutan motorcycle tour starts from US$3,150 per person, and group discounts are available. The price covers your motorcycle and fuel, a road captain who rides with you, a mechanic, a luggage van and driver, the Sustainable Development Fee, hotels, all meals, permits, taxes and entry fees. Flights, insurance and drinks are extra.
The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per night right now, half the standard rate set by Bhutan’s official tourism site. However, this lower rate is confirmed only until 31 August 2027. We have been licensed since 2012 and have welcomed more than 2,000 travellers.
Visitors must travel with a licensed operator, so you always ride with a guide. However, we can build a custom ride around you, as long or as short as you like.
Yes. Chele La is one of the highest road passes in Bhutan, and the ride down into Haa Valley is a favourite. Add one extra day at the start.
Yes. Many riders enter by road at Phuentsholing. Tell us your plan, and we will arrange permits and meet you at the border.
Day by day
This itinerary shows one way to enjoy this trip. We can change any day, add or remove places, change the pace or the hotels, and add a festival. Every journey we run is curated around you.
Paro to Thimphu · 55 km · about 1.5 hours · 2,300 m Your flight drops into the Paro Valley, and your guide greets you with a white scarf. After lunch, you meet your motorcycle, go through a safety briefing and take a short test ride around the valley. Then you ride the river road to Thimphu, stopping at the confluence where three small stupas mark the meeting of two rivers. In the evening, you walk the main street of the capital. Overnight: Thimphu
Thimphu to Punakha · 72 km · about 3 hours · Dochula Pass 3,100 m You climb out of Thimphu through pine forest to Dochula Pass, where 108 chortens stand against the Himalaya. On clear days, a line of snow peaks fills the horizon. From there, the road drops in long bends into the warm Punakha Valley. In the afternoon, you park up and walk across a wooden bridge into Punakha Dzong, set where two rivers meet. Overnight: Punakha
Punakha to Trongsa · about 130 km · 5 to 6 hours with stops · Pele La 3,420 m Today the riding gets serious. You follow the river past Wangdue, then climb steadily through forest to Pele La, a high pass where yaks graze in the dwarf bamboo. On the far side, the road winds across steep hillsides until Trongsa Dzong appears across the gorge, the largest fortress in Bhutan. In the evening, you rest in Trongsa with views over the valley. Overnight: Trongsa
Trongsa to Bumthang · 68 km · about 2.5 hours · Yotong La 3,425 m A shorter ride gives you time to explore. You climb to Yotong La, then drop into the wide Bumthang valley, the spiritual heart of Bhutan. After lunch, you visit Jambay Lhakhang, built in the 7th century, and Kurjey Lhakhang, where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated. In the evening, you taste buckwheat pancakes and local cheese in Jakar. Overnight: Bumthang
Bumthang to Punakha · about 210 km · 7 to 8 hours with stops This is the longest riding day of your trip. You head west over Yotong La and Pele La again, and the same roads feel different in the morning light. Along the way, you stop for butter tea and seasonal fruit at roadside stalls. By late afternoon, the air warms as you drop back into the Punakha Valley for a well-earned rest by the river. Overnight: Punakha
Punakha to Paro · 125 km · about 4 hours · Dochula Pass 3,100 m You cross Dochula one last time for a final look at the mountains, then follow the river roads back to Paro. In the afternoon, you can visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, or simply wander Paro town. In the evening, you celebrate the ride over a farewell dinner. Overnight: Paro
Paro airport, or Paro to Phuentsholing · about 170 km by road Most riders fly home from Paro after breakfast, seen off by your guide with a farewell scarf. Alternatively, you can ride south to Phuentsholing on the Indian border. The road drops from cool pine forest into steamy subtropical jungle in a single day, a dramatic last ride. From there, you continue overland into India. We hope to welcome you back for a longer ride to the east.
Package does not include insurance of any kinds, and that you are required to obtain separate coverage from your home country or any insurance company of your choice.
Tell us your dates, and we will shape this trip around you.
