8 days/ 7 nights · Private tour
Tour highlights
About this tour
The Haa Summer Festival celebrates the life of the herders and farmers of the Haa Valley, one of the most hidden corners of Bhutan. Every July, families set up tents in the meadows to share home-cooked food, folk songs, traditional sports and local crafts. In 2027, the festival is expected in mid-July, and the exact dates are announced in spring.
This eight-day summer tour crosses one of the highest road passes in Bhutan to reach Haa. You spend two days at the festival, then visit Thimphu and hike to Tiger’s Nest. Summer is green, quiet and full of wildflowers.
Haa people show visitors how they live through the seasons. You taste dishes such as hoentoe, buckwheat dumplings filled with turnip leaves and cheese. Meanwhile, there are archery and wrestling contests, yak displays, songs and dances. Some families also offer homestays during the festival.
Haa opened to visitors only in 2002, and it still feels untouched. Its White and Black Temples, Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo, are among the oldest in the region.
July is the monsoon season, so pack a rain jacket and waterproof shoes. Showers usually come in the afternoon, and the mornings are often clear. In addition, the valley is cool at 2,700 metres, so bring a warm layer for the evenings.
Visiting in another season? Our Rhododendron festival Bhutan tour runs in April. Or see every Bhutan festival tour for 2027.
Your Haa Summer Festival tour starts from US$2,400 per person, and group discounts are available. The price covers the Sustainable Development Fee, hotels and all meals. It also includes a private vehicle and driver, a licensed guide, taxes and entry fees. Flights, insurance and drinks are extra.
The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per night right now. That is 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.
It is usually held for two days in mid-July. We will confirm the 2027 dates as soon as they are announced.
Yes, if you like green valleys and few tourists. Expect some rain, but also lower crowds and lush scenery.
Yes. Just ask, and we will arrange a farmhouse stay for one or two nights.
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 · 2,200 m Your flight drops into the green Paro Valley, and your guide greets you with a white scarf. In the afternoon, you visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, and walk down from Rinpung Dzong across a covered wooden bridge. Overnight: Paro
Paro to Haa · about 65 km · 3 hours · Chele La about 3,990 m You climb through fir forest to Chele La, where prayer flags crack in the wind and summer wildflowers cover the slopes. Then you drop into the Haa Valley. In the afternoon, you visit the White and Black Temples. Overnight: Haa
Haa · festival day · 2,700 m You walk to the festival meadows, where families have set up tents and cooking fires. You taste hoentoe and local cheese, watch archery and join in the folk dances. In the evening, you relax in your farmhouse or hotel. Overnight: Haa
Haa · festival day Today you see more of the contests and the yak displays. Your guide introduces you to herders, who share stories of moving their animals up to the high pastures. In the afternoon, you take a short walk through a village above the valley. Overnight: Haa
Haa to Thimphu · about 115 km · 4 hours You follow the Haa river down a wooded gorge to Chuzom, where three small stupas mark the meeting of two rivers. In the afternoon, you visit Buddha Dordenma above Thimphu. Overnight: Thimphu
Thimphu to Paro · 55 km · about 1.5 hours In the morning, you visit the School of Traditional Arts and the craft bazaar. After lunch, you drive back to Paro. In the evening, an optional hot stone bath is a lovely way to relax. Overnight: Paro
Tiger's Nest hike · about 500 m climb · 4 to 6 hours return · 3,100 m You set off early through pine forest hung with prayer flags, climbing about 500 metres to the viewpoint opposite the monastery. From there, steps lead past a waterfall to Taktsang itself, clinging to the cliff above the valley. Your guide tells the story of Guru Rinpoche, who is said to have flown here on a tigress. In the afternoon, your legs can rest with an optional hot stone bath in a farmhouse. Overnight: Paro
Paro airport · short transfer After breakfast, your guide and driver take you to Paro airport and see you off with a farewell scarf. We hope to welcome you back soon, perhaps for a festival in another season.
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.
