10 days/ 9 nights · Private tour
Tour highlights
About this tour
The Matsutake mushroom festival takes place in Ura, a high farming village in Bumthang. Each August, villagers lead visitors into the pine forests to hunt for matsutake, one of the most prized wild mushrooms in the world. Then everyone cooks and tastes them together, with music, dancing and local crafts. In 2027, the festival is expected in August, and the exact dates are announced in early summer.
This ten-day tour drives across the heart of Bhutan to reach Ura in the green season. You also see Punakha Dzong, Trongsa and the temples of Bumthang, and you finish with the hike to Tiger’s Nest.
Matsutake grow under pine trees after the summer rains, and most are sold to Japan, where they are highly valued. During the festival, local guides take small groups into the forest at dawn. You learn how to spot the mushrooms and pick them without harming the forest.
Back in the village, cooks prepare matsutake soup, stir-fries and a version of ema datshi. Meanwhile, there are folk songs, dances, archery and stalls selling Bumthang crafts.
August is the rainy season, so bring a rain jacket and boots for the forest. Mornings are often clear, which is the best time for foraging. Ura sits at about 3,100 metres, so pack a warm layer too.
Visiting Ura in spring instead? The Ura Yakchoe takes place in the same village in April. Or see every Bhutan festival tour for 2027.
Your Matsutake mushroom festival tour starts from US$3,000 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 or three days in August. We will confirm the 2027 dates as soon as they are announced.
No. Local guides show you everything, and the walks in the forest are gentle.
Yes. Villagers check every mushroom, and only matsutake are cooked at the festival.
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. You follow the river to Thimphu, stopping at Chuzom, where three small stupas mark the meeting of two rivers. In the afternoon, you visit the Memorial Chorten, where elders turn prayer wheels. 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 through pine forest to Dochula Pass, where 108 chortens stand against the Himalaya. On clear days, a line of snow peaks fills the horizon. Then the road drops into the warm Punakha Valley. In the afternoon, you walk through rice fields to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Divine Madman. Overnight: Punakha
Punakha to Trongsa · about 130 km · 5 to 6 hours with stops · Pele La 3,420 m You follow the river past Wangdue, then climb to Pele La, where yaks graze in the dwarf bamboo. On the far side, the road winds across steep hillsides until Trongsa Dzong appears across the gorge. In the evening, you rest with views over the valley. Overnight: Trongsa
Trongsa to Bumthang · 68 km · about 2.5 hours · Yotong La 3,425 m In the morning, you visit the Ta Dzong museum above Trongsa. Then you cross Yotong La and drop into the wide Bumthang valley, the spiritual heart of Bhutan. In the afternoon, you visit Jambay Lhakhang and Kurjey Lhakhang, where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated. Overnight: Bumthang
Jakar to Ura · 48 km · about 1.5 hours · 3,100 m You climb over a high pass and drop into Ura, where stone farmhouses line narrow lanes. After lunch, you join the festival opening, with songs, dances and stalls of local food. In the evening, you return to Jakar. Overnight: Bumthang
Ura · pine forest walk · 2 to 3 hours You set off at dawn with a village guide into the misty pine forest. You search the moss for the brown caps of matsutake and learn how to pick them gently. Back in Ura, you watch the cooks at work and taste the results. In the afternoon, you enjoy the archery and folk dances. Overnight: Bumthang
Bumthang to Punakha · about 210 km · 7 to 8 hours with stops This is the longest drive of your trip, so you set off early. You cross Yotong La and Pele La again, stopping for butter tea and seasonal fruit at roadside stalls. By late afternoon, the air warms as you drop back into the Punakha Valley. Overnight: Punakha
Punakha to Paro · 125 km · about 4.5 hours with stops You cross Dochula once more for a last look at the mountains, then follow the river roads to Paro. 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
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.
