Threads of the Dragon: Textiles & Crafts
Meet the weavers, painters and carvers keeping Bhutan's thirteen traditional arts alive, and try your hand at the loom.
Bhutanese textiles are among the most intricate in the world, and weaving is only one of the thirteen traditional arts, the zorig chusum, still taught and practised today.
This journey follows the thread from the capital's craft schools to the weaving villages of Bumthang, with time in workshops rather than just museums.
Highlights
- The Royal Textile Academy in Thimphu
- The Institute of Zorig Chusum
- Handmade paper making
- Yathra weaving in Chumey
- A weaving session of your own
Day by day
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Day 1
Arrive in Paro
Meet your guide and visit the National Museum's textile and thangka collections.
National Museum of Bhutan · Photo: Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY 2.0 -
Day 2
Paro to Thimphu
The Royal Textile Academy, with its collection of royal and village weaving.
Royal Textile Academy · Photo: Christopher J. Fynn, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Day 3
Thimphu
Watch students at the Institute of Zorig Chusum and see traditional paper being made by hand.
Thimphu · Photo: Prof Ranga Sai, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 4
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Day 5
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Day 6
Trongsa to Bumthang
Stop in Chumey to meet the weavers of yathra, the region's woollen cloth.
Trongsa · Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 7
Bumthang
A hands-on weaving session with a local weaver, then the Bumthang temples.
Jambay Lhakhang · Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 8
Bumthang to Paro
Domestic flight back to Paro (schedule permitting).
Bumthang valley · Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 9
Depart
Transfer to Paro airport for your onward flight.
Paro International Airport · Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0
Included on this journey
More journeys
Jambay Lhakhang Drup
Bumthang's most revered festival at one of Bhutan's oldest temples, including the night-time Mewang fire blessing.
Peaks, Passes & Dzongs
Autumn's crystal skies for the great Himalayan panoramas and the monumental dzongs of the west and centre.
The Dragon Route: Bumthang to Thimphu
Ride the route of the Tour of the Dragon, one of the world's toughest one-day bike races, over four high passes spread across five unforgettable days.
Make it yours.
Tell us your dates and wishes, and we'll tailor this journey around you.
- Private & tailor-made
- Licensed by Bhutan’s Department of Tourism
- Every enquiry answered personally