Village Life & Portraits
Slow, human photography: farmhouse kitchens, harvest in the paddies, archery matches and the faces of rural Bhutan.
This is photography built on time and trust. Rather than rushing between sights, we spend longer in fewer places, staying in farmhouses and joining daily life so that portraits come naturally.
Your guide helps with introductions and always asks permission on your behalf.
Highlights
- Farmhouse kitchens and hearths
- The rice harvest (in season)
- An archery match, Bhutan's national sport
- The village of Ura in Bumthang
Day by day
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Day 1
Arrive in Paro
Meet your guide and talk through the approach for the days ahead.
Paro valley · Photo: Doctor 17, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 2
Paro villages
A day in the farm villages of the Paro valley: the archery ground, a farmhouse kitchen and the market.
Paro valley · Photo: Doctor 17, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 3
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Day 4
Punakha
The rice harvest in the terraces (in season) and a village walk to Chimi Lhakhang.
Chimi Lhakhang · Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 5
Punakha to Gangtey
Into Phobjikha for a night in a farmhouse.
Phobjikha valley · Photo: Prof. Mortel, CC BY 2.0 -
Day 6
Gangtey to Bumthang
Via Trongsa, with stops in roadside villages.
Trongsa Dzong · Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Day 7
Ura
A day in the close-knit village of Ura and its temple.
Ura village · Photo: Christopher J. Fynn, 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
Spring Light: Dzongs & Jacaranda
Punakha Dzong framed in lilac jacaranda, rhododendrons on the passes and soft spring light, with time built in for every frame.
Cranes of Phobjikha
Winter in the glacial Phobjikha valley, where endangered black-necked cranes arrive from the Tibetan plateau.
Peaks, Passes & Dzongs
Autumn's crystal skies for the great Himalayan panoramas and the monumental dzongs of the west and centre.
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