" to Bhutan since 2001"

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Rainbow Photo Tours of

Rainbow Photo Tours Bhutan

 

"Life changing!”
"I cannot imagine doing Bhutan any other way."
"This is not your 'normal' group trip.” —TripAdvisor Reviews of Rainbow Photo Tours
Non-Photographers Welcome, Too!

Tour Overview Page

Travel in cars, not a bus.  15 days in country, all the way across Bhutan.

Bhutan Jacarandas by Dzong
Jacarandas in bloom at Dzong in Bhutan.

Drive from village to village all the way across the country to the very end of the road and then fly back to Paro.

Why this Tour?

The main difference between this tour and others is our mode of transportation—cars, not a bus. Most of our travelers have seen the world on their own, rarely signing up for an organized tour. So to cater to those who have wanderlust in their core we have built something that is quite unique in all the world. On this tour you will be in a car with your travel companion, a Bhutanese guide and a driver who are ready to stop whenever you decide and as many times as you like. Simply put, you are the captain of your ship as we travel from one side of the country to the other. We limit the tour to 16 participants and rotate you from car to car daily so that you will have the opportunity to get to know our crew of 16 guides and drivers. (That's right, we are one-on-one with our Bhutanese hosts.) You will also have the freedom to break away for the day and go somewhere else—all things are possible when you travel in your own car. Your personal English-speaking guide is eager to show you his country, introduce you to his family and serve as a cultural guide and interpreter. You will also find them to be good "fixers" as they get you welcomed into farmhouses, pujas (Buddhist ceremonies), farmhouse building sites and farm fields. Many of our participants have helped hand harvest wheat and some have even guided a wooden plow behind two oxen.

“We went to areas where no other tours are going." — Recent TripAdvisor Review of Rainbow Photo Tours

Our Spring and Fall tours leap-frog across the countryside and immerse you in non-stop culture of all forms: dance, song, art, farming, archery (the national sport), wildlife, religion, weaving and even visits a few school classrooms, something the government stopped allowing in 2011. You can enjoy sleeping in or rise at 5 a.m. to catch the fog lifting from a castle dzong. Participate in an archery match, enjoy a hot stone bath, eat lunch at a Bhutanese farmhouse, hike through a forest, and many other special events not listed on other Bhutan itineraries.

You will go to a small temple in Phongmey in the far eastern side of Bhutan for an exclusive festival put on by the nomads of Sakten and Merak--they trek for two days to get to us and even bring their two-man yak costume! We provide the food and prepare a hot lunch for over 100 villagers—you will be asked to wield a ladle in the serving line. (We bring pork or boiled eggs, something the villagers hardly ever get to enjoy.)

Cars in Bhutan

Travel in cars, not a bus, and go where others don't. (Read more about our Guides and Drivers!)

You will visit a small monastery in Phobjhika where Rainbow sponsors a Buddhist ceremony--a blessing for safety and happiness of the tour. The lama allows us to take pictures of the monastery's young monks as they chant and blow long brass horns and trumpets made from a human femur, beat drums and clash cymbals.

Bhutan's tourism infrastructure is vastly improved over the past fifteen years and we constantly upgrade to new hotels that are a better fit to Western standards. All rooms are en-suite and have wi-fi available, albeit a few only in the lobby. Clean and spacious and except for maybe one or two that might have barking midnight dogs nearby they are quiet and off the beaten path. Some are truly a joy to stay in, especially the five-star NakSel Botique Resort in Paro where we spend the first two nights, owned by our Bhutanese partners at Rainbow Tours and Treks of Bhutan.

Dinner, lunch and breakfast are Bhutanese food, always hot (not spicy) and served buffet style in hotels and restaurants. Special diets are impossible to obtain. Vegetarians will enjoy abundant vegetables since ninety percent of Bhutan's 700,000 citizens are subsistence farmers. Fiery hot chili peppers are served separately as a vegetable entree and not mixed with other entrees. (In fact, many travelers find Bhutanese food to be quite bland.) Fresh fruit is rarely served but frequently available at roadside markets.

It is said that the single mountainous road that traverses Bhutan turns every nine seconds on average, and while it is paved road repairs cause frequent slow-downs from the usual 30 mph. This road is also the main foot path and domestic animal trail--there are no bathrooms along the way but plenty of trails leading down into the bushes for your convenience.

"Robin has connections and trust with locals that only occur with years of personal experience." 
— TripAdvisor Review of Rainbow Photo Tours

Altitude sickness has not been a problem with any of the past participants. Altitudes range from 7,200 feet in Paro to 8,500 feet in Ura, with some passes at 12,000 feet. We move through the passes within a few hours and that's not high enough or time enough for altitude sickness to take hold.  Our drivers are mature hand-picked family men who know every curve of the road, the only paved highway in their country.emailRobin Email Robin.

More Recommendations for Rainbow Photo Tours

Articles and cover shots by Robin Smillie in Tashi Delek, Bhutan's in-flight magazine.
Tashi Delek Covers Robin Smillie
“I am a beginner photographer but felt completely comfortable..." —TripAdvisor Review of Rainbow Photo Tours
“Even though the roads are rough, and a little hair-raising at times, the drivers are obviously well experienced professionals, safe, courteous and capable. " —TripAdvisor Review of Rainbow Photo Tours

Robin is at your disposal! He will be happy to answer any questions you have about travelling to Bhutan on this tour.

TripAdvisor

Read TripAdvisor Reviews of Rainbow Photo Tours

Over 50 Reviews!
Read Now!

Reviewed November 17, 2018

"The Real Deal

My father and I recently returned from the fall 2018 tour, and as several of my tour companions have already stated, the way Robin and Rainbow Photo Tours of Bhutan organize the trip is absolutely, positively outstanding." - Read More

Bhutan Tour Overview Cross Country Cultural and Festivals Tour

15 Days In-country
Limited to 16 Participants

Do you have more travel questions about going to Bhutan? Please feel free to

Bhutan Prayer Flags with our SUV
Background photo by Robin Smillie: Tour SUV passes the Prayer flags to Nirvana.

Celebrating 19 + Years of Tours to Bhutan!

Previous Bhutan Tour Group Photos

2016 Rainbow Photo Tours
Our tour guides and drivers
2014 Rainbow Photo Tours
Our tour guides and drivers
2014 Rainbow Photo Tours
Photo by Tour Member Dwight.
2013 Group
Our tour guides and drivers.
2012 Group
(Photo by participant Roger Nelson) Our tour guides and drivers.
2011 Group
(Photo by tour participant Peggy)
Our tour guides and drivers.
2009 Group
(Photo by tour participant Joe Coveney)
Our tour guides and drivers.
2009 Group
Our tour guides and drivers.
2009 Group
Our tour guides and drivers.
2009 Group
Our tour guides and drivers.
2009 Group
Our tour guides and drivers.
2008 Group
Our tour guides and drivers.
2007 Tour
Our tour guides and drivers.

Our tour guides and drivers.
Our tour guides and drivers.
Our tour guides and drivers.
rainbowgroup
Our tour guides and drivers.
Our tour guides and drivers.