This bike tour is back in the program in 2021, for 2020 please check our new Bhutan Intensive Motorcycle Tour! If you want us to organize an individual and customized 11 day Bhutan Tour, we can do that for you any time ..


Bhutan Highlights Motorcycle Tour – 11 Day Royal Enfield Bike Tour Of Bhutan

11 – Day Bhutan Highlights Motorcycle Adventure Tour

“Kusuzangpo”

That’s how people greet one another in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.

The country is sandwiched between India and China in the eastern Himalayas at elevations ranging from 180 to 7,500 meters. With an area of 47,000 square kilometers, Bhutan is roughly the same size as Switzerland. The kingdom has around 650,000 inhabitants, of which around 50,000 live in the capital Thimphu. Bhutan is mainly Buddhist, a small Hindu population of Nepali immigrants lives in the south of the country.

Bhutan opened to modern development only very recently. The first road was built in 1962. In 1983, the first, and to date only, airport was opened. Tourism is permitted only to the extent that it does not endanger the kingdom’s traditional culture and society. In Bhutan, “gross national happiness” takes precedence over economic considerations.

Only a few thousand visitors visit the mountain kingdom every year and the high price of admission is likely to keep it that way. USD 200.00 is the minimum daily expenditure for tourists in Bhutan, and individual travel without a guide is not permitted.

In return, visitors can marvel at the country’s spectacular, virtually untouched natural beauty.

Bhutan is a land of snow capped mountains, deep, broad valleys with fertile rice paddies and orchards, tiny villages and bustling market towns. Yet the south is covered in jungle and more reminiscent of India than the Himalayas. Bhutan is a thoroughly exotic country that stimulates all of the senses.

The previously-inaccessible biker’s paradise in the Himalayas is now within the reach of a dedicated few.

We bring our own fleet of 500cc Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles to Bhutan, all featuring electric starters and gearshift on the left.

Our Bhutan highlights motorcycle tour begins in Calcutta – with a flight that touches down at Bhutan’s only airport in Paro, surrounded by Himalayan peaks at an altitude of 2,300 meters. Our adventure in the saddle can begin the same day.

Riding a motorcycle in Bhutan is different.

Straight roads hardly exist, and we’ve counted an average of 10 curves per kilometer. The roads are quite empty, and the capital city of Thimphu doesn’t even have a traffic light! Our motorcycle tour of Bhutan takes us along small mountain roads in varying conditions, and the ride never gets boring – beautiful landscapes soon cure us of the urge to ride hard. We kick back and savor the pure joy of cruising on our Bullet motorcycles at a relaxed 30 to 70 kph.

Our Bhutan bike tour is structured to allow enough time to get to know the countryside and the residents of the villages along the roads.
We travel together with local friends who give us unique insights into their country and who share our love of biking.

The detailed route of the 11-day Bhutan Highlights Motorcycle Tour

Here is the current Bhutan motorcycle tour map

Bhutan motorcycle tour map


Day 1 Saturday: Flying independently from home to New Delhi.

Reach in the morning of Day 2 and spend some time in the transit section of the international airport.

Day 2 Sunday: Paro (Altitude 2,300 m)

Afternoon flight with DRUK AIRWAYS to Paro, transfer and time to relax at the hotel. The town itself is rather small, as most people live in the surrounding countryside, working the most fertile soil in the country. The road from the dzong to Paro is lined by very large chortens. The royal palace of Ugyen Pelri, built by Paro Penlop Tshering Panjor around 1930, is barely visible on the right. We’ll be spending the night in the old Gangtey Palace, one of Bhutan´s finest Heritage Resorts, cosy and rustic, with the option to enjoy the traditional Bhutanese “Hot Stone Bath” and the scenic Paro town and Dzong view from the bar and terrace.

Accommodations: Hotel Gangtey Palace
Distance Travelled: 60 km

Day 3 Monday: Paro (Altitude 2,300 m)

Today we’ll take a short motorcycle tour of the Paro Valley in western Bhutan to the imposing ruins of the Drukgyel Dzong fortress monastery. The day will also include time for sightseeing and shopping in the town of Paro, a settlement that was not established until 1985. As is so often seen in Bhutan, there is no village near the dzong.

The houses along the main street are built in the traditional style and are painted with colorful patterns. The ground floors usually contain small shops typical of mountain villages that stock the basic essentials for the inhabitants. Alternatively, we can organize a memorable trek to the renowned Taktshang monastery (the “dragon’s nest”) – a Bhutanese national treasure with a stunning vista. (a 2-hour, 500-meter climb)

Accommodations: Hotel Gangtey Palace
Distance Travelled: 150 km

Day 4 Tuesday: Thimphu (Altitude 2,600 m)

Today we’ll be doing a fantastic climb up to the Cheli La pass (3,990 m) on our motorcycles. This is Bhutan´s highest road ! We’ll then take the new main road into Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital city. (2,400 m, approx. 50,000 inhabitants) Our accommodations for the night are in a rustic and cosy , scenic located local Resort. A speciality dinner is lined up for us in the evening, followed by a little tour of the capital’s pubs, if you’re up to it.

Accommodations: Wangchuk Hotel
Distance Travelled: 120 km

Day 5 Wednesday: Punaka (Altitude 1,600 m )

A short sightseeing tour in the morning and time to change money and shop – at 11:00 am it’s time for our next motorcycle ride through the mountains.

Just out of Thimphu, the road begins a steep, twisty climb to the Dochu La pass at 3,450 meters. The top of the pass is visibly marked by a large Bhutanese chorten and prayer flags. The road down from Dochu La into the Punakha Valley and on to Wangdi Phodrang goes on for some distance, descending 1,700 meters to the valley floor.

In Punaka, we’ll visit the largest and mightiest dzong in Bhutan and spend the night at the Singye Lodge (approx. 100 km). Via Dochu La (3,140 m) to Wangdue Tzong, then Punaka.

Accommodations: Y.T. Resort
Distance Travelled: 100 km

Day 6 Thursday: Trongsa (Altitude 2,180 m)

We’ll then climb back up the winding Pele La pass (3,300 m),From there we’ll ride through the Black Mountains to the incomparable Phobjikha Valley – the winter habitat of Tibetan cranes and location of one of the largest fields of dwarf bamboo. We´l have lunch at a local guest house and then there is time for a short hike through medieval villages and to the dzong.

The long descent ends near the imposing Chendebi chorten, where we stop for a tea, coffee and a brief Photo shoot. After another hour of winding our way through the mountains on our bikes, we’ll catch our first glimpse of the dzong. Eight kilometers outside of Trongsa, the road takes a tight bend to the left around an outcrop and presents us with one of the most breathtaking vistas in Bhutan.

Dinner and Overnight in the cosy Yangkhil Resort, Campfire included.

Accommodations: Yangkhil Resort
Distance Travelled: 120 km

Day 7 Friday: Bhumthang (Altitude 2,580 m)

After Breakfast we visit Trongsa dzong, a fortress built in 1648, sprawls down a steep hillside. Like nearly all towns in Bhutan, Trongsa is dominated by a dzong that dwarfs the surrounding buildings. Than we saddle the Bullets and we’ll cross the Yotong La pass (3,425 m) on our way into the picturesque Bhumthang Valley. En route, we’ll stop briefly to visit the Chumey Yathra weavers. (approx. 160 km, 6 hours in the saddle!)We’ll spend the night in the splendid Swiss Guest House Resort ( with attached beer Brewery ) in Jakar.

Accommodations: Swiss Guest House – Resort
Distance Travelled: 90 km

Day 8 Saturday: Mongar (Altitude 2,200 m)

From Bhumthang, we’ll be heading east. Foreigners may be few and far between in western Bhutan, but virtually none make their way into the regions we’ll be seeing today. On the way to Mongar (1,800 m), we’ll be crossing the Tumsi La, on of Bhutan’s highest road passes. During the motorcycle ride, we can observe the changes in the beautiful surrounding vegetation as we climb through the various climate zones. But first, we’ll visit Ura, a village that is not typical for Bhutan. The houses are all built very close to one another, all facing in the same direction. (approx. 140 km). Overnight in the stylish Wangchuk Hotel in Mongar.

Accommodations: Wangchuk Hotel
Distance Travelled: 180 km

Day 9 Sunday: Tashigang (Altitude 2,300 m)

Today we’re going to cruise on our bikes to Tashigang via Drametsi. We’ll cross the Korila pass (2,490 m) and wind our way through refreshing evergreen forests in the Yadi Loops. From the hot Kanglung Chu valley, we’ll ride up to the quiet little mountain town of Tashigang (approx. 150 km).

Our romantic hotel is is built like a small fortress and has more atmosphere than actual creature comforts, but we’ll hardly miss them considering the spectacular views.
Accommodations in Hotel Druk or Doethjung Resort

Accommodations: Hotel Druk or Doethjung Resort.
Distance Travelled: 120 km

Day 10 Monday: Samdrup Jongkhar (Altitude 600m)

Today we’ll tackle the last leg of the Bhutan Motorcycle Tour, from Tashigang to Samdrup Jonghar. 30 km into the day, we’ll reach Bhutan’s only university in Kanglung. Later, in Khaling, we’ll visit weavers, practitioners of a craft that’s very popular here in eastern Bhutan.

For the rest of the ride, we’ll once again experience Bhutan as a true paradise for bikers, with endless winding roads through the mountains. We’ll enjoy the view during our picnic lunch, then slowly descend to Samdrup Jongkhar, a town on the border to the Indian state of Assam, at an altitude of only 200 meters. And that’s the end of the bike tour! Dinner will be served at Hotel T.L.T., a basic place, but the best one in town.

Accommodations: Hotel T.N.T.
Distance Travelled: 180 km

Day 11 Tuesday: Coach Transfer to Guwahati – Flight to New Delhi (Altitude )

Today we return to India. Our AC deluxe bus will take us 130 km through the lush plains to the Assamese capital Guwahati on the Brahmaputra river. From there, we’ll transfer straight to the airport for a short flight to Delhi in the afternoon and have our farewell dinner and last night of the tour at the Ashok Garden Resort. ….till the airport transfer for the flight out and home……

Accommodations: Hotel Asoka Garden Resort, 4 km from the international Airport
Distance Travelled: 180 km by coach

Day 12 Wednesday:

Flying independently from New Delhi to your home or next destination.


Bhutan Tour Motorcycles:

We ride new 500cc Royal Enfield Bullet Motorcycles featuring electric starters, 5-speed gearboxes with the gearshift on the left, front disk brakes, large, rugged leather saddlebags, crashbars and twin horns. If you would like to ride a Classic Bullet with a kickstarter, 4-speed gearbox and gearshift on the right, we can arrange that as well.

 

Group size for the bike tour:

Generally 8 to 14 riders and 2 to 5 passengers. Passengers can also ride in the support jeep any time they wish. We join this group with the Sikkim & Bhutan Group.

Minimum number of participants:

6 riders. As is always the case when traveling in exotic countries without advanced tourist infrastructure, it may become necessary to alter the Bhutan Motorcycle Tour program on the spot due to unforeseen circumstances.

Our Bhutan Highlights Motorcycle Tour services include :

  • 10 overnight stays in double rooms in hotels or guest houses
  • All breakfasts, all lunches ( except on the flight travelling days ) and all evening meals
  • 500cc Enfield Bullet rental motorcycle with E. Starter and 5 speed left side shifted gear box
  • All fuel, motor oil and other lubricants for the bikes
  • Experienced, professional German and English speaking guide for the entire motorcycle tour
  • Fluent English speaking Local Bhutanese guide
  • Support vehicle for baggage as well as spare parts and tools for the motorcycles
  • First-aid kit containing adequate stocks of the most frequently-needed medicines
  • Local mechanic with a basic command of English in the support vehicle
  • Admission fees (not including camera and video fees)
  • Road and bridge tolls
  • Fees for temporary driving permission, special road permits
  • Sightseeing in Thimphu
  • Road map and unique Tour T-Shirt
  • Bhutan visa fees
  • Airport transfers

Not included are :

  • Drinks, soft drinks and coffee breaks
  • The international flight into New Delhi and back
  • Travel health and accident insurance, holiday cancellation insurance
  • Optional activities not included in the itinerary
  • Personal expenses, tips, etc.

Notice: The itinerary is therefore subject to change.