About this trip
Phobjikha valley hosts roughly 500 black-necked cranes through the winter — about a third of the global population. We pair this with stops at the RSPN crane centre and dawn birding sessions in the surrounding pine forests.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 01 Arrive Paro · birding briefing
Met at Paro International Airport with khadars and transferred to the hotel. After lunch and a chance to settle, our specialist birding guide runs an evening orientation session over tea — going through the target species list for the trip, the regional sub-species you might encounter, and a quick optics check on every pair of binoculars to make sure they're properly aligned for the cold mornings ahead. We discuss the trip's main draw, the black-necked crane, with notes on its remarkable Tibetan plateau breeding range and the cultural reverence accorded to the bird in Bhutanese tradition. Early dinner — pre-dawn start tomorrow.
- Stay:
- Hotel Olathang, Paro
- Meals:
- D
Day 02 Paro dawn birding · drive to Thimphu
A pre-dawn departure to bird the blue pine forests above Paro before the temperature rises and the birds settle. The Paro hills are reliable for several glamour species: the iridescent Himalayan monal (Bhutan's national bird, with its plumage of nine distinct colours), the secretive blood pheasant moving in small parties through the rhododendron understory, and — if luck is on our side — the satyr tragopan, a male in breeding plumage being one of the most extraordinary sights in Asian birding. We work the trails until mid-morning, take a long brunch, then make the easy 90-minute drive to Thimphu. Afternoon free for a quiet birding stroll along the Wang Chhu river edge.
- Stay:
- Hotel Druk, Thimphu
- Meals:
- B/L/D
Day 03 Drive to Phobjikha · RSPN crane centre
A long but spectacular driving day east, climbing first to Dochula Pass at 3,100 metres (always worth pausing for the chortens and the eastern Himalayan view), then again to Pele La at 3,420 metres before dropping into the wide glacial bowl of Phobjikha. The valley appears suddenly through the trees as a flat, golden-grass plateau ringed by darkly forested ridges — and during the wintering season (early November through late February) you can sometimes see the cranes from the road as you approach. Afternoon at the RSPN (Royal Society for the Protection of Nature) crane observation centre, where the resident scopes are trained on the wintering flock and a small interpretive museum gives the bird's full life-history.
- Stay:
- Gangtey Lodge, Phobjikha
- Meals:
- B/L/D
- Altitude:
- 3000 m
Day 04 Phobjikha full day · cranes & forest birds
A long, full day in the valley with two distinct sessions. Pre-dawn at the crane roost in the central marsh, in time for the spectacular morning fly-out — the birds lift in family groups, calling, and circle the valley before fanning out to the day's feeding grounds. By mid-morning we shift to the surrounding bamboo and rhododendron forest in search of high-altitude specialists: white-tailed nuthatch, rufous-breasted accentor, several fulvetta and yuhina species in mixed feeding flocks, and Hodgson's redstart on the forest edges. Lunch back at the lodge, then an afternoon session walking the valley floor for harriers, eagles, and a returning visit to the cranes for late-light photography.
- Stay:
- Gangtey Lodge, Phobjikha
- Meals:
- B/L/D
Day 05 Phobjikha to Bumthang · Pele La
Recross Pele La with several scheduled birding stops at the high alpine pastures and tree-line scrub on the way up — productive territory for streaked laughingthrush, alpine accentor, and snow pigeon riding the thermals near the summit. The descent to Trongsa is a classic cloud-forest birding stretch with mixed flocks of warblers, fulvettas, and the occasional fire-tailed myzornis (a top-tier target species for many regional birders). Lunch at Trongsa with views down to the spectacular dzong perched above its gorge. Continue east through the late afternoon to the Bumthang valleys, with a chance to scan riverbanks for ibisbill and brown dipper as we go.
- Stay:
- Yu-Loki Resort, Bumthang
- Meals:
- B/L/D
Day 06 Bumthang dawn · departure
An early dawn session along the Tang valley river — one of the most reliable spots in Asia for ibisbill, a strange, long-billed wader endemic to high-altitude rivers that picks its way among the boulders almost invisibly until you spot the first one and suddenly see them everywhere. We give it a solid 90 minutes, with the cook crew bringing breakfast tea and pastries to the riverbank. Mid-morning drive to Bumthang's small domestic airstrip for the short scenic flight back to Paro — itself one of the most photogenic flights in the country, banking past Gangkar Puensum's snowfields. Connect to your onward international flight in the afternoon.
- Stay:
- —
- Meals:
- B
