Guided Bhutanese Dragon Bike Tour

In terms of road surface, most of this trip is on double-lane paved tarmac roads. The traffic, never much to begin with, begins to thin out as we move eastwards. After the domestic flight to Paro, the ride from Paro to Haa is on single-lane tarmac roads which is broken at some sections. The traffic, however, continues to remain sparse.

Bhutan is a remote and sparsely populated country. As a result, the internal flight from Bumthang to Paro operates only three days a week, viz. Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. The tour has been designed such that Day 10 of the tour falls on any one of these 3 days of the week.

A guided bike tour includes a professional local guide who rides with you throughout the trip. The guide handles navigation, manages daily logistics, ensures safety, and shares cultural insights. In addition to the guide, you also have a support vehicle that transfers luggage, provides water/snacks, and offers on-route assistance or a lift whenever needed. You simply follow the guide and enjoy a fully supported experience.

On our guided tours, we ensure you begin your ride feeling comfortable and well-supported. Your guide and local team play an active role in getting your bike properly set up. **Before Your Tour** When you book, we ask for your height. This allows our local partners to select the correct frame size and prepare the bike in advance so it’s close to your ideal fit when you arrive. **At the Start of the Tour** You’ll receive a full in-person bike fitting with your guide or local representative. This typically includes: - Adjusting saddle height - Moving the saddle fore–aft (small adjustments to move the saddle forward or back for better balance and comfort) - Fine-tuning handlebar height and reach (where adjustable) - Confirming pedal preference — flat pedals are provided by default. If you bring your own clip-in pedals, our guide will help install and adjust them - A short test ride to check comfort Your guide will ensure everything feels right before the tour begins. **During the Tour** Throughout the trip, your guide will make additional adjustments whenever needed. This is especially helpful if you discover new comfort preferences after a few hours of riding. **What to Expect** Our guided tour bike fitting is hands-on, comfort-focused, and practical, ensuring you ride safely and enjoyably each day. It’s not a detailed workshop-level fit, but it covers all essential adjustments for multi-day touring.

Most international flights into Paro, Bhutan, operate via Kathmandu (KTM), Delhi (DEL), or Bangkok (BKK). We recommend booking your flight into Paro through us. This enables us to support you in case of flight cancellations, schedule changes, or baggage delays—common occurrences on this route due to weather and limited connectivity. By booking with us, we have direct coordination with airline partners, giving us the leverage to assist swiftly if any issues arise. For your international flights from your home country to Kathmandu (KTM), Delhi (DEL), or Bangkok (BKK), we suggest booking directly with your preferred airline or travel agent. This split approach gives you flexibility for your long-haul flights and peace of mind for the more sensitive final leg into Bhutan.

We focus on delivering exceptional experiences during your tour. For logistical simplicity and flexibility, we do not handle pre- or post-tour hotel bookings. However, we’re happy to share a list of recommended hotels near the starting and ending points of your trip so you can plan your stay independently.

Yes, airport transfers are included in the price for this tour.

We've classified our Bhutanese Dragon Bike Tour as 'Challenging'. This means it is best suited for people who love challenging uphill climbs and relatively longer cycling distances. Several days on this tour have average elevation gains of more than 1,500m (4,920 ft) over 40-50 kms (25-31 mi).

Yes, your trip leader will carry bottled water or RO water in a camper in the support van for guests' use.

For guests in good physical shape, altitude sickness is rare. However, if you're unsure or coming from sea level, we recommend starting Diamox (Acetazolamide) about three days before arrival to help with acclimatization. If symptoms persist, the best solution is to descend to a lower altitude using our support vehicle.

Yes, we have e-bikes available for this trip. Our e-bikes are Stella or of an equivalent brand, and are of high-quality.

Yes, e-bike batteries can be charged at the hotels you're staying in.

Once fully charged, the e-bike batteries can last one full day.

No, but we'll charge the batteries over lunch to ensure glitch-free riding.

Yes, please communicate your dietary preferences to your trip leader and they'll ensure that the food you eat is spiced as per your requirements.

Yes — we do our best to accommodate all dietary requirements. Bhutan offers some vegetarian-friendly dishes, especially in hotels and larger towns, with staples like red rice, vegetables, lentils, and the popular chili-cheese dish ema datshi. However, vegan and gluten-free options can be limited, particularly in rural regions where ingredients and dietary terms may not be widely understood. If you follow a strict vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free diet, we recommend carrying a few essential staples to supplement your meals during remote sections of the trip. Please inform your tour guide at the start of the tour, and we will make every effort to arrange suitable meals and help source appropriate items from local markets whenever possible.

We are happy to pass on your room preference for a twin or double setup, and our hotel partners do their best to accommodate these requests. However, room configurations are always subject to availability at each property. On some of our trips—especially those that travel through remote regions or small boutique inns—room types may be limited. In such cases, despite our best efforts, you may need to stay in a double room instead of a twin, or twin instead of a double, depending on what is available. Given the nature of our journeys and the unique places we visit, we kindly ask for your understanding and support if such adjustments are required. We will always inform you in advance wherever possible and work closely with our partners to ensure the most comfortable arrangement for your stay.

We are not medical advisors, and as such are not qualified to dispense medical advice. However, we recommend consulting the resources below for advice on vaccines and medications: 1. [CDC portal](https://www.cdc.gov/) for travelers from the US 2. [NHS' Fit For Travel portal](https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home) for travelers from the UK 3. [Smart Traveller](https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/) portal or travelers from Australia. In addition to the above, you may also refer to the travel advice issued from time to time by your government. 1. US residents may refer to the State Department's travel and vaccination advice for Bhutan [here](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Bhutan.html). 2. UK residents may refer to the FCDO's travel advice for Bhutan [here](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bhutan). 3. Residents of Australia may refer to Australian government's travel advice including medical advice for Bhutan [here](https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/bhutan).

We highly recommend packing long finger cycling gloves as the cold Himalayan air can feel uncomfortable, especially during descents. We also recommend packing insect repellant as some places may have mosquitoes.

Tips are not included in your tour price. As a general rule, you may tip US$ 15-25 per person per day. This figure is for the entire crew including the trip leader, the driver, and other support staff. However, you are not obligated to tip, and you can always tip less or more than the above amount depending on the level of service you received on tour. It is usually the norm to tip the tour guide, who then distributes the amount among the entire crew. However, you can also tip each individual member of the crew if you so desire. In case you want to tip the staff at a hotel such as porters, you may pay them US $2-3 per day.

Bhutan is a small country with limited infrastructure. It is best if you exchange currency upon your arrival in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan and the location of its main international airport. ATMs are available in Thimphu that accept major international credit cards that have either Visa or Mastercard enabled.

Yes, you may wear riding shorts while riding your bike. When not cycling, it would be advisable to wear comfortable full-length pants. We recommend keeping a pair of comfortable pants handy in you support van.

When visiting temples and monuments, visitors should wear full-length, loose-fitting pants. Holy places of certain religions may also require covering your head. Your guide will inform of the dress etiquette required for visiting specific religious places.

The meeting time on Day 1 is mentioned in your travel planner shared with you. You can arrive either on the morning of Day 1 depending on the meeting time, or book a pre-tour night to arrive a day earlier.

We don't have anything planned for the last day, so you are free to depart at your discretion.