Nepal and Bhutan express tour

Price

US $2100 excluding flights

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Duration

7 Days

Countries

Bhutan, Nepal

Type

Small group

Group size

2-10

Reviews

More info

Best built tour for those who is short on time.
International flights Kathmandu-Paro (round) $525/pax extra +$40 visa fee to Bhutan.
Visa to Nepal is $30/pax on arrival.
Best time to visit: September-July Contact us for your dates or customization!

Description of Nepal and Bhutan express tour

Price information

US $2100 excluding flights

Convert currency:

Contact Us

If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one, we're very happy to help

01273 823 700

Call us until 6pm

Calling from outside the UK rosy@responsibletravel.com

Check dates

2024: 21 Sep, 21 Oct, 10 Nov, 24 Nov, 8 Dec
2025: 22 Jan, 18 Feb, 14 Mar, 6 Apr, 10 Apr, 2 May, 7 Jun, 10 Sep, 22 Sep, 10 Oct, 7 Nov, 2 Dec

Contact Us

If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one, we're very happy to help

01273 823 700

Call us until 6pm

Calling from outside the UK rosy@responsibletravel.com

Travel guides

2 minute summary Best time to go

Since opening its doors to tourists in 1974, this formerly isolated country has had a clear strategy about how to manage tourism and preserve the trad...

2 minute summary Best time to go

There is no question that the Himalayas offer some of the best hiking in the world and this Nepal travel guide merely scratches the surface of the pic...

Holiday information

Diet:

We can cater for vegetarians on this holiday. Sadly we cannot offer vegan food.

Reviews

2 Reviews of Nepal and Bhutan express tour

3.5 out of 5 stars

SHOW

Reviewed on 29 Mar 2024 by James Estrada

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

My tour guide and driver were very good and Bhutan itself was magical. In particular, even I prepared extensively for this trip I learned a great more about Buddhism and its philosophy from my guide.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

It is with a great deal of sadness and disappointment that I would not recommend this operator. Too many mistakes, “miscommunications,” and their unwillingness to take responsibility for their mistakes is the reason. They had more than one opportunity to make amends and they didn’t do it.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

The best example here again comes from the Bhutan portion of the tour. My driver and tour guide both accompanied me on the hike to “Tiger’s Nest.” It took 2 1/2 hours to reach the summit and about 60-90 minutes to descend. However, on the way down the 3 of us were picking up litter, particularly plastic bottles, that other hikers had mindlessly discarded. We filled two bags with various debris. If every tour took the same action in various places both in Bhutan and especially Nepal, the respective sites would help conservation and reduce the negative environment al impacts of discarded plastic bottles and trash.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

While not perfect, I would give high marks to my Bhutanese guide Tashi and driver Norbu. When things went wrong as they routinely do on travel tours they attempted to make up for missed meals or interruptions in the tour.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same thing for the weak organization and poor execution of my tour in Nepal.

I cannot recommend the operator and I wish I would have had the presence of mind to contact Responsible Travel when so many things went awry in Nepal and occasionally in Bhutan. If the operator had done a better job in Nepal the overall rating would have probably been 4 stars.

In addition, I have wonder how vetting of the operator did Responsible conduct. There were claims made in the description that just were incorrect or exaggerated. Quite honestly I would also be hesitant to recommend Responsible Travel to my friends and fellow travelers.

Just one final note. Prior to my tours of Nepal and Bhutan I had taken an 11/12 day tour of northern India with another operator. I rated their program and guide with superlatives and 5-star ratings.

You would better understand my disappointments if you would take and compare the two companies.

Read the operator's response here:

Dear James,

Thank you for sharing your feedback on your recent tour with us.

I'm thrilled to hear that your experience in Bhutan was magical and that you found our team there to be exceptional. Creating memorable experiences for our travelers is at the heart of what we do, and it's fantastic to hear that we succeeded in delivering that for you.

However, I'm truly sorry to learn that your time in Nepal did not meet your expectations. Please accept our sincere apologies for any frustrations or inconveniences you encountered during your trip. As a local travel company, we strive to provide authentic experiences that showcase the genuine beauty of our region. While our services may not conform strictly to Western standards, our primary focus remains on delivering authentic and immersive experiences that truly reflect the culture, hospitality, lifestyle, and natural charm of Nepal and Bhutan.

Regarding the challenges you faced, such as delays and logistical issues, I want to assure you that we take these matters seriously and are continuously working to improve our operations. Although certain factors, like road construction or occasional airport delays lasting a few hours, are beyond our influence, we strive to mitigate any inconvenience as much as possible from our side. We also strive to minimize flying on our tours to reduce environmental impacts where possible. We humbly ask all our travelers for understanding that a few hour delay is possible but it is not so common.

Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience you experienced, and your feedback is highly valued.

Thank you for sharing your experience and for choosing us as your travel partner. I sincerely wish you all the best in your future endeavors and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you once again for a seamless experience!

Best regards,

Lesia

Reviewed on 15 Feb 2020 by Karen Nichols

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

The most memorable and exciting parts of my holiday cannot be tied to a place or a thing, but rather a feeling. There is a beautiful spirit in the people that
cannot be captured in words. The world could learn lots from Bhutan about how to live life in a way that is deeply fulfilling.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

If you want everything to be just like it is at home, then just stay home. But if you are willing to to be open and learn, then enjoy life the way the locals do, with
foods, traditions, etc.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Yes! I like that it's a local company using local guides and local businesses.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Greatly exceeded expectations.

Responsible Travel

As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) holiday so that you can travel knowing we've worked to maximise the benefits of your holiday to local people and places, and minimise any negative impacts.

Planet

Wildlife in Bhutan and Nepal are precious. We will visit some conservation zones to observe animals and birds on the way to Tiger's Nest Monastery. Takin is a national animal and a symbol of Bhutan, the government is trying to increase the population of them so each time we visit this protected area, a percentage of the fee goes for their protection. We can learn about it more once we get there and find ways to be a part of a project.

We run a plastic-free movement that's why we ask you not to bring any plastic with you as well we don't accept plastic bags when buying gifts or food etc from locals. We suggest that you carry your own BPA-free water bottle and refill it with purified water instead of buying bottled mineral water. Waters are very clean so you can freely drink it from special water stations and refill yours.

Our guides will explain to you how to utilize garbage while on the trip. There are special zones designated to recycle garbage. Let's keep lands and waters clean. Don't throw any food leftovers or leave the food open - as this can attract wild animals. Don't yell or whistle when you meet any - this is dangerous and can also scare them.

Tap water is precious, keep this in mind when taking a shower and brushing your teeth. We recommend using local transport where possible, especially for our sightseeing tour in Kathmandu or if you plan to stay longer after visiting Bhutan. In Bhutan, we will use vans for bigger capacity rather than jeeps.

All the hotels we choose carefully for supporting eco-movement: solar panels, electric stoves and ovens where possible, recycling garbage, locally grown food etc.

People

All tours are run by locals: guides, hotels, restaurants, drivers, porters. We spread tourism income to those most in need. Don't buy imported food on travel - we highly recommend to buy fruits, local delicacies, drinks from local shops. We will visit many handicraft shops where you can learn about local manufactures which educate and employ women both in Nepal and Bhutan. We can take part in one of the workshops and learn more about this project which is very important for both countries.

We employ only local guides, drivers, porters to give more opportunities for locals as tourism is still the main way for people to make on living and support their families. We encourage to tip your team as well if you are grateful for their hard work and happy with the service. We offer them good working conditions: once a year new training and team-building trips, help them to learn one new language and run tours not only for English speaking travellers, medical insurance, provide all needed clothes and shoes, equipment, meals and accommodation.

Don't forget to greet locals everywhere you meet them on your way or in the house, have small talks, learn a little bit of Nepali and Bhutanese, teach your own language. We believe it helps to remove cultural borders and become one. In Nepal do as the Nepali people do and in Bhutan do as Bhutanese do.

Nepal and Bhutan express tour