Motorcycle trip

Bhutan

We run one, The Dragon Kingdom: 12 days, 8 of them in the saddle of a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. Starting from Delhi, it enters Bhutan from the east and crosses the whole kingdom to Paro, all on pavement, with a dzong or a monastery almost every day. If you are comparing Himalayan destinations, look at our tours in Nepal, which start in Kathmandu, and in the Indian Himalayas, where the Ladakh passes climb far higher.

Plan on $6,390 per rider and $5,690 per passenger, for 12 days from Delhi. The price covers the motorcycle, gas, the team, lodging, most meals, the Bhutan visa and the Delhi-Guwahati and Paro-Delhi flights. You add your flight to Delhi, the Indian visa, drinks, entrance fees and, on your first tour with us, a $41 registration fee. Bhutan also charges a Sustainable Development Fee: your travel advisor explains how it shows up in your quote.

Spring and fall, outside the monsoon: our tour runs in March and April, then in October and November. The published departures fall in mid-October and mid-November 2026, both full, then mid-April and early October 2027. Skies over the Himalayas are often clear and the valleys mild, but the passes are chilly and rain is still possible. From June to September, the monsoon makes the mountain roads slippery.

Intermediate. You need no off-road experience, as everything is on pavement, but you should ride regularly. Bhutanese roads are narrow and curve after curve, with passes up to about 12,500 feet and a few sections under construction: progress is slow, and each stage takes up the day. A rider comfortable on small mountain roads will enjoy it, and passengers are welcome.

Two visas. The Bhutan visa is included: we apply for it on your behalf. The double-entry Indian visa is up to you, as the tour starts and ends in Delhi. Add a passport valid for several months after your return, your motorcycle license and an International Driving Permit, available from AAA. Your travel advisor sends you the full list when you book; for practical, health and weather advice, see Preparing your trip to Bhutan in our help center.

Fly to Delhi: the tour starts and ends there, not in Paro. The day after you land, an included flight takes you to Guwahati, in Assam, then the road leads to Samdrup Jongkhar, on Bhutan’s eastern border, where the riding begins. At the end, another included flight brings you back from Paro to Delhi. So you only book your round trip to Delhi, usually with one connection from the U.S.

The country is calm and traffic is light outside Thimphu, but the road needs your full attention: traffic drives on the left, unlike in the U.S., with endless curves, drop-offs beside the pavement, dogs and cows on the road and fog on the passes. Some stages are far from a hospital, with patchy cell coverage, so the support vehicle follows the group. Before booking and again before you leave, check the travel advisory on the State Department’s Bhutan page.

Hardly. Bhutan keeps tourism closely supervised: outside Thimphu and Paro, foreign visitors travel with a licensed Bhutanese guide, and an activity such as a motorcycle tour goes through a licensed operator. That is why we do not rent motorcycles without a guide. Our tour brings it all together: a local English-speaking guide, an English-speaking motorcycle tour leader, a mechanic and a support vehicle for the luggage, with 10 motorcycles at most.