Bhutan by Private Helicopter: Paro, Punakha & Bumthang
Destination: Dochula & Chele La Pass
Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
Difficulty: Easy
Best season: Oct 2026 — May 2027
Five days by private helicopter — the roof of the kingdom in a single morning, landing at monasteries no road reaches.
Highlights
Gangkar Puensum from the air, the highest unclimbed peak on earth
Landing at Dochula's 108 chortens
Jakar and the Bumthang valley from above
Chele La, the highest motorable pass in Bhutan
What is included
Private helicopter charter with licensed Himalayan pilot
Four hours of flight time per day, weather permitting
Four nights in Thimphu, Punakha and Bumthang hotels
All meals and ground transfers
All landing permissions, permits and SDF
Flight-following photographer on request
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 — Paro, then Thimphu Arrival at Paro, met by your guide and the flight crew, and driven the two hours to Thimphu. The afternoon covers what matters for a helicopter itinerary: the weight and balance of the luggage, the route legs, weather alternates, and the airstrips that will be used. Most of Bhutan's flyable airstri…
Day 2 — Fly Thimphu to Punakha The first leg lifts over the capital and follows the highway across the Dochula Pass, where the flight path crosses close enough to the 108 chortens to see them individually. Punakha Dzong is the day's centre: the full crossing of the Mo Chhu at low altitude, then walking the dzong's inner court an…
Day 3 — Fly Punakha to Bumthang The long leg, following the Mo Chhu up through Thongla and over the Pichu Pass before descending into the Bumthang valley — close to three hours in the air, and the best view of the middle kingdom there is. On the ground: Jakar Dzong in the afternoon, and the cliff temples of Kurjey above the valle…
Day 4 — Fly Bumthang to Paro West again, climbing over the high country between Bumthang and Paro before descending the length of the Paro valley. Land at Paro and drive twenty minutes to Taktsang, where the walk to the viewpoint is done in the late afternoon — the light on the face is at its best around four, and the cloud th…
Day 5 — Departure A free morning in the Paro valley and a transfer to the airport in time for your flight. The helicopter charter ends here; the rest of the trip, if you have it, is arranged as road travel or onward charter.