BHUTANWho it suits
Festival lovers, returning visitors, photographers and culturally curious travellers who value time in one region more than a fast west-to-central circuit.
Private festival journey · 11 days
Nimalung & Kurjey
Two sacred tshechus shape summer in Bumthang.
- Duration
- 11 days / 10 nights
- Route
- Paro · Bumthang
- Style
- Private & handcrafted
- Dates
- 10–20 Jun 2027
The journey in one thought
Festival dates set the journey. The private days stay flexible.
This 2027 edition travels from 10–20 June. Nimalung Tshechu is currently calendared for 12–14 June and Kurjey Tshechu for 14 June, so the central festival days are fixed by the Bhutanese calendar. Around them, Raven keeps the journey private and deliberately regional.
Rather than rush through western Bhutan, spend seven nights across Bumthang’s Chhume, Choekhor and Tang valleys. Festival mornings are balanced with villages, weaving, food, sacred sites and the green-season landscapes that make June feel distinctly local.
Activity level
Easy to moderate: festival courtyard time, village walks and optional longer walking in Paro. Summer weather may change the order of outdoor plans.
How it feels
Green, intimate and locally paced—festival mornings, village life, cloud moving through the valleys and enough time to let Bumthang feel like a place rather than a stop.
The story of the journey
Five moments that shape the festival journey
The dances matter. So do the people around them, the green valleys between festival days and the quiet that returns afterwards.
Day by day
Festival anchors. Flexible days around them.
The festival anchors do not move. Weather, domestic flights, local programmes and your energy can change the order of the private days around them.
Day01
10 June 2027 · Paro
Arrive gently. Let the festival journey begin slowly.
Arrive in Paro and settle into the valley without trying to earn the first day. A short countryside visit, tea or time at the hotel is enough. The purpose is to recover from the flight and be ready for the journey east tomorrow.
- Focus
- Arrival & acclimatisation
- Pace
- Gentle
- Sleep
- Paro
Day02
11 June 2027 · Paro → Bumthang · Chhume
Fly east and settle close to Nimalung.
Take the scheduled flight to Bumthang when the confirmed 2027 operation allows, then continue into Chhume. Spend the afternoon close to the valley—perhaps with weaving, a village walk or simply an early evening before the first festival day.
- Travel
- Domestic flight, when confirmed
- Focus
- Chhume & festival preparation
- Sleep
- Chhume
Day03
12 June 2027 · Nimalung Tshechu · Chhume
Enter the festival courtyard.
Spend the day at Nimalung Tshechu. Watch the masked dances, but also notice everything around them: families arriving together, picnic lunches, conversations between performances and the quieter rituals that make a tshechu a community gathering rather than a staged show.
- Festival
- Nimalung Tshechu · Day 1
- Walking
- Courtyard & village walking
- Sleep
- Chhume
Day04
13 June 2027 · Chhume · Nimalung optional return
Stay for more than the dances.
Return to Nimalung if the confirmed programme offers something worth seeing, or use the day for Chhume’s weaving traditions, farm life and village landscapes. This is deliberately not another compulsory full festival day; Raven lets the programme and your interest decide.
- Festival
- Nimalung return, if worthwhile
- Focus
- Chhume villages & weaving
- Sleep
- Chhume
Day05
14 June 2027 · Kurjey Tshechu · Choekhor
Kurjey’s sacred day takes priority.
Spend the day at Kurjey Tshechu, held beside one of Bumthang’s most sacred temple complexes. Nimalung also falls on 14 June, but Raven does not promise two full festival programmes at once. Kurjey is the priority; anything else depends on the confirmed timing and whether it genuinely improves the day.
- Festival
- Kurjey Tshechu · fixed day
- Priority
- Kurjey programme
- Sleep
- Choekhor
Day06
15 June 2027 · Choekhor Valley
Let Bumthang become quiet again.
After the festival intensity, slow the rhythm. Link one or two sacred places with a gentle valley walk, a local lunch or an everyday village encounter. If June cloud or showers settle over the valley, shift the order rather than forcing the outdoors.
- Walking
- Gentle & adjustable
- Focus
- Sacred & everyday Bumthang
- Sleep
- Choekhor
Day07
16 June 2027 · Choekhor → Tang Valley
Move deeper into rural Bumthang.
Travel into Tang Valley and continue to Ogyen Choling. Heritage, farm country and a quieter scale replace the festival courtyards. Explore the manor and its surroundings without rushing, then settle into the valley for two nights.
- Travel
- Across Bumthang valleys
- Focus
- Ogyen Choling & Tang
- Sleep
- Tang Valley
Day08
17 June 2027 · Tang Valley · Ogyen Choling
A green-season day with nowhere to hurry.
Walk through the village and surrounding countryside as weather allows, spend more time with Ogyen Choling’s heritage, or keep the day close to home if the clouds sit low. June is part of the experience here: fields are growing, rivers are fuller and plans can remain pleasantly flexible.
- Walking
- Light & weather-led
- Pace
- Slow
- Sleep
- Tang Valley
Day09
18 June 2027 · Bumthang to Paro
Fly west. Leave the afternoon light.
Return to Paro on the scheduled domestic flight when the confirmed operation and weather allow. Keep the rest of the day intentionally light: a long lunch, a quiet countryside stop or time at the hotel. Raven agrees a realistic flight contingency before booking.
- Travel
- Domestic flight, when confirmed
- Pace
- Recovery afternoon
- Sleep
- Paro
Day10
19 June 2027 · Paro
Choose your own final Bhutan day.
Hike to Tiger’s Nest if that pilgrimage matters to you, or choose a shorter monastery walk, cycling, sacred art, a farmhouse experience or a restorative day in Paro. The final full day is private enough to follow your energy after a week of festivals and valleys.
- Hike option
- Tiger’s Nest · ~6.5 km · 5–7h · +520 m
- Alternatives
- Short walk, cycling, art or rest
- Sleep
- Paro
Day11
20 June 2027 · Paro to departure
Leave after the festivals, not between them.
Enjoy breakfast as your flight time allows, followed by a private airport transfer. The journey ends only after the festival days have had room to settle into village life, Tang Valley and one final quiet day in Paro.
- Transfer
- Private airport transfer
- Pace
- Flight-led
- Journey ends
- Paro
Why Raven designed it this way
The festivals set the dates. Raven protects the pace.
Nimalung and Kurjey are not attractions that can be moved to fit an itinerary. This 2027 journey is built around their sacred dates, then gives Chhume, Choekhor and Tang enough time to feel like distinct parts of Bumthang.
Both calendars meet on 14 June. Raven therefore prioritises the Kurjey programme that day rather than promising two full festivals at once. Nimalung can be revisited only if the confirmed programme and timing genuinely make sense.
Where you may stay
Stay where the festival days make sense.
Three nights in Chhume keep Nimalung close; two nights in Choekhor place Kurjey and central Bumthang within easy reach; two nights in Tang slow the journey again before the final Paro stay. Exact properties are confirmed privately around access, atmosphere, room category and June availability.
- Chhume: three nights positioned around Nimalung Tshechu and the valley’s weaving and village life.
- Choekhor & Tang: two nights in each, moving from Kurjey and central Bumthang into the quieter heritage landscape around Ogyen Choling.
- Paro: the arrival night plus two final nights, giving the journey a gentle beginning and a flexible finish.
Festival periods can tighten availability in Bumthang. Raven confirms exact properties and room categories before booking rather than publishing a hotel promise that may not hold.
Read Raven’s approach to staysPractical clarity
What Raven takes care of
Your proposal confirms every inclusion, the applicable Sustainable Development Fee and the accommodation level selected for your party.
Included in the journey
- Personal trip design and in-country support
- Visa processing and applicable SDF as confirmed
- Private guide, chauffeur and vehicle
- 10 nights at the accommodation level confirmed
- Nimalung and Kurjey festival arrangements plus agreed site fees
- Confirmed meals, village, weaving, food and heritage experiences
- Paro–Bumthang and Bumthang–Paro domestic flights when operating and confirmed
- Ogyen Choling and agreed cultural and monastery visits
Not normally included
- International flights unless confirmed
- Travel and medical evacuation insurance
- Alcohol and personal purchases
- Optional wellness or extra experiences beyond the agreed plan
- Tips and gratuities
- Unconfirmed hotel upgrades
- Extra nights or extensions beyond the 10–20 June core journey
- Disruption costs from weather or flight changes unless specifically covered in the final proposal
Optional extensions
Arrive earlier—or stay after the festivals.
Add an extra Bumthang night, continue east towards Lhuentse and Khoma when June road conditions suit, or stay longer in Paro for wellness and a gentler finish. The sacred festival dates stay fixed; the private journey around them can grow.
Questions before you travel
Festival dates. Summer weather. Clear answers.
The 2027 edition has fixed festival anchors, but the journey around them remains private. These are the practical questions that matter most.
Are the 2027 festival dates flexible?
Raven cannot move the festivals to suit an itinerary. The current 2027 calendar lists Nimalung Tshechu for 12–14 June and Kurjey Tshechu for 14 June, and this 10–20 June journey is designed around them. Because the published 2027 calendar is still tentative, Raven reconfirms the official festival programme before booking; extra nights before or after remain flexible.
Can we attend both Nimalung and Kurjey on 14 June?
Not as two full programmes. The calendars overlap on 14 June, so this journey prioritises Kurjey Tshechu. A return to Nimalung is considered only if the confirmed timing genuinely allows it and improves the day rather than turning it into a race.
What is Bumthang like in June?
June is green season in central Bhutan: fields are growing, rivers are fuller and cloud or showers can move through the valleys. Outdoor plans remain flexible, while festival courtyards, villages, weaving, food and heritage give the journey plenty of depth in mixed weather.
Is the Paro–Bumthang domestic flight guaranteed?
No. Domestic flights depend on the operating schedule, available seats and weather. Raven checks both the Paro–Bumthang and Bumthang–Paro sectors against the fixed festival dates and agrees a realistic road contingency before booking.
How much walking is involved?
Most festival and village days involve easy to moderate walking and periods of standing or sitting in courtyards. On 19 June, Tiger’s Nest is optional; the standard hike is roughly 6.5 km, 5–7 hours and about 520 metres of ascent. Shorter alternatives are available.
Can we add nights before or after the festivals?
Yes. The sacred festival anchors stay fixed, but the private journey can begin earlier or continue after 20 June. Good options include more time in Bumthang, an eastern extension towards Lhuentse and Khoma when June roads suit, or a slower wellness finish in Paro.
Your journey starts with a conversation
Tell us how you want to experience the festivals.
Share how much festival time you want, how comfortable you are with Bhutan’s green season and whether you would like to arrive earlier or stay beyond 20 June. Raven will keep the sacred dates fixed and shape the private journey around them.
Begin a private conversation