'I walked a pilgrimage route in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan'
If it's true that your life streams in front of your eyes before you die, then the descent into Bhutan will be dancing on my retinas when I go. Specifically: flying through thin slices of air between verdant mountains, before gliding over emerald rice paddies and squat square buildings with pagoda roofs on a plane so tiny it feels almost toy-sized. On my trip, in September 2024, I spend the final minutes of the journey into the airport staring, entranced, out of the window, in a way I haven’t done since I first flew as a kid.
As intoxicating as the bird's eye view gliding to the airport is, the landlocked Himalayan kingdom's defining image is that of the Tiger’s Nest monastery, a 17th-century wonder that clings to a cliff and looks like it belongs in a fantasy epic. Its stone walls are painted white; rich chestnut frames house thin rectangles of window and golden pagoda roofs cap the whole affair. And, like a growing number of travellers – a record half a million people walked Spain's Camino de Santiago in 2023 – I'm here to make a pilgrimage to the site.
The tale goes that it was built on the site of a cave that Guru Rinpoche, the master who brought tantric Buddhism from Tibet to Bhutan in the 8th century, spent over three years meditating in, ridding the area of demons in doing so – and it’s this that makes reaching the site an act of significant pilgrimage for the Bhutanese.
Sitting between its powerful neighbours, China and India, its character is ferociously independent. Murals of the universally-beloved Royal Family bedeck walls. The air is thick with devotion and flickers of the nation’s religion – Vajrayana, or tantric, Buddhism – are everywhere: from the the strings of colourful prayer flags fluttering above the dashboard of the car we’re ferried around in by our driver and guide, Dorji (@mo_dorji_expedition) to majestic statues of the Buddha, cast in gold and sitting in the skyline.
A holiday here is notoriously expensive; there’s the daily tourist tax of $100, before you’ve paid a guide (mandatory outside of the valley of Paro, which we flew into, and the capital of Thimphu) and sorted your accommodation. But such an approach means tourist numbers are low, helping maintain the identity and culture of a nation that only opened up to foreign tourists in the mid-70s, first allowed television in the 90s, and where you’ll see people largely wearing traditional dress in the streets.
Sounds like the perfect place for a pilgrimage
Making it to the Tiger's Nest is the work of a twisting, turning two-mile hike, taking you 3,000m above sea level. On the day we set out, we head off around 6am, and thick mist hangs over the path ahead.
It’s arduous and beautiful, climbing through dense air as the altitude increases, and the act of putting one foot in front of another until we reach the final steep ascent is meditative in that specific way belonging to hard, repetitive physical work carried out under the sky.
Upon reaching the monastery, we enter the first room ahead. Statues of fierce tantric deities line the walls, the smell of incense takes on a new clarity in the mountain air and a monk
in burgundy robes sits chanting and thumbing a set of mala beads. It’s hard not to reach for clichés when describing Bhutan, and the only word I can use to describe seeing a spiritual site so exquisitely preserved is ‘privilege’.
What else is on offer in Bhutan?
The nation's 70% forest cover, meanwhile, makes it both serenely beautiful and the world’s only confirmed carbon negative country, as its blankets of trees absorb swathes of carbon dioxide. It means that there are no bad views – and abundant opportunities for hiking.
As well as Tiger's Nest, we visited a stream of nunneries and monasteries, all adorned with beautiful wall paintings. At one, we had an astrological reading (I am informed I was a dog in a rich household in my last life, which tracks). Visit local villages; dip into markets and absorb the calm way of life.
I’m packing my bags. Where am I staying?
Over the course of a week, my group and I stayed in a range of residences. There was the ultra-luxe, like the Six Senses Thimphu in Bhutan’s capital a sumptuous, minimalist resort with panoramic mountain views and elite-level spa. In a similar vein was the five-star Zhiwaling Heritage Hotel in Paro, and from which we began the Tiger’s Nest pilgrimage.
For other hikes and time spent exploring monasteries, we experienced traditional Bhutanese life at the Passang Om Homestay, high in the mountains and away from the towns, where we slept under layers of woollen blanket sand woke to the sound of cows.
To reach the kingdom, we flew via Bangkok with EVA Air, where we spent the night at the Anantara Riverside Hotel, half an hour drive from the airport. Honestly, it all would have made the 14-hour flight time worth it – even without the life-affirming highlight.
How much?
The nation has a $100 (around £80) daily tourist tax.
Homestays start at around £25 per person per night; a four-star hotel starts at around £35.
A two-person lodge at Six Senses Thimphu starts at around £1,800 for full board.
A double at the Zhiwaling Heritage Hotel starts at around £670, including breakfast, dinner and taxes.
Single occupancy at the Passang OmHomestay starts at around £24 per person per night, including breakfast and dinner.
A double room at Anantara Riverside Hotel starts at around £140 based on double/twin occupancy. Return fares with EVA Air from London to Bangkok start at £715; flights from Bangkok to Paro start at approx £750.
Claudia was a guest of the Department of Tourism Bhutan, as well as Six Senses, Zhiwaling Heritage Lodge, Passang Om Homestay, Anantara Riverside and EVA Air.
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