Offhorizon Adventures
Paro Taktsang monastery on the cliffs above the Paro valley in Bhutan
Bhutan

Motorcycle expeditions across Bhutan

Paro to Punakha over the Dochula pass, then east into valleys most visitors never reach. Bhutan is small, green and steep, and the roads were built to follow the rivers rather than to save time.

The eastern Himalaya, at a slower pace.

Bhutan sits at the wet end of the range. Instead of the bare high desert of Ladakh you get pine and rhododendron forest, cloud sitting in the valleys until mid morning, and passes strung with prayer flags at 3,000 metres. The riding is not extreme, but it is nearly all corners.

Our route runs the western and central valleys, from Paro and Thimphu over Dochula into Punakha and on towards Phobjikha and Bumthang. Every visitor here travels with a licensed operator, so the paperwork is part of the trip rather than an afterthought.

Regions

Where we ride in Bhutan

Why us

Why ride Bhutan with Offhorizon

  • 01

    Himalayan since 2014

    A decade of running groups and vehicles at altitude, across four countries in the same range.

  • 02

    Permits handled

    Bhutan requires a licensed operator, a visa and a daily levy. We arrange all of it before you land.

  • 03

    Local guides

    Bhutanese guides who can get you into a dzong at the right hour and tell you what you are looking at.

  • 04

    Full support

    Expedition leader, mechanic riding with the group and a backup vehicle carrying spares and luggage.

  • Small groups. We would rather run one good departure than three crowded ones.

Punakha Dzong at the meeting of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers in Bhutan

Start your Bhutan expedition

Pick a departure from the calendar, or tell us the dates you have and we will build the route around them.

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Before you go

Riding in Bhutan

Can I ride my own motorcycle in Bhutan?

Foreign visitors ride with a licensed operator, and most of our riders take one of our bikes.

If you want to bring your own, expect to arrange:

  • A temporary import permit for the motorcycle, applied for in advance
  • A route permit covering every district you pass through
  • Third party insurance valid inside Bhutan

Tell us early if this is what you want. It is possible, but it changes the timeline and the paperwork.

When is the riding season in Bhutan?

Spring and autumn, either side of the monsoon.

  • March to May: rhododendron in flower, warm days, some haze
  • June to August: heavy monsoon rain and landslides on the east west highway
  • September to November: the clearest skies of the year and the main festival season

Winter riding is possible in the lower valleys but the high passes get snow. Send us your dates and we will say honestly whether they work.

Hear it from our riders

The clearest account of what we do is not written by us

Riders share their journeys on Google, TripAdvisor and Trustpilot. Read what they say about the routes, the landscapes and the crew who kept them moving.

To everyone who has ridden with us: thank you. Your stories are the reason we keep planning the next one.