Bhutan Dragon Riders

Riding through Bhutan — Day 5 🇧🇹🏍️

After spending the night in Thimphu, we had a few relaxed hours to explore Bhutan’s capital before continuing west to Paro. We picked three places that showed us very different sides of the city.

First was Buddha Dordenma, the 54-metre seated Buddha overlooking Thimphu Valley. Made of bronze and gilded in gold, it was completed in 2015. Inside are exactly 125,000 smaller Buddha statues, also made of bronze and gilded in gold. Photography isn’t allowed, but the interior is just as impressive as the statue itself.

Next, we stopped at a viewpoint overlooking Tashichho Dzong, one of Bhutan’s most important political and religious landmarks. It houses the King’s throne room, government offices and the Central Monastic Body led by the Je Khenpo.

The original fortress stood elsewhere, where Dechen Phodrang is today. After its destruction, Tashichho Dzong was moved to its present location and extensively rebuilt in the 1960s, when Thimphu became the capital.

Before leaving, we visited the Centenary Farmers’ Market. Clean and beautifully organised, yet still full of local character, it offered a glimpse into everyday life in Thimphu.

Then we rode towards Paro. Only 51 km, but a beautiful route through the valleys of western Bhutan. At Chhuzom, where the rivers meet, we stopped for lunch at a very local place Kesang visits with his family — homemade food, local products and not a tourist in sight.

Just before Paro, we stopped at a viewpoint overlooking Bhutan’s only international airport. Paro Airport sits at 2,235 m in a narrow Himalayan valley and has one of the most challenging approaches in the world. Only specially qualified pilots can land here, and scheduled flights are operated by just two airlines: Drukair and Bhutan Airlines.

We reached Paro before 6 PM and still had time for a short walk along the main street, where traditional buildings hide souvenir shops, restaurants and atmospheric cafés.

NEXT: THE ICONIC TREK

📍 Bhutan 🇧🇹

Screw it. Let’s ride! 🏍️🌍
H-D Pan America: motorcycle travel, road trips, and off-road adventures across the world.

Riding through Bhutan — Day 4 🇧🇹🏍️

After three days of long mountain rides, today was a little different. Less time on the motorcycle, more time to slow down and discover Bhutan.

We started the morning in Punakha with beautiful sunny weather and, before heading towards the capital, visited one of Bhutan’s most impressive landmarks — Punakha Dzong.

Built in 1637–38 at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers, this magnificent fortress is one of the oldest and largest dzongs in Bhutan and one of the country’s most important religious and historical sites.

From there, we continued to Chimi Lhakhang, the famous “Temple of the Divine Madman”. Dedicated to Drukpa Kunley, a colourful and unconventional Buddhist saint, the temple is known for its unusual symbolism and connection with fertility blessings. The walk through the rice fields, with local people working around us, was just as interesting as the temple itself.

After lunch, it was time to get back on the motorcycle and head towards Thimphu.

On the way, we stopped at Dochula Pass, at 3,100 m, to see the 108 Druk Wangyel Chortens, arranged in three concentric circles. The pass was wrapped in mist that day, giving the place an even more atmospheric feel.

By late afternoon, we reached Thimphu — Bhutan’s capital and another completely different side of the country. After the mountain roads and small villages, the capital felt surprisingly calm. There was traffic and plenty going on, but nothing like the crowded capitals we had experienced elsewhere in Asia. Life here seemed to move at its own pace.

The evening was ours to explore the city on foot. Our walk eventually led us to a local motorcycle bar, where we met Bhutanese bikers and spent the evening talking about motorcycles, travels and life on the road. It was a great way to end the day.

NEXT: A CLOSER LOOK AT THIMPHU

📍 Bhutan 🇧🇹

Screw it. Let’s ride! 🏍️🌍
H-D Pan America: motorcycle travel, road trips, and off-road adventures across the world.

Ride. Stop. Pose. Repeat.
Somewhere in Bhutan 🇧🇹

For years, Bhutan had been a country that fascinated us.

And when we found ourselves in India, the opportunity to enter Bhutan with our own motorcycle was something we simply could not miss.

What makes Bhutan so unique is not only its Himalayan landscapes, ancient monasteries and winding mountain roads. It is also the way this country chose to develop.

For centuries Bhutan remained isolated from the outside world. Tourism was introduced only in 1974, and from the very beginning it was carefully planned. In the first year, only 287 visitors entered the country. Bhutan was never about attracting as many tourists as possible — it was about sharing its beauty while protecting what makes it special.

The same philosophy shaped many other decisions. Television and Internet arrived only in 1999. Modernisation came slowly, not because Bhutan rejected progress, but because it wanted to decide what kind of future it wanted.

Instead of measuring development only through economic growth, Bhutan introduced the idea of Gross National Happiness — a vision where people’s wellbeing, culture and nature are just as important as financial success.

Today, more than 70% of Bhutan is covered by forests, making it one of the few carbon negative countries in the world. Its traditions, architecture and way of life are still deeply present in everyday life.

What impressed us most is that Bhutan did not try to stop time. It simply tried to protect what is worth keeping.

And this creates a unique circle: Bhutan protects its heritage, visitors can experience a living culture, and responsible tourism helps preserve it for future generations.

This is why reaching Bhutan felt so special to us.

📍 Bhutan 🇧🇹

Screw it. Let’s ride! 🏍️🌍
Harley-Davidson Pan America: motorcycle travel, road trips, and off-road adventures across the world.

The Alps have legendary passes.
Patagonia has endless wilderness.
Mongolia has adventure.
Vietnam has incredible energy.

Bhutan has something none of them quite manages to combine.

Our latest editorial makes the case for why this tiny Himalayan kingdom may just be the world’s finest place to travel on two wheels.

Discover the full article: https://bhutanmototours.com/why-bhutan-is-the-best-place-in-the-world-to-ride-a-motorcycle/

1st Anniversary Price – November 2026 Departure

To celebrate the first anniversary of Bhutan Dragon Riders, we’re offering a special 1st Anniversary Price for our Hidden Kingdom Ride departing 13–24 November 2026.

US$4,595 per person

A fully inclusive Bhutan motorcycle adventure

Your tour includes:

* Return flights between Kathmandu and Paro
* Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle
* Fuel throughout the tour
* All accommodation
* All meals
* Support vehicle, driver and mechanic
* Bhutan visa, permits and Sustainable Development Fee (SDF)
* All monument and sightseeing entrance fees
* Experienced Bhutanese guide and UK tour leader

From the moment you arrive in Kathmandu until the end of the ride in Bhutan, virtually everything is taken care of. Simply arrive, ride, and experience one of the world’s most extraordinary motorcycle journeys.

Limited to this departure only.

𝙾𝚏𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚒𝚗 𝙿𝚑𝚘𝚋𝚓𝚒𝚔𝚑𝚊 𝚅𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢, 𝙱𝚑𝚞𝚝𝚊𝚗. 𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚠𝚎’𝚕𝚕 𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚍𝚘𝚖 𝚁𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟼.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚍𝚘𝚖 𝚁𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚕𝚊𝚐𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝙱𝚑𝚞𝚝𝚊𝚗 🇧🇹𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗—𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚍𝚘𝚖, 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚘𝚊𝚍𝚜, 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝙱𝚞𝚍𝚍𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚢𝚌𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚍𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎.