Adventure tour · 7 days, 6 nights

7 Day Bhutan Traditional Sports Tour: Archery, Khuru and Degor

A week built around Bhutan’s own sports: watch an archery match in Thimphu, try a bamboo bow with a coach, throw khuru darts and degor stones with villagers in Phobjikha, and finish with the Tiger’s Nest.

1971

Archery became the national sport

145 m

Standard archery range

Traditional games to try

Private

Guide, car and driver

Trip overview

Bhutan at play

Archery is Bhutan’s national sport, and a match is one of the most entertaining things you can watch in the country. Two teams shoot at small wooden targets about 145 metres apart, and every hit sets off a dance and a song from the shooter’s team. Supporters tease the opposing archers, women from the village sing and dance between rounds, and the whole thing can go on all day. Matches are held across the country at weekends and on holidays, and during Losar, the new year, almost every village has one.

This trip puts you close to that world. In Thimphu you watch a match at the national archery ground and try a traditional bamboo bow with a coach. In the Phobjikha valley, villagers teach you khuru, a game of heavy wooden darts thrown at a target 20 metres away, and degor, a stone-throwing game a little like quoits. Around the games you see the classic sights: Thimphu’s dzong, the crane valley of Phobjikha, Punakha Dzong and the Tiger’s Nest.

Highlights

What you will try

Traditional archery

Bamboo bows, small targets 145 m away, and songs after every hit.

Khuru

Heavy wooden darts with feather flights, thrown at a target 20 m away.

Degor

A stone-throwing game played in village fields.

Match day culture

Dances, teasing and singing between rounds.

Phobjikha

The crane valley, with cranes from late October to February.

Tiger's Nest

The cliff-top monastery to end the week.

Itinerary at a glance

Seven days of games and sights

Your guide checks the match calendar and fits the plan around the best games that week.

Day 1: Arrive, to Thimphu

Land in Paro, drive to Thimphu, Changlimithang archery ground.

Day 2: Archery day

Watch a match, try a bamboo bow with a coach, Tashichho Dzong.

Day 3: To Phobjikha

Dochula, Wangdue, the Phobjikha valley.

Day 4: Village games

Khuru and degor with villagers, the Gangtey nature trail.

Day 5: Punakha, to Paro

Punakha Dzong on the way, then Paro.

Day 6: Tiger's Nest

Hike to Paro Taktsang, farmhouse dinner.

Day 7: Fly out

Transfer to Paro airport.

Day 1

Arrive and see the archery ground

Your guide meets you at Paro airport for the hour’s drive to Thimphu. In the afternoon we visit Changlimithang, home of the national stadium and the main archery ground, where teams often practise in the late afternoon. Your guide explains the rules, the scoring and why the archers sing after a hit.

Day 2

A day at the archery

In the morning a local archery coach shows you how to string and shoot a traditional bamboo bow. Modern compound bows are also common in Bhutan now, and you will see both. You shoot at a closer target first, then try the full distance if you are brave.

After lunch we join the crowd at a match, if one is on. Teams wear their best gho, shoot in pairs, and perform a short dance and song after each hit. In the late afternoon we visit Tashichho Dzong and Buddha Dordenma.

Day 3

Over Dochula to Phobjikha

We cross Dochula, at about 3,100 metres, and drive down past Wangdue before climbing into the Phobjikha valley, a wide glacial valley at about 3,000 metres. From late October to February it is the winter home of the black-necked crane. We visit the Black-necked Crane Information Centre and Gangtey Goenpa in the late afternoon.

Day 4

Khuru and degor in the village

In a village field, local players teach you khuru, a game of heavy wooden darts with feather flights thrown at a small target about 20 metres away, and degor, where flat stones are thrown at a peg in the ground. Both are played in teams, with plenty of shouting and laughter, and a lunch of local food follows.

In the afternoon we walk the Gangtey nature trail across the valley, an easy 1.5 hours through pine forest and past farmhouses.

Day 5

Punakha Dzong and on to Paro

We drive down to Punakha and visit Punakha Dzong, built in 1637 where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers meet. After lunch, the drive continues over Dochula to Paro, a long day of about six hours with stops. In the evening, a walk through Paro town.

Day 6

Hike to the Tiger's Nest

The path to Paro Taktsang climbs through pine forest to a café viewpoint in about 1.5 hours and reaches the monastery, at about 3,120 metres, after another hour. Most people take 4 to 6 hours. In the evening, a farmhouse dinner and an optional hot stone bath.

Day 7

Farewell to Bhutan

Your guide and driver take you to Paro airport in time for your flight.

Where you stay

Hotels close to the action.

Nights	Place	Where you stay	Why we chose it
1 to 2	Thimphu	3-star or 4-star hotel	Close to the archery ground
3 to 4	Phobjikha	Farmhouse-style lodge or 4-star hotel	Near the village games
5 to 6	Paro	3-star or 4-star hotel	Close to the Tiger's Nest

Luxury lodges are available in all three valleys.

What the price covers

Included and not included

Included

Bhutan visa (USD 40) and the Sustainable Development Fee for every night
Hotels as listed, 3-star as standard, with 4-star and luxury upgrades on request
All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
A licensed English-speaking guide for the whole trip
Private car or SUV with a Bhutanese driver, and all transfers
Entry fees to dzongs, temples and museums
Bottled water in the car
Archery lesson with a local coach
Khuru and degor session with villagers

Not included

International flights into and out of Paro (we can book them for you)
Travel insurance, which we strongly recommend
Drinks, laundry and other personal costs
Tips for your guide and driver
Anything not listed under included

Price on request

Tell us your budget and we will send our best price

We don’t publish one fixed price, because hotels, season and group size change the total a lot. Tell us your dates, who is travelling and the budget you have in mind. We will reply within 24 hours with our best price for this sports tour.

How we price

What decides the cost of this trip

Government fees

The SDF is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027, plus a USD 40 visa. These are fixed by the Government of Bhutan and paid through us.

Hotels you choose

Hotel style and group size shape the price. The games are more fun with a bigger group.

Season and dates

Spring and autumn are peak season. Winter and summer dates are often easier to price well.

Group size

Guide and car costs are shared, so the price per person drops for two, three or four travellers.

We send a written, itemised quote before you pay anything. No booking fees.

Good to know

Planning notes for a sports tour

When are the best matches?

Archery is played all year, but the biggest matches come around Losar, the Bhutanese new year in February or March, and on national holidays. Weekend matches are common in Thimphu and Paro. Tell us your dates and we will check the calendar. Read about Bhutan’s festivals in our 2027 festival calendar.

Safety at a match

Arrows travel fast and the targets are far away, so spectators stand well to the side, never behind the target. Your guide shows you where to stand. Drinking is common at village matches; it is fine to join in the fun, but never walk across the range.

Best time to go

March to May brings rhododendrons and warm valley days. October and November have the clearest skies and the best mountain views. December to February is cold, bright and quiet, with cranes in Phobjikha. June to August is the monsoon: green and peaceful, with rain most afternoons. Our month-by-month guide has more detail.

Temple etiquette

Cover shoulders and knees in dzongs and temples, take off hats, and walk clockwise around chortens and prayer wheels. Photography is not allowed inside shrine rooms. Your guide explains each place before you go in. Read more in our Bhutan travel rules guide.

Visa, SDF and guide rules

Every visitor except Indian nationals needs a visa, which costs USD 40 and is issued online before you fly. The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027, with half rates for children aged 6 to 11. A Department of Tourism notice from April 2026 confirms that visitors travel with a licensed guide. We file the visa and pay the SDF for you. Read more in our Bhutan visa guide and SDF guide.

Flying into Paro

Only Drukair and Bhutan Airlines fly into Paro, mainly from Bangkok, Delhi, Kathmandu, Kolkata and Singapore. Pilots land by sight between the ridges, so morning flights are the most reliable. We suggest a night in your hub city on the way in. Our flights to Bhutan page lists every route.

Bhutan sports tour: questions

How much does the 7 day sports tour cost?

It depends on your hotels, group size and dates. Tell us your budget and we will reply within 24 hours with our best price, including the SDF, visa, hotels, meals, guide and car.

Can I really shoot a traditional bow?

Yes. A local coach teaches you, starting at a short distance.

Is there an archery match every day?

No. Matches are common at weekends and holidays. We plan the trip around them where possible.

What is khuru?

A game of heavy wooden darts with feather flights, thrown at a small target about 20 metres away.

Is this trip good for families?

Yes. Children love the village games, and the walks are easy.

When is Losar?

Usually in February or March, following the lunar calendar.

When should we book?

Two to four months ahead.