- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Special interest tour · 10 days, 9 nights (8 to 12 day options)
Bhutan Textile and Weaving Tour: Looms, Natural Dyes and Master Weavers
Meet the weavers behind Bhutan’s famous textiles, from the Royal Textile Academy in Thimphu to the yathra looms of Bumthang. Ten days as standard, with 8 and 12 day versions.
- 10 days, 9 nights
- 8 and 12 day options
- Weaving demonstrations and workshops
2005
Royal Textile Academy founded
13
Traditional arts, weaving among them
3
Weaving regions visited
Easy
Grade
Trip overview
The art Bhutan wears every day
Weaving is Bhutan’s most visible art. Every Bhutanese wears the national dress to work and school, and the finest kiras and ghos are woven by hand on backstrap or frame looms, with patterns picked out thread by thread. A complex silk kira can take a skilled weaver a year or more. Textiles are given at weddings and promotions, offered to temples and passed down through families, and each region has its own styles, fibres and patterns.
This tour follows the thread from the capital to the weaving villages of central Bhutan. In Thimphu you visit the Royal Textile Academy, established in 2005 under the patronage of Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck, which runs a museum and training programmes for young weavers, and the Textile Museum. You meet weavers in Thimphu’s workshops and learn about natural dyes from plants such as madder, indigo and rhubarb. In Bumthang you see yathra, the thick, patterned wool cloth of the central highlands, woven at Zungney in the Chhume valley, and visit families who still spin and dye their own wool.
Along the way you try a short weaving lesson, learn to read the patterns, and have time to buy directly from weavers. The standard trip is 10 days. The 8 day version stays in western Bhutan, and the 12 day version continues east to Khoma in Lhuentse, home of the kushuthara, Bhutan’s most prized brocade.
- Royal Textile Academy and the Textile Museum
- Yathra weavers of Bumthang and natural dye workshops
- A hands-on weaving lesson and time to buy from makers
Highlights
Highlights of the tour
Royal Textile Academy
Bhutan's centre for textile heritage and training.
Zungney weavers
Yathra wool cloth woven on frame looms in Chhume.
Natural dyes
Colours from madder, indigo and forest plants.
Meet the makers
Time with weavers in their homes and workshops.
Trongsa and Bumthang
Dzongs and temples between weaving visits.
Tiger's Nest
The cliff monastery above Paro.
Itinerary at a glance
Ten days at a glance
The 8 day option ends after day 5 in Paro. The 12 day option adds Lhuentse.
Day 1: Arrive in Paro
Land in Paro, National Museum.
Day 2: Thimphu: the Royal Textile Academy
The academy, Textile Museum and a weaving studio.
Day 3: Dyes and a weaving lesson
Natural dye workshop and a hands-on lesson.
Day 4: To Punakha
Over Dochula to Punakha Dzong.
Day 5: To Trongsa
Over Pele La to Trongsa.
Day 6: Chhume and the yathra weavers
To Bumthang via Zungney.
Day 7: Bumthang villages
Spinning, dyeing and temples.
Day 8: Fly to Paro
Domestic flight from Bumthang to Paro.
Day 9: Tiger's Nest
Hike to Paro Taktsang.
Day 10: Depart
Transfer to Paro airport.
Day 1
Arrive in Paro
Your guide meets you at Paro airport. After lunch you visit the National Museum, in the old watchtower above Rinpung Dzong, which has a fine gallery of old textiles and costumes, then walk down to the dzong itself.
- Overnight: Paro
- Altitude: about 2,200 metres
- Meals: lunch and dinner
Day 2
Thimphu and the Royal Textile Academy
You drive to Thimphu and spend the day on textiles. At the Royal Textile Academy you see its galleries of royal and regional textiles and watch students at their looms. Then you visit a private weaving studio, where women weave kiras on backstrap looms, and the craft bazaar, where you can compare styles and prices.
- Overnight: Thimphu
- Drive: about 1.5 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3
Natural dyes and your first weave
In the morning a weaver shows you how natural dyes are made, boiling roots, bark and leaves to produce reds, yellows, blues and browns, and how wool and silk are mordanted so the colours last. In the afternoon you sit at a backstrap loom for a beginner’s lesson and weave a small strip to take home. You also visit the National Institute for Zorig Chusum to see embroidery and tailoring students.
- Overnight: Thimphu
- Workshop: about 2 hours
- Lesson: about 2 hours
Day 4
Dochula and Punakha
You cross Dochula and visit Punakha Dzong, where the monks’ robes and temple hangings show another side of Bhutanese textiles. In the afternoon you walk to Chimi Lhakhang through the rice fields and visit a village weaver.
- Overnight: Punakha
- Drive: about 3 hours
- Walk: about 1 hour
Day 5
Over Pele La to Trongsa
You drive over Pele La, through yak pastures, to Trongsa, and visit Trongsa Dzong and the Ta Dzong museum, which holds royal robes and textiles. On the 8 day option, you instead drive back to Paro today, hike to the Tiger’s Nest on day 7 and fly home on day 8.
- Overnight: Trongsa
- Drive: about 5 to 6 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6
The yathra weavers of Chhume
You cross Yotong La and stop at Zungney in the Chhume valley, the centre of yathra weaving. Yathra is a thick wool cloth with bold geometric patterns, used for jackets, blankets and bags. You visit weavers at their frame looms, see wool being carded and spun, and can buy pieces straight from the makers. In the afternoon you continue to Jakar.
- Overnight: Bumthang
- Drive: about 3 hours
- Visits: two or three weaving households
Day 7
Wool, dye and temples
You spend the morning with a family who still raise sheep and spin and dye their own wool, then visit Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang and Tamshing Lhakhang, where you can see old temple hangings and painted textiles. In the afternoon you are free to visit the shops in Chamkhar.
- Overnight: Bumthang
- Visits: weaving family and temples
- Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 8
Fly back to Paro
You fly from Bumthang to Paro, about 30 minutes. In the afternoon you visit Kyichu Lhakhang and a Paro weaving shop. On the 12 day option, you drive east from Bumthang over Thrumshing La to Mongar and Lhuentse instead, spending two days in Khoma, the village of kushuthara brocade, before driving back west to fly from Bumthang.
- Overnight: Paro
- Flight: about 30 minutes, on set days
- Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 9
Hike to the Tiger's Nest
The hike to Paro Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest, takes five to six hours return. The path climbs through blue pine forest to a cafeteria with a clear view of the monastery, then on to the cliff itself at about 3,120 metres, where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated in the 8th century.
- Overnight: Paro
- Hike: 5 to 6 hours return
- Altitude: about 3,120 metres
Day 10
Fly home
After breakfast your guide drives you to Paro airport for your flight home.
- Transfer: about 15 minutes
- Meals: breakfast
Where you stay
Where you stay
Comfortable 3-star hotels as standard, with upgrades on request.
| Nights | Place | Where you stay | Why we chose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 8 and 9 | Paro | 3-star or 4-star hotel | Upgrades available |
| 2 and 3 | Thimphu | 3-star or 4-star hotel | Central |
| 4 | Punakha | 3-star or 4-star hotel | Valley views |
| 5 | Trongsa | 3-star hotel | View of the dzong |
| 6 and 7 | Bumthang | 3-star or 4-star hotel | Chamkhar valley |
On the 12 day option, hotels in Mongar and Lhuentse are simple and family-run.
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
- Domestic flight from Bumthang to Paro
- Natural dye workshop and weaving lesson
- Entry to the Royal Textile Academy and Textile Museum
- Private car or SUV with a Bhutanese driver, and all transfers
- Entry fees to dzongs, temples and museums
- Bottled water in the car
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
- Textiles and other purchases
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 textile and weaving 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
Trip length (8, 10 or 12 days), hotel style and group size change the total most.
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 your textile tour
Bhutan's main textile styles
Kushuthara, from Khoma in Lhuentse, is a white-ground brocade with dense coloured patterns, worn on special occasions. Mathra and yathra are wool cloths from Bumthang, the first striped and the second with bold patterns. Eastern Bhutan is known for raw silk, called bura, and for cotton and silk kiras with fine supplementary-weft patterns. Each style has its own looms, techniques and meanings, and your guide and the weavers will explain them.
Choosing 8, 10 or 12 days
The 8 day trip covers Thimphu, Punakha and Paro, with the Royal Textile Academy, a dye workshop and a weaving lesson. The 10 day trip adds Trongsa and Bumthang for yathra weaving and wool. The 12 day trip continues east to Khoma in Lhuentse, the home of kushuthara, which involves long drives on mountain roads but is a highlight for serious textile lovers.
Buying textiles
A handwoven kira can cost from a few hundred to several thousand US dollars, depending on the fibre, the complexity of the pattern and the time it took. Smaller pieces, such as scarves, table runners and yathra bags, make good gifts. Buy from weavers and cooperatives where possible, and ask your guide to help judge quality and price.
The thirteen traditional arts
Bhutan groups its traditional crafts as zorig chusum, the thirteen arts. They are painting, sculpture, wood carving, calligraphy, papermaking, bronze casting, woodturning, blacksmithing, ornament making, bamboo and cane work, weaving, embroidery and tailoring, and masonry and carpentry. The government supports them through the National Institute for Zorig Chusum in Thimphu and the College of Zorig Chusum in Trashi Yangtse, where young people train for four to six years.
Buying crafts and taking them home
Buy from cooperatives, craft bazaars and the artisans themselves where you can, so more of the money stays with the maker. Prices in government-run shops are fixed; in markets a little friendly bargaining is fine. Bhutan does not allow the export of antiques or old religious objects, so be wary of anything sold as old. New thangkas, textiles, masks and wooden bowls can be taken home freely. Keep your receipts in case customs ask.
Getting to Bumthang
Bumthang is about 270 km from Thimphu, but the road crosses three passes and the drive takes most of two days. We break it with a night in Punakha or Trongsa. Drukair also flies between Paro and Bumthang on set days of the week, in about 30 minutes, and on most of our central Bhutan trips we fly back to save a day on the road. The schedule changes by season, so we confirm the flight when you book.
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.
Textile and weaving tour: questions
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.
Ten days as standard, with 8 and 12 day versions.
Yes. You have a beginner’s lesson on a backstrap loom in Thimphu.
Bhutan’s centre for textile heritage, established in 2005, with a museum and training programmes.
Yes, in Thimphu, Chhume and the villages. Your guide helps with prices.
Yes. You do not need any experience to enjoy it.
Yes, on the 12 day version, which goes to Lhuentse in the east.
Two to four months ahead.
Price on request
Ask for your best price
Tell us which version you want, who is travelling and your budget. We will reply within 24 hours with our best price for this textile and weaving tour.
- Share your budget, we shape the trip around it
- No booking fees, ever
- A reply within 24 hours
- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- +975 17533776
- +975 77495028
- info@deyabhutantours.com
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Let's plan your Bhutan journey
Tell us a little about your trip. Our team in Thimphu will reply with ideas, a day-by-day plan and a full price.
We’ll reply within 24 hours. No booking fees, and no obligation to book.