- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Special interest tour · 8 days, 7 nights
8 Day Bhutan Traditional Medicine and Healing Tour: Sowa Rigpa, Herbal Medicine and Hot Stone Baths
Learn about Bhutan’s own system of medicine, sowa rigpa, at the National Traditional Medicine Hospital, meet a drungtsho, see medicinal plants and the making of herbal remedies, and try the healing practices Bhutanese use every day.
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Sowa rigpa and herbal medicine
- Hot stone baths and meditation
1968
First indigenous dispensary opened
600+
Medicinal plants identified
20
Districts with traditional medicine units
Easy
Grade
Trip overview
Medicine from the mountains
Bhutan has two health systems working side by side. Alongside modern hospitals, every one of the country’s 20 districts has a unit of traditional medicine, called sowa rigpa, the science of healing. Bhutanese people use both, often for the same illness, and the government provides both free of charge. Traditional medicine in Bhutan grew from the Buddhist medical texts and was established in the country after the arrival of the Zhabdrung in 1616. In 1967 the Third King ordered that it be included in the national health service, and the first indigenous dispensary opened at Dechencholing in Thimphu on 28 June 1968.
Doctors of traditional medicine, called drungtsho, train for five years at the Faculty of Traditional Medicine in Thimphu. They diagnose by reading the pulse, looking at the tongue and eyes, and asking about diet and lifestyle, and they treat with herbal medicines and therapies. More than 600 medicinal plants have been identified in Bhutan, about 300 of them are in common use, and more than 100 compound medicines are produced. Therapies include gold and silver needle treatment, moxibustion, herbal steam and baths, oil massage and nasal treatments.
On this 8 day tour you visit the National Traditional Medicine Hospital in Thimphu and, where possible, have a consultation with a drungtsho. You see how medicines are made, learn about the plants collected from the high mountains, take a hot stone bath in a farmhouse and join a meditation session with a monk. You also see the main sights of Paro, Thimphu and Punakha, and finish with the Tiger’s Nest.
- National Traditional Medicine Hospital and a drungtsho consultation
- Medicinal plants and herbal remedies
- Hot stone bath, meditation and the Tiger's Nest
Highlights
Highlights of the tour
Drungtsho consultation
Pulse reading and advice from a traditional doctor.
Medicinal plants
Herbs collected from forests and high pastures.
Hot stone bath
Menchu, heated with river stones and herbs.
Meditation
A guided session with a monk or nun.
Herbal therapies
Steam, oil massage and other treatments.
Tiger's Nest
The cliff monastery above Paro.
Itinerary at a glance
Eight days at a glance
Hospital and consultation times depend on the doctors’ schedules.
Day 1: Arrive in Paro
Land in Paro.
Day 2: To Thimphu
Drive to Thimphu, the Memorial Chorten.
Day 3: Sowa rigpa day
The National Traditional Medicine Hospital.
Day 4: Meditation and plants
A meditation session and a herb walk.
Day 5: To Punakha
Over Dochula to Punakha.
Day 6: Back to Paro, hot stone bath
Drive to Paro and a farmhouse menchu.
Day 7: Tiger's Nest
Hike to Paro Taktsang.
Day 8: Depart
Transfer to Paro airport.
Day 1
Arrive in Paro
Your guide meets you at Paro airport. In the afternoon you visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan’s oldest temples, and walk in the Paro valley. Your guide explains how Bhutanese think about health, karma and balance.
- Overnight: Paro
- Altitude: about 2,200 metres
- Meals: lunch and dinner
Day 2
Thimphu
You drive to Thimphu and join the older people walking circuits of the Memorial Chorten, which many Bhutanese do daily for both spiritual and physical health. In the afternoon you visit the Buddha Dordenma and Tashichho Dzong.
- Overnight: Thimphu
- Drive: about 1.5 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3
Inside Bhutan's traditional medicine
You visit the National Traditional Medicine Hospital in Thimphu, where patients come for consultations and therapies, and learn how the traditional and modern systems work together. Where possible, a drungtsho gives you a consultation, reading your pulse and offering advice on diet and lifestyle. You also see the displays of medicinal plants, minerals and finished medicines.
- Overnight: Thimphu
- Visit: hospital and museum, by arrangement
- Optional: consultation with a drungtsho
Day 4
Meditation and medicinal plants
In the morning a monk or nun guides you in a meditation session at a temple above Thimphu. In the afternoon you walk a forest trail with a guide who knows medicinal plants, learning which herbs Bhutanese use at home. You can book a traditional oil massage or herbal steam bath at a spa in the evening.
- Overnight: Thimphu
- Walk: about 2 hours
- Optional: oil massage or steam bath
Day 5
Dochula and Punakha
You cross Dochula and visit Punakha Dzong, built in 1637, and Chimi Lhakhang, where people come for blessings of fertility and health. In the evening you can walk by the river or relax.
- Overnight: Punakha
- Drive: about 3 hours
- Walk: about 1 hour
Day 6
A hot stone bath
You drive back over Dochula to Paro. In the evening you visit a farmhouse for a menchu, a hot stone bath. River stones are heated in a fire, then dropped into a wooden tub of water, often with artemisia leaves, releasing minerals and warmth. Afterwards you have dinner with the family.
- Overnight: Paro
- Drive: about 4.5 hours
- Activity: hot stone bath
Day 7
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 8
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 hotels, with wellness resorts on request.
| Nights | Place | Where you stay | Why we chose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 6 and 7 | Paro | 3-star or 4-star hotel | Wellness resorts available |
| 2, 3 and 4 | Thimphu | 3-star or 4-star hotel | Central |
| 5 | Punakha | 3-star or 4-star hotel | Valley views |
Several Paro and Punakha resorts offer spa treatments based on Bhutanese herbs.
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
- Arranged visit to the National Traditional Medicine Hospital
- Meditation session with a monk or nun
- Hot stone bath at a farmhouse
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
- Medicines, spa treatments and consultation fees if any
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 traditional medicine and healing 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 or resort 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
About sowa rigpa
How diagnosis works
Traditional medicine sees health as a balance of three humours, linked to wind, bile and phlegm. A drungtsho reads the pulse at the wrist with three fingers, looks at the tongue, eyes and urine, and asks about diet, sleep and habits. Treatment may include herbal medicines, changes to diet and behaviour, and external therapies. This is a cultural visit, not medical treatment, and it does not replace your own doctor.
Where the medicines come from
Many of the plants used in Bhutanese medicine grow at high altitude and are collected by trained herbalists from the mountains each summer. Minerals and some animal products are also used. Medicines are made in Thimphu and sent to traditional medicine units across the country. Some ingredients are protected, so collecting is strictly controlled.
Hot springs
Bhutanese also visit natural hot springs, called tsachu, for healing, especially in winter. The best known is Gasa Tsachu in the north, which can be added as an extension from Punakha. Others are reached only on foot. Your guide can suggest which suits your trip.
The hot stone bath
A menchu, or hot stone bath, is a wooden tub of river water heated with stones that have been roasted in a fire, often with artemisia leaves added. Bhutan’s Department of Tourism lists it among the country’s traditional wellness experiences, and Bhutanese people use it to ease sore joints and tired muscles. Many farmhouses in Paro and Punakha offer one in the evening. Tell your guide if you have heart problems or high blood pressure before you book.
Meditation in Bhutan
Many Bhutanese meditate, pray or circle temples daily as part of a healthy life. For a longer practice, see our meditation and wellness retreat.
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.
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.
Traditional medicine 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.
Bhutan’s traditional system of medicine, the science of healing, based on Buddhist medical texts.
Where possible, yes. A drungtsho can read your pulse and offer advice.
No. It is a cultural and educational tour. Always follow your own doctor’s advice.
A wooden tub of water heated with fire-roasted river stones, often with herbs.
Some are prescribed only by a drungtsho. Ask before buying, and check your home country’s import rules.
Yes. Gasa Tsachu can be added as an extension from Punakha.
Two to four months ahead.
Price on request
Ask for your best price
Tell us your dates, what you would like to learn and your budget. We will reply within 24 hours with our best price for this traditional medicine and healing 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.