A letter

Dear traveller, I was born in Bhutan, and I still plan every Soeling journey myself.

I take fewer than thirty guests a year, so each trip is built around one party and moves at the pace of the valley, the season and you. Write to me, and I will reply within a day.

Pema, Thimphu

A Bhutanese man in a woven shawl greeting a young child
A morning in the valley

By private inquiry · Fewer than thirty guests a year

The days

Doors we open

Access matters only when it gives you time to be present.

Monks in red robes among the 108 chortens at Dochula Pass, with the Himalayan range behind them

01 · Dochula Pass · 3,100 m

First Light at Dochula

Breakfast among 108 chortens, before the pass fills. Time to sit. Nothing to complete.

Taktsang monastery on a cliff above pine forest in the Paro valley

02 · Paro · Taktsang

The climb, if you want it

Tiger’s Nest is a steep walk above Paro. We go when you want the climb, and the trail is open. If not, the valley is enough.

A carved wooden doorway opening onto a green valley

Some places are not visited. They are entered.

After the note

What happens next

A note is enough. I hold the plan until you leave Paro.

  1. 01

    The note

    Send dates, who is travelling, and the pace you want. An assistant may write. Tell me who should receive the reply.

  2. 02

    The reply

    I write back and say what those dates can honestly hold.

  3. 03

    The proposal

    You receive the route, a private guide and driver, the lodges, the meals, the permits, and the government fee.

  4. 04

    The journey

    Your guide and driver stay with your party. If a pass closes, I change the day from the office.

The government fee

Separate from the proposal

I do not publish a price for the journey. That figure is written for your party alone. The Sustainable Development Fee is set by the Royal Government, and it sits beside the proposal. Guests from India, with an Indian passport or voter ID card, pay Nu 1,200 per person per night.

Sustainable Development Fee, per person per night
WhoPer night
US dollar paying visitors, until 31 August 2027USD 100
Children who have not yet turned 6No fee
Children aged 6 who have not yet turned 1250% of their SDF
Visitors other than guests from IndiaUSD 200
Guests from India, passport or voter IDNu 1,200

Department of Immigration FAQ

Bhutan Sustainable Development Fee

The office

Who writes

I am Pema. I write each Soeling journey.

By private inquiry.

Fewer than thirty guests a year.

About the office

Before you write

Questions

01Who replies?

Pema replies. Journeys are by private inquiry, with fewer than thirty guests a year.

02How soon is the reply?

A reply within a day. A useful note has your name, your email, possible dates, and who is travelling.

03Do you publish a price?

The sample routes do not publish a journey price. You receive a written proposal for your party. The Sustainable Development Fee is separate on that proposal. The advisors page states a from-price for travel advisors, and on that page the government fee is included at the rate in force at the time of travel. For US dollar paying visitors, until 31 August 2027, it is USD 100 per person per night. The Department of Immigration lists USD 200 per person per night for visitors other than guests from India. Guests from India, with an Indian passport or voter ID card, pay Nu 1,200 per person per night. Children who have not yet turned six are exempt. Children aged 6 who have not yet turned 12 receive a 50 percent concession on their SDF.

Department of Immigration FAQ

Bhutan Sustainable Development Fee

04What is in the proposal?

The route, a private guide and driver for your party, the lodges, meals, transport inside Bhutan, and the permits Soeling is arranging.

A short guide

Receive our insider guide

The Insider's Bhutan: 7 Experiences That Exist on No Itinerary

It opens right after you request it. A personal note from the office follows.

A private note

Request a private journey

Send possible dates, who is travelling, and anything the days have to work around.

A 30% deposit confirms the journey. The balance is due 60 days before arrival. Cancellation terms.

WhatsApp+975 17 40 05 49

Soeling uses these details to reply, and to plan a journey if you accept a proposal. The record is kept as described in the privacy notice.

You can also reach us on WhatsApp.