Our experience touring Bhutan with Swallowtail Tours was simply exceptional. Right from the time we put in an enquiry on their website, we were engaged very warmly by Singye over email. She was patient to our specific requirements, was extremely prompt in communication and ensuring we were ready for the tour. The tour itself was very relaxed (exactly the way we wanted it, and given we were travelling with two kids) and was done on a very comfortable + well maintained Hyundai H1 that was at our disposal throughout the tour. Special mention to our guide Pema and driver Jigme who went out of the way in ensuring we had a great time. Pema was soft-spoken, knowledgeable and struck the right chord with us and our kids. Jigme knew his driving and was also able to impress us with some archery! And, they both click amazing pictures. :) I will surely recommend Swallowtail - the experience is premium and I wouldn't hesitate to say that we got what we paid for.

We did the Tiger’s Nest hike with guide Lobsang Nima, who was wonderful. Swallowtail was dependable and very pleasant. Lobsang was a great guide and answered all our questions, providing a great hike up to Tiger’s Next and then a tour of the monasteries at the mountaintop. Swalllowtail also provided a delicious Bhutanese lunch after the hike, which was the perfect end to the one-day hike. Would highly recommend Swallowtail and Lobsang for any/all adventures in Bhutan!

It’s taken me some time to write this review as did finally getting to Bhutan after the COVID pandemic stopped my initial trip. During 2020 - 2023 I had great responses from Swallowtail ensuring me that my money was safe and my future trip would go ahead when the world allowed overseas travel to recommence. Yes, Bhutan is beautiful, safe and welcoming. What you will need is an excellent guide and a safe driver for those winding roads. Pem and Nima were my Bhutan team/travel buddies for this solo trip and thankfully I didn’t feel I was solo. They were great company and they never failed to show me all that Bhutan had to offer and more+++. Part of my original plan needed to be changed due to a guesthouse reconstruction, Pem preceded to make plans that were totally suited to my personal choices and even better than I could have expected. Pem continued to show me so many amazing places /experiences throughout my trip and I will be forever grateful. For me Bhutan wasn’t just about visiting a major tourist attraction e.g. Paro Taktsang (Tigers nest) I wanted my independent traveller feeling of coming across something unknown, out of the guidebook and away from tourists. Pem delivered on so many pinch me moments and the awesome Tara Temple, visit to her family village and a quick hi to her dad was a very personal and a really special day. If you have ever wanted to visit Bhutan you should go and you won’t be disappointed. The tour company you travel may make all the difference. I can assure you Swallowtail tours, guides and drivers are really exceptional. Hopefully you will also get to see Sagarmatha/Chomolungma/Mt Everest on your flight.

What an incredible experience. We are very discerning about the kind of travel we like to do - full flexibility (no "fixed schedules"), stop-where-we-want, a nice car throughout, lots of hikes, less touristy stuff. Bhutan Swallowtail - Pema and Passang - really delivered. They made absolutely every request happen, very fully flexible, and more importantly, great with the kids! Highly recommended - they made our Bhutan trip unforgettable

Words fall short for how beautiful our Bhutan experience has been, not least because of our wonderful guide Pema and driver Passang from Bhutan Swallowtail Tours. We traveled with our two young kids and are extremely grateful for the level of flexibility, adjustment and general helpfulness Pema and Passang showed throughout our 15 day trip. We visited 6 towns and the trip could have easily been more painful than pleasurable, but everything was taken care of in the best way possible. Pema went out of the way to cater to each one of our whims, and even arranged additional things that were not part of the itinerary. He was knowledgable, caring, polite and adjusting - think we found a friend in him. Passang drove wonderfully and was also always ready to help us. Both of them genuinely took care of the kids, very much like how we would. Bhutan is gorgeous and it’s people are amazing, Pema and Passang being prime examples.

My favorite thing about the 14 Night Trekking & Cultural Adventure East Tour was the flexibility. Our fabulous guide Tshering adapted to our daily energy level and whatever popped up that was interesting to give us an amazing spontaneous experience each moment. The Festival in Paro was amazing; hike to Tiger's Nest was gorgeous and stopping along the trail for tea with locals was the best cultural experience ever!!

We had a great experience with swallowtail team in Bhutan. You a get a private tour regardless of the number of passengers in the group. That will make it possible to have your plan tailored to your interest. We had a comfortable van for the week. It is not easy to drive In Bhutan and our driver Jamiyang was excellent! Our guide Lobsang was very attentive and knowledgeable. I learned so much about history, culture and daily life of people in Bhutan. He went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience. Everyday was full of adventures from hiking to eating lunch prepared by locals. He knows all the secret trails and speaks perfect English! Highly recommend you travel with swallowtail and ask for Lobsang to be your guide!

If you are considering traveling to Bhutan I would highly recommend Bhutan Swallowtail! My husband and I had a marvelous trip thanks to Singye, who helped plan and coordinate our trip before we arrived, and our fabulous guide, Tshering, and driver, Jigme. After having to cancel our initial trip to Bhutan in April 2020, Singye helped us plan this trip on short notice and answered all of our questions with the upmost promptness, kindness, and thoroughness. From the moment we arrived in Bhutan, Tshering and Jigme brought to life the magic of the Buddhist Kingdom through their personal stories and through our visits to important spiritual sites, challenging and beautiful hikes, sightseeing in Thimphu and Paro, frequent photography detours, shopping for special mementos, and sharing many delicious meals together. They incorporated thoughtful surprises for us throughout the trip and were incredibly knowledgeable, compassionate, funny and entertaining. We shared so many laughs together and it felt like we were old friends! Thank you for everything!

Visiting Bhutan with swallowtail was an amazing experience. We were on the cultural tour visiting Paro, Thimphu and Punakha valley. However, I feel we weren’t there long enough and would love to come back on another tour with swallowtail! Our guides Jigme and Kinley were super friendly and funny. They made us feel right at home and we’re so easy to get on with. They were flexible with the itinerary and took us to some really fun places and were so accommodating. If you wanted to request a guide I would really recommend them! Swallowtail had booked us a very comfortable car which was immaculate and spacious. They provided us with bottled water and sorted and paid for all our meals and hotels. The food was amazing and we couldn’t stop eating. The hotels were also amazing with spacious rooms, comfy beds and great views. The company also arranged all our visas beforehand. Singye was great at keeping us in the loop and arranging everything for us. Overall, swallowtail was an excellent company to arrange our tour with. They made the experience very special and left us wanting to come back again. The people were so friendly and we really felt it was worth every penny!

Visiting Bhutan was the fulfilment of a wish I've had for many years. My 14-year old daughter and I spent 8 wonderful and fascinating days exploring the western part of this beautiful country on a trip expertly organized by Swallowtail. We had a kind and very knowledgeable guide in Pema and a very experienced and professional driver in Jigme. They were personable and professional and made our trip a great experience. Pema went out of his way to learn my daughter's interests (such as art and animals) and to included activities that she would especially enjoy, including teaching her about the stories and symbolism in some of the Buddhist art we saw in the temples we visited, locating some paints and organizing an art class for us, and making a stop at an animal sanctuary. I now understand one reason why tourists are required to have a driver in Bhutan -- the winding roads on cliffsides would be unnerving to the inexperienced. We were in great hands with Jigme; always felt safe in a very well-maintained vehicle with an calm and expert driver. Our itinerary, organized in consultation with the patient and helpful Singye at Swallowtail included a farmstay, attending a festival in a rural area, visiting temples, fortresses and nunneries, walking in the countryside, hiking to the Tigers Nest, and wonderful meals everywhere. The hotels and the homestay recommended by Swallowtail were all excellent. Staying at the Dewachen Resort in the Phobjikha Valley, and walking through the valley with my daughter in the company of our kind hosts Pema and Jigme is a memory I will cherish forever. I can wholeheartedly recommend Swallowtail Tours and our in-country host team Pema and Jigme.

It was an extraordinary tour to Bhutan on the Trans Bhutan Trail performed by Swallowtail Tours! Although we love travelling around the world we have never seen a place like this. We had such amazing experiences with the great nature, the rich culture and the warm hospitality of the people here! At the airport we had a warm welcome to Tsering (our guide) and Basang (our driver). We felt comfortable and safe from the first second. Basang showed his calm driving skills so that my motion sickness had no chance! He took care of us that we felt like VIPs serving lunch, holding umbrellas, picking us up everywhere. Tsering impressed by his knowlegde about the Buddhism and all the historical facts of the Bhutanese history. But the best about him was his trustfull behaviour on the Trans Bhutan Trail! Our first tour from Haa to Paro was really tough for us because of the high altitude and the long way. But Tsering always took care of us- he motivated us when we were tired, gave us breaks when needed und taught us singing Bhutanese songs for children. We will never forget the experience singing songs together on the pass! The bears out there must have been shocked! We met on the Trans Bhutan Trail friendly dogs, wildboar, deer und a lot of interesting birds and beautiful butterflys. All in all it is a highly recommended tour with Tsering and Basang! We hope we can return someday to hike on the rest of the Trail in the East. We will keep all the wonderful Bhutanese people but especially Tsering and Basang in our hearts!!

Trip in Bhutan : 27 April - 7 May 2023 Swallowtail – with Pema and Sigme I experienced this journey as an insight into the Bhutanese identity and culture and as feeling the fragile soul of 'Gross National Happiness'. Bhutan is supported by an incredibly beautiful nature that is cheered up by flags (colored and white), authentic cities and villages, temples, stupas, prayer rolls, ... We have met people in the city, in residences, on the land, in villages, in a school, in a medical center in a village, in temples, … We also experienced some celebrations and attended services in the temples. I constantly had the feeling that I can just ‘be’ there. I experienced the people as friendly, usually calm, accommodating, proud and own, … We could be silent and we could also chat with them. Very harmonious. This trip makes me think with my head and think from the heart. About living together, about GNH and BNP, about religion, about tradition and culture, about history and the future, about our planet, … I think there is a special process going on…. in the hope-full direction of ‘Gross National Happiness’. With trial and error. We are very satisfied with the organization Swallowtail. Both during the preparation and during the trip, there was open, pleasant communication and we worked well together. We were welcomed at the airport by Pema (guide) and Jigme (driver). Two fine young people with whom we have developed a very nice bond. During the trip we received a lot of explanation about Buddhism, about traditions, about the policy in Bhutan, about everything we saw and heard and felt... There was an honest openness in our togetherness, also about sensitive matters (political, religious, social, ... ) we could exchange our opinions. Music in the car gave a nice undertone to our experience. We also laughed a lot. Warm thanks to Pema, Sigme and Swallowtail. Kris

My tour with Bhutan Swallowtail exceeded my expectations. I was a completely tailor-made tour focused on buddhist temples and monasteries in the central and north-western part of Bhutan. The guide and driver were always trying to help me have the best experience possible, paying much attention to what I want to see, my food preferences, and especially my spiritual and cultural knowledge needs. Besides the itinerary already scheduled, the guide (Sonam) also came up with new ideas of places that I could be interested in seeing, which I totally loved. She also showed a lot of flexibility and skills to manage a situation which started as a bit unpleasant for me, turning it around into something really great. I appreciate very much the attitude both her, and my driver had the whole time, joyful and positive, providing many details about what we were visiting and also playing to role of translator in communications with monks, which had a wonderful impact on my inner spiritual experience of buddhism. I also am very thankful to Sonam for always taking the effort to find the most suitable hiking and trekking routes, so that I finish them safely. I totally recommend this agency as probably a returning customer in the future.

My 10-day travel through Bhutan was marvellous. Not at least because of the wonderful guidance of Pema and Sigme. A complementary duo who ‘incarnate’ the wisdom, happiness and compassion that Bhutan has to offer. I was able to arrange my itinerary with flexible help from Swallowtail. I admired many beautiful mountaintops and landscapes, filled with prayer flags, rhododendrons and blossoming flowers. I enjoyed a school and hospital visit. Stayed in a home stay, guest house and beautiful hotels. I heard great folk songs and mantras. Was able to participate in many interesting talks, nice walks, an archery, a funeral and a couple of festivals. I witnessed often great hospitality, for example when I was invited to join the dances, the offered food and ara on many occasions. This travel was a joy for my eyes (nice pictures of mountaintops, temples, landscapes and people). And was even more a joy for my heart and soul. During my tour I was often deeply touched by the contacts I had and the profound gentle warmth of the people we met. I was also very pleased by the knowledge, the calm driving skills and the flexible responsible happy easy going of my guides. My experiences gave me lots to thoughts about our live in our so called ‘developed’ countries. Bhutans culture has us a lot to offer. Hope to keep Bhutan and my guides in my heart for a long time.

I heard the most amazing reviews from my colleagues back in 2019 and finally able to embark the long awaited Bhutan travel with Swallowtail tours in April 2023. Planning the 17 days solo trip was a breeze - Communications Manager Singye Wangwo was extremely helpful providing options and tips. I am a pretty relaxed traveler and enjoy day hikes. As a solo female traveler, I felt completely at ease and not a dull moment throughout my journey thanks to amazing guide - Kinley Dendup and driver - Tashi Tshering. Anyone who has been to Bhutan will tell you about the great hospitality and scenery the country has to offer. For me, this was above and beyond - the friendship, kindness and sense of community is indescribable. I had expectations - but nothing compared to what I received in return. Kinley's attention to detail, flexibility and ability to relate to individuals made all the difference. I enjoyed numerous local touches and together with Mr Tashi - I couldn't ask for a better combo to spend 17 days with. Thank you!