Bhutan Rides is what happens when a crew of Bhutanese riders decides the world should see their kingdom the way they do — from the saddle. We are guides, mechanics, drivers and hosts. Before any of that, we are riders. Every route on this site was cut, raced or test-ridden by the people on this page.
Our roots run deep. This is the crew that pioneered mountain-biking and motorcycling in Bhutan. We cut the kingdom’s first singletrack, we race the Tour of the Dragon — 268 km of riding in a single day, one of the longest one-day mountain-bike races on earth — and we brought home Asian Enduro Series titles from Nepal in 2017 and 2018.
We stay small on purpose. The person who answers your WhatsApp is a rider. The guide who briefs you at breakfast rode your route last month. The mechanic who preps your bike will be there when you roll in, rag in hand, asking how it went. One kingdom, two wheels, one crew — and you’re part of it from the first message.
Our winning formula? “Word-of-mouth is everything.” Ride with us once and you’ll tell your riding mates — around 80% of our riders come to us on the recommendation of someone who has already ridden with us.
No two groups ride alike, so no two trips run alike. Before you land we want to know how you ride, what you ride and what a perfect day in the saddle looks like to you. Then we build around it — a proper bike-fit before day one, line-choice coaching on the descents, a farmhouse dinner and hot-stone bath after a cold pass, an archery match on a rest day, a quiet monastery morning before the trail. Riders tell us that flexing the plan around last-minute wishes is our distinct hallmark.
And behind the fun sits a booking crew that has seen it all. Seats on flights to Paro (notoriously overbooked), visas and permits for special places, hotel and farmhouse bookings, emergency evacuation arrangements — handled quietly, so the only thing you think about is the next corner. Riders call it a peace-of-mind booking experience. We call it doing our job.
One thing is for sure — we have the most capable ride leaders in the country!
Every Bhutan Rides guide is certified by the Department of Tourism and is a member of the Guides Association of Bhutan. Some have been with us from the very start; the rest join on a minimum of five years’ field experience, regular refresher courses, strong English and the kind of judgement you only earn on the mountain. Guides who started as fresh legs have worked their way up to ride leaders on performance and rider feedback alone.
All of our ride leaders are trained in first aid, hygiene standards and recognising and managing AMS (acute mountain sickness) — because on high-altitude rides, care is part of the craft. And behind every group runs a support vehicle with a mechanic’s toolkit, spares and snacks, so a bad puncture never becomes a bad day.
The riders, wrenches and fixers who make every trip roll.
Founder & Lead Guide
Tenzin founded Bhutan Rides to share the trails and passes he grew up on — properly, personally and at riding pace. A Tour of the Dragon finisher and enduro racer turned host, he has spent two decades guiding on two wheels, and he still opens most trips himself. Ask him about the kingdom's first singletrack; he was holding the shovel.
MTB Trail Boss
Tandin has cut, raked and ridden more Bhutanese singletrack than anyone we know. If a trail flows, he probably built it — and he'll still wave you through to ride it first.
Moto Captain
Ugyen has led Enfield convoys over every rideable pass in the kingdom. Steady pace, crisp briefings and a sixth sense for weather windows — riders settle in behind him and relax.
Chief Mechanic
Karma keeps the fleet purring through river crossings and high passes. If it has two wheels, he can fix it — usually before you've finished your tea.
Ops & Logistics
Sonam keeps every booking, permit and hotel room in perfect order — the quiet engine behind smooth arrivals and effortless riding days.
Sweep Rider
Thinley rides last so nobody rides alone. Punctures, tired legs, one-more-photo stops — he has seen it all, and he always rolls in smiling.
Trip Photographer
Pema rides with a camera on his chest and one eye on the light. The hero shots you take home — and the monks who photobomb them — are his quiet obsession.
…and behind them, the support drivers, cooks and farmhouse hosts who turn a ride across Bhutan into a homecoming.
Six signature trips, one riding-obsessed crew. Tell us how you ride and we'll point you at the right one.
