We've just returned from a second trip with Windhorse Tours in Bhutan. Last year (2024) we did an excellent 6 day cultural trip with them and wanted to go back this year for trekking. There was no question who we would arrange our tour with this year: Windhorse Tours! We booked a 10 day tailor-made tour with 2 days acclimatization hiking around the beautiful Haa Valley; time in Thimphu and then 7 days trekking the Jomolhari loop. We booked to go late October/early November... usually a sweet spot between the end of summer rain and the start of snow accumulation in the mountains. This year was unusual. While it's understood weather in the mountains can be unpredictable, this year Cylcone Montha inserted itself into our plans bringing heavy rain, and snow to the mountains. Our excellent guide, Pelden Wangchuk, really took care to ensure our well-being, safety and happiness. While we had planned a circuit trek, significant new snow at higher elevations blocked our path. Pelden was continually checking on conditions ahead, and with us. We all decided to aim for Jomolhari Base Camp but then return the way we came. Remarkably, we awoke at Base Camp to clear skies and spectacular views of Jomolhari. And, one benefit of returning the same way was seeing the gorgeous scenery we missed previously. With larch and other trees in their full autumn colours, the views were quite stunning... often enhanced by high water in the swollen Paro river! We've done a few Himalayan treks and were impressed by the quality of equipment and service provided by Windhorse. Their tent did a remarkable job of staying dry and the sleeping bags were toasty warm. Hot water bottles were a nice touch! It must've been quite a feat keeping our gear and all the tents dry on the inside but somehow the crew did just that. On previous treks, we'd never had a mid-morning hot tea/coffee break, let alone a hot lunch... served by our Camp Assistant with good humour and smiles. Whatever the conditions, our cook turned out a choice of tasty, varied food including unexpected treats like French Toast and a beautifully decorated cake that tasted as good as it looked. All the hotels and food (often buffets) were of top quality too - as they were on our first trip. Even though it rained on our trek, we still enjoyed the whole experience and were again really impressed with Windhorse Tours. read more

A fantastic fortnight in Bhutan organised by Windhorse Tours We were a group of four friends who were recommended to use Windhorse by a travelling friend. Initially I liased with Windhorse director Jambay with whom we finalised the trip itinerary ( top tip: we went in November high season; accom sells out quickly so try to book at least 6 months in advance), and flights in/out of Bhutan and of course visa which includes Sustainable Development Fee. All was done in a helpful, focussed and professional way. We arrived on two different flights; in each case we were meet & greeted on arrival by our guide, Sonam Loday and our driver, Chorten. On small group tours such as this, the Windhorse team are crucial to the enjoyment of the holiday, and we were extremely happy with ours! Sonam was very experienced, so his planning, anticipation and decision making was first class. Equally importantly, his good humour and love of his job made the history and culture of Bhutan come alive, while always seemingly effortlessly made all go smoothly... What a great guy! Our driver Chorten provided excellent support during activities, but his driving was unbelievable.... So smooth on the winding mountain roads, stopping safely on request for photo ops, and his pristinely clean and maintained van was perfect to carry our group in comfort. Our 13 day itinerary encompassed Central and Western Bhutan, and we never felt rushed, often spending 2 nights in one place. Accom was great and always seemed appropriate to the location, and included guest houses, lodges, and traditional hotels. We always seemed to have the best rooms with views etc. We enjoyed the food, and non of our group had tummy issues throughout the trip. We agreed that Bhutan is a fantastic place to visit, and Windhorse made our trip perfect.... At a very reasonable cost. read more

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We planned a trip with Wind Horse for Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan, traveling for approximately 2.5 weeks, with a local guide and driver in each of the three destinations. We opted for the Three Kingdoms Tour. Wind Horse has many different pre-packaged tours to choose from, from challenging, lengthy treks, to horseback riding adventures, to culture tours with mostly easy walks. They can also customize the trip for you depending on your preferences. We planned this trip from the comfort of our homes in the U.S. Communications/email was fast and easy during the entire planning process. They helped us book flights to/from Bhutan and helped us obtain Bhutan visas and Tibet permits. (The Nepal visa you can get at the Kathmandu airport on your own.) They also provided us in advance with a detailed and comprehensive itinerary, along with descriptions of each region and attraction. I will focus this review on the Bhutan portion of the trip (we love Bhutan!): In Bhutan, we had the pleasure of having Sonam as our guide and Dawa as our driver. Both are very experienced in what they do. Big thank you to Dawa as he got us everywhere safely, despite the often very narrow and bumpy roads. Also big thanks to Sonam for providing rich and detailed descriptions at every attraction so we could learn the history, custom, and culture of Bhutan. Sonam was a great pleasure to be around, personable, very funny, outgoing, and a tremendous help when we hiked Tiger's Nest (he had to help me descend and carry our bag). We upgraded to the 4-star hotels in all regions which was well-worth it, if that's your cup of tea. Sonam also made sure that we got the best rooms possible. Wind Horse is also great because even though we opted for the cultural tour of Bhutan, Wind Horse planned a few easy/moderate hikes for us so we got to see lots of nature and unbeatable sceneries (in addition to lots of temples, stupas, and monasteries). They also provide tours in central Bhutan and eastern Bhutan, if you'd like to see the villages and more rural ways of living. This requires more trekking. The other big plus is that they take credit cards (with an extra charge), PayPal, or you can also mail checks to their office in Minneapolis when you need to pay your fees. We thought this was safer than wiring money to some strangers overseas. We could not have asked for a greater vacation/tour in Bhutan and I'd highly recommend Wind Horse should you decide to visit Bhutan, Tibet, or Nepal (or India). read more

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Awesome company to do business with if you are planning a trip to Bhutan. All the work is done for you, you just have to get there. The staff was incredible when we arrived in Paro, Bhutan. They were with us the whole journey. They catered to our personal travel style and likes. I would give them even more stars for going the extra mile when we needed an emergency Indian Visa, to travel last minute through Delhi, within 24 hours. They drove us to the consulate, acted as liaisons and even drove back the following morning to retrieve our passports when we were cleared. Another nice touch was the ability to pay, by check, to a company in the United States. I am very cautious about wire transferring money to foreign countries. All other tour companies needed you to do this, but Wind Horse Tours did not. A great plus in my book. Stop looking at other tour companies and book with Wind Horse, you will be impressed. read more

We did a tour with Wind Horse in January 2016 as part of our honeymoon. We had a wonderful time! The Wind Horse staff capably handled booking our tour and flights to/from Bhutan (via Bangkok) and also the visas. Our guide, Namgyel, was great - very friendly and full of interesting and relevant information and suggestions for extra sights. He really helped make the experience a great one, and entertained us on long drives (which our driver skillfully maneuvered!). Hotel Druk in Thimphu and Tashi Namgay Resort in Paro were great lodging, and their kitchens made great food - especially ema dahtse. We loved our time in Bhutan, and saw some amazing sights. Wind Horse was the reason everything ran so smoothly, so we highly recommend them! read more

This are the worst operators i have ever hiked with. That sent us on a trip to Nepal to lodges with no heat, sleeping bags were handed to us when we arrived . They were quite untruthful about conditions which they said they would check and get back to us before the hike. Ugan, our tour person, never has replied to our th0ughts or requests. read more

I have traveled on a cultural tour and a trek with Wind Horse tours and find them very flexible and accomodating in meeting my needs to see the authentic Bhutan. I visited with yakherders, monks, schoolchildren, weavers, farmers, middle class private company and government workers (college grads & grad degrees) in the shops, markets, trail and in their homes. Now I thoroughly appreciate how they are balancing between tradition and modernity, and with great skill! Of the 50 countries I have visited, Bhutan is the most unique and Wind Horse helped me experience it! read more

Wind Horse Tours did a great job on my family holiday to Bhutan and India. I will highly recommend their services if you are planning to travel to travel there. read more