When I booked my 2 Intrepid trips to Bhutan and Tibet, I really didn’t know much about the 2 countries, just that they would be interesting, were on my bucket list, and that Potala Palace was the place to go in Tibet and Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan.
I followed the weather and best time to go to them both, and found Intrepid tours that allowed me to go to both in April 2025. Tibet first, on the train from Beijing to Lhasa and then overland to Kathmandu via Tibetan Everest Base Camp. It was then easy to fly from Kathmandu to Bhutan and back, before the next leg of my journey.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have gone to Bhutan first.
Bhutan was interesting, scenic, different from anywhere else I have been, but not nearly as much so as Tibet. Had I gone there first, I know I would have loved it, the people are friendly, the culture and architecture different and interesting, there are snow covered mountains and lovely green scenery.
Tibet however was amazing. It was more. More scenic, more cultural, more different, higher, colder, better food, fewer western tourists, the people more interested in us, the cities all different with their own character, more religious, bigger, better. Just everything. I loved it.
They are both Buddhist countries (well Tibet not being a country but currently an autonomous region of China) and different from the other Buddhist countries, like Nepal, Thailand, Laos. They share the same foundation of Buddhism but follow different sects, with Bhutanese Buddhism emerging from Tibetan Buddhism. Therefore they are very similar, and that can be seen in things such as the decorations, offerings, chanting and prayer wheels.
Tibet however is more devout and the religiosity of the people is far more on show, and that is what is more fascinating to see. I took far more people photos in Tibet than Bhutan because they looked more interesting and there were more of them around to see.
Spiritual practices and pilgrimages are part of the daily life of Tibe,t however the Bhutanese place a lot of reverence on their royal family and the highest religious leader, the Je Kenpho. Pictures of them abound everywhere and are in all the monasteries and temples. Obviously with Tibet being part of China there is no royal family and the highest spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, had to flee.
The countryside is very different. Tibet is on a high plateau which can be bleak and colourless, but has high Himalayan Peaks to the South and West. Bhutan is a lower altitude, is green and verdant and has more rural scenery.
The food in Bhutan is very simple and very spicy, and the food offered to tourists very samey with buffets for lunch and dinner and often the exact same dishes served. I did not like it. The food is better in Tibet, not wonderful, often yak served in a hundred different ways, but there was other food available....Momo’s, Chinese food, noodles, and not so spicy.
One other difference was the presence of western tourists in Bhutan. Bhutan controls the tourism more, and there is a set route that most tourists follow. So we bumped into the Dave people over and over again. Even stayed at the same hotel as Had ventures and a woman only Australian group in Punakha. It didn't feel different or special, like we did in Tibet. It felt over touristy and a bit claustrophobic seeing all the same people over and over again. In Tibet I felt like a rockstar..... And we hardly saw any other western tourists, apart from the real touristic places like Potala Palace.
I am not saying don't go to Bhutan, and I don't regret my visit, I just think that if you plan to go to both, you will appreciate Bhutan more if it is the first place you visit. If you only want to pick one, Tibet is the one to pick without any shadow of a doubt.
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