Overview
Young Changemakers Bhutan focuses on youth leadership development through cross-cultural dialogue and community-led volunteerism.
This interactive program connects international youth delegations with Bhutanese student leaders to discuss sustainable community models, mental health advocacy, and social entrepreneurship, paired with actionable service projects in the Punakha valley.
Trip Highlights
- An evening icebreaker and team-building orientation to align the group’s social impact goals.
- A private Youth Dialogue Summit with Bhutanese youth organizations on leadership, advocacy and resilience.
- Planning volunteer projects with a village community forest committee in the Punakha valley.
- Two volunteer blocks restoring irrigation channels or planting native saplings alongside village youth.
- A friendly community archery and khuru match with village youth, complete with traditional songs.
- A Tiger’s Nest leadership ascent and a farewell farmhouse dinner in Paro.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arrive at Paro International Airport and transfer to Thimphu city. Check into your hotel and gather for an evening group icebreaker and team-building orientation session to align the group’s social impact goals for the week.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner | Overnight: Thimphu
Host a private Youth Dialogue Summit at a local venue, partnering with Bhutanese youth organizations. Share case studies on youth-led social impact projects across different countries, discussing leadership models, civil advocacy, and emotional resilience. Conclude the day with a visit to Tashichho Dzong.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Overnight: Thimphu
Morning drive over Dochula Pass to Punakha. Arrive in the valley and meet with a village community forest committee to plan your upcoming volunteer projects. Take a gentle orientation walk through the rice paddies of Sopsokha village to Chimi Lhakhang.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Overnight: Punakha
Spend the full day assisting with a local community project, such as restoring a traditional stone-and-mud irrigation channel or planting native saplings to counter soil erosion. Work alongside village youth to build communication and teamwork skills across cultures.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Overnight: Punakha
Continue your community service work block in the morning. In the afternoon, transition from physical work to a friendly, collaborative community archery and khuru (lawn darts) match with the village youth, learning the traditional rowdy songs that accompany the sport.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Overnight: Punakha
Tour the majestic Punakha Dzong in the morning to evaluate how historic administrative nodes preserve national identity. Drive 4.5 hours back to the Paro valley. Hold an evening reflection session on youth responsibility in global heritage preservation.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Overnight: Paro
Challenge the group with a rigorous hike to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, utilizing the steep mountain trail as a metaphor for leadership perseverance and environmental stewardship. Celebrate the physical feat with a farewell farmhouse dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Overnight: Paro
After breakfast, your guide and driver will transfer the entire delegation to Paro International Airport and assist with all check-in procedures for your outbound flight.
Meals: Breakfast
Inclusions & Exclusions
What’s Included
- Institutional Clearances: Full coordination and processing of academic permits, institutional clearance letters, and school-to-school bilateral memorandum fees.
- Academic Facilitation: Honorariums for guest lecturers, university professors, GNH researchers, and community elders hosting seminars.
- Accommodation: Twin/triple-sharing rooms in government-certified 3-star tourist hotels or vetted school dormitories/heritage homestays for deep immersion.
- Dedicated Transportation: Private ground transfers in a spacious coaster bus or mini-bus driven by an experienced highway captain.
- Academic Liaison Guide: Accompanied full-time by a senior licensed English-speaking guide specializing in socio-cultural education and student group dynamics.
- All-Inclusive Field Dining: Three nutritious daily meals featuring a balance of local Bhutanese dishes and continental options suitable for student groups.
- Mandatory Government Dues: Full integration of the daily Sustainable Development Fee (SDF), national royalties, and monument entry permits.
- Hydration: Daily bottled water supplied during all educational transfers and field excursions.
What’s Not Included
- Airfare: International or regional air tickets to and from Paro International Airport.
- Visa Processing: The mandatory official Bhutan Tourist Visa processing fee ($40 USD per applicant).
- Personal Expenditures: Laundry, personal phone data, souvenirs, and snacks outside the curated group menu.
- Insurance: Mandatory international group travel, medical, and emergency evacuation insurance.
- Gratuities: Discretionary tips for the guiding team, drivers, and campus kitchen staff.
Good to Know
- Academic Customization: Itinerary durations are highly modular (ranging from 7 to 21 days). Gu-Mar can scale elements up or down based on your institution’s specific curriculum requirements or research field mapping.
- Bilateral Protocols: Vetted school interactions require a formal dress code (modest attire covering shoulders and knees; collars preferred). Visiting students are encouraged to bring a small cultural presentation or institutional token to exchange with their hosts.
- Regulatory Clearance: Academic permissions take a minimum of 8–10 weeks to process through ministerial channels. All student rosters and research abstract proposals must be submitted to Gu-Mar well in advance.