
Experience this secluded Himalayan country where “happiness” and Buddhist belief systems are the guiding principles underlying economic, environmental, and community development.
open
closed
17-22
Tuition is all inclusive aside from airfare and insurance fees.
Cloistered amidst the dramatic backdrop of the Himalayas, Bhutan has captured the imagination of explorers and scholars alike.
Part of its allure can be found in Bhutan’s intentional seclusion from the world beyond its boundaries. Up until very recently, the royal monarchy carefully controlled external influences, only allowing television into the country in 1999. Even today, travel to Bhutan is tightly monitored by a deliberately restrictive visa program for foreign visitors. Bhutan’s seclusion, however, has resulted in an unparalleled conservation of long-held values, Buddhist beliefs, and cultural practices.
Starting in neighboring Nepal, we spend our first two weeks learning about the shared geographic…
Part of its allure can be found in Bhutan’s intentional seclusion from the world beyond its boundaries. Up until very recently, the royal monarchy carefully controlled external influences, only allowing television into the country in 1999. Even today, travel to Bhutan is tightly monitored by a deliberately restrictive visa program for foreign visitors. Bhutan’s seclusion, however, has resulted in an unparalleled conservation of long-held values, Buddhist beliefs, and cultural practices.
Starting in neighboring Nepal, we spend our first two weeks learning about the shared geographic and cultural foundations common to this Himalayan region before flying into Paro, Bhutan’s sole international airport. Partnering with a Bhutanese environmental NGO, we explore how Buddhist traditions have given rise to a belief in the inherent sacredness and non-economic value of Mother Nature. We engage with thriving Buddhist monasteries, and explore the many sacred sites in the regions surrounding Thimphu.
Moving to more remote regions along the border with Tibet, we continue to immerse ourselves in the lesser-explored cultural heartlands of Bhutan through extended treks in Himalayan peaks, community homestays, attendance of religious festivals, and Independent Study Projects with local masters in traditional arts and crafts. Throughout our travels in Bhutan, we gain new perspectives on our relationship with the environment, broadened understanding of sustainability, and awareness of how our underlying values can influence individual and societal choices.
In a country where the phrase “Gross National Happiness” has become a key metric in national development, Bhutan presses us to ask how our own “happiness” can contribute to the sustainability of our communities and shared resources. Through homestays, community engagement, and immersion in cultural practices, our semester explores how Bhutanese traditions have created a society uniquely centered on the values of community happiness and environmental sustainability.
Our semester concludes back where we started, spending the last two weeks of the program back in Nepal, using the opportunity to better understand our time in Bhutan in contrast to its Himalayan neighbor, and concluding our course with a reflective retreat to bring perspective and closure to our time together.
Click on the gallery below to browse photos, videos and quotes from our participants and instructors.
Tibetan Buddhism, the state religion, can be found everywhere in Bhutan, from government policies to educational systems to everyday cultural practices. Monastery visits and a retreat will provide Buddhist teachings.
This program will go on one longer trek up to two weeks long and several shorter day hikes in the Himalayas.
As a country undergoing a drastic rural-urban shift and one which is slowly opening up to the outside, Bhutan is a country with a number of development topics to delve into.
Examining Bhutanese conceptions of happiness will offer insights into unique cultural worldviews that will dynamically interact with development and other topics we look at during the course.
Unique homestays in predominantly rural and urban settings, offering diverse insights into Bhutanese daily life.
Possible ISPs include archery, traditional weaving, cooking, monastic life, dance, conservation and local fauna & flora, animal husbandry, meditation, Tibetan traditional medicine, tourism, and more.
Elementary instruction in Dzongka, the main language spoken in Bhutan.
Help village homestays with their farming and daily chores and learn about service through Dragons learning service curriculum.
Moderately rugged, with long journeys on windy roads traveling across the country.
In order to deepen your experience abroad, you may elect to enroll in college-level courses while participating on the Bhutan Gap semester program. Those who enroll in an optional course will be invoiced an additional fee top of the land cost, for up to 16 college credits. To learn more, click here.
Students who take courses for-credit will receive an official transcript from a School of Record after successful completion of the program.
Through our Schools of Record, you may take the following courses for-college credit:
See full Course Offering descriptions.
I’ve traveled a lot in my life and I can 100% say that this was the best, most meaningful trip I’ve been on. I learned so much about this culture and had the opportunity to even learn a lot about Nepal and Hinduism. I feel like I’ve had a traveler experience and not a tourist one for sure. I feel like we didn’t have the shallow experience of just seeing the most important places considering a foreigner’s point of view. I feel like I got everything possible out of Bhutan and Nepal…What I’d say is the most important part of this trip is how learning about these cultures and having these experiences made me reflect and learn about myself and how I view the world.
Bhutan Program
I had an absolutely amazing experience. I couldn't have asked for better instructors or a better group. I felt like the itinerary flowed perfectly and at each step I felt like I was in exactly the right place and was fully equipped for that stage of the trip. I think I grew a lot as a person in how I think, and I also formed friendships that will continue after the trip.
Sutter Morris Nepal Fall 2018
This trip was absolutely life changing and everything I hoped it would be. I loved it in every way. This course met and far surpassed my expectations, although not always in the areas I thought it would. I have learned a lot about both Bhutan and myself in ways that I could have never foreseen.
Gabriel Schock - Bhutan: Happiness in the Himalayas Bhutan: Happiness in the Himalayas, 2019