Bhutan Nepal Tibet Tour: A 32-Day Himalayan Journey with Janie and Stan

“Are we really here?” That’s the question Janie kept asking herself as she and her husband Stan stood in front of the Himalayas—after weeks of traveling across Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet.

But this journey didn’t start in the mountains.

It started with a decision.

Janie and Stan, a couple from the U.S., chose to sell most of their belongings and become what they call “virtually homeless”—trading comfort for a life of travel, culture, and real experiences.

That decision led them to travel with YellowBirdTour on a 32-day Bhutan Nepal Tibet tour, a fully customized journey across the Himalayas.

And as they would later describe it…

“One of the most exciting, humbling adventures we have ever experienced.”

A Journey Designed Around How They Wanted to Travel

Janie and Stan don’t travel like typical tourists.

They prefer:

• Living in local neighborhoods
• Eating in small restaurants
• Using public transport when possible
• Meeting people along the way

So when they planned this journey with YellowBird, they didn’t want a rushed itinerary.

They wanted time to feel each place.

👉 You can create a similar journey here: tailor-made Bhutan Nepal Tibet tour

Their route would take them through three very different worlds.

Bhutan: Gentle, Spiritual… and Surprisingly Challenging

👉 Explore this experience: Bhutan tour with Tiger’s Nest hike

Their first stop was Bhutan.

And immediately, everything felt different.

Janie describes Bhutan as gentle. Spiritual. A place where Buddhism isn’t just practiced—it shapes daily life.

People begin their day with prayer. Kindness feels natural. Life moves slower.

The Tiger’s Nest Experience

Then came one of the biggest challenges of the entire trip.

The hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery.

• 6 hours round trip
• Steep, rocky paths
• Over 19,000 steps

Janie didn’t sugarcoat it:

“We are more than tired… it kicked our butts.”

But standing in front of that monastery, built into a cliff in 1692…

It became one of those moments that makes everything worth it.

Small Moments That Stayed With Them

Some of their favorite memories in Bhutan weren’t the famous sights:

• A picnic by the river where two sacred waters meet
• A home-cooked meal inside a local family house
• Endless temples filled with color, wood carvings, and silence

Bhutan didn’t feel like a destination.

It felt like a different way of living.

Nepal: Intense, Chaotic… and Unforgettable

👉 Discover Nepal here: Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara tour package

Nepal hit them differently.

Their first impression of Kathmandu?

Not great.

Dust, smoke, noise, chaos.

Janie describes it honestly: crowded, dirty, overwhelming.

And then, within hours, they were standing at Pashupatinath Temple, watching open-air cremations.

“It scrambled our minds.”

It’s not something most travelers expect.

But it’s real life in Nepal.

The Martini That Meant Everything

And then—one of the most human moments of the trip.

Stan had always dreamed of having a martini in Kathmandu.

So they did.

On a rooftop. Overlooking Durbar Square. On the eve of their 51st wedding anniversary.

Simple.

Perfect.

Nepal Beyond First Impressions

As they continued:

• Pokhara brought calm lakes and mountain views
• Chitwan offered jungle safaris (rhinos, but no tiger this time)
• Bhaktapur felt like stepping into another century

By the end, Nepal had completely changed for them.

“Are we really here? Is this real life?”

Tibet: Raw, Powerful, and Beyond Expectations

👉 Follow their route: Tibet tour to Everest Base Camp from Lhasa

Tibet was the most extreme part of the journey.

Cold. Dry. High altitude.

Life here is not easy.

Janie describes the land as “barren, rugged, and menacing”… and yet, people live there, raising yaks and building lives in one of the harshest environments on Earth.

Culture and Daily Life

In Lhasa and beyond, they experienced:

• The Potala Palace
• Traditional Tibetan restaurants
• Yak hot pot (surprisingly good)
• Local crafts like incense making and block printing

It wasn’t just sightseeing.

It was understanding how people live in this environment.

Everest: The Moment That Stayed Forever

And then came Everest.

Reaching the north face base camp is not guaranteed. The mountain is often hidden behind clouds.

But they were lucky.

They saw it.

“The first sight… makes a person drop to their knees.”

Freezing temperatures. Strong winds. Thin oxygen.

And yet, pure awe.

The Reality of This Journey (Not the Instagram Version)

Janie is very honest about this:

• Toilets can be basic (bring your own paper)
• Roads in Nepal can be rough
• The air in Tibet is dry and harsh
• Altitude affects your body

But that’s exactly what made the journey real.

Not curated.

Not filtered.

Real.

Why This Journey Meant So Much to Them

Across Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet, one thing stayed constant:

A sense of perspective.

From Buddhist teachings to daily life in the mountains, they kept hearing the same message:

Take care of the world.
Take care of each other.

“It’s a nice way to live… and a lot to think about.”

Could You Do a Journey Like This?

Janie and Stan’s 32-day journey wasn’t a one-off trip.

It was a custom-designed experience created by YellowBird, combining multiple destinations into one seamless route.

If you’re thinking about doing something similar:

👉 Start here: customized Asia tours with YellowBird

You can combine:

• Bhutan → culture and spirituality
• Nepal → diversity and raw experiences
• Tibet → Everest and high-altitude landscapes

A Final Thought

At the end of their journey, Janie wrote:

“This wraps up perhaps the most exciting, soul-belittling adventure we have ever encountered.”

Not every trip changes you.

But some do.

This was one of them.

Learn more about their journey on their personal blog: janieweeks.com