When I first cycled across Bhutan in 1994, long before proper roads or motorbikes to hire, I had no idea I’d return 30 years later on a Royal Enfield to help create something new. Back then, when tourism was in its infancy in this remote kingdom, I had just completed the legendary Snowman Trek, a gruelling high-altitude journey crossing more than a dozen passes above 5,000 metres and often described as one of the toughest treks in the world. At the end of that expedition, when we finished trekking, we switched to pedal power — an American friend, Jo Kirwin, and I made our way back from Trashigang to Paro by mountain bike on muddy tracks. There was just one narrow single-track road running across the country and virtually no cars — and some of the climbs and descents were almost 50 kilometres long! Today, that same route has been widened to two lanes as part of a national project linking east and west — yet much of its wild, scenic beauty remains unchanged.

Few, if any, Bhutanese cycled then, but the following year I returned to lead a group riding from Paro to Samdrup Jongkhar, and a few years later the Punakha–Gelephu–Trongsa loop to the south, once ridden by the current King (K5) himself. Cycling in Bhutan remains unmatched anywhere, with roads rising from 400 to 4,000 metres through spectacular landscapes.

A few years later, in 2018, I returned again as a guest in Bhutan’s legendary Tour of the Dragon bike race — a grueling 255-kilometre ride from Jakar to Thimphu, climbing over four high passes and taking up to 18 hours to complete. I rode alongside my friend Nim Gyeltshen, who shared my passion for this amazing route and with whom I had completed many adventures. It’s one of the toughest one-day races in the world and captures perfectly the scale and challenge of cycling in Bhutan.

Over the years, I’ve returned often, working with local guides who’ve become lifelong friends. Bhutan has modernised, yet its essence never fades — the calm of its people, the rhythm of its monasteries, and the quiet strength of its mountains.

But during my most recent journey, in November 2024, it struck me that it was exactly 30 years since that first ride with Jo. By coincidence, twelve new Royal Enfield 450s were being presented to forest rangers at a ceremony in Thimphu on the day I arrived — a sign of things to come. Inspired by my recent motorbiking in the Alps, I asked my good friend Kesang if he could find me a Royal Enfield to hire. He had his prized Tiger 500, and he managed to find me an Interceptor 650. Together we set out to ride 1,200 kilometres in a week — and it was pure motorbiking heaven.

Until then, most riders who wanted to come to Bhutan had to rent bikes in India and return them to India but have completed that long journey myslef, Kesang and I realised that with enough bikes based in Bhutan, we could create self-contained adventures: fly in, ride, and depart — all within Bhutan. That spark became the Royal Enfield Tour of the Dragon, and soon after, Bhutan Dragon Riders.

In November 2025, fifteen riders will join our first Dragon Riders Expedition — an 11-day journey across Bhutan, following high passes, deep valleys, and the legendary Tour of the Dragon route. Timed for clear skies and golden light, it will be a ride of challenge, laughter, and connection — the beginning of something lasting and uniquely Bhutanese.

Our team will capture the trip through film and photography, showcasing the true spirit of adventure. In 2026, others will be able to join and experience it for themselves.