Forage for rare mushrooms and capture their beauty through your lens in Bhutan’s untouched wilderness, where ancient traditions and nature’s wonders await.
Dates: 13-23 August 2025
Bhutan Kingdom of Fungi
Wild Mushroom & Photography Expedition
In partnership with Bhutanese Tour Operator
'Bhutan Kingdom of Fungi'
Mushroom & Photography Tour
OVERVIEW
Join this extraordinary journey to the heart of Bhutan, a mystical kingdom nestled in the Eastern Himalayas. This specially curated tour is designed for mushroom enthusiasts and macro photography lovers alike, blending Bhutan's incredible biodiversity, breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and unique gastronomic experiences.
Dates: 13-23 August 2025
During this immersive experience, you'll explore the serene landscapes of Bhutan, a country where mushrooms are deeply embedded in the culture and history.
For centuries, mushrooms have been an essential part of the Bhutanese diet, folklore, and even traditional medicine. Bhutan’s organic farming practices and deep respect for nature have kept its ancient woodlands and fungi-rich ecosystems largely untouched by industrialization. As you attend the highly anticipated Matsutake Mushroom Festival in Genekha, you’ll witness traditional mushroom harvesting methods passed down through generations and have the rare opportunity to taste some of the world’s rarest organic mushrooms.
With the guidance of renowned mushroom photographer Max Mudie (@allthingsfungi) and esteemed Bhutanese photography guide Ugyen Wangchuk (@bhutan_photography_guide), you'll refine your photography skills—capturing the hidden beauty of Bhutan's fungi, landscapes, and cultural wonders. From macro fungi photography workshops and UV nighttime mushroom walks to foraging and cooking wild mushrooms outdoors, this tour offers an immersive connection with Bhutan’s nature, traditions, and the rich role mushrooms play in its heritage.
Tour Dates: 13-23 August 2025
Prices from $5,500pp
Matsutake Mushroom Festival
Celebrate Bhutan’s prized Matsutake mushrooms at this vibrant cultural festival in Genekha.
Macro Photography Workshops
Learn the art of macro fungi photography with macro professional Max Mudie—covering framing, lighting, editing, and identification.
Bhutanese Photography Workshops
Capture Bhutan’s unique culture, stunning landscapes and monasteries with renowned Bhutanese photographer Punap Ugyen Wangchuk.
Guided Nighttime UV Walks
Experience Bhutan’s bioluminescent fungi under UV light with expert-led night walks.
Foraging & Cooking Wild Mushrooms
Hunt for Matsutake, boletes, and chanterelles, then cook and eat them in the outdoors.
Mushroom Momo Cooking Lesson
Learn to make traditional mushroom-filled momo dumplings with a local Bhutanese chef.
Explore the wilderness
Be on the frontline of nature conservation and discover the importance of bison to the ecosystem, guided by the local bison rewilding team and experienced nature guides.
Indentify & Conserve
Collaborating with the National Mushroom Centre in Thimphu, Bhutan as well as the iNaturalist mobile app. We will be recording data of our finds to aid fungal conservation research projects.
Ugyen Wangchuck
Tour guide, photographer and founder of tour operator Gomo Adventures. Ugyen has decades of experience photographing the most important people in Bhutan from the royal family, Buddhist spiritual leaders and remote nomadic peoples.
Ru & Peter
Partnering with Ugyen to run this trip, mushroom enthusiasts Ru and Peter lead community workshops and promote fungi education in London. They aim to showcase the diverse world of fungi in Bhutan and encourage a deeper connection with nature. Committed to responsible foraging, they highlight Bhutan’s pristine ecosystems—one of the few places left untouched by commercial overharvesting. Through this carefully curated tour, they hope to inspire guests by exploring Bhutan’s rich fungal diversity, untouched wilderness, and deep-rooted traditions.
Sabitra Pradhan
Sabitra is an Independent Fungi Researcher as well as a Mushroom Supervisor at the National Mushroom Centre in Thimphu, Bhutan. Her local knowledge and expert guidance on Bhutanese mushroom species will be invaluable as we forage for both edible and scientifically interesting species.
Max Mudie
Max is a specialist macro photographer focusing on Fungi and Slime Moulds. He has a large following via is @allthingsfungi instagram profile where he shares his beautiful images of tiny worlds. He also co founded the mushroom festival All Things Fungi which is the largest of it's kind in the UK.
Bhutan Kingdom
of Fungi
Wild Mushroom
& Photography Expedition
Forage for rare mushrooms and capture their beauty through your lens in Bhutan’s untouched wilderness, where ancient traditions and nature’s wonders await.
Dates: 13-23 August 2025
Matsutake Mushroom Festival
Celebrate Bhutan’s prized Matsutake mushrooms at this vibrant cultural festival in Genekha.
Macro Photography Workshops
Learn the art of macro fungi photography with macro professional Max Mudie—covering framing, lighting, editing, and identification.
Bhutanese Photography Workshops
Capture Bhutan’s unique culture, stunning landscapes and monasteries with renowned Bhutanese photographer Punap Ugyen Wangchuk.
Guided Nighttime UV Walks
Experience Bhutan’s bioluminescent fungi under UV light with expert-led night walks.
Foraging & Cooking Wild Mushrooms
Hunt for Matsutake, boletes, and chanterelles, then cook and eat them in the outdoors.
Mushroom Momo Cooking Lesson
Learn to make traditional mushroom-filled momo dumplings with a local Bhutanese chef.
Explore the wilderness
Be on the frontline of nature conservation and discover the importance of bison to the ecosystem, guided by the local bison rewilding team and experienced nature guides.
Indentify & Conserve
Collaborating with the National Mushroom Centre in Thimphu, Bhutan as well as the iNaturalist mobile app. We will be recording data of our finds to aid fungal conservation research projects.
Ugyen Wangchuck
Tour guide, photographer and founder of tour operator Gomo Adventures. Ugyen has decades of experience photographing the most important people in Bhutan from the royal family, Buddhist spiritual leaders and remote nomadic peoples.
Ru & Peter
Partnering with Ugyen to run this trip, mushroom enthusiasts Ru and Peter lead community workshops and promote fungi education in London. They aim to showcase the diverse world of fungi in Bhutan and encourage a deeper connection with nature. Committed to responsible foraging, they highlight Bhutan’s pristine ecosystems—one of the few places left untouched by commercial overharvesting. Through this carefully curated tour, they hope to inspire guests by exploring Bhutan’s rich fungal diversity, untouched wilderness, and deep-rooted traditions.
Sabitra Pradhan
Sabitra is an Independent Fungi Researcher as well as a Mushroom Supervisor at the National Mushroom Centre in Thimphu, Bhutan. Her local knowledge and expert guidance on Bhutanese mushroom species will be invaluable as we forage for both edible and scientifically interesting species.
Max Mudie
Max is a specialist macro photographer focusing on Fungi and Slime Moulds. He has a large following via is @allthingsfungi instagram profile where he shares his beautiful images of tiny worlds. He also co founded the mushroom festival All Things Fungi which is the largest of it's kind in the UK.