Bhutan Kingdom of Fungi
Wild Mushroom, Forest & Culture Expedition
Forage for rare mushrooms, experience beautiful pristine forests and soak up Bhutan’s unique culture, where ancient traditions and nature’s wonders entwine
Dates: 7th – 17th Aug or 21st Aug – 1st Sep 2026
In partnership with Bhutanese Tour Operator
'Bhutan Kingdom of Fungi'
Mushroom, Nature and Culture Tour
OVERVIEW
Join a small-group expedition to Bhutan’s wild forests, the mystical kingdom nestled in the Eastern Himalayas. This specially curated tour is designed for mushroom enthusiasts and nature lovers alike, blending Bhutan's incredible biodiversity, breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and unique gastronomic experiences.
Led by Bhutan-certified guides & mycology experts
Only 8-12 places per tour
Dates:
7th – 17th August 2026 with Emily Smith
or 21st Aug – 1st Sep 2026 with Gabrielle Cerberville
Places are already limited, register interest now
During these immersive experiences, you’ll explore the serene landscapes of Bhutan, a country where mushrooms are deeply woven into culture, history, and daily life, alongside an exceptional team of guides and guest experts.
For centuries, mushrooms have been an essential part of the Bhutanese diet, folklore, and traditional medicine. Bhutan’s commitment to organic farming and its deep respect for nature have preserved vast tracts of ancient forest and fungi rich ecosystems, largely untouched by industrialisation. As you attend the Matsutake Mushroom Festivals in Genekha or the Ura Matsutake Festival in Bumthang, you’ll witness traditional harvesting practices passed down through generations and have the rare opportunity to taste some of the world’s most prized wild mushrooms.
These journeys are now enriched by the presence of our guest guides Emily Smith (@down2forage) and Gabrielle Cerberville (@chaoticforager), who will join the tours to share their unique perspectives. Emily brings a thoughtful, story led approach shaped by her work in rural Japan, helping guests connect mushrooms to seasonal rhythms, culture, and quiet observation. Gabrielle adds infectious energy, deep wild food knowledge, and an accessible, hands on approach to foraging that makes learning both joyful and memorable.
With the guidance of 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: 7th – 17th Aug or 21st Aug – 1st Sep 2026
Places are already limited, register interest now
Prices from $5,500pp
Includes expert mushroom guides, exclusive festival access, photo workshops, private transfers, all meals, accommodation, specialist equipment and more.
Emily Smith aka @down2forage
Join Emily Smith as she guest guides our Genekha Festival Tour.
Gabrielle Cerberville aka @chaoticforager
Join Gabrielle Cerberville as she guest guides our Ura Festival Tour.
Hike to the Tigers Nest
Embark on the famous and beautiful hike up to Bhutan's national landmark.
Experience Real Bhutanese Culture
Take in real Bhutanese culture and experience masked dances, Buddhist rituals and more.
Matsutake Mushroom Festival
Celebrate Bhutan’s prized Matsutake mushrooms at the vibrant cultural festivals in Genekha and Ura.
Macro Photography Workshops
Learn the art of macro fungi photography—covering framing, lighting, editing, and identification.
Photography Workshops
Capture Bhutan’s unique culture 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.
Meet Local Foragers
Learn and engage with Bhutan's still prevalent forest foraging culture from villagers.
Explore the wilderness
Be on the frontline of nature conservation and discover the importance of fungal to the ecosystem.
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.
Mushroom Momo Cooking Lesson
Learn to make traditional mushroom-filled momo dumplings with a local Bhutanese chef.
Camp Amongst Nature
Spend two nights glamping on the edge of the forested mountains.
Stargaze in the Himalayas
Feel closer than you ever have to the stars on clear Himalayan nights.
Rafting in Punakha
Raft down Punakha's famous river towards their beautiful Dzong.
Group One
GENEKHA FESTIVAL TOUR
With guest guide Emily Smith aka @down2forage
7th – 17th August 2026
The Genekha Matsutake Festival Tour (7–17 August 2026) explores western Bhutan’s lush valleys and forests, including Thimphu, Punakha, and Phobjikha, culminating in the lively Genekha Mushroom Festival near the capital.
We are incredibly lucky that Emily Smith aka @down2forage will be guest guide for our Genekha Matsutake Festival tour.
Based in rural Japan, Emily is known for her thoughtful, story led approach to foraging that blends ecology, culture, and quiet observation. Her deep connection to seasonal foodways, community knowledge, and slow exploration will add a rare depth to the experience, offering guests a gentle, immersive way to understand mushrooms beyond identification and into lived cultural landscapes.
Group Two
URA FESTIVAL TOUR
With guest guide Gabrielle Cerberville aka @chaoticforager
21st August – 1st September 2026
The Ura Matsutake Festival Tour (20–31 August 2026) ventures deeper into central Bhutan, flying to Bumthang to forage in Ura’s highland forests and experience the rural charm and celebrations of the Ura Mushroom Festival.
This year we are joined by none other than mushroom auntie Gabrielle Cerberville aka @chaoticforager, for our Ura Matsutake Festival tour. Gabrielle brings infectious energy, extensive wild food knowledge, and a talent for making foraging accessible, exciting, and deeply educational. Learning alongside her in one of Bhutan’s most remote mushroom regions is a truly special opportunity, combining expert insight with hands on discovery in landscapes few ever get to explore.
Emily Smith
Based in rural Japan, Emily Smith, known as @down2forage, is a forager, filmmaker, and storyteller whose work explores the deep connections between ecology, culture, and seasonal living. With a background in documentary filmmaking, Emily approaches foraging through observation and narrative, drawing on local knowledge and close relationships with elders and rural communities. She is also the creator of a microseasons project that explores subtle seasonal shifts through food, fungi, and landscape, encouraging a slower, more attentive way of engaging with nature. Through her work, Emily invites people to look closely, move gently, and understand foraging as a cultural and ecological practice shaped by time, place, and community.
Emily will be guest guide during the Genekha Tour: 7th – 17th August 2026.
Gabrielle Cerberville
Gabrielle Cerberville, known to many as @chaoticforager and affectionately as the internet’s “Mushroom Auntie”, is a forager, mycologist, outdoor educator, composer, and author of Gathered: On Foraging, Feasting, and the Seasonal Life. She is widely recognised for her warm, accessible approach to wild food education, blending deep scientific knowledge with joy, curiosity, and hands on experience. Through her writing, teaching, and widely viewed educational videos, Gabrielle has inspired millions around the world to connect more closely with plants, fungi, and seasonal living.
Gabrielle will be guest guide during the Ura Tour: 20th – 31st August 2026.
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.
Bhutan Kingdom
of Fungi
Wild Mushroom
Forest & Culture Tour
Forage for rare mushrooms, experience beautiful pristine forests and soak up Bhutan’s unique culture, where ancient traditions and nature’s wonders entwine
Dates: 7th – 17th Aug or 21st Aug – 1st Sep 2026
Emily Smith aka @down2forage
Join Emily Smith as she guest guides our Genekha Festival Tour.
Gabrielle Cerberville aka @chaoticforager
Join Gabrielle Cerberville as she guest guides our Ura Festival Tour.
Hike to the Tigers Nest
Embark on the famous and beautiful hike up to Bhutan's national landmark.
Experience Real Bhutanese Culture
Take in real Bhutanese culture and experience masked dances, Buddhist rituals and more.
Matsutake Mushroom Festival
Celebrate Bhutan’s prized Matsutake mushrooms at the vibrant cultural festivals in Genekha and Ura.
Macro Photography Workshops
Learn the art of macro fungi photography—covering framing, lighting, editing, and identification.
Photography Workshops
Capture Bhutan’s unique culture 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 fungal to the ecosystem.
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.
Camp Amongst Nature
Spend two nights glamping on the edge of the forested mountains.
Stargaze in the Himalayas
Feel closer than you ever have to the stars on clear Himalayan nights.
Meet Local Foragers
Learn and engage with Bhutan's still prevalent forest foraging culture from villagers.
Rafting in Punakha
Raft down Punakha's famous river towards their beautiful Dzong.
Group One
GENEKHA FESTIVAL TOUR
With guest guide Emily Smith aka @down2forage
7th – 17th August 2026
The Genekha Matsutake Festival Tour (7–17 August 2026) explores western Bhutan’s lush valleys and forests, including Thimphu, Punakha, and Phobjikha, culminating in the lively Genekha Mushroom Festival near the capital.
We are incredibly lucky that Emily Smith aka @down2forage will be guest guide for our Genekha Matsutake Festival tour.
Based in rural Japan, Emily is known for her thoughtful, story led approach to foraging that blends ecology, culture, and quiet observation. Her deep connection to seasonal foodways, community knowledge, and slow exploration will add a rare depth to the experience, offering guests a gentle, immersive way to understand mushrooms beyond identification and into lived cultural landscapes.
Group Two
URA FESTIVAL TOUR
With guest guide Gabrielle Cerberville aka @chaoticforager
21st August – 1st September 2026
The Ura Matsutake Festival Tour (20–31 August 2026) ventures deeper into central Bhutan, flying to Bumthang to forage in Ura’s highland forests and experience the rural charm and celebrations of the Ura Mushroom Festival.
This year we are joined by none other than mushroom auntie Gabrielle Cerberville aka @chaoticforager, for our Ura Matsutake Festival tour. Gabrielle brings infectious energy, extensive wild food knowledge, and a talent for making foraging accessible, exciting, and deeply educational. Learning alongside her in one of Bhutan’s most remote mushroom regions is a truly special opportunity, combining expert insight with hands on discovery in landscapes few ever get to explore.
Emily Smith
Based in rural Japan, Emily Smith, known as @down2forage, is a forager, filmmaker, and storyteller whose work explores the deep connections between ecology, culture, and seasonal living. With a background in documentary filmmaking, Emily approaches foraging through observation and narrative, drawing on local knowledge and close relationships with elders and rural communities. She is also the creator of a microseasons project that explores subtle seasonal shifts through food, fungi, and landscape, encouraging a slower, more attentive way of engaging with nature. Through her work, Emily invites people to look closely, move gently, and understand foraging as a cultural and ecological practice shaped by time, place, and community.
Emily will be guest guide during the Genekha Tour: 7th – 17th August 2026.
Gabrielle Cerberville
Gabrielle Cerberville, known to many as @chaoticforager and affectionately as the internet’s “Mushroom Auntie”, is a forager, mycologist, outdoor educator, composer, and author of Gathered: On Foraging, Feasting, and the Seasonal Life. She is widely recognised for her warm, accessible approach to wild food education, blending deep scientific knowledge with joy, curiosity, and hands on experience. Through her writing, teaching, and widely viewed educational videos, Gabrielle has inspired millions around the world to connect more closely with plants, fungi, and seasonal living.
Gabrielle will be guest guide during the Ura Tour: 20th – 31st August 2026.
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.