EDGE CITY BHUTAN
Edge Expedition: Bhutan
Immerse yourself in the beauty of the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
We are bringing 30 epic people to explore topics such as consciousness, sustainability, and cutting edge technology amongst ourselves and in collaboration with Bhutanese officials, leaders, and builders.
This expedition seeks to seed connections between the Edge City community and Bhutan's leadership and innovators, laying the foundation for larger scale collaboration in the future.
What We'll Do:
Immerse in Bhutan's Cultural Heritage and Breathtaking Landscapes
Visit remote ancient monasteries, engage with monks, and learn about the Gross National Happiness philosophy that shapes Bhutan’s approach to governance and daily life.Explore the Gelephu Mindfulness City
Discover the visionary urban project launched by the King, focused on mindfulness, sustainability, and long-term human flourishing.Connect with Local Leaders and Contribute to Local Communities
Spend time with government officials, young founders, and innovators building Bhutan’s future, including the team behind the Gelephu Mindfulness City.Build a Global Network
Exchange ideas with 30 like-minded people, from creators to innovators, building lasting connections in a truly inspiring setting.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Day
- Land in Bhutan and be transported to your accommodations in beautiful Paro.
- Decompress and unpack before meeting fellow attendees, local innovators, and officials at an intimate reception dinner.
Day 2: Local Engagement
- We'll host meetings and workshops with Bhutanese officials and innovators at the Royal Academy, a leading educational institution in Bhutan
Day 3: Cultural immersion
- A day of immersion featuring a 1/2-day excursion to the sacred Tiger’s Nest monastery.
Day 4: Gelephu Mindfulness City Excursion
- Day trip via chartered flight to Gelephu, the site of the future Gelephu Mindfulness City.
- Workshops and knowledge exchange sessions focused on the Special Administrative Region’s innovative urban development project that integrates economic growth with mindfulness, holistic living, and sustainability.
Day 5-6: Dodeydra Monastery
- Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime overnight spiritual excursion to one of the world’s most remote and sacred monasteries.
- We will be welcomed into the private residences of the monastery's monks, and offered spiritual ceremonies and teachings during the day.
Day 6: Return to Thimphu
- Return from to Thimphu in the afternoon, check-in, decompress.
- An evening reception will be held with local innovators and government officials.
Day 7: Builder Day
- A full day of workshops and meetings with local innovators, students, and officials, capped off with an evening of demos and presentations from Edge attendees and local builders alike.
Day 8: Departure Day
- We will organize transportation to the airport for those departing Bhutan that day, or elsewhere for any extending their journey within the country.
*Final itinerary is being established, and specific activities and dates above are subject to change.
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Dates: September 14 – 21, 2025
Locations: Paro, Gelephu, Thimphu (Bhutan), Tiger's Nest & Dodeydra Monaseteries
Price: $4,050 - $4,750 (more details below)
How to attend: Apply now here! Approved applicants will be sent a ticket purchase link.
It feels like stepping into another world. The landscapes are untouched, the buildings are hand-carved, and the people you meet exude warmth and kindness.
The values run deep. From architecture to governance, Bhutan prioritizes culture, environment, and long-term human flourishing.
The country is entering a new chapter. With the launch of Gelephu Mindfulness City, Bhutan is opening up to innovation, but on its own terms. We want to offer our help in that journey.
A sandbox for frontier tech. Bhutan is the 4th largest sovereign Bitcoin holder in the world, 100% of which was mined using clean hydroelectric power. They’ve also implemented BhutanNDI (their self‑sovereign ID stack). It’s a place where it’s easy to see the power of frontier tech.
You’ll get to spend time with monks, mountain guides, government leaders, and the team behind GMC. You’ll hike to remote monasteries, walk ancient footpaths, and share ideas with fellow builders.
Trip cost is between $4,050 – $4,750, depending on your accommodation choice (see below). Prices does not include international flights to and from Bhutan.
Accommodation Options:
- Single-Accoms Ticket ($4,750)
- Private, single-occupancy hotel room for four nights in Paro, two nights in Thimphu.
- Premium accommodations at monastery for one night.
- Shared-Accoms Ticket: ($4,050)
- Shared, double-occupancy hotel room for four nights in Paro, two nights in Thimphu.
- Shared group accommodation at monastery for one night.
All ticket options include the following:
- Lodging at 4-star (or higher), boutique hotels.
- All meals and ground transportation between airports, cities, and activities.
- Internal country round-trip flight to Gelephu to visit GMC officials
- Visa and Sustainable Development Fee (SDF)
- All venue fees for workshops, meetings, and monastery donations.
- Gift package with Edge tote, journal, and traditional Bhutanese Goa/Kira garments.
If cost is a barrier, let us know in the interest form. We hope to offer a few scholarships. Our intention is to reduce the price barrier in future trips, but we need to make sure that, first and foremost, we do right by the local community and continue to build trust locally first.
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If you are interested in supporting this trip financially as a sponsor, please reach out to timour@edgecity.live
Abroad
We've partnered closely with Abroad; a team of experts who curate world class excursions and immersive retreats for global leaders. Their deep relationships and connections within the government, monastic communities, and business sectors of Bhutan have enabled us to secure bespoke accommodations and experiences for this trip. Core Abroad leadership members supporting our trip are:
- Justin Milano, Abroad CEO and executive coach.
- Dr. Dorji Wangchuk, former Press Secretary and aide to the King of Bhutan. Expert in Tibetan Buddhist history and philosophy.
- Lhaki Dolma, Bhutanese cultural historian, Parliamentarian, and actress.
Venues
This expedition will take place across two anchor cities (Paro and Thimphu) with excursions to Gelephu, multiple monasteries, and the Royal Academy of Bhutan.
This will be a deeply transformational trip for those who come. We’ll explore a variety of topics, from consciousness and spirituality to new cities and political systems. The goal of this trip is to strengthen the growing connections between Edge City and Bhutan and lay the foundation for a bigger collaboration in future years.
This expedition is ideal for you if you're:
Interested in the intersection of conciousness, mspirituality, society, and technology.
A builder or investor seeking untapped opportunities in emerging markets.
Want to learn from and/or contribute to sustainable developement in emerging countries.
Looking to deepen your network of technologists, innovators, and optomistic futurists.
A creative thinker who brings fresh perspectives to complex challenges.
You'll come out of this trip with a community of peers inspired by cultural, spiritual, and innovative immersion.
Edge City is a ‘society incubator’ dedicated to advancing human flourishing. We create environments perfect for practical experimentation with new ideas, technology, culture, and organizations committed to moving humanity toward a brighter future.
We've developed a new format of gathering that is best suited for experimentation to further human flourishing. We call them “popup villages.” These villages last 1–2 months and bring together 1,000 people to live and collaborate, with roughly 200-300 of those being full-time residents. The temporary nature of these events creates freedom to experiment outside of the box, mixed with a shared sense of urgency and ambition to build and ship before the end of the month, similar to a college semester.
We create environments where you can do your best work while feeling your best — from daily workouts and healthy meals to good sleep and mindful habits. It's innovation at its most creative, health at its most natural, and community at its most fun.
Besides our popup villages, we also host occasional expeditions, like this event in Bhutan.
Read more about what we've accomplished so far, or check out our roadmap to see where we're headed.
Ecosystem Visits
University of Cape Town • Innovation City • Township Fiber Installation • Stellenbosch University • The Bridge - Smart City • EPIC School
Community & Wellness
Hikes • Workouts • Sunset Dinners • South African Braai BBQ • Color Wars • Distributed Dinners • Yoga HIIT • Market Visits • Run Club
Nature & Exploration
Table Mountain • Cape Peninsula • Kirstenbosch Gardens • Cape Town Market • First Thursday Art Walk • Gondwana Safari • Franschhoek Wineries
- Day 1: Arrival, Cape Town settling in, First Thursday art walk, Welcome dinner
- Day 2: Morning wellness, Co-working or city exploration, Sunset dinner
- Day 3: Kirstenbosch Gardens, Table Mountain hike, Evening Braai
- Day 4: Morning workout and market, Cape Peninsula exploration, Colour Wars
- Day 5: University of Capetown visit, Co-working sessions, Distributed dinners
- Day 6: Builder Day at Innovation City - workshops, demos, networking
- Day 7: Travel to Stellenbosch, Township fiber installation project, Evening pod dinners
- Day 8: Morning wellness, Bridge House School, Stellenbosch University & LaunchLab, Wineries
- Day 9: Morning hike, EPIC School visit, Reflection activities, Final Stellenbosch dinner
Accommodation and safari packages are NOT organized by Edge City - interested attendees have to book their package & cover the costs separately.
We have a few rooms reserved at Botlierskop Game Reserve - you can book those limited spots by contacting the reserve directly, mentioning the reference #BGR038695.
- Day 1: Dinner
- Day 2: Game drive (3h), Breakfast, Dinner
- Day 3: Game drive (3h), Breakfast
Find more information here.
- What makes South Africa uniquely positioned for an Edge City? We'll explore its innovation ecosystem and potential for a future permanent location.
- How do we build meaningful bridges? We'll explore how to connect with local communities in ways that create lasting positive impact, and work to position South Africa as a leader in the global innovation landscape.