Tour Itinerary
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Day 1: Arrive Paro
Fly into Paro by Druk Air, Royal Bhutan Airline. The great snowcapped peaks of the inner Himalayas rise up to the heavens can be seen during clear weather. As the plane approaches Bhutan, if you look down farmhouses as dots on the hillsides can be seen.
You will be welcomed by our representative who will be your tour guide during your entire tour in Bhutan.
Check into your hotel in Paro and after refreshments, visit the following:
- Ta Dzong
- Rinpung Dzong
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Day 2: Paro - Thimphu
After breakfast, travel to Thimphu and check into your hotel. Then visit the following places:
- National Textile Museum
- The Folk Heritage Museum
- The School of Traditional Painting of Arts and Crafts
- Centenary Farmers’ market
- Craft bazaar
- Buddha point
- Takin reserve
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Day 3: Thimphu - Punakha
After breakfast, drive to Punakha via the Dochula pass. An hour’s drive from Thimphu will take you to this pass (3140 m) where one can have a superb view of the Eastern Himalayas on a clear day with a powerful binocular telescope. Visit the beautiful 108 chortens built on the hill by Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo for the security and well being of His Majesty the King of Bhutan. Also visit Druk Wangyel Temple which was built to honor His Majesty, the fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
Drive onto Punakha, the old capital of Bhutan and presently the winter residence of the central monk body. Visit the Punakha Dzong, located on the island of the Pho-Chu (male) river and the Mochu (female) river. Visit the Dho Jha Gha Lam Temple.
In the evening, walk through the Metshina Village and take a 20-minute walk through the rice fields to the Devine Madman’s Monastery-Chhimi Lhakhang, famously known for its fertility shrine, where couples unable to concieve come here for blessing.
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Day 4: Punakha - Thimphu
After breakfast, travel through upper Punakha valley through the village of Kabjisa and walk through farmhouses to khamsum Yuelley Namgyel temple which was built by the queen of Bhutan for peace and stability in this ever-changing world. This temple is situated on the hillock overlooking the valley below.
Then travel to Thimphu with lunch en-route.
On arrival at Thimphu check into your hotel and after refreshments, visit the following:
- The Memorial Chorten
- Tashichhoe Dzong
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Day 5: Thimphu - Paro - Hike to Paro Taktshang
After breakfast, drive to Paro which takes about an hour and hike up to Taktsang Monastery, also known as ‘Tiger’s Nest’. The climb up to the viewpoint will take around 1 ½ hours and from there you will enjoy a spectacular view of the monastery clinging to the side of the cliff. Stop for refreshment at the View Point Cafeteria.Then walk further up to the monastery which will take about 1 hour. It is said that in the 8th century Guru Rinpoche flew on the back of a tigress from eastern Bhutan to this place and meditated in a cave here for 3 months. The principal Lhakhang (monastery) of the present monastic complex dates from 1692. Taktsang was damaged severely by fire in 1998 but has now been fully restored to its former glory.After visiting the monastery, walk back down to the road on the way stop for lunch at the view point cafeteria and then walk further down to the road point. Then drive back to hotel. On the way, visit Kichu temple,one of the 108 temples built in the 7th century by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo. The story goes that a giant demon lay across the whole area of Tibet and the Himalayas and was preventing the spread of Buddhism. To overcome her, King Songtsen Gampo decided to build 108 temples, which would be placed on all the points of her body. Of these 108 temples, 12 were built in accordance with precise plans. Thus, it happened that in about the year AD 638 the temple of Jokhang in Lhasa was built over the very heart of the demon.
In the evening relax and overnight at a hotel in Paro.
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Day 6: Departure
In the morning your tour guide will escort you to the Paro airport for your flight to your onward destinations.
