Best of Bhutan

Arrive in Paro (2200m / 7200ft) – Drive to Thimpu (2320m / 7600ft) / 1 hour drive: Upon arrival at the International Airport in Paro, you will be greeted by your guide. Then drive to Thimphu, the world’s smallest capital city, to settle into your hotel. After checking in at the hotel and freshen up, visit Buddha Point on a hilltop to see the biggest statue of Buddha in Bhutan. The view of the Thimphu valley from the Buddha Point is just amazing. Then visit the Tashichhodzong the ‘Fortress of the Glorious Religion’ and home to Bhutan’s royal government. The schedule of sightseeing is subject to change depending on the flight time.

Overnight: At Hotel in Thimpu
Meal: Dinner

Sightseeing in Thimpu: Spend a day visiting various sites that provide an insight into the Bhutanese art, architecture, culture and traditions. Visit the Folk Heritage Museum, Textile Museum, Simply Bhutan Museum and the National Library. Stroll around the city before dinner.

Overnight: At Hotel in Thimpu
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Drive to Punakha (1240m / 4070ft), (70 kms / 3 hours): Make your way to Punakha, the old capital of Bhutan, enjoying the views from Dochu La Pass (3100m / 10,200ft). Take a short walk to the Chime Lhakhang known as the Temple of the Divine Madman, a uniquely-adorned 15th century temple said to bless visiting couples for fertility. After lunch, visit Punakha Dzong, built at the junction of the two rivers Pho Chu (Male River) and Mo Chu (Female River). It is one of the most spectacular dzongs in the country. The Dzong serves as the winter residence for Je Khenpo, Chief Abbot of Bhutan. If time permits, visit a nearby village.

Overnight: At Hotel in Punakha
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Drive to Gangtey / Phobjikha Valley (2900m/ 9500ft): After breakfast, set off on the road climbing up on a mountain road towards east to reach the glacial valley of Gangtey or Phobjikha. When you arrive at the valley, your eyes are blessed with the scenic beauty of the valley consisting of mountains, trees, animals, birds and shrubs.
This serene and remote valley is the winter home of black necked cranes, which migrate from the arid plains of Tibet in the north, to pass the winter months in a milder climate. After checking in at the hotel and lunch, visit the ancient Gangtey monastery located on a hill ridge overlooking the vast and beautiful Phobjikha valley. Stroll around the surrounding villages in the afternoon.

Overnight: At Hotel in Gangtey
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Drive to Bumthang (2800m / 9020ft): After breakfast, set off on the road to Jakar. The road climbs and crosses the black mountains at Pele-la pass (3420m / 11200ft). From here, on a clear day, you can see Mt. Jumolhari, and other mountains across the valley. After the pass, you are now in the Mangde region and people speak different dialects here. Continue driving to Trongsa, en-route stopping at Chendebji chorten and other places along the way to stretch your legs, enjoy the landscape. Visit Trongsa Dzong (fortress-monastery), which is considered one of the largest and certainly the most impressive of all Dzongs in Bhutan. From Trongsa, the road climbs to another pass, Youtong-la (3425m / 11230ft), then descends to the Bumthang valleys.

Overnight: At Hotel in Bumthang
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Sightseeing in Bumthang with 2 hour’s hike: Bumthang is the most picturesque place in Bhutan, cultural and spiritual heartland and home to ancient Buddhist monasteries and temples.

After breakfast, take a short drive, then hike for about 2 hours through the beautiful upper Chokhor Valley to Thangbi Lhakhang , an important Buddhist temple founded in 1470 by the 4th Shamar Rinpoche. The hike is pleasant through a peaceful forest without any steep uphill and downhill. After the hike, visit the ancient temple of Khurje Lhakhang is the place where Guru Rinpoche (the founder of Buddhism in Bhutan) had meditated and contains the rock which has the imprint of Guru Rinpoche's body, hence this place is considered to be the holiest. Visit Jakar Dzong in the afternoon. Also known as the "castle of the white bird", The Jakar Dzong is now the center of administration of Bumthang District and also houses the regional monk body. It overlooks the Chokhor Valley and offers a good view of the Bumthang Valley

Overnight: At Hotel in Bumthang
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

In Bumthang – drive to Tang Valley and hike to the Ogyen Choling Palace: Today’s drive is one of the most beautiful drives with breathtaking views that passes through farms producing rice, buckwheat, potato, apples, honey and dairy products. Stop at Tang and visit Tang Rimochen Lhakhang, a sacred place where Guru Rinpoche meditated.

Continue to drive to Kizum. After crossing the Kizum bridge over the Tand River, hike uphill for about 45 to 60 minutes (1 ½ hours roundtrip) to the Ogyen Choling Palace that holds great significance to both Bhutanese and Tibetans.

Ogyen Choling is the heritage house which has preserved the ancient artefacts and traditional household items. The heirs of the Choling family decided to convert their ancestral home into a museum to share their history. A visit to this place gives an insight into the rural life of the country.

Overnight: At Hotel in Bumthang
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Drive to Wangdu (1300m / 4300ft): Retrace your drive across Yotongla pass, Trongsa and Pelela pass to the Wangdu home of one of the largest Dzongs in the country. With its diverse climates and rich natural resources, Wangdu is home to many rare and exotic animals like Red Pandas, Tigers and Leopards. There are also large numbers of rare birds such as the Black Necked Crane, White-Bellied Heron and the Spotted Eagle.

Overnight: At Hotel in Wangdu
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Drive to Paro (2200m / 7200m): Retrace your drive via Dochula pass (10200 feet) and Thimpu to Paro. After checking in at hotel and lunch, visit National Museum of Bhutan which display the Bhutanese culture, art and natural history. Followed by Rinpung Dzong, a fortress-monastery overlooking the Paro valley has a long history. Built on 1644 by Ngawang Namgyal, the fortress-monastery served as an effective defense against numerous attempts of invasion by the Tibetans.

Overnight: At Hotel in Paro
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery (3120m / 10240ft): Rise early to make the hike to the magnificent Tiger’s Nest Monastery. The hike is about two miles and takes about 3 hours to reach the picturesque Tiger’s Nest (Taktsang) Monastery that clings to a cliff 3,000 feet above the valley floor. Tiger’s Nest is a sacred pilgrimage site, where the great tantric mystic Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) is believed to have flown on the back of the tiger. This is where he meditated and taught tantric Buddhism. After exploring the Tiger’s Nest, hike down which takes about 2 hours. Rest of the day in leisure.

Overnight: At Hotel in Paro
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

After breakfast, transfer to Paro airport for your onward journey.
Meal: Breakfast

Meal: Breakfast