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12 days 11 nights
Daily Tour
24 people
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We have organized the majority of our fixed date flights to harmonize with one of the principle celebrations (Tsechus) in classic Bhutan tour. Tsechus are yearly religious Bhutanese festivals of Drukpa Buddhism held in each region or dzongkhag of Bhutan. If you don’t mind download Trip Dossier for subtleties of which tsechus are occurring for every takeoff. There are magnificent perspectives on the Himalaya from Druk Air trip to and from Paro and furthermore on a sunny morning from Dochu La go among Thimphu and Punakha. We have the open doors for day strolls while in Paro, Thimphu, Bumthang and Phobjikha Valley. Explore more bhutwan tour package on Highlights of Bhutwan tour.
On a clear day the flight to Paro is sensational with views of the Himalaya to the north. Upon arrival our guide will receive you at the airport and drive you through the hamlets of Paro along the riverside to Thimphu the capital city of Bhutan. You will immediately notice the unique architecture and Bhutanese lifestyle with many people wearing traditional clothes (men wear the ‘Gho’ and women ‘Kira’). The drive from Paro to Thimphu takes about one hour, on reaching Thimphu you will check into the hotel. Depending on your arrival time and how you feel after your long journey, if you wish in the afternoon you can explore some of the sights of Thimphu. Overnight at hotel in Thimphu (Meals: L,D).
You can discuss with your guide where you would like to visit in and around Thimphu. There are several places to see and the most popular are the Thimphu Dzong, Takin sanctuary (Takin is the national animal of Bhutan with the head of a goat and body of a bull), folk heritage museum, the textile weaving center and the Institute of Arts and Crafts. Overnight at hotel in Thimphu (Meals: B,L,D).
Today we leave for Punakha which is the old winter capital of Bhutan. En route we drive over the Dochu La pass at an altitude of 3,050m known as one of the finest viewpoints of Eastern Himalaya. On a clear day we can see the peaks Masangang, Tsendagang, Terigang and Gangkar Punsum (the highest unclimbed mountain in the world). On arrival to Dochu La you can get out of the car to admire the view and walk around the 108 chortens marking the summit of the pass. We then descend through beautiful forest into the Punakha Valley at an altitude of 1,350m.Overnight at hotel in Punakha (Meals: B,L,D).
There are a number of options for more places to explore in Punakha valley. For a good view of the valley you can walk up to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal chorten perched on a hill above Mo Chhu river. It takes about 45 minutes to walk up to the chorten after crossing the suspension bridge over the river. Overnight at hotel in Punakha (Meals: B,L,D).
Drive to the beautiful Phobjikha valley, this place is home to the endangered Blacknecked cranes that migrate every year to this valley in winter. Phobjika valley is accessible by road and after crossing Lawala Pass at 3,360m the road descends to Phobjika valley at an altitude of 2,900m. Phojikha is often called Gangtey after the name of the monastery in this valley. Overnight at hotel in Phobjikha (Meals: B,L,D).
The valley is a good place for day hikes as it offers numerous places to walk through villages. Or just relax in the stunning hotel located with a wonderful view of the valley. Overnight at hotel in Phobjikha (Meals: B,L,D).
Today we drive to Trongsa for lunch with the road taking us over two passes and the small town of Wangdue. From Nobding the road ascends sharply to Pele La pass at 3,300m before descending through pastureland at Sephu where we reach the historical Chendebji Chorten. The road has lots of bends, beautiful waterfalls and thick forest cover on the way and this part of the ride offers good view of the south Trongsa Valley and stunning views of the Trongsa Dzong. We will visit the Trongsa Dzong and the museum. Overnight at hotel in Bumthang (Meals: B,L,D).
There is lots to do in Bumthang valley you can visit the Swiss farm, the Jambay Lhakhang monastery, Tamshing Monastery and the Kurgye Monastery, one of the most holy sites for Buddhists. Many royal family and high ranking lamas have their funeral in this monastery premises. There are several walking trails around the valley or you can be driven to the main sites. Overnight at hotel in Bumthang (Meals: B,L,D).
From Bumthang we drive over Yotong La and to Tongsa, from here the road climbs to Pele La and descends to Punakha where we spend the night. Overnight at hotel in Punakha (Meals: B,L,D).
After breakfast there is a long climb to Dochu La where there is superb view of the Himalayas including Gangkar Punsum, from the pass the road descends to Thimphu. We continue our drive for a further hour to Paro. Overnight at hotel in Paro (Meals: B,L,D).
After breakfast we will organise an optional walk up to the Taktsang monastery known as the “Tiger’s Nest”. It takes about 3 to 4 hours to walk through pine forest and up to the monastery perched on a cliff overlooking the valley. Lunch will be served in the viewpoint cafeteria. We will also arrange sightseeing where we visit Kichu monastery which is one of the oldest monasteries in Bhutan built in the 7th century by the Tibetan King Songsten Genpo who built 108 monasteries around the region. Also visit the Drugyal Dzong at the end of the valley. Overnight at hotel in Paro (Meals: B,L,D).
Transfers to Paro airport for flights back home. (Meals: B)
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