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| Day 1 - Day 01: Arrive Paro from Bangkok/Delhi/Kathmandu
The flight to Paro crosses the Himalaya Mountains, affording
spectacular views of the awesome peaks, including the sacred
Jumolhari and Jichu Drake peaks in Bhutan. Upon arrival in Paro,
you will be greeted by representative From Adventure Bhutan/ and transferred to your
hotel.
In the afternoon you can visit the Paro Dzong. It was built in 1646
and now houses government offices and religious institutions, as
do all the dzongs (forts) currently. You can then tour the National
Museum, formerly the watchtower for the dzong. It now houses a
collection of fine arts, paintings, thankas, statues, and antiques.
Afterward you will visit Kyichu Lhakhang, the oldest temple in the
country. In the evening you can stroll through the Paro town.
Overnight in Paro.
| | Day 2 - Day 02: Paro - Thimphu.
After breakfast hike to Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) Monastery, which is
Bhutan's most famous monastery. Guru Rinpoche is said to have
flown on the back of a tigress from Singye Dzong in Lhuntse to
meditate in a cave where Taktsang Monastery now stands. It is
perched on the edge of a steep cliff, about 900 meters above Paro
Valley. The hike to reach the viewpoint to the monastery makes for
a nice half-day excursion.
After lunch, attend the festival.Overnight in Thimphu.
| | Day 3 - Day 03: Thimphu(festival)
Whole day at the Thimphu festival. Overnight Thimphu
| | Day 4 - Day 04: Thimphu.
Day 04: In the morning attend the Thimphu festival. After hike to
Tango. It will be a good half day hike to the monastery. Overnight
Thimphu.
| | Day 5 - Day 05: Thimphu- Bumthang.
You will begin the day by driving to Gantey. You'll pass through
dense forests of oak trees and rhododendrons and arrive at
Gantey village, where you'll visit Gantey Gompa, the only
Nyingmapa monastery in western Bhutan. From there you'll head
to Bumthang. The route is along a spectacular winding road,
crossing 3,300-meter-high Pele La and 3,500-meter-high Yutong
La (pass). Along the way you will stop at a yethra (textile weaving)
factory, where the yethras are designed with patterns unique to
Bumthang, and you can even watch some of the weavers at their
looms. Overnight in Bumthang.
| | Day 6 - Day 06: Bumthang sightseeing.
After breakfast, you will tour the beautiful region and visit sights
including Jakar Dzong, the administrative center of the valley; the
Udee woodcarving factory in Jakar; Jambey Lhakhang, one of the
oldest monasteries in Bhutan, dating from the introduction of
Buddhism in Bhutan; and Kurjey Lhakhang, one of the most sacred
places, because Guru Rinpoche left his body imprint on the cave
when he was meditating. After lunch you will have a chance to tour
Tamshing Lhakhang, which houses interesting religious Buddhist
paintings, and you will make a stop at the Swiss cheese factory.
You will also see Mebar Tsho (Burning Lake), where some of Guru
Rinpoche's treasures were found in the 15th century by the
famous treasure discover Pema Lingpa. It's a good place to
meditate. You can spend the evening strolling through Bumthang
town. Overnight in Bumthang.
| | Day 7 - Day 07: Bumthang - Wangduephodrang.
You'll begin the day at the Bumthang market, and then head to
Wangduephodrang, with a brief stop in Trongsa to visit the Ta
Dzong and Trongsa Dzong. In Wangduephodrang you can stroll
through the town and visit the shops. Overnight in
Wangduephodrang.
| | Day 8 - Day 08: Wangduephodrang - Punakha - Thimphu.
After breakfast you will drive to Punakha, the former capital of
Bhutan, and visit Punakha Dzong, which is noteworthy both for
being one of the most beautiful dzongs in Bhutan and also for
having been built by the first Shabdrung in 1637. You will then visit
Khamsum Yulephelma Chorten in Punakha. On the way back from
Punakha, you will stop at Metshina Village and take a 20-30 minute
walk through the rice fields to Chimi Lakhang, which is a fertility
temple. Overnight in Thimphu.
| | Day 9 - Day 09: Thimphu sightseeing.
After breakfast you will visit the King's Memorial Chorten (built in
memory of the third King of Bhutan who reigned from 1952-1972),
Changgangkha Monastery, the radio tower (for a great view of
Thimphu Valley and the Thimphu Dzong), and the zoo, which
contains the national animal of Bhutan: the takin. From there you
will visit the nunnery temple, the National Library (which houses
ancient manuscripts), and the School of Arts and Crafts (also
known as the painting school). After a relaxing lunch, you will visit
the National Institute of Traditional Medicine, the Folk Heritage
Museum, a traditional paper factory, and the Simtokha Dzong (the
oldest fortress in the kingdom). Overnight in Thimphu.
| | Day 10 - Day 10: Thimphu - Paro.
After breakfast, you can hike to Tango Monastery, which was built
in the 15th century. It's a center of study for monks, and it affords a
great view of the Thimphu Valley. In the afternoon, you will head to
Paro. In the evening you can visit a traditional farmhouse and, if
you wish, enjoy a hot-stone bath and a typical Bhutanese dinner.
Overnight in Paro.
| | Day 11 - Day 11: Depart Paro
Depart. Adventure Bhutan/ team wish you good bye and safe journey home
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