Bhutan Discovery Tour 11 Nights

Day 1: Thimphu

Arrive Paro International Airport. Your tour guide will meet you and take you on a short one-hour drive along the Paro and Thimphu river valleys to Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital, at 2320 metres. You can stop on the way to take in the magnificent Tamchhog Lhakhang, the hereditary place of worship for Bhutan’s iron bridge builder. Overnight in Thimphu.

Day 2: Thimphu

Sightseeing in Thimphu, where you can visit the National Memorial Chorten, the National Library, the National Painting School, Buddha point and Changangkha Temple. Browse the striking collection of intricate textiles at the National Textile Museum and visit the Folk Museum.

Overnight in Thimphu.

Day 3: Thimphu-Punakha

After breakfast at your hotel get ready to visit another most beautiful places called Punakha Valley, which known as the old winter capital of Bhutan.

En-route stop at Dochu La Pass, to view the eastern Himalayas, including Bhutan highest mountain, Gangkar Punsum. The road then drops down through varied changing forest, finally emerging into the highly cultivated Punakha valley. In the afternoon you will visit Punakha Dzong 1637 AD, one of the most impressive in the country situated between two mighty rivers basically known to people male and female rivers. Time permitting visit the small town of Khuruthang in Punakha. Overnight Stay.

Day-4: Punakha to Wangdue Excursion

After breakfast excursion trip Wangdue, you will start with the temple of fertility or Chimi Lhakhang. Chimi Lhakhang was built by lama Drukpa Kunley in 1499. He subdued the demoness of the Dochu la with his magic thunderbolt of wisdom. A wooden effigy of the Lama thunderbolt is preserved in the Lhakhang, and childless women go to the temple to receive a Wang blessing from the saint. Its a 20-minute gentle walk across the rice fields from the road at Sopsokha to the temple. The trail leads across rice fields to the tiny settlement of Pana. There are very few monks at the temple, which is surrounded by a row of prayer wheels and some very beautiful slate carvings.

In the afternoon drive 45 minutes to another district on Wangduephordang, unique of its kind, small but cleanly maintained by the residents. Visit the fortress and the town. In the evening drive back to Punakha.

Day 5: Punakha-Bumthang

Drive from Punakha to Bumthang via Trongsa, the gateway to central Bhutan. You can stop to visit the impressive Trongsa Dzong which commands the eye from miles away. Visit the new museum in the watchtower dedicated to the Royal Wangchuk dynasty, which tells the stories of the Dzong and features personal belongings of the Kings and Queens of Bhutan. In the evening if time permits you will visit including Jamba Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang and Tamshing Lhakhang. Visit Jakar Dzong (Bhutan’s largest) and you may be interested to see Bumthang’s famous swiss cheese factory.

Overnight in Bumthang.

Day 6: Bumthang

Today we take an excursion to the remote Tang valley. Stop to visit Membar Tsho (the burning lake), which is one of Bhutan’s most important pilgrimage sites. Then on to Drangchel, Pema Lingpa’s birthplace. You will also see some picturesque villages and temples and can walk up to visit Ugyenchholing Palace, which is now a museum and gives an interesting insight into life in an aristocratic family in the last century.

Return to Bumthang for the night.

Day 7: Bumthang-Gangtey

Start your journey back west to Gangtey in the remote Phobjikha valley. Visit Gangtey Gompa (one of Bhutan’s oldest monasteries and recently extensively renovated) and explore the valley where the villagers continue to live a traditional Bhutanese rural lifestyle. This is the site where black-necked cranes visit in their hundreds in November each year after spending the summer in Tibet.

Overnight in Gangtey.

Day 8: Gangtey

Today can be a day of leisure in this beautiful rural valley. If it is winter you can view the black-necked cranes. If you like hiking your guide will suggest a day or half day hike in the valley.

Overnight in Gangtey.

Day 9: Gangtey-Paro

Return to Paro via Wangdi. Sadly Wangdi Dzong was gutted by fire in June 2012 and rebuilding will take many years. There is little now to see in Wangdi so after a brief stop continue on your way. When you reach Paro you can visit the local handicraft shops for souvenirs of your trip.

Overnight in Paro.

Day 10: Paro

A full day of sightseeing in and around Paro including Paro Rinpung Dzong and the National Museum. After lunch visit Drukgyel Dzong (‘fortress of victory’), and the sacred Kyichu Lhakhang (temple).

Overnight in Paro.

Day 11: Paro

Take a day hike to the ‘Tiger’s Nest’, the sacred Taktshang monastery, and have lunch at the Taktshang cafeteria. On the way back you can visit Dumtse Lhakhang, a temple built by Thangthong Gyalpo, the iron bridge builder. Overnight in Paro.