Best of Bhutan Tour: Culture, Hikes, Monastic Stay

Embark on a 10-day cultural and adventure tour of Bhutan, featuring hiking, festivals, and stunning architecture. Immerse yourself in the rich traditions, explore beautiful nature hikes, and indulge in authentic Bhutanese experiences. Don’t miss the iconic Tiger Nest hike!

Duration: 5 days
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

Arrive at Paro - Drive to Thimphu (54Km/ 1.5 Hr)

Tachogang Lhakhang Bridge - On the way stop at Tachoggang, a beautiful, historic sight across the Paro River. Adorned with numerous prayer flags, the iron bridge is a beautiful walk towards the temple. Apart from the temple, the bridge is of profound importance and steeped in history.
Light a butter lamp here and begin your tour with beautiful aspiration.

Simtokha Dzong - Five miles from Thimphu, on a lofty ridge, stands Simtokha Dzong the oldest fortress in the Kingdom. Simtokha’s strategic position overlooks the entire Thimphu Valley. The central tower has 12 sides, unlike any other Fortress in Bhutan.The carvings on walls in the courtyard is amazing

Buddha Dordenma - Marvel at the grandeur of the tallest sitting Buddha statue, towering at an impressive height of 51.5 meters, located at Kuensel Phodrang.

Wangdi-tse Monastery - Venture through the flavors and scents of thick pine forest along the side of Thimphu valley leading to the glorious Wangditse temple. It is one and half hour - easy hike crossing local apple farms and houses which could be exciting for the kids. The trail further takes into trees of oak, pine, and rhododendron which accompany you throughout the hike while occasionally opening to the view of the Buddha Dordenma statue, Tashichoe Dzong and Thimphu valley.

From Wangditse Temple you have the option to hike back the same way and drive to Dechenphodrang Monastery or hike down to Dechenphodrang Monastery where you can meet young monks undergoing their monastic schooling. You can interact with the monks and witness their day to day life.

Time Taken: 1 hour to 1 and half hour.

Centenary Farmers Market - Thimphu’s Weekend Market, a lively maze near Wang Chhu, bursts with regional vendors every Thursday to Sunday. Delight your senses with aromatic incense, exotic spices, and unique finds like yak legs with hooves attached. From dried fish to local honey, the stalls offer a sensory feast. Don’t miss the cereals section with red rice and kapche. The bustling atmosphere spills into the streets, creating a vibrant market scene. Cross the traditional bridge to discover the weekends-only Handicrafts Market nearby. An unforgettable blend of flavors and culture awaits!

Monastic Stay & Experience at Dodeydrak Buddhist Monastery

Pangri Zampa Monastery - Drive to the Northern end of Thimphu valley passing through the countryside hike through the off-beaten tracks , visit the Buddhist College of astrology at Pangrizampa & the temple of the 21 Tara Devi in a serene setting next to it, before taking a hike to Dodeydra monastery.
If interested in Buddhist astrology , you can consult the monk there

Hike Back to Thimphu & Drive to Punakha

Dochula Pass - On the way to Punakha, stop at Dochu La Mountain pass at 3,100 meters marked by 108 Buddhist Shrines. If skies are clear, the high Himalayan peaks towards the north east will be revealed in all their glory. Hoist prayer flags on one of the highest point and make aspirations to benefit of all being.

Chimi Lhakhang Temple - Hike to Chimi Lhakhang, at about five minutes walk away from Sopsokha Village. Prepare to be greeted by paintings of an unassuming sight on your way to the site. The temple is also popularly known as the divine mad monk’s temple or the temple of fertility.

Punakha Dzong - Visit Punakha Dzong, a massive structure built at the junction of two rivers. Punakha was Bhutan’s capital until 1955 and Punakha Dzong still serves as the winter residence of the central monk body. Bhutan’s first king, Ugyen Wangchuck, was crowned here in 1907. The fortress has withstood damage from fire, earthquake and flood over the centuries. The latest flood, in October, 1994, caused great damage to the fortress but miraculously spared its most holy statue.

Punakha-Paro (130Km/ 3-4 hrs), Tiger Nest hike

Paro Taktsang - Early morning drive to Paro.
Upon reaching Paro hike up to Tiger’s Nest - one of Bhutan’s most revered pilgrim sites; be rewarded to the overwhelming sight of the monastery perched on a cliff at 3,120 meters above the sea level and 900 meters above Paro valley. Tiger’s Nest or Taktsang acquires its name from the legend of its foundation, when in the 8th Century Guru Rinpoche, widely revered as the second Buddha, arrived from Tibet flying across the mountains on the back of a tigress and meditated here for three months. He blessed and preached tantric Buddhism in Bhutan.

Departure

Paro - End of your travel to Bhutan. Our team will drive you to the Airport and bid farewell.

What's Included
  • USD 100 Bhutan Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) per person per night
  • All meals included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Comprehensive Bhutan Visa facilitation
  • Comfortable accommodation options
  • Exclusive private transportation throughout the tour
  • Expert local guide services
  • All taxes, fees, and charges included
What's Not Included
  • Those not included in inclusion
  • Single Supplement of USD 300
  • Alcohol & Any Other Beverages
Additional Information

This Tour Includes the Best Flavor of Bhutan. It has a mix of Tradition- Culture & Heritage- Beautiful Nature Hikes & Authentic Bhutanese Experience . Enjoy the presence of the sacred monasteries that sit precariously on sheer cliffs, the fluttering prayer flags that line the high ridges & chanting of the red robed monks. It is this aspect of life dimension which gives Bhutan an aura that comes from another time. Experience the rich and precious cultural diversity which is strongly engraved in every valley and its people. You can take hikes through the forest, try out a traditional local hot stone bath with the game of Archery, meet the local families & have farm dinner surrounded by hills and its latticed pattern And end the tour with the famous Tiger Nest hike.

Location
Paro International Airport
Your guide and vehicle will come to the Paro Airport to pick you up, you can identify them by your placard they'll be holding. They will welcome you and accompany you throughout the tour.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(57 Ratings)
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Escape13296498364
Jun 30, 2024
A wonderful trip - We had an incredibly memorable trip with Bhutan Best Inbound and our guide Phub alongside his expert driver. In a short time, we hiked through forests and lakes including a stay in a monastery, stayed with a wonderful family in an old farm house, saw temples and even archery. Phub was fantastic with an open incredible amount of local and cultural knowledge- and his driver was helpful and attentive at all times. We can’t thank you enough for making our trip to Bhutan so unforgettable!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grandtour29351750891
Jun 7, 2024
Bhutan made Special w/ Nemo as Guide. And Ren Tours. - We visited Thimpu for the Wesak Pranic Healing Conference. Caring, rich Culture & people. Ren Tours arranged our Stay. Their Service was good, reliable. Our Guide, Nemo, was excellent, knowledgeable and made our trip special.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lucilu0214
May 26, 2024
Beautiful Bhutan - Bhutan trip is one of a kind tour. We experienced a different lifestyle, the simplicity of it. We love the people, the culture and even the spicy food.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elyssa
May 12, 2024
Trip of a lifetime! - My husband and I had a wonderful 10 day tour of Bhutan! Our guide, Namgay, was extremely knowledgeable about all the places we visited and was willing to answer any question large or small. Our driver, Lobzang, was also excellent, navigating the winding roads with ease and making it a very comfortable journey. We were even there over our 5 year wedding anniversary and they surprised us by getting a cake to celebrate!! That was very special and made our hearts swell. We loved eating all the local food, especially ema datshi (chili cheese—the national dish). Namgay even showed us how to make one of the kinds of chili paste (we will try this when we get home). Would highly recommend the Bumdra 1 night trek, it is no joke but a beautiful hike and camp site with a much easier trek down to visit the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. Overall, the trip of a lifetime!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maanch25
May 12, 2024
A trip that will leave a lasting impact on our lives :) - This is by far the most heartwarming tour we have experienced. Ms. Deki was careful about listening to our needs. We described to her that we are culture nerds and nature lovers, and she helped us sketch such a fulfilling itinerary. Bhutan is stunning, and the people are so kind. But our experience would not have been even half as beautiful without our guide, Mr. Ugyen Wangchuck and our driver, Mr. Nyingma. Our guide, Mr. Ugyen was so hospitable. To us, he was the face of the world renowned kindness that the Bhutanese are said to possess. He would always accommodate our requests and ensure that everything is upto the mark. During our treks he would check on us every now and then, he would go ahead and book us into pure vegetarian restaurants as per our needs, he would help us with our doubts about Bhutanese history and society with so much patience. His soft spoken nature and knowledgeable attitude has taught us a lot. He loves his culture, and values the resources, and this is what any tourist would be lucky to witness. For instance, inside the monasteries, he would always explain the history by taking us to the side in order to respect the place and other devotees. We respect such gestures a lot as they are necessary to conserve the delicate fabric of this nation. Our driver Mr. Nyingma was always polite to us and accommodate all the stops we requested. Some of the places we wanted to visit were really uphill and involved tricky, unpaved roads. But he would skilfully take us through without any reluctance. Both of them were always present to pick us up before time. Hats off to them. We would love to recommend them for any friends' Bhutan trip. They showed us the best of Bhutan with their good nature and personable professonialism.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
B9730md_
Feb 29, 2024
What an experience! (Custom Bhutan 12D/11N) - Well the journey started with great expectations before landing to Bhutan. Personally I would describe this country as an unpolished gem. It takes some time and effort to understand and appreciate it. The country is struggling to find its balance between tradition and new age. The honesty of its uniqueness is something they should owe to protect. And here comes Bhutan inbound. We had the pleasure to communicate with Mr. Thinley before our arrival. He made a "made to measure" itinerary for us that wanted to see a lot of the country but in an off beaten kind of way. Really helpful, really positive, really trying to make our experience unique. But of course the highlight of our experience was our guides. Jimmy (I m pretty sure it's not written like this haha) and Dorji thank you so much! These two guys striked the perfect balance for us. They genuinely cared for us to have a great traveling experience. Changing the schedule according to our new understanding of what we liked during our stay. Great sense of humor, great discussions on life matters and philosophy and of course knowledgeable. It was so great to get to know Bhutan with you guys. One of the reasons that trip was special was because of you! I will be never forgetting that! 🙏
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D649srjonathant
Feb 18, 2024
Best of Bhutan 5-Day Tour - Excellent experience thanks to the fantastic tour by Tandin Wangchuk and the driver Lobzang Dendup. I did the 5-day tour, but I would recomend 6 to 7 days for anyone looking for a more relaxed pace. Had a bit of everything, from the cultural tour, monastic stay, farmhouse stay, and finally, the 4-hour hike to the Tiger's Nest. Time management was essential for my short stay, and Tandin did a great job pacing the tour, while Lobzang was always on time and ready to drive us to the next spot. Heartful thanks to Bhutan Best Inbound Tour for arranging this trip. Hope I can visit again very soon!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bradheales
Feb 17, 2024
Unforgettable - The guys at Bhutan best inbound, did a great job of suiting our needs, and were very accommodating during our stay in Bhutan. Our guide Phub Tshering and our driver Pema Dakpa are great guys, and did a great job of showing us around and were very friendly the whole time. The views in Bhutan are amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kylekaufman23
Jan 25, 2024
Amazing Experience - I had a great time in the magical kingdom of Bhutan with this company. They set up everything for including the visa and sustainable development fee! My guide Tandin Wangchuk and driver Lobzang were both great! I would chose to work with these guys and this company anytime. The country is spotless and pristine unlike its neighbors. Was a wonderful experience staying in the monastery and farmhouse (if you don't want to they will help accommodate you in hotels those nights instead). The food is great and the country is breathtaking!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lambertsarah
Dec 13, 2023
Brilliant stay in Bhutan - We had a brilliant 4 nights in Bhutan experienced a monastery stay and home stay what a unique experience. Our guide and driver, both had the same name, Tandin wangchuk, were both really friendly and do their company and country proud. I would definitely recommend this Best of Bhutan Tour( Culture- Hikes- Short Trek- Monastic Stay) Thank you for making our holiday in Bhutan so good
Review provided by Viator
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