Arrival at Paro Airport and Transfer to Thimphu

Thimphu Chorten (Memorial Chorten) - Complete immigration at the counter. Your guide will be waiting at the arrival gate to greet you warmly.

Travel to Thimphu, which is approximately a 1 hour and 15-minute drive.

Check into the hotel, leave your luggage, and begin exploring Thimphu – Bhutan’s capital and one of its few cities, featuring the country’s only flyover, the only traffic island, and a population of 120,000.

Changangkha Lhakhang - Here are some gentle suggestions for what you might like to see or do in Thimphu over two days:
a) National Memorial Chorten (a beautiful temple built by the 3rd Queen Mother in memory of her husband) – Entry Fee: Rs. 500/Head
b) Changangkha Lhakhang (a monastery where Bhutanese people name their children)
c) National Institute of Zorig Chusum (a government institution where youth receive skill training to preserve Bhutan’s arts and culture) - Entry Fee: Rs. 100/Head
d) Takin Reserve (home to Bhutan’s national animal, the Takin, which has the head of a goat and the body of a cow) - Entry Fee: Rs. 300/Head
e) Post Office (where you can get personalized stamps made)
f) CSI Market (an organic goods store offering a variety of products made by women’s self-help groups; highly recommended)
g) Buddha Statue – Dodernma (no entry fee)

CSI Market - In the evening, you might enjoy visiting a karaoke bar, where you can sing English or Hindi songs. These bars do not serve food, but they are perfectly safe to visit.

Dinner is at your discretion. Overnight in Thimphu.

Thimphu to Dodena Hike

Thimphu - After this, a picnic lunch by a riverside can be arranged. The lunch will be catered to your meal preferences, whether snacks like sandwiches or a proper Bhutanese/Indian/combination meal. Chilling a bottle of wine in the ice-cold river water and enjoying it with lunch, surrounded by peace and quiet, is one of the finest experiences offered in Thimphu.

Please note that the picnic lunch incurs an extra charge, payable directly.

Guests are free to continue sightseeing afterward or rest at the hotel.
Dinner is at your discretion. Overnight in Thimphu.

Stay at Punakha While Passing Through Dochu-La

Dochula Pass - After breakfast, check out and head to Punakha, the former capital of Bhutan. If breakfast is early, guests can stop at Simtokha Dzong, one of Bhutan’s oldest fortresses, famous for housing the statue of Zhabdrung, the unifier of Bhutan.
The next stop is Dochu-La, a high-altitude pass with breathtaking views of snowcapped peaks (weather permitting), where 108 chortens have been built. This is a good spot for a bio and tea break.

Royal Botanical Garden - From Dochu-La, you can take the Royal Botanical Trail, a 45-minute easy downhill hike through a pristine natural environment featuring a variety of rhododendron, magnolia, oak, and birch trees. Clear streams cascade down the hillside, and melodious birdsong fills the forest. A highlight of the Royal Botanical Trail is that 28 of 46 different rhododendron species line the trail. The car will pick you up at the end of the trail.
The trail ends at a botanical park called Lamperi.
Arrive in Punakha and check into the hotel.
Dinner is at your discretion. Overnight in Punakha.

River Rafting at Po Chu River

Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten - After breakfast, start your day with a short hike (about an hour) to Khamsum Yulley Chorten. The trek follows a steep path through lush green paddy fields. You’ll encounter a large prayer wheel that chants mantras when the paddy fields end. The trail narrows and ascends steeply through lush green pine trees. A large Bodhi tree welcomes visitors with two big prayer wheels at the chorten and shelter.

Punakha Dzong - During the day, enjoy river rafting at Po Chu River. White water rafting is a thrilling new experience for adventure seekers and is quickly becoming popular among those seeking an adrenaline rush. Lunch near the riverside can be arranged (at your own cost).
In the evening, visit Punakha Dzong (Entry Fee: Rs. 500/head). This is Bhutan’s grandest fortress and the site of the King’s coronation. If time permits, end the day with a walk across Bhutan’s longest suspension bridge.
The bridge connects two villages, and it’s fascinating to see how school children, the young and the old, and even cattle, use this bridge to cross the river.
Overnight in Punakha.

Day Trip to Gangtey

Gangtey Monastery - After an early breakfast, head to Gangtey, home to the ancient glacial valley called Phobjikha and the gateway to Central Bhutan. You’ll enjoy the most spectacular vistas during the drive.

After lunch, visit the Gangtey Monastery (considered the prettiest monastery in Bhutan). You can embark on a beautiful trail called the Gangtey Nature Trail. This is a 4 km forest trail at the end of which you’ll get the most spectacular view of Phobjikha Valley - an ancient glacial valley untouched by humans. The trail is downhill for about 500 meters and then at ground level.
Dinner is at your discretion. Overnight in Gangtey.

Visit the Famous Fertility Temple of Bhutan – Chime Lhakhang.

Chimi Lhakhang Temple - After an early breakfast, check out of the hotel and visit the famous fertility temple of Bhutan – Chime Lhakhang. (Entry Fee: Rs. 500/head).
The temple was built for the Divine Madman, a monk whose symbol, the phallus, is painted on homes in the surrounding villages, and has an interesting legacy. This temple is located at an elevation, and a slow, leisurely walk to the top takes about 15 minutes.
After visiting Chime Lhakhang, depart for Paro. The drive takes about 4 hours.

Paro Taktsang - Arrive in Paro, check into the hotel, and enjoy local sightseeing in Paro.
You can visit the oldest monastery in Bhutan, Kichyu Lhakhang (Entry Fee: Rs. 500/head), the newly renovated Drugyel Dzong with a Tara temple, the National Museum, and Paro Dzong (Entry Fee: Rs. 500/head).

You may also want to visit the unique stupa-like monastery called Dungtse, which has no lights inside, and enjoy a relaxed evening roaming the main street or exploring Bhutan’s only microbrewery - their Red Rice beer is worth sampling. The brewery is located a stone’s throw from your hotel.

Dinner is at your discretion. Overnight in Paro.

A Day Trip to Haa Valley

Haa Valley - After breakfast, head to Haa Valley for a day trip. This is the most pristine valley in Bhutan and was opened to tourists in 2008. The drive takes 2 hours one way.
En route, you will cross Bhutan’s highest motorable mountain pass, Chele-La, located at 3988 meters above sea level. On a clear day, you can see Bhutan’s second-highest peak, Mt Jomolhari, from this location.
Fun fact: Bhutan does not allow mountaineering as they consider all peaks sacred. Mt. Jomolhari is snowcapped and has never been scaled.

Paro - In Haa, we will organize lunch at a homestay with a Bhutanese family. The choice of meats and spice level in the food will be considered. This is one of the finest ways to understand the Bhutanese way of life.
Evening free to roam the main street and go shopping.
Overnight in Paro.

Hike to Tiger’s Nest

Paro Taktsang - Hike up to Bhutan’s most iconic monastery, the Tiger’s Nest. It is best to leave the hotel around 7:00 AM, as the drive to the base of the monastery takes about 30 minutes.
The hotel will provide a packed breakfast of your choice (parathas, sandwiches, etc.).
Entry to Tiger’s Nest is Rs. 1000 per head.

The hike to Tiger’s Nest takes about 3 hours up and about 2 hours down. Guests will have lunch at the mid-way cafeteria. Their buffet lunch includes rice, dal, veggies, noodles, tea/coffee, etc.

Paro - In the evening, we recommend taking the famous hot stone bath at a Bhutanese home. This invigorating bath is taken in a wooden tub where riverbed stones heated on an open fire are immersed at one end. The water, enriched with minerals from the stones, is said to have curative and healing properties.
You may even dine with the family after the bath (prior information required) or enjoy an evening free to roam the main street.
Overnight in Paro.

Departure from Paro Airport

Paro District - After breakfast, depart from Paro with fond memories of a cherished trip.

• Private transportation
• English speaking guide
• Breakfast
• Indian veg hot breakfast (poori-aloo/chole-bhature)
• Bhutanese hot breakfast (fried rice with ema datshi)
• Driver charges, fuel, parking, tolls etc.
• One room in hotels mentioned (3 star category)
• Fruit platter, Eggs to order, Cereal, Chicken sausages, Tea/coffee, Bread with butter and jam

• Gratuities
• Any airfare
• SDF(Sustainable Development Fee)
• Upgrades in hotels
• Anything else not mentioned in ‘Inclusions’
• Travel Insurance
• Entrance Fee at National Memorial Chorten
• Entrance Fee at Punakha Dzong and Chime Lhakhang
• Entrance fee at Tiger’s Nest and National Museum

We thank you for enquiring your holiday with us to the Land of the Thunder Dragon, a country where the wealth is measured not by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but by Gross National Happiness (GNP) – This is Bhutan. This tiny strikingly beautiful Himalayan country, sandwiched between India and China still remains one of the Last Shangri-La with a charm and magic, like nowhere else in the world.
Bhutan`s landscape consists of lofty and rugged mountain ranges separated by deep fertile valleys, while 72 percent is under forest coverage. Through centuries of self-imposed isolation Bhutan has been able to preserve its spectacular environment and nurture its unique culture.
We are pleased to share the following itinerary with costs for your October trip to Bhutan. We’ve planned your itinerary for a family keeping in mind that you don’t want to hike to places of visit. We’ll be happy to customise this itinerary further to suit your holiday goals.
- Allergen Information: No nuts.
- Special Diet Accommodations: Dairy free available. Vegan available. Vegetarian available. Halal meat available

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.