Bhutan Experience Tour

Bhutan Experience Tour

Bhutan experience Tour is tailor made proposal for exotic holiday travelers those who are seeking for different holiday opportunities to visit this dragon heart country. It is perfectly designed and covering with all the major highlighted place of there. The main attractions like- cultural, historical and religious sites. Travels can also see various traditional architectures and artifacts superb natural landscape sceneries. Along the Bhutan experience Tour you will allow to visit several attractive destinations where you can see and enjoy different way of local hospitalities. For more detail info check tour description to meet your requirement and information. Travelers can contact us for other necessary tour logistics to eco trek to make sure this comprehensive tour.

Tour Itinerary

Day 01: Ktm – Paro
Fly onboard Druk Air to Paro, Bhutan. On a clear day the panoramic views of the Himalaya are sensational, including Everest, but particularly exciting is the approach through the Bhutanese foothills and the landing, including a few steep turns to land at the tiny airstrip of Paro. On arrival, once you have cleared any airport formalities, you will be met and transferred to your accommodation.

Afternoon at leisure; visit a typical farmhouse and stroll around the small town.
Overnight at Hotel Holiday Home.

Day 02: Drive To Thimphu; Sightseeing
Morning drive to Thimphu. This journey from Paro to Thimphu will take approximately 2 hours (54kms). En route you will pass Simtokha village and Dzong, where it is possible to stop for photos.

Thimphu introduction:

The capital of Bhutan is situated on west bank of the river Thimphu, (Thimphu Chhu) in a wooded valley at an elevation of 2320m. Prior to 1961 Thimpu was only an insignificant village, but since the country emerged from isolation its importance has grown and it has many official buildings. The Secretariat, King's offices and some ministries are housed in the Tashichho Dzong, next to which one of the world's highest golf courses (9 hole) has been made. With a population of mo more than 60,000, Thimphu is an easy place to wander around, and will enable the visitor to appreciate the detail of Bhutanese architecture. A few miles south of the capital is Simtokha, one of the oldest complete Dzongs in the country, dating from the early 1600’s, a period when Shabdrungs, the line of religious rulers originally from Tibet, ruled the country.

Places to visit:

King's Memorial Chorten - every day many Bhutanese come to this Tibetan-style chorten to honour the memory of the third king. Inside there are numerous religious paintings and statues of different Buddhist deities.

Institute of Traditional Medicine - prepares and dispenses what is often known as Tibetan medicine. There is a research and production centre and a clinic where patients are often treated with cupping, steaming or blood -letting.

Folk Heritage Museum - an outdoor museum that gives an insight into rural life is centered around a mud and timber farm house.

National Textile Museum - a brief introductory video explains the complexities of Bhutanese dress before entering the exhibition of dress and textiles front around the country.

Mini -zoo - this large grassy and treed enclosure holds several takins, the unusual-looking national animal that normally migrates to high alpine valleys in summer.

Painting School (the school of fine arts) where young students learn the traditional arts and crafts (Zo Rig Chusum – the thirteen crafts).

National Library - established in 1967 the library preserves many ancient Dzongkha and Tibetan books written on strips of paper and wrapped in cloth.

Semtokha Dzong. This is the oldest fortress in Bhutan, built in 1629 A.D. by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. It also houses the largest monastic school in the country.

Visit the Handicrafts Emporium where one can buy Bhutanese textiles and other arts and crafts.

Overnight at Hotel.

Day 03: Thimphu exploration
Morning Trek to Cheri Gompa
The name of this monastery is Cheri Dorji Dhen. The Shabdrung, first ruler of Bhutan built this gompa in 1620 and established its first order of monks here. it is usually possible to enter the courtyard but not the temples. It takes almost two hours to reach the gompa where you will have lunch before returning to Thimphu. This is a gentle leg-stretching day that also allows us to see the countryside and villages of Thimphu Valley.

Afternoon visit the colorful weekend vegetable market and stroll around the capital town of Thimphu.

Overnight at Hotel.

Day 04: Drive from Thimphu to Punakha
The journey of some 70 km (around 40 miles) takes approximately 3 hours, crossing over the Dochu la (3100m) and Thinlegang. If the weather is clear there are wonderful Himalayan views from the pass.

Punakha introduction:
Lying low down in the valley in central Bhutan, Punakha lies at the junction of two major rivers and was built as a defensive stronghold in the 17th century by the first Shabdrung. It was the capital of the country until 1955, partly as a result of the very fertile area it is situated in, producing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables unavailable elsewhere in the country. The embalmed body of the Shabdrung.

Ngawang Namgyal lies in state in the Marchen temple here and Punakha is still the winter residence of the Dratsheng (Central Monk Body). The upper Punakha valley is dotted with the homes of Bhutan's nobility.

Discovering Punakha Valley
In the afternoon you can walk to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of Lama Drukpa Kunley, otherwise known as the divine mad monk who is one of Bhutan's favourite saints. It is a beautiful walk across rice paddies and through a small village. The temple can be visited and there is a tree outside which is said to have sprouted up after Drukpa Kunley sent a thunderbolt from an adjoining valley to kill some evil spirits who had gathered at the site.

You may also be able to visit Punakha Dzong, depending whether or not the monks are in residence, and if they permit you to enter their monastery. Situated at the confluence of the Mo (Female) and Pho (Male) rivers, the large fortress with its temples, courtyards, hall and towers overlooks the town and provides excellent views. Built in 1637 it served as the seat of the government until the mid 20th century. Over the centuries it has suffered damage from several fires and flooding but still remains one of the most impressive dzongs in Bhutan. Permission to enter the dzong is not usually granted to tourist when the monk body moves here from Thimpu in winter, but it is still worth viewing from the outside.

Overnight at Hotel.

Day 05: Drive from Punakha to Bumthang
This is a drive of around 6-7 hours due to the high passes and winding roads. After leaving Punakha, the road runs alongside the Punakha river and there are great views of the 17th century Wangdue Phodrang dzong perched on a ridge on the opposite bank. After crossing the river the road ascends the Black Mountains to the Pele La (3420m). Cut out of the sheer rock face in places, the road continues through areas of broadleaf and coniferous forests, passing Chendebji Chorten, to Trongsa, the ancestral home of the royal family.

Sight seeing in around Trongsa
Visits in Trongsa include the Trongsa Dzong, Ta Dzong (watch tower) and the small town.

From Trongsa, you will drive to Jakar. Leaving Trongsa you will continue, after a mere 29km (18 miles) over the Yutongla pass at 3400m (11,635ft). Here the heavily forested landscape shows how much of the Himalayan region must have looked before the predations of human occupation. Your day’s journey will cover some 68km, (barely 45 miles) and yet will take around 3 hours of driving so early starts are always worth the dramatic rewards of the morning light. You will be stopping for at Yutong La (3,400m/11,635ft), where, if clear, are spectacular views of the Himalayas.

Overnight at Hotel.

Day 06: Bumthang Valley

Bumthang Valley introduction
Bumthang is the name for a region of four valleys in the East of Bhutan centred on the town of Jakar, which is the largest between Thimphu and Tashigang in the East. The area is of great spiritual significance in Bhutan, being strongly associated with myth and legend as well as more corporeal manifestations, such as the great Buddhist preacher, Pema Lingpa, to whose descendants the present dynasty traces its ancestry. The town of Jakar, a great base for easy day trekking to nearby monasteries, is famous for the production of honey, as well as cheese apples and apricots. The Easternmost valley, Ura, is still extremely mediaeval, with cobbled walkways leading to remote temples and many of the older population still wearing sheepskins on their backs, which are used at night to sleep on.

Sight seeing around Bumthang Valley
A full day in Bumthang to explore the valley. You will take a short drive and then take a 20 minute stroll across the fields to visit Thangbi Mani Lhakhang. Later you will visit Kurjey Lhahkang and take a short walk to Tamshing, crossing the bridge to the opposite side of the river to visit Tamshing temple – the most important Nyingma Buddhist temple. It may also be possible to take some of the local village walks- a visit to the homeopathic hospital, the cheese factory, the castle of the 'White Bird' (Jakar dzong), Wangdichholing Old Palace, one or two local temples and a walk around Jakar township.

Overnight at Hotel.

Day 07: Bumthang Valley

Excursion to Ur valley
This morning we drive through pine forests and across the Shertang La Pass to Ura, the highest of Bumthang's four major valleys. As we wander through the main village with its cobbled paths and old houses you will notice an almost medieval ambience. After walks in the area and a visit to Ura Lhakhang, we return to Jakar for the evening.

Overnight at Hotel.

Day 08: Drive from Bumthang to Thimphu
A long drive of around 10-12 hours. Leaving Jakar, you will return west, stopping for lunch at the Chendebje Chorten, a large white monument said to conceal the remnants of an evil spirit vanquished here. Continuing across the Yotung La, Pele La and Dochu La Passes, you finally descend to Thimphu.

Overnight at Hotel.

Day 09: Drive from Thimphu to Paro
The journey of some 54 km (around 30 miles) takes approximately 2 hours, passing the scenic Simtokha Dzong.

Half day tour of Paro
A half day tour of Paro will allow you to see the principal sites of the Paro Valley - Ta Dzong, Paro Rinpung dzong, and the ruined fort of Drukgyel Dzong.

The National Museum is housed in Ta Dzong, a circular building from the same period as the fort, and was originally a fort overseeing Paro itself. The building was renovated in 1967 to house the country’s national museum, which comprises a host of religious and cultural artifacts, thangkas, carvings, weapons and other equipment captured from invading Tibetan armies.

Paro Rinpung Dzong. A flagstone path rises gradually from a beautiful wooden bridge with shingle roofing and abutted by two guardhouses, to the Dzong. Today, the Dzong is the seat of the district administration as well as the home for the monastic school. The central tower (Utse) of the Dzong, with its superb woodwork, is one of the most beautiful in the nation. The Dzong was built in 1645 A.D.

Drukgyel Dzong is situated some 15 km, (10 miles) North of Paro (beyond the side valley where the Tigers Nest monastery is located). It was built in 1649 to protect the country against threatening Tibetans. One feature of the fort is a false entry to lure invaders into an enclosed courtyard, which, along with other tactics helped the Bhutanese protect their country successfully through the 17th century. Below the Dzong, the village of Drukgyel is home to a farming community and you may be able to visit one to see how the Bhutanese retain many of their traditional practices.

Overnight at Hotel.

Day 10: Paro - Hike To Taktsang
Day hike to Taktsang Monastery. Taktsang meaning "Tiger's Nest”, is built around a cave in which Guru Rimpoche (also known as Guru Padmasambhava) meditated. The eighth century monastery is perched on a rock overlooking a sheer drop and clings seemingly impossibly to a cliff of rock at 9678 feet above the valley floor.

For the local people it is a place of pilgrimage, but for a tourist, a hike up to the viewpoint opposite the monastery is exhausting, thrilling and mystical. It takes almost 2 hours to walk up at an average pace. The legend has it that Guru Rimpoche is said to have flown to the site of the monastery on the back of a tigress from Tibet and meditated in the cave there for three months. Although the main building of the temple was destroyed by fire on April 1998, the hike up to the viewpoint is worthwhile and fulfilling. The reconstruction works have already been completed and the structure restored in its original splendor. Return to Paro after lunch at the cafeteria.

Overnight at Hotel.

Day 11: Paro – Kathmandu
You will be collected from your hotel and taken by private transfer to the airport in plenty of time for your onward flight to Kathmandu.