Welcome to Bhutan, Land of Thunder Welcome to Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Touching down at Paro International Airport, you will be greeted by your guide upon exiting the arrival hall. Today, we will take it easy to acclimatize to the altitude. Drive to Thimphu, en-route viewpoints: Tachogang monastery, “the temple of excellent horse” built by Thangthong Gyalpo (Iron chain builder in Bhutan), one of the one of the most visible ancient craft work in the middle ages. Chunzom (Confluence of Paro and Paro River. Drive following the Thimphu River upwards passing through several villages.
Upon arrival in Thimphu visit National Memorial Chorten, built in honour of third King of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. This Chorten is centrally located and you will see an endless procession of elderly people circling around it. You will check in the hotel and leisure time to enjoy the hotel facilities and late after take a short stroll in Thimphu main street. Dinner
Overnight at hotel
Meals: Dinner
A 55-minute drive from the hotel, takes you to the starting point for the walk to Chari Monastery which is believed to have been visited by Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century. After crossing a bridge, the main trail to Chari zigzags trail through the oak forest to the monastery.Chari monastery is built it in 1620 and sacred Buddhist retreat center for the monks. After visiting the monastery, walk down to base and drive back to Thimphu for lunch at one of popular restaurant in Thimphu. Afternoon, you will participate in a wide variety of interesting activities, which represent many diverse aspects of Bhutanese culture. Drive to visit Kuensel Phodrang to visit the Buddha Statue, 169ft; one of the most recently built religious icon in Bhutan. Drive to visit National Memorial Chorten, built in honour of third King of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.This Chorten is centrally located and you will see elderly devotees flock throughout the day to circumambulate and turn the prayer wheels. Drive to visit Art and craft institute. Drive to visit Takin enclosure to see the National Animal of Bhutan and visit Tashicho Dzong, the main secretariat which houses the summer residence of the central monk body and main seat of government. Its majestic architecture in finely balanced proportions is complemented by artistic decorations and paintings and followed by walk through the main street of Thimphu. Dinner
Overnight at hotel
Meals: All Meals
Transfer to Wangdue Valley and drive takes about 3 hours. The route passes through the horticulture centre in Yusipang before reaching the 10,000ft Dochula pass. On a clear day, you will be able to see a spectacular view of the eastern Himalayas from this pass. Many colorful prayer flags and chortens also dot the pass. Walk around the pass and stop for light refreshment at Dochula cafeteria. Descend through the forest of rhododendrons and magnolia to the fertile valley of Lobesa. You will stop for lunch. Afternoon, you will take a gradual hike about an hour to chime lhakhang, a monastery, which is built in 15th century and dedicated the famous saint drukpa kuenley, also popularly known as “divine madman. it is a popular pilgrimage point for all bhutanese and is especially revered by women for its fertility powers. After visiting the monastery, you will walk back to the car and drive to you hotel. Evening at leisure. Dinner
Overnight at hotel
Meals: All Meals
You will depart to Trongsa via Wangdue and it takes about 4-5 hours. On arrival at Wangdue, you will view Wangdiphodrang Dzong built in 1638. The entire Wangdue Dzong has been destroyed by fire 24th June 2012 and the restoration works are going on to rebuild into its full glory. Thereafter, you will see the ever changing beautiful sceneries of rural Bhutan, with scattered settlements far from the road to Nobding and over the Pele la pass (11,000ft), surrounded by Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park or Black Mountain National Park. Descend through a landscape of open meadows, valley of yak herders and several other villages Nikachu for lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon, drive to Chendebji Chorten, a village notable for its 19th-century Chorten modeled after the famous Sawayambhunath stupa in Katmandu, Nepal. From here, drive to Trongsa takes about 2 hrs through winding road, passing through most impressive vegetation coverage and several villages. On reaching to Trongsa, you will see stunning view of Trongsa Dzong from a far distance and stop at the close view point of the Dzong. The Trongsa valley lies at an altitude of 6,955 feet through a narrow gorge cut by the Mangde Chu River, which flows down from Himalayan peaks. Smack in the middle of the kingdom and surrounded by High Mountain passes, Trongsa was settled by Tibetan immigrants. On approaching Trongsa from a far distance, you will see a spectacular view of Trongsa Dzong from the view point. Drive about 30 minutes to your hotel and on arrival; check in at the hotel and evening at leisure. Dinner
Overnight at hotel
Meals: All Meals
Morning you will drive to visit Trongsa Dzong, the most impressive in the kingdom, is a collection of structures that tumble down the side of a ridge. In the mid-1500s, an utse stood here. The dzong rose up around it in 1644, built by an official sent to the area by the Shabdrung to unify eastern Bhutan. It grew into a complex during the 17th century, with buildings connected by wide stone stairs and corridors that remind us of the streets of a medieval hamlet. The complex serves as the ancestral home of Bhutan’s Royal family. The first two kings ruled from here and tradition still dictates that the crown prince first serves as Trongsa’s penlop before taking the throne. After visiting the Dzong, you will drive to visit Ta Dzong “The Tower of Trongsa” resorted into an elegant museum that represents a tasteful blend of tradition and modernity. There are several items on display, includes religious artifacts, old treasures, ancient prayers books and religious scrolls and textiles. Lunch at Trongsa Museum Cafeteria. Afternoon, drive towards the Bumthang valley. The Bumthang region encompasses four valleys—the Choekhor (Jakar) Tang, Ura, and Chhumey. Because this valleys has most of the important sacred monasteries in the country and it is called the heart land of Buddhism in the country. We drive over the Yotung la pass (11,800ft. and enroute stop at Zuney village to visit the Yathra weaving center at Zugney. Upon reaching in Bumthang visit Jakar Dzong, the castle of white bird, which houses the administrative center and institute for monks and have free time to explore the Jakar village and Evening at leisure: Dinner
Overnight at hotel
Meals: All Meals
This is one the most spectacular valley and an ideal place for hiking easily accessible to visit some of most sacred sites in Bhutan. The Guru Rimpoche and his lineage of tertons (treasure revealers) have made this valley more sacred and houses more than 40 temples.
Rather than driving to the beautiful temples in Bumthang, we recommend walking if the weather permits. You can start your walk from your hotel to Jampa Lhakhang, built by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo in the 7th Century, which denotes the spread and emergence of Buddhism in the country. Take a gradual walk to visit the Zangdopleri Lhakhang and Kurjey Lhakhang is named after the body (kur) print (jey) of Guru Rinpoche who came to this site in 746 AD to subdue evil spirits and demons. There are three temples; the oldest temple was built in 1652 on the rock face where Guru Rinpoche meditated. The body imprint of the great master can be seen distinctly in the rock cave enshrined in the temple. Thereafter we take a gradual hike to farmhouse to taste the Bhutanese delicacies. Afternoon, walk to visit Tamshing monastery built by Pema Lingpa in 1501 and one of the most important Nyingma sect monastery in the Kingdom..Being a skilled tantric master and an artist, Pema Lingpa sculpted the main statues and painted the frescoes, which can be seen even today, mostly in original state. He also created a 25 kg suit of chain-mail armour and it is believed that you will be freed from your sins if you carry it around the lhakhang three times. After visiting the monastery, drive back to your hotel. Evening at leisure: Dinner
Overnight at hotel
Meals: All Meals
After breakfast you will drive to Tang valley following the feeder road , is the most remote of the Bumthang Valleys and due to poor soil quality, agricultural yields are scanty. A full day excursion to Tang Valley can include a visit to the Burning Lake, a nunnery, Ta Rimochen Lhakhang as well as the Ogyen Chholing Palace which was recently turned into a museum. Just after the turnoff to the unpaved road leading to Tang, you will see the stop off for Membartsho or “The Burning Lake”. From here, the walk down to the lake takes about five minutes. Continuing from Membartsho, the road takes you past Pema Tekchok Chholing Nunnery, and then further up the mountainside, before it continues along the river to Kitzum. From here, the Ogyen Chholing Museum is visible on a hill across the river. This seldom visited valley offers a treat in revealing some off the beaten track lhakhangs and monasteries, and the amazing museum at Ugen Chhoeling Palace. Drive back to visit Membartsho (The Burning Lake): The story has it that Pema Lingpa had a dream that he would find a treasure where a wooden bridge spans across the trapped river-water pool. He later ventured into the river pool carrying a burning butter lamp in his hand saying if he were an apparition of evil the lamp would be snuffed out and if not it would continue to burn on his resurfacing from the water. He dove into the pool and returned with the treasures and the lamp still burning. Since then the lake has been known as Membartsho. It is believed that on a lucky day, if you lie down on the rock and look really closely into the water, you might still see parts of the treasure on the bottom. To this day pilgrims light lamps and release them into the pool. Evening at leisure: Dinner
Overnight at hotel
Meals: All Meals
Today, depart early morning to Phojikha via Trongsa. Drive takes about 6-7 hours, passing through the stunning views of the amazing forest and villages. After Phele la pass, you will retrace our steps and follow a road that heads to Phojikha valley over Lawala pass, Descend to Phojikha valley is an open wide glacial valley, where the gold-roofed Gangtey Monastery sits on a prominent hilltop in the valley. The vegetation in this high-altitude glacial valley includes mixed forests of pine and rhododendron, with thick, brushy grasslands on the valley floor. A flock of 200-300 black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis) migrates to this valley from Tibet to spend the winter foraging of the valley floor in winter (Early November to mid March. In Bhutan, the cranes are considered harbingers of good luck and have long been respected by the residents of the valley. You will not have the opportunity to see the birds. After visiting Gangtey Monastery. You will check in and Evening at leisure: Dinner
Overnight at hotel
Meals: All Meals
Today, we will depart for Punakha via Wangdue and drive takes 3 hours. On arrival Punakha, we will have our lunch at Khuruthang town. After lunch visit the Punakha Dzong, this is one of the most architecturally impressive Dzong in the country. It is ideally located between two rivers Pho Chu “Male River” and Mo Chu “Female River”. It was built in 1637 by Shabdrung Ngwang Namgyel and it has served as the seats of the Government till 1955. The Dzong was named Druk Pungthang Dechen Phodrang, “Palace of Great Happiness.” Punakha is still the winter residence of Je-Khenpo “Chief Abbot” and central monk. After visiting the monastery, you will drive back to your hotel and Evening at leisure: Dinner
Overnight at hotel
Meals: All Meals
Today, we will depart for Paro via Thimphu and drive takes 5 hours and you will stop at Dochula pass for a light refreshment and drive over Dochula pass. Descend to Thimphu and en-route visit Simtokha Dzong, which showcase the unique Bhutanese architecture. Continue your drive to Paro and along the way, you will have lunch. Afternoon visit Paro Dzong (Rinpung Dzong), a fine example of Bhutanese historic architecture. From the Dzong, the tour crosses Nyamai Zampa, a traditional cantilever bridge, then driven to the town and Evening at leisure: Dinner
Overnight at hotel
Meals: All Meals
Today, it is a very special day, with an excursion to visit the spectacular Taktsang (Tiger Nest), monastery. You will take a short drive to the north of Paro Valley to Ramthangkha, from where we start our hike to the Taktsang monastery (Tiger’s Nest). The trail climbs through beautiful pine forest, many of tress festooned with Spanish moss and an occasional grove of fluttering prayer flags. Legend has it that Guru Rimpoche, founder of Buddhism flew from Eastern Bhutan on a tigress, bringing Buddhist teachings and meditated here in this cliff. This is one of the most venerated and sacred of all Buddhist sights around the world. You will visit the monastery and offering our prayers, you will walk back to Taktsang cafeteria for lunch. Afternoon you will walk down to the base and drive to Paro town for a stroll. Drive back to hotel and Evening at leisure. Farewell Dinner
Overnight at hotel
Meals: All Meals
Check out form hotel and transfer to airport for your flight back home with sweet memories of Bhutan with Beacon Holidays..!!