Your journey starts with an early morning flight to Paro Airport, which offers you a marvelous aerial view of Himalayan ranges. On your arrival at Paro, one and only international Airport, you will buckle-up for one of the most scenic drives towards the capital of Bhutan called Thimpu, at an elevation of 2320 meters. Along the way, the magnificent mountains and flowing rivers will give you the company. You will stop at TamchhogLhakhang, the hereditary place of worship for Bhutan’s Irion bridge builder. It takes you about one hour to reach Thimpu. In the afternoon you will visit Trashichhoedzong “fortress of the glorious religion”, a center of government and religion, site of monarch’s throne room and the seat of Je Khenpo or Chief Abbot. By the evening you will go walking to main streets and local markets in Thimpu where you can find artworks carved out of wood, woven cane and bamboo products. Take a moment to stop; you will admire the traditional art and crafts. At the end of the day, you might end up buying masks for souvenirs as it is considered as the top souvenirs. You will stay overnight in the best hotel in Thimpu.
Day 1 Fly From Kathmandu to Paro and drive to Thimpu
Day 2 Drive from Thimpu to Punakha via Dochula Pass
You are going to start your day in Thimpu by having early morning breakfast, and then you will drive towards Punakha valley via Dochula Pass which is about 2.5 hours of drive through forest waving prayer flags and a labyrinth of commemorative cliffs. At the top of the mountain pass overlooking the Himalayas, it has 108 Chortens (stupas) built-in memory of Bhutanese soldiers killed in the 2003 war. You will stop at Dochula Pass, which offers a 360-degree panoramic view of Himalayas. Continue drive on you will reach beautiful Punakha valley, once served as the capital of Bhutan and still, it is the winter residence of Je Khenpo (The chief abbot). Later, you will visit Punakha Dzong (Palace of Great Happiness) in Punakha, which is situated at the junction of Pochu and Mochu rivers. As mentioned already, it served as both religious and the administrative center of Bhutan in the past. During the tour, you also visit ChimiLhakhang, situated on a hillock in the center of the valley, dedicated to Lama DrukpaKuenley, known as a divine madman. It is widely believed that it has the power to grant children for that couple who wants to have children. Thus, it is also known as the temple of fertility. Soon after your visit to Punakhadzong, your trail leads you to the tiny settlement of Pana, meaning “field”, closer from the hillock where you will be able to explore fields and local lifestyles. In the evening you will walk around Punakha valley. You will stay overnight at Punakha.
Day 3 From Punakha to Back to Paro.
Today, you will drive to Paro after early morning breakfast which takes about four hours of drive. Paro is also regarded as the tourist capital of the Himalayan kingdom is home to many ancient temples, deep gorges, museums, and many other attractions. On your arrival in Paro, you will finish the check-in procedure at a hotel and then you will visit Rinpungdzong (fortress of the heap of jewels) crossing through a traditional bridge called NamiZam. Exploring the rich history and beautiful architecture of Rinpungdzong, you will head towards the National Museum, originally built as watchtower called TaDzong. You will take a stroll in the National Museum which holds a large collection of historically significant traditional artifacts such as masks and costumes, paintings, weapons, textiles, and others. At the end of the day, a cup of tea and the best sunset view in the entire region of Paro will make your tour worth it. You will stay overnight in Paro.Day 4 Paro (Day excursion), Hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery
After breakfast, you will get ready for power-packed-hike to the world-famous Taktsang Monastery, which is also known as Tiger’s nest monastery because of the famous legend which according to Guru Rinpoche was arrived here on the back of a Tigress and meditated at this monastery which is perched precariously 3,000 feet above the beautiful Paro valley. Even though it is a steep uphill climb through a winding stairway, the incredible views of Paro valley and serenity will leave you speechless. After a visit to the religious relic of Bhutan, you will head to KyichuLhakhang, one of the 108 temples built in the Himalayas by Tibetan King, SongtsenGampo. Being one of the oldest and most sacred shrines of Bhutan, KyichuLhakhang is one of the must-visit places in Bhutan which unveil ancient history and culture of Bhutan. You will stay overnight in Paro.
Day 5 Fly back from Paro to Kathmandu
Although, there is always so much to see and do in Bhutan, 5 days Bhutan tour sums up the best of Bhutan in little time. You will leave bid your last farewell to your local guide, porter, and driver. After hearty breakfast, you will head towards Paro Airport. Nepal Adventure Team will help you with hustle-free exit formalities. Throughout the flight, you won’t be able to forget this tiny kingdom of Bhutan favored by Mother Nature and the simplicity of people living there. Enjoy your flight back to Kathmandu.
