07 Days – Culture Trip to Bhutan

Duration

6 NIGHTS/7 DAYS

Tour Type

Adventure
City Tour
Couple
Enjoy
Family

Group Size

Min 2 Max 10

Tour Guide

BHUTAN

07 Days – Culture Trip to Bhutan

Nestled in the Eastern Himalayas between China and India, the small Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan opened itself to the outside world only in the 1960s. Hithertho, it had been largely mysterious even to its neighbours but abandoning its self-imposed policy of isolation had it grappling to find a precarious balance between modernization and the preservation of its culture and traditions.

PLACES COVERED

Paro – Thimphu – Punakha – Punakha – Paro

DURATION OF TRIP

6 NIGHTS/7 DAYS

MINIMUM REQUIRED

2 PAX

ACCOMMODATION

BUDGET ACCOMMODATION/Premium On Demand

DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION

PICKUP Paro/DROP Paro

RETURN TIME

Approximately 6:30 PM/Depends on onward Journey

WEAR

Comfortable athletic clothing, sunscreen.

BASIC INCLUSION

6Night with Bread & Breakfast

Transportation By Aircon Car and English Speaking Driver.

Accommodation on Double and Twin rooms with Bed and breakfast

Private Transport

Visit to Local Market of Paro

Transfers and land transportation according to itinerary

BASIC EXCLUSION

Entrance Tickets To monuments

Meals unless specified

Personal Expenses.

Details

On arrival at Paro airport, our tour representative will meet you to pick you up and transfer to your hotel. Check into your hotel in Thimphu. Free until lunch time for some rest from early morning flight, refreshment and lunch. Afternoon, you can choose to visit any or all of the following places:-

Tachogang Lhakhang:- Tachogang Lhakhang is located in Paro district, on the way to Thimphu. It was founded by Thankthong Gyelpo after he experienced a vision of Guru Rinpoche, Amitaba, and Avalokiteshvara near site. The caretakers today are said to be descendants of Thangtong Gyelpo. Inside the temple, one can see the masters relics, including his walking stick.
Changangkha Lhakhang:-This popular temple, perched like a fortress on a ridge above central Thimphu, hums with pilgrim activity. It was established in the 12th century on a site chosen by Lama Phajo Drukgom Shigpo, who came from Ralung in Tibet. Parents traditionally come here to get auspicious names for their newborns or blessings for their young children from the protector deity Tamdrin (to the left in the grilled inner sanctum). Children are blessed by a phurba (ritual dagger) and given a sacred thread.
Tashichho Dzong:- The Tashichho Dzong is a Buddhist monastery cum fortress at the northern edge of Thimpu the capital city of Bhutan. The Dzong was built on the western bank of the river Wang Chu and has historically served at the seat of the DrukDesi or the Dharma Raja of Bhutan’s government. After the kings assumed power in 1907 this post was combined with that of the king and Thimphu severed as the summer capital of the kingdom before becoming the full-time capital of Bhutan.

After the breakfast we will drive to the following places:

Kuensel Phodrang:- The Kuensel Phodrang or the Buddha point is the world’s largest sitting Buddha statue, the statue is 167 feet high. The statue is situated on top of a hill overlooking the city of Thimphu, it can be accessed by road and is about 15 minutes away from the city’s center. The word Kuensel means everything is clear and from this place, you will surely enjoy a great view of the Thimphu Valley on both sides. The statute will house a temple inside it, the statue and its adjoining car park and recreational center.
National Memorial Chorten:- The National Memorial was built by Bhutan’s third king, H.M. Jigme Dorji Wangchuck who is also known as the “father of modern Bhutan.” He wanted to erect a monument carrying the message of world peace and prosperity. However, he was unable to give shape to his idea in his lifetime due to pressures of state and other regal responsibilities. After his untimely demise in 1972, the Royal Family and Cabinet resolved to fulfill his wishes and erect a memorial that would perpetuate his memory and also serve as a monument to eternal peace, harmony, and tranquility.
Motithang Takin Preserve:-The Motithang Takin Preserve also known as the Thimphu Zoo by many is a small natural preserve for the Takin Bhutan’s national animal. It was originally a mini zoo, but it was converted in a preserve later on as the Takin. The mini zoo contained a small number of Takin but the King of Bhutan later decreed that it was improper for a Buddhist nation to keep an animal in captivity. The animals were set free and the zoo was shut down, but for some reason, the Takin refused to leave the area for the forests nearby.
Semtokha Dzong:- Simtokha Dzong also known as Sangak Zabdhon Phodrang (Bhutanese language meaning: “Palace of the Profound Meaning of Secret Mantras”) is a small dzong. It was built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who unified Bhutan. It is the first of its kind built in Bhutan. An important historical monument and former Buddhist monastery, today it houses one of the premier Dzongkha language learning institutes.
Zilukha Nunnery:-Thangthong Dewachen Nunnery is a Buddhist monastery in the small Himalayan country of Bhutan. The nunnery is located in Zilukha, Thimphu overlooking Tashichodzong and is a few minutes’ drives from the town. It is popularly known as the Zilukha Anim Dratshang. It was built in 1976 by the 16th emanation of Thangtong Gyalpo, Drubthob Rickey Jadrel. Currently, the nunnery is home to about 60 nuns.
THE CENTENARY FARMER’S MARKET:-Located below the main town, near the Wangchhu River, Thimphu’s weekend market is by far the largest domestic market for the farmers in Bhutan. Farmers come from all over the country to sell their farm products on the market. With its wide assortment of fresh, organic produce, the Farmer’s Market has become a favorite spot for tourists and a recreational place for people from all walks of life. Nearby, across a cantilever footbridge, Kuendeyling Bazaam, to the west bank is a collection of stalls selling clothing, textiles, and handicrafts.
In evening we will visit the weekend market of Thimphu:- Thimphu’s ‘Weekend Market’ occupies the west bank of the Wang Chhu, just north of Changlimithang Stadium. Vendors from throughout the region start arriving on Thursday and remain until Sunday night. Most people combine a visit here with some souvenir shopping in the nearby Handicrafts Market. The incense area is one of the more interesting sections, full of deliciously aromatic raw ingredients and pink cubes of camphor and saffron that are used to flavor the holy water given to pilgrims in Lhakhang.

Overnight In Thimphu.

Post early breakfast, you will drive towards Punakha via Dochula Pass. We will stop over for tea at Dochula (3,100 m), where on a sunny day, you can get stunning views of the Himalayan ranges. The Dochu La Pass is probably the best-known mountain pass in Bhutan. Located at an altitude of 3150 meters above sea level, the Dochu La Pass is about 30 kilometers away from the capital city Thimphu and the road to Punakha. On a clear day, the pass offers visitors a spectacular view of the majestic eastern Himalayan Ranges.

Punakha Dzong:-The Punakha Dzong or the Pungtang Dechen Phortang Dzong is located at the confluence of the Mo Chhu and the Po Chhu River, combine to form the Puna Tsang Chu which in turn is a tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra River. The Dzhong was constructed by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal Wangchuck in 1638 on the exact spot as prophesized by the Guru Rinpoche some 800 years ago. According to the prophecy of Guru Rinpoche “a person named Namgyal will arrive at a hill that looks like an elephant”. And lo behold! Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal found that the peak of the hill was in the shape of an elephant’s trunk and built the Dzong at that very spot.
Overnight in a hotel in Punakha

After an early breakfast, we will be driving down to Trongsa. Admire the view en route the valley of Wangdiphodrang. We will drive to Chimmi Lhakhang to start with. The Chimi Lhakhang or the Chimel Lhakang is a Buddhist monastery located in the Punakha District of Bhutan. The monastery stands on a small hill close to the village of Lobesa and was constructed in 1499 by Ngawang Choegyel, the 14thDrukpaheirarch.

Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten:- A beautiful hike takes one to the regal Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten, which was built to remove negative forces and promote peace, stability, and harmony in the changing world. The Chorten dominates the upper Punakha Valley with commanding views across the Mo Chhu and up towards the mountainous peaks of Gasa and beyond.
Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery:- Perched on a ridge amid pine trees and overlooking valleys of Punakha and Wangduephodrang, gleams the magnificent structures of Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang(Temple). The temple houses a 14-foot main bronze statue of Avalokiteshvara (Chenrigzig chagtong chentong). Other statues include those of Guru Padmasambawa, Gautama Buddha, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, Tsela Namsum, the 21 Taras and Tsepamay (Buddha of longevity). The Avalokiteshvara statue, one of the biggest in the country, was the handiwork of entirely local Bhutanese artisans. The temple complex also houses a permanent higher learning and meditation center for nuns where, apart from religious training, it provides life skill training such as tailoring, embroidery, statue making, and thangka painting.
Overnight in a hotel in Punakha.

After breakfast, you will drive to Paro.

THE JUNGSHI PAPER FACTORY:- The Jungshi handmade paper factory uses traditional methods to produce the authentic Bhutanese paper known as Deh-sho. It is located approximately 1 km from Thimphu City. The factory uses the bark of two tree species, the Daphne tree and Dhekap tree in the manufacture of traditional paper. Visitors can observe the entire process of producing handmade paper using ancient traditional methods that have been practiced for generations. You can even try your hand at this ancient craft and make some paper of your very own as a souvenir. Deh-sho paper was originally used by monasteries for woodblock and manuscript books and also for writing prayer books. The Jungshi paper factory continues to preserve and promote this age-old Bhutanese tradition. It also produces various other products, such as stationery and greeting cards.
National Post Office:-Bhutan has good and reliable postal services. However, delivery services in Bhutan tend to be concentrated in urban areas and so people in rural areas tend to visit post offices to check for and collect their mail. Recently, telecenters have been established in some of the post offices, where people can check for their e-mails too. The average distance of the post office from a Bhutanese home was found to be 11.2 km. More than half of the postal correspondence in Bhutan is in English and about one-fourth Bhutanese postal clients use both English and Dzongkha for their correspondences. Along with the post office at Thimphu, there are agency mail offices and community mail offices that are scattered in remote and isolated areas across the country.
Changlimithang Archery Ground:- On weekends it’s worth checking to see if there’s an archery tournament going on at this ground near the Changlimithang Stadium: whether it’s traditional bamboo or high-tech carbon-fiber bows, the skill, camaraderie and good-humored ribbing are always entertaining. Traditional songs and victory dances are all part of the fun. Archers often practice here in the mornings.
Rimpung Dzong:-The Paro Dzhong is probably Bhutan’s best known and most iconic Dzhong. This is probably the first building you will notice when you land at Paro International Airport and will probably be your first memory of Bhutan. The imposing Dzhong is perhaps the finest example of Dzhong architecture existing the world today, the massive buttered walls of the fortress dominate over the valley. The Rinpung Dzhong’s names translate to the ” Fortress on a heap of Jewels “.

Jangtsa Dumgtseg Lhakhang is a Buddhist temple in western Bhutan. The temple is notable as it is in the form of a chorten, very rare in Bhutan. It is located on the edge of a hill between the Paro valley and the Dopchari valley, across the bridge from Paro. The Buddhist iconography depicted in the Chorten is considered a unique repository of the Drukpa Kagyu school.

In evening we will visit the local market of Paro and overnight in a hotel in Paro.

After early morning breakfast, we will take you for a morning hike up to:

Taktsang Monastery:- also known as ‘Tiger’s Nest’. Hanging precariously and magically from a rather steep cliff, the Taktshang monastery is a monument of genuine pride for the Bhutanese nation. It defies architectural principles to the core and amazes tourists from around the world. It is a sight to behold. Taktshang or the Tigers lair as the monastery is called, it is widely regarded as one of the most important monuments of spiritual significance in Bhutan. Its history is deeply associated with the visit of Guru Padmasambhava, the revered Indian saint who came to Bhutan in the 8th century AD.
Kyichu Lhakhang:- The Jowo Temple of Kyichu is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. The temple was built by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo in the 7th Century AD. The Kyichu Lhakhang was one of the 108 temples constructed by him to subdue a demon that was terrorizing the people of the Himalayas. The Lhakhang underwent many extensions during the ages with the last one being carried out in 1965 by the Queen Mother Ashi Kezang Choden Wangchuck. She added another new structure to the temple called the Guru Lhakhang. As one of the oldest Lhakahangs, it houses many important relics. One of the most important relics of the temple is a 7th-century statue of Jowo Sakyamuni which is believed to have cast at the same time as its famous counterpart in Lhasa Tibet.