A short cultural Tour of Bhutan - 5 Days

Today you enter the Land of Dragon. You have options to fly from several cities to Paro. You can fly from Bangkok, Delhi, or Kathmandu to Paro. The flight to Paro is beautiful as the aircraft comes closer to Paro, we get to see snowcapped Himalayan peaks, and just after entering Paro Valley, the view of Paro Dzong overlooking Paro River emerges. On our arrival at Paro, we are cordially welcomed by our representative in Bhutan who will escort you to the Bhutanese capital Thimpu in a private vehicle. The drive to Thimpu is a scenic 75 minutes drive along Thimpu Highway. On arriving at Thimpu we transfer to our hotel and overnight.

Today the real cultural tour of Bhutan begins and the best way to begin is the Bhutanese capital, Thimpu. In Thimpu, we visit Trashichhoedzong, the beautiful medieval time fortress/monastery, which is now the Bhutanese government’s integral building holding many government offices and the King’s throne. Trashichhoedzong is also the summer home of Je Khenpo, the Chief Abbot in Bhutan. The cultural tour of Thimpu continues to the National Library which holds a wide array of ancient Buddhist texts and manuscripts. Explore Arts and Crafts School to witness the fantastic ongoing workshops of Thangka Paintings and encounter the living traditions of Bhutan at Textile and Folk Heritage Museums before lunch. Post lunch, the sightseeing tour of Thimpu takes you to the Handicrafts Emporium followed by a visit to Stupa of Memorial Chorten (monument built in memory of the Father of Modern Bhutan- the third king of Bhutan). After a thorough exploration of the Bhutanese capital, we drive to Punakha which is a 75 km drive across Dochu La Pass 3100m. On our arrival at Punakha, we drive to our hotel in the city.

After breakfast, we set out to explore Punakha. Visit 17th century, strategically built Punakha Dzong which survived several fires and earthquakes. The Dzong at the confluence of the Pho and Chhu Rivers is now absolutely restored. Explore the Dzong which holds significant history in this part of Bhutan. Then, we begin to drive towards Wangdiphodrang. At Wangdiphodrang, we visit the Dzong and the local market. The place also highlights bamboo products, slate, and stone carvings. We have our lunch at Wangdiphodrang and head towards Paro. En route to Paro, once again we stop at Do chu La Pass for the views and visit the oldest Dzong in Bhutan – Simtokha Dzong. On our arrival at Paro, we are escorted to our hotel.

After breakfast, today we have a morning hike. A five-hour hike (including return) to a cliff-hanging monastery is probably the biggest highlight of the Short Cultural Tour of Bhutan. Taktsang Monastery is also known as Tiger’s Nest because of the myth that states the visit of Guru Rinpoche on a Tiger back nestles on a cliff that hangs 90m above Paro. We hike up to the monastery, explore around and hike back down to Paro for lunch.

Post lunch, we visit Ta Dzong, the National Museum of the Kingdom. The monument was originally a Watch Tower. However, since 1967, it is a National Museum holding a huge collection of arts, artifacts, thangkas, and postal stamps. The final destination of the entire Short Cultural Tour of Bhutan is Ripung Dzong which also has a long significant history in Bhutan. Overnight in a hotel at Paro. Originally built as Watch Tower in 1967, it also acts as the National Museum of the country and holds a fascinating collection of art, artifacts, thangkha paintings, and Bhutan’s exquisite postage stamps. Then, walk down the trail to visit Rinpung Dzong which has a long and fascinating history.

Our representative will drive you to Paro International Airport on time so that you board a plane to your onward destination. Have a safe flight home and travel with Access Nepal.