Bhutan Culture Tour

A scenic flight with views of the Himalayas and the famous Jumolhari and Jichu Drake Mountains will take us to the only airport in Bhutan at Paro. After arriving at Paro, you will be greeted by our representative and then taken to the hotel in the capital city of Bhutan- Thimpu where we will stay in the hotel.

We will take a short trek to Taktsang which is popular among locals as the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. Three hours of climbing through the hotels will be sufficient to arrive at the vantage point which offers the first view of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. After a brief rest, we will have a gentle descent through the ridge and then we will move along the waterfall to the monastery. Taktsang monastery is located above the Paro Valley and stands by facing the 1,000 m cliff. There is a popular myth associated with the cave that now exists in Taktsang Monastery. According to the myth, this was the exact place where Guru Rinpoche landed on the back of a flying tigress and brought Buddhism to Bhutan from Tibet in the eighth century. After visiting the monastery, we will take a drive to the hotel at Thimpu where we will stay overnight.

We will visit the Memorial Chorten which is the huge stupa built in the loving memory of the third King who reigned from 1952 to 1972. Further, we will stop by the National Library where ancient manuscripts are preserved. En route, we will enter the painting School where students are taught to paint thankas. Visiting Handicrafts Emporium is an equally attractive idea as we can buy Bhutanese textiles and other arts and crafts in this market. We will finally pass by the Tashichho Dzong- the administrative building of the king before returning back to the hotel.

Our tour on the 4th day begins early in the morning as we take the short tour around Thimpu. Later, we will have lunch and then head towards Punakha. En route, we will cross Dochu La Pass which is located at 3100m altitude. From Dochu La Pass, we will take the downward trail through rhododendron and fir woods. We will move past paddy fields and then follow the river bank to make it to Punakha where we will stay overnight.

The tour on the 5th day begins by exploring Wangduephodrang which is famous for its slate and stone carving business. Taking lunch, we will pass through the thick woods of oak and rhododendron to Gangtey which is the village that offers excellent views of some of the snow-clad mountains. We will enjoy the views of Black Mountain Ranges and exotic Phobjikha Valley and then visit Gangtey Monastery. Later, we will take a ride back to Punakha.

While we are at Punakha, we will visit Punakha Dzong which was built in the year 1637- 1638. This dzong or fort is the second largest dzong in Bhutan. After taking lunch, we will head towards Paro. En route, we will be visiting Chimi Lhakhang which is the temple of Lama Drukpa Kuenley.

7th day is the last day of the Bhutan Culture Tour. We will take breakfast in the hotel and then hurry back to the airport at Paro. Boarding a flight, we will return back to Kathmandu via Druk Airlines.