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Mysterious Bhutan Cultural Tour
(6 Nights 7 Days)

Dzongkhags covered: Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Wangduephodrang.

Duration: 6 Nights 7 Days.
High Season- March, April, May, September, October & November
Low Season- January, February, June, July, August & December

Mysterious Bhutan Tour Facts:

Detailed Itinerary:

Day One: Arrive Paro. Drive to Thimphu

Druk Air coming in for a landing at Paro with Rinpung Dzong on the right and Tag Dzong upper right.

During your flight to Paro, you will experience awe-inspiring views of the Himalayan Peaks including sacred Jhomolhari and Jichu Drakey in Bhutan. On arrival at Paro International Airport you will be received by our representative. We head out through the relaxing countryside of terraced rice fields interspersed with rhododendron and pine forests as we make an hour’s drive to Thimphu, the tiny capital at 7,600 feet. En route we see our first examples of Bhutan’s remarkable traditional architecture, one of the country’s unique cultural treasures. Even the most remote village farmhouses are handcrafted using the same ancient methods used to create Bhutan’s religious fortresses (Dzongs). Afternoon, we visit the Tashichhodzong- the ‘Fortress of the Glorious Religion’ which houses the Throne Room of His Majesty the (Fifth) King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the Main Secretariat Building and the Central Monk Body. Its courtyard is open to visitors during the off-office hours (on weekends and weekdays after 4 pm in the winter and 5 pm in the summer. Overnight at your Three Star Hotel.

Tashichhodzong- the ‘Fortress of the Glorious Religion’ on the banks of the Wangchhu river

About Thimphu:
Thimphu was a wooded farming valley until 1961, when it became Bhutan's official national capital (previously it was Punakha). Even today, it still only has minimal roads and no traffic lights. The massive Tashichhodzong, about 700 years old, was carefully revamped in the 1960s by the late Third King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck to house the royal and main government offices. It is also the summer residence of the Je Khenpo, Bhutan’s Chief Abbot who is equal in rank with the King. Even the most remote village farmhouses are handcrafted using the same ancient methods used to create Bhutan’s religious Dzongs (fortresses). Thimphu is home to the Bhutanese Royal Family, the Royal Government and to several foreign missions and development projects. Bhutan’s only golf course, a nine-hole circuit, is situated next to the magnificent Tashichhodzong. The Third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck was the main architect of modern Bhutan. He died in 1972 and was succeeded by his son, His Majesty the (Fourth) King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who was 17 years old at the time.

Day Two: Day Hikes

Drive 13 km north of Thimphu to Dodena. An hour's hike this morning brings us up to Tango Monastery, a monastic school and retreat built in the 15th century. The monastery is the residence of the Druk Desi Gyaltsen Tenzin Rabgye, a 17 year old lama who is the reincarnation of the 16th century Monk who founded Tango (‘Tango’ means horse’s head; the Monastery is named for a rock formation on the mountain it is built on). Tango’s inner courtyard is beautifully painted in bright colors, with lovely views stretching across the Thimphu Valley. We descend and head by road to the Begana Bridge for a two-hour hike on a fairly level trail through the beautiful riverside village of Kabesa. En route we stop to visit the Choki Traditional Art School (CTAS), the only charitable art school in the Kingdom which gives opportunity to economically disadvantaged students from different parts of Bhutan. Students of Choki Traditional Art School graduate with traditional arts and crafts skills which they can put to use to earn a good living back in their home village. A presentation by the Principal will be organised followed by lunch at the school. After lunch there will be a campus tour and visit to the classrooms where the guests can interact with the students. Overnight at hotel.

Day Three: Thimphu to Punakha via Dochula Pass & Wangduephodrang
Morning sightseeing in Thimphu- we visit the Third King's Memorial Stupa built in 1974, visit the Folk heritage Museum founded by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. The museum is one of a kind that portrays the lifestyle of a genteel family in the Thimphu valley in the olden days. Head out of town on a spectacular 3 hours drive to Punakha crossing the Dochula Pass at 3100 metres from where you can see the 108 beautiful Chortens (see right) built by Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. From this pass, on a clear day, you can have a superb view of the highest peaks in Bhutan. After a hot lunch at the cafe atop the pass and time to savour the mountain views, we continue our drive to Punakha Valley. On the way drive to Wangduephodrang and visit the ruins of the once beautiful Wangduephodrang Dzong built in 1638, a lovely example of Bhutanese architecture. Sadly, the Dzong was razed by fire in 2012 and funds to renovate have been raised from both the Bhutanese and visitors..

A half-hour's walk through mustard fields brings us to Chimi Lhakhang ('Lhakhang' means temple), a monastery and fertility temple dedicated to Lama Drukpa Kuenley, a Tibetan Buddhist Saint known popularly as ‘the Divine Madman’ and considered a folk hero in Bhutan for his unconventional ways. Drukpa Kuenley originally built a Chorten on the site in the 14th century. The Temple, flanked by nearly 100 tall prayer flags, sits atop a picturesque hill and has long been a pilgrimage site for childless couples. Overnight at Hotel.

About Punakha: Punakha is located in the low sub-tropical valley about 4100 feet and was the capital of Bhutan until 1955. It is still the winter home of the Chief Abbot, the Je Khenpo, today. The warmer climate in Punakha allows for the production of two rice crops each year, along with oranges, mangos, and bananas. In Punakha, we may see people from the remote village of Laya. The Layaps, as they are known, are yak herders who make the three or four-day walk to Punakha from their high-altitude villages in northwest Bhutan. Women of Laya wear conical bamboo hats with a centre spike of bamboo, and Laya’s men wear black woolen coats.

Day Four: Khamsum Yuley Namgay Chorten / Punakha Dzong

Morning drive to Nezigang village and hike to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten, a shrine built by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck in 1999. The shrine is perched high on a hill on the opposite bank of the Mochhu (female river) offering superb views of the Punakha valley. The hike is a gradual ascent through cultivated rice fields and little hamlets. In the afternoon, we visit the Punakha Dzong (as seen on the main welcome page of this Bhutan Rebirth website), built in 1637 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of Bhutan. It stands majestically at the junction of the two rivers- Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu (the Male and Female rivers). The Punakha Dzong is an architectural wonder and it has played a prominent role in the civil and religious life of the Kingdom. The Dzong had been destroyed four times by fire, earthquake and flood. The Dzong has been now fully restored to its original splendour. The official name of Druk Pungthang Dechen Phodrang translates as “the Palace of Great Happiness”. Overnight at Hotel.

Day Five: Punakha to Paro

Morning drive to Paro via Dochula. After a hot cup of coffee at a café near the Pass, we continue our drive to Paro. Visit Tag Dzong (background- top right), built in the 17th century as a watch tower for Paro Rinpung Dzong (foreground). This Dzong was later converted into the National Museum in 1967, and is filled with antique thangkha paintings, textiles, weapons and armour. Then visit the Rinpung Dzong also built in the 17th century to defend the valley against Tibetan invaders. It is now used as an administrative centre and home for the monastic community. Kyichu Lhakhang, the oldest monastery of the Kingdom is another place of interest. Overnight at Hotel.

Day Six: Hike to Taktsang, the Tiger's Lair

Hike to the famous Taktsang Lhakhang, the Tiger's Lair. Clinging to a black rock face, 900 metres above the valley floor, nestles Taktsang Lhakhang, one of the holiest and most beautiful sites of Bhutan. Taktsang, 'the Tiger's Lair', acquires its name from the legend of its foundation when in the 8th Century Guru Rinpoche, widely revered as the second Buddha, arrived from Tibet flying across the mountains on the back of a tigress. He meditated at the site for three months from where he used the religious cycle of the Kagye to subjugate the Eight Categories of Evil Spirits and thus converted the region to Buddhism. The hike to the Monastery is a gradual climb through the quiet approach path winds through lush meadows, oak and rhododendron forest, past quaint hamlets, fluttering prayer flags and rotating prayer wheels. The hike takes you about 4-5 hours from the car park. Afternoon leisure/shopping. Overnight at your Hotel.

Day Seven: Depart

Drive to Paro International Airport. See off by our representatives. Au revoir.

Note: For Clients travelling in peak season and festival time, it is necessary to book the Tour at least 2 1/2 months in advance. Festivals held in autumn and spring are peak time for tourists and without early reservation it can be difficult to confirm flights and hotels.

These package cultural tours have been designed based on past experiences of visitors to Bhutan and how they felt about various programs. The tours are such that you can gain the maximum out of this experience without exhausting you. The tours can be taken anytime throughout the year. However, these readymade itineraries may not be convenient for some visitors. That is why we would be very happy to, together with you, design a new itinerary to fit all criteria and interests as desired by you. Please write to us with your special interests and/or requirements at bhutanrebirth@gmail.com.

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