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Windows to Bhutan Cultural Tour
(4 Nights 5 Days)

Duration: 4 Nights 5 Days
High Season- March, April, May, September, October & November
Low Season- January, February, June, July, August & December

Itinerary Outline::

Day One- Arrive Paro - Travel to Thimphu
Day Two: Thimphu Sightseeing
Day Three: Thimphu - Paro (Sightseeing)
Day Four: Hike to Taktsang, the Tigers Lair
Day Five: Depart

Detailed Itinerary

Day One- Arrive Paro - Travel to Thimphu

The World's Highest Peak, Mt. Everest, as seen from Druk Air while flying to Bhutan

During your flight to Paro, you will experience awe-inspiring views of the Himalayan Peaks including sacred Jhomolhari and Jichu Drake 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 (2316 metres). 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 hand-crafted using the same ancient methods used to create Bhutan’s religious fortresses called "Dzongs". 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. Overnight at your Three Star Hotel.

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 (equal in rank with the King). Even the most remote village farmhouses are hand-crafted 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: Thimphu Sightseeing

Full day sightseeing in Thimphu. At the heart of Thimphu visit the Third King's Memorial Chorten (Stupa) built in 1974 where you will find many devotees circumambulating the Chorten. You will also visit the Changangkha Lhakhang ('Lhakhang' means Temple), the Jungshi Paper factory where they make traditional Bhutanese paper, the National Library that houses the world’s largest book, ancient Buddhist texts and manuscripts and a Painting School famous for traditional thangkha (thangkha is a religious painting). Visit the Choki Handicrafts shop where Bhutanese textiles and other handicrafts are displayed and can be purchased. The shop is closely linked to the Choki Traditional Art School- many of the goods are produced in the school itself and all proceeds go towards the upkeep of the school and the provision of tuition for the students. Later, visit the Tashichhodzong (seen above)- The ‘Fortress of the Glorious Religion’ houses the Throne Room of His Majesty the King, the Main Secretariat Building and the Central Monk Body. Its courtyard is open to visitors during the off-office hours- weekends and weekdays after 4 pm (winter) and 5pm (summer). Overnight at Hotel.

Day Three: Paro Sightseeing

Morning drive to Paro. Visit Tag (pronounced 'Taa') Dzong, built in the 17th century as a watch tower for Paro Rinpung Dzong. This Dzong was later converted into the National Museum in 1967 and is filled with antique thangkha paintings, textiles, weapons and armour. Also visit the Rinpung Dzong, built in the 17th century to defend the valley against Tibetan invaders. It is now used as an administrative centre and home of the monastic community here. Kyichu Lhakhang, the oldest monastery of the Kingdom is another place of interest. Overnight at Hotel.

Day Four: Hike to Taktsang, the Tigers Lair

Hike to the famous Taktsang Lhakhang, the Tiger's Lair (seen left). 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 Rimpoche, 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 winding through lush meadows, oak and rhododendron forests, 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 Five / Depart

Drive to Paro international Airport where we will bid you adieu with hope to see you again.

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 druk@bhutanrebirth.com.

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