Journey to the Dragon Kingdom

Detailed Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival at Paro  - Transfer to hotel.
The flight to Paro is one of the most spectacular of all mountain flights you'll experience on any clear day. You can enjoy the sight of major Himalayan peaks such as Everest, Kanchenjunga, and Makalu, and Bhutan’s own snowy peaks, Chomolhari and Jichu Drake on the final approach to Paro. You'll get the cool, fresh mountain air as Bhutan’s first gift to you as you disembark from the aircraft. You will meet our Bhutan representative who will then drive you the short distance to Paro town after you clear the visa works at the airport. After lunch, we'll have a visit to TaDzong, an ancient watchtower, which houses the National Museum currently. The place was converted into the National Museum in 1968 which boasts antique thangka, textiles, weapons, armor, household objects, and a rich assortment of natural and historic artifacts. We will also visit the Rinpung Dzong which was built in the seventh century to defend the valley against Tibetan invaders. The ancient place, Dzong is now used as an administration center and school for monks. We will end the evening with a walk through Paro’s main shopping district followed by dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 02: Paro valley sightseeing & hike to Taktsang Monastery.
After breakfast, you'll have a short drive on the winding road taking you to the Drukgyal Dzong, the ruined fort, which defended the valley from Tibetan invasions in past. Mount Chomolhari, can also be seen from the Drukgyal village. You can visit a typical Bhutanese Farm or a House of a local family to experience a close-up view of the everyday life of Bhutanese. We will then drive to Shari to hike up or horse ride to the Tiger's nest also called the Taktsang Monastery. The horse ride or the hike to the cafeteria will take around one and a half hours. The stunning view of the monastery where Guru Padmasambhava landed on the back of a tigress can be enjoyed from the viewpoint. Taking the walk back to the road point after lunch, we will then visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan built in the seventh century. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 03: Paro - Thimphu. Afternoon Thimphu valley sightseeing.
We'll take a morning drive to Thimphu, the modern capital of Bhutan with a population of about 98,500. The drive will take around one and a half hours. The town is made up of just three lines of shops and is very famous for being the only capital in the world without traffic lights. We then enroute our visit to Simtokha Dzong. After check-in at the hotel, our lunch will be served. After lunch, we will visit the National Memorial Chorten which was built in honor of our late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk and the Dupthop Lhakhang. We will then visit the National Library, stocked with ancient Buddhist manuscripts. After this, we will take the tour to the Art & Crafts School where traditional art is still kept alive through instructions in the art of painting Thangkas (sacred Buddhist religious scrolls).  We will drive to the Traditional Medicine Institute after lunch to study the medicines prepared according to ancient practices. We will also take a trip to visit Lungten Zampa to overview the Bhutanese Handmade Paper Factory. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 04: Thimphu valley sightseeing - Punakha
In the morning, we will visit the Textile Museum. The art of traditional weaving is still kept alive and preserved through exhibitions in the museum. It has a good collection of old textiles which are rich in color and design. We will then visit the Folk Heritage Museum, which is dedicated to connecting people to the Bhutanese rural past through the exhibition of items and artifacts used in rural households. After this, we will depart to Punakha, leaving Thimphu. The road will climb steeply through a forest of pine and cedar, festooned with hanging lichen that is high up near Dochola pass(3,050 m). The pass will offer us a panoramic view of the Himalayan mountain ranges. We will then descend along a series of hairpin bends to the fertile valley of Punakha after our short stop for tea. We will take dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 05: Trip from Punakha – Gangtey - Wangdue
After breakfast, we will drive through the small town of Punakha to enjoy the view of the Punakha Dzong, the winter seat of the Je Khenpo and the ancient capital of Bhutan which is remarkably located between the rivers of the Mo Chu and Pho Chu. The dzong is usually open to visitors only in summer when the Je Khenpo and the Monk Body are in Thimphu. We will then continue our drive to Gangtey. The place lies towards the east of Punakha and Wangdue on the flanks of the Black Mountains. There is an old monastery of Gangtey Gompa dating back to the 17th century. A few kilometers past the Gompa on the valley floor, there is the fascinating valley of Phobjikha. The gently sloping hillsides of Phobjikha are popularly known as "the most beautiful valley in the Himalayas". The place is also the winter home of black-necked cranes that migrate from the arid plains of the Tibetan Plateau in the north to pass winter in milder and lower climates. We will continue our drive back till we reach Wangdue where we will stay overnight.

Day 06: Trip from Wangdue – Thimphu
In the early morning, we will visit Wangdue Dzong, one of the major towns and district headquarters of Western Bhutan. We will enjoy the view of Wangdue Phodrang Dzong which is dramatically located on the spur of a hill at the confluence of the Tsang Chhu and Dang Chhu. We will then drive back to Thimphu via Dochola pass. In the evening, we will take a stroll around the street of Thimphu followed by our dinner and stay at the hotel.

Day 07: Trip from Thimphu – Haa – Paro
After an early breakfast, we will drive over the confluence to the forbidden valley of Haa which was closed to tourism until 2002. It is known as the last valley of Bhutan that borders autonomous Tibet. We will then take a short visit to the Dzong of Haa and also the temples of Haap Chhundu, the guardian deity of the valley. After this, we will take the drive back to  Paro via Chelela pass (3,780m), one of the highest points of a motorable road in Bhutan. From here, you can enjoy the view of some of the highest mountains of Bhutan and the scenery is magnificent. We will have our dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 08: Paro - Departure 
We will take a short drive to the Paro airport after breakfast. The Bhutanese escort will bid you farewell at Paro airport. Goodbye and hope you have a happy journey back home.
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