Eight Day Tour
Day 01: Arrive Paro – Thimphu (55km/34mile approx)
Day 02: Thimphu (Sightseeing)
Day 03: Drive to Punakha, Punakha (Sightseeing )
Day 04: Punakha (Sightseeing )
Day 05: Drive to Paro, Paro (sightseeing)
Day 06: Paro (Sightseeing)
Day 07: Hike Tiger’s Nest, Paro (Sightseeing)
Day 08: Depart to Bangkok/Delhi/Kathmandu
Bhutan is magnificent mountains and verdant valleys. Bhutan is trekking on serene mountains or being awe-struck by the intimidating centuries-old colossal fortresses. Delicious food and beautiful people, fascinating history, rich culture, and affluent nature, spending just 7 nights in Bhutan would be unfair to any true traveler but nonetheless if one week is all you have then it is better to stick to western regions of Bhutan. With this 7-nights Bhutan itinerary, we offer you the perfect week in Bhutan.
Duration: 7 NIGHTS | 8 DAYS
Tour Highlights:
- Hike to Paro Taktsang
- Buddha Dordenma/ Buddha Point
- Tashichhodzong – 17th century Fort
- Paro Museum
- Paro Rinpung Dzong
- Punakha Dzong (Fortress)
- The Fertility Temple
Trip Route: Thimphu, Punakha, Paro
Sights: Buddha Dordenma (Buddha Point), Tashichodzong (17th century fortress), Paro National Museum, Paro Ringpung Dzong, Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Motithang Takin preserve
Day 1: Arrive at Paro International Airport and Drive to Thimphu
The landing and the taking off of the plane in itself is an amazing experience. As Bhutan is mountainous country the view of mount Jomolhari as the clouds disperse is a magical experience and especially if you are flying from New Delhi and Kathmandu to Paro, you can enjoy an amazing view of Mount Everest. You will need to manage a window seat on the left side of the plane on your flight to Paro. The whole landing experience is like a roller coaster ride on steroids. Once you land, your assigned tour guide and driver will pick up the visitors from the airport and drive to Thimphu city. It will be an hour drive to Thimphu from Paro Airport. After lunch, guests will explore Thimphu City and visit some of the most popular attractions.
Day 2: Thimphu (Sightseeing)
After breakfast, you will be taken around Thimphu city for sightseeing. You will visit popular attractions in Thimphu such as the Statue of Buddha Dordenma, located in Kuensel Phodrang at the top of a hill overlooking the city about 15 minutes drive from the main town. The statue is about 51.5 meters tall making it the tallest sitting statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. Other popular attractions include: The National Memorial Chorten which was built in the memory of the late 3rd king of Bhutan. You will also visit the Motithang Takin Preserve, Jungshi Traditional Paper Factory, Bhutan Postal Museum and many such exciting attractions.
Day 3: Drive to Punakha (3hr/76km)
En route to Paro, a quick stop at the Tachog Lhakhang to visit the Iron Chain Bridge built in the early 15th century by the great iron bridge builder and Poet – Yogi Thangtong Gyalpo (1385-1464). He is also known to have built the Dumtseg Lhakhang in Paro and many iron bridges throughout Bhutan and Tibet. The beautiful Paro valley is revered for a rich culture, picturesque landscape and tales of myths and legends. The valley is adorned with many ancient monasteries. The valley is often known as the gateway to the world and is home to the country’s only international airport.
After reaching, you will be led to your hotel and after lunch, you will be taken around the Paro town. Paro town is made of traditional Bhutanese houses aligned neatly together and the Paro River calmly flows just beside the town. Some of the major attractions you will visit are the; Paro Rinpung Dzong, The National Museum, Kyichu Lhakhang and you will also explore Paro town.
Day 4: Punakha (Sightseeing)
After having breakfast you will visit some of the attractions in Punakha. Punakha valley offers a multitude of sightseeing opportunities to its visitors. Today’s sightseeing includes: Sangchen Dorji Lhendrup Nunnery, the nunnery is suspended on a ridge with spectacular views of the Punakha and Wangdue valleys. The temple houses a complex for higher studies and meditation hall for about 120 nuns. The nunnery also offers opportunities for the visitors to immerse in meditation and self reflection, experience solitude and observe the simple spiritual lives of the nuns who are detached from the worldly norms. The next attraction on the list is the Nalanda Monastery, the Buddhist monastic school in the western part of the Punakha District. The name Nalanda means “insatiable giving” and comes from the ancient Indian University called the Nalanda. The University is located just below the well-known Talo Monastery and above the Walakha village surrounded by the verdant forest. You can witness the monks who are pursuing higher Buddhist studies and learning English as well. You may interact with the monks and chat with them. They will be more than happy to practice their English language skills with you.
Day 5: Drive to Paro
En route to Paro, a quick stop at the Tachog Lhakhang to visit the Iron Chain Bridge built in the early 15th century by the great iron bridge builder and Poet – Yogi Thangtong Gyalpo (1385-1464). He is also known to have built the Dumtseg Lhakhang in Paro and many iron bridges throughout Bhutan and Tibet. The beautiful Paro valley is revered for a rich culture, picturesque landscape and tales of myths and legends. The valley is adorned with many ancient monasteries. The valley is often known as the gateway to the world and is home to the country’s only international airport.
After reaching, you will be led to your hotel and after lunch, you will be taken around the Paro town. Paro town is made of traditional Bhutanese houses aligned neatly together and the Paro River calmly flows just beside the town. Some of the major attractions you will visit are the; Paro Rinpung Dzong, The National Museum, Kyichu Lhakhang and you will also explore Paro town.
Day 6: Paro (Sightseeing)
A wide valley of Paro enclosed with rice fields at the base of the tallest mountain; Mount Jomolhari is the only region that connects Bhutan to the outside world with its only International Airport. The town itself is an attraction as it stretches over the bank of Pa Chu River bank with clustered typical Bhutanese houses fashioned into modern cafes and craft shops to meet the rising demand of the increasing tourist the valley receives each year. Paro is located an hour away from the capital city that extends from the river confluence of pa chu river and wang chu river called Chuzom sa. Spending a day or a night in Paro is enough to give visitors from foreign land a jest of the remarkable journey one is about to experience in Bhutan. Paro offers a wide range of tourist attractions like the remarkable Drukgyel fortress, the Dzongdrakha Lhakhang or you could even drive to Chelela pass to enjoy the amazing view from the pass. The pass is one of the highest motorable roads in Bhutan at 3988 meters above sea level.
Day 7: Hike to Tiger’s Nest
Today you will embark on Tiger’s Nest monastery hike. The Tiger’s Nest monastery is the most renowned attraction in the whole country. The spectacular structure is precariously suspended on an edge of a cliff at about 900m above Paro valley. Legend has it that in the 8th century Guru Rinpoche rode on the back of a flying tigress from eastern Bhutan to the current monastery site and meditated in a cave here for several years, hence the name, “Tiger’s Nest”. A hike of about 4 hours is the perfect way to end your trip. The hiking trail will take you through a diverse forest until you reach the monastery. After completing the demanding hike, you will be taken back to you hotel where you will take rest to wear off the fatigue from that arduous hike or perhaps choose to take a hot stone bath which often is deemed as the perfect way to unwind.
Day 8: End of Trip
Depart From Paro
