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6-Day Thimphu, Punakha & Paro Hiking & Sightseeing Tour
  • Tour Category

    Private Tour

  • Tour Types

    Nature, Climbing, Culture

  • Duration

    6 Days

  • Activity Level

    Easy

  • Language

    English

Description

During this 6-day tour, enjoy a Bhutanese adventure, into the realms of the majestic Himalayas. Visit Buddha Point, Folk Heritage Museum, Punakha Dzong, Chimmi Lhakhang, Dochu La and Tiger’s Nest.

Highlights
  • Visit the Buddha Point and Folk Heritage Museum
  • See the Punakha Dzong and Chimmi Lhakhang
  • Hike to the Dochu La and Tiger’s Nest
  • Day 1: Paro to Thimphu expand_more
    • Meet your tour guide and the team at the airport.

    • Make your first foray into the Kingdom with sightseeing on the way to Thimphu. After lunch, the sightseeing begins with a tour including some of the following (exact itineraries dependent on opening times and interests): National Memorial Chorten, Buddha Point, Takin Zoo and Trashi Chhoe Dzong.

    • Visit the weekend market (Main market days are Friday, Saturday and Sunday), and Folk Heritage Museum.

    Dinner and Overnight in the hotel.

  • Day 2: Thimphu to Punakha Valley via Dochu La expand_more
    • Make an awe-inspiring drive to Punakha Valley as it zigzags up to the 3,140m-high mountain pass of Dochu La with its forests of fluttering prayer flags, a maze of memorial chortens and, on a clear day, sweeping views of the main Himalayan range. Up to the river, deep in the verdant terraced hills, past Punakha Dzong, is your home for the next two nights.

    Dinner and Overnight in the hotel.

  • Day 3: Sightseeing in Punakha expand_more
    • Get rewarded with a full day for further exploration of the scenic Punakha Valley, which is low enough (1,200m) to allow bananas and oranges to grow.

    • Walk up through whitewashed homesteads and farmland- Khamsum Yuley Namgay Chorten, a shrine recently built by the royal family. It is a startlingly ornate and elaborate structure with a rainbow of Guru Rinpoche images and superb views.

    • Proceed along the riverside as the massive architectural edifice of the 17th-century Punakha Dzong soon looms into view. The fortress-monastery was built in 1637 by Shabdung Nawang Namgyal in a commanding position at the confluence of the Po Chhu and Mo Chhu (Father and Mother rivers). It once served as the seat of the Kingdom's government and is now the winter home of Je Khempo, the head abbot of Bhutan, along with a retinue of 1,000 monks.

    • Take a short walk across rice paddies, in the afternoon. This would lead to Chimmi Lhakhang, a fertility temple dedicated to Drukpa Kuenley, a Tibetan Buddhist saint known popularly as the Divine Madman. The temple sits atop a picturesque hill surrounded by rice fields. Drukpa Kuenley built a chorten on the site in the 14th century, and it has long been a pilgrimage site for couples hoping to start a family.

    Picnic or lunch at a local restaurant.

    Dinner and Overnight in the hotel.

  • Day 4: Sightseeing in Paro expand_more
    • Retrace your steps over the Dochu La for a second view of the wonderful Himalayan range.

    • Returning to the Chuzum (river confluence), catch a glimpse of the three shrines in Nepali, Tibetan and Bhutanese style which were built to ward of evil spirits near the checkpoint. Time permitting the journey can be broken with a visit to Tach Lhakhang built by Thangtong Gyalpo, the so-called Iron Bridge Builder. This former saint from the 14th century introduced the art of building suspension bridges with iron chains and the only way to reach his temple is by one of these bridges.

    • Drive through the road alongside the Pa Chhu River, through apple orchards and rice paddies, past quaint homesteads to your home in the mountains.

    • After check-in and a show round, spend the rest of the day relaxing around the property, enjoying the facilities or trying an activity like the Bhutanese national sport of archery or a traditional Bhutanese Hot Stone Bath.

    Guided with picnic or lunch at a local restaurant.

    Dinner and Overnight in the hotel.

  • Day 5: Hike to the Tiger’s Nest expand_more
    • Visit one of the most amazing and important pieces of architecture in Bhutan, Taktsang Goemba, that defies logic, gravity, and reason. Legend has it that this Cliffside was where Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) landed on the back of a flying tigress, bringing Buddhism to Bhutan from Tibet.

    • Start early to avoid the hot sun for the two-hour climb to the Tiger’s Nest viewpoint.

    • Descend steeply, then climb up to the monastery, passing a waterfall and entering through the main gates which are filled with murals.

    • Retrace your steps or alternatively (if time and energy levels allow) head further up to several remote temples and monasteries.

    • Return to Paro in the afternoon for some time to rest and relax and enjoy the facilities of the hotels and also you will have an option to do a Bhutanese Hot Stone Bath at an additional cost. In the evening you are invited for a firelight farewell dinner or at the restaurant.

    Dinner and Overnight in the hotel.

  • Day 6: Drive to Paro International Airport expand_more
    • Depart from Bhutan. Druk Air normally departs in the morning. After breakfast, your 10-minute transfer to Paro International Airport will be arranged depending on the flight schedule.

What's Included
  • English-speaking Bhutanese tour guide

  • Accommodation on a full-board basis (excluding beverages) for five nights

  • Five and half days of privately guided day excursions with picnic lunches taking in the highlights of the Punakha and Paro Valleys, Thimphu valley

  • Private airport transfers and transport in Bhutan

  • All Bhutanese Government Visa Fees and Royalties

  • One Hour (Bhutanese Traditional National game) Archery lesson while at Paro

  • All museum and visitor centre entry fees and road permits

What's Excluded
  • Anything not mentioned in the What's Included 

  • Tips and gratuity

Cancellation Policy

For cancellations upto 2 days before the tour -

Refund of 80% of the tour price.
Price Details
Adult
1 To 4 USD 1365 Per Person

This is a private tour

Starting From

Fromss

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USD 1365 / person