7-Day Bhutan Cultural Tour with Phobjikha Valley and Taktsang

• Enjoy wonderful views of the Himalayan scenery on your flight to Paro. It is a breathtaking journey, culminating in an exciting descent past forested hills into the kingdom. The first gift from Bhutan will be the cool, clean, fresh air as you step out of the plane.
• On arrival at the airport and after completing your airport formalities, you will be met by our representative.
• Begin the day with some sightseeing in Paro.
• Visit Ta Dzong, the National Museum of Bhutan. It houses a collection of ancient Bhutanese art and artefacts, weapons, coins, stamps, and natural history exhibits.
• Next, drive down to Rinpung Dzong, the "fortress of the heap of jewels", which was built in 1646 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel.
• Head back towards Paro town.
• After lunch, enjoy an interesting drive of about 1.30 hours from Paro, following the Pachu River. At the confluence where the Thimphu River meets the Paro River, there are three stone monuments in Tibetan, Nepalese, and Bhutanese-style stupas.
• Upon reaching Thimphu, visit the Memorial Chorten.
• Visit the post office, which is known for Bhutan's beautiful stamps.
• If time permits, go to see Changangkha Lhakhang, a temple where all newborns are taken for blessings from the local deity.

Overnight stay in Thimphu.

• In the morning, visit the government-run Handicrafts Emporium and National Textile Museum, which offer a wide range of handcrafted products, including the splendid thangkha paintings and exquisitely woven textiles for which Bhutan is famous.

• Go to the National Library, another important site, to see its collection of Bhutanese scriptures dating back to the 8th century.

• Visit the school for arts and crafts, where children are taught the 13 traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan.

• The Folk Heritage Museum is a replica of a medieval farmhouse and is patronized by HM Queen Sangay Choden Wangchuck to protect the textile heritage of Bhutan.

• After lunch, visit the traditional hospital.

• Go to the tallest Buddha statue overlooking Thimphu Valley.

• After that, start your journey to Punakha.

• On the way, stop at Dochu-La Pass (3,088m/10,130ft).

Overnight stay in Punakha.

• Drive to Punakha Dzong, strategically placed at the junction of the Pho Chu and Mo Chu rivers.

• On the way back, visit Chimi Lhakhang, a very popular and revered temple that lies on the periphery of the fertile valley of Lobesa.

• Have lunch at a local restaurant.

• Later, drive to Wangduephodrang, the last town on the highway before entering central Bhutan, and continue onward to Phobjikha Valley.

Overnight stay in Phobjikha.

• After breakfast, drive back towards Gangtey Goemba through a beautiful glacier valley where the black-necked crane resides during the winter months.

• Visit the striking Gangtey Goemba, sitting at the head of the valley.

• After the visit, begin your journey back to Thimphu.

Overnight stay in Thimphu.

• After a late breakfast, drive to the parking lot below Tango Buddhist Monastery. The hike takes about 45 minutes to reach the monastery.
• On the way back, visit the Takin zoo. The takin is the national animal of Bhutan.
• Drive down to the school for arts and crafts, where children are taught the 13 traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan.
• Have a late lunch and drive to Paro.

Overnight stay in Paro.

You may choose one of the following excursions for the day.

• Go on a day excursion to the beautiful Chele La Pass / Haa Valley. This beautiful valley only opened to tourists in the past few years and remains a seldom-visited destination. The route begins with a slow climb up to Chele La Pass through mixed forests of blue pine, cypress, larch, fir, and rhododendron. Gradually, the landscape changes into alpine pastures with carpets of mountain flowers, including Bhutan's national flower, the blue poppy.

• On a clear day at Chele La Pass (3900m), there are panoramic views of the snow-capped Himalayas.

• After lunch, drive back to Paro.

Overnight stay in Paro.

OR

• Hike to Taktsang. The trail is broad, and the uphill walk takes you a little more than 1000ft above the Paro Valley. The view of Taktsang Monastery, built on the cliff, is spectacular. It is also a major pilgrimage site for Buddhists.

• Have some tea and snacks at the cafeteria and return to Paro.

• If there is enough time, drive to the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong, once a historic monument built as a symbol of victory for the Bhutanese against the northern invaders. It now stands in ruins.

• On the way back, visit Kyichu Lhakhang, built in the 7th century by the King of Tibet and one of the two oldest shrines in the kingdom.

• If you are not tired, go to Paro town to buy souvenirs.

Overnight stay in a hotel in Paro.

• After breakfast, drive to the airport for your onward flight.