4-Day Paro and Thimphu Scenic Tour with Taktsang Hike

• Check in to your hotel in Paro.

• After lunch, visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the two oldest lhakhangs in the country, built in 659 A.D. by the Tibetan King Songsten Gyampo.

• Head to Ta Dzong, the National Museum. The museum's collection includes ancient Bhutanese art and artifacts, weapons, coins, stamps, and a small natural history section.

• Continue to Paro Rinpung Dzong, situated at a commanding height overlooking the Paro Valley. Built by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1646, this dzong now houses Paro's monk body and the offices of the civil administration, and it remains symbolic as the religious and secular center of all the affairs of the valley.

• Stroll around Paro town.

Overnight at hotel, Paro.

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

• Visit Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) Monastery, built in the 1600s at an altitude of 3100 m. It is a 3-hour walk uphill to the monastery, and about an hour is needed to see it. Horses can be provided to clients on request for the uphill hike.

• Drive to Drugyel Dzong, the ruined fortress built in 1649 to commemorate the victory over the Tibetan invasion of 1644. Just before Drugyel Dzong lies the Aman Resorts.

Overnight at hotel, Paro.

• In the morning, drive to Thimphu, the capital, which is a 1 hour 20 minute drive from Paro following the Pachu River. At the confluence where the Thimphu River meets the Paro River, see the three-styled stone monument in Tibetan, Nepalese, and Bhutanese styles.

• Along the way, visit Tachogang Lhakhang, built by Thangthong Gyalpo, the 15th-century Tibetan saint known for building 108 iron chain-link bridges throughout Bhutan and Tibet. The saint is believed to have come to Bhutan in search of iron ore.

• Stroll into Memorial Chorten, which depicts the Buddhist faith in the form of paintings and statues. This temple was first initiated by the Third King as protection from the negative elements of modernization. The Royal Queen Mother completed it as a memorial stupa for the Third King, who passed away in 1972.

• Visit the traditional paper factory, which displays the making of Bhutanese paper.

• Next, go to a school for arts and crafts, where children are taught to master the 13 types of arts and crafts of Bhutan. Also visit a post office that has Bhutan's beautiful stamps, and then continue to the traditional hospital. The national library is another sight to see, with its collection of Bhutanese scriptures, some dating back to the 8th century.

• Visit the Folk Heritage Museum, which is patronized by HM Queen Sangay Choden Wangchuck to protect the textile heritage of Bhutan. There are old collections along with displays of vegetable dyes and materials used for Bhutanese textiles. The traditional paper factory displays Bhutanese papermaking in process. Stroll around Thimphu city.

• In the evening, drive back to Paro.

Overnight at hotel, Paro.

• After an early breakfast at the hotel, drive to the airport for your flight to the onward destination.