10-Day Bhutan Culture Tour from Paro with Taktsang and Phobjikha

• Upon arrival, our representative will be waiting to warmly welcome you and escort you to your hotel in Thimphu.
• Once you have settled into the hotel, the rest of the day is yours to relax at leisure. Overnight in Thimphu.

• Option 1: Today, enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Thimphu. Begin with a visit to the National Memorial Chorten, which depicts the Buddhist faith through paintings and statues. Continue to the 12th-century Changangkha Temple and Drubthob Monastery, home to the Zilukha Nunnery. If time permits, head to the nursing pen for the Takin, the national animal of Bhutan, and visit Tashichhodzong.
• Option 2: This morning, set out on a hike to Cheri Monastery instead. Drive through the countryside surrounding Thimphu to Jigme Dorji Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest protected area in Bhutan.
• The walk begins in the small village of Dodona. Start today's excursion by crossing a covered bridge over the Thim Chhu and then climbing steadily to Cheri Goemba, a small monastery perched on the hill with a vista over the Thimphu Valley. Shabdrung constructed the monastery in 1620, and it is the location where the first community of monks in Bhutan was established. The monastery is considered very sacred, as it contains the ashes of Tempi Nima, the father of the first Shabdrung of Bhutan, as well as beautiful frescoes of Buddhist saints.
• After the hike, descend back the way you came, keeping your eyes open for the goral - a wild goat often spotted on the nearby cliffs.
• Back in Dodena village, enjoy a picnic lunch along the clean and unpolluted Thimphu River. Then follow a riverside trail via Begana to Cabesa, home to the Choki School of Arts. The Choki School is private and provides free skills-related education in the traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan to Bhutanese children who are unable to attend or complete their formal education.
• After visiting the school, continue along the riverside trail and walk through small rural villages before returning to Thimphu. Overnight at your hotel in Thimphu.

• Today, depart Thimphu with a 45-minute drive before beginning the hike to Trashigang Goemba (3200 m), built in 1786 by the 12th Je Khenpo. From Tashigang Monastery, enjoy a gradual uphill climb of about 2 hours to the 18th-century Lungchutse Lhakhang. The picturesque route passes through rhododendron forests, magnolias, birches, firs, hemlocks, as well as bamboos, and occasionally meadows used as yak pastures.
• The view from Lungchutse Lhakhang over the entire Bhutan Himalaya and its snow-covered peaks is amazing. Walk downhill for about an hour until reaching Dochula Pass, a wonderful sight marked by 108 chortens (stupas), and on a clear day, enjoy an incredible view of Himalayan peaks. There, your waiting vehicle and driver will meet you.
• Drive for about an hour and a half down into the sub-tropical Punakha Valley. Overnight at your hotel in Punakha/Wangduephodrang.

• This morning, head to Punakha Dzong, well known as the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan. Located at the confluence of the Mo Chu and Pho Chu (Mother and Father Rivers), the dzong is the winter headquarters of the Je Khenpo and hundreds of monks who move en masse from Thimphu to this warmer location.
• Afterwards, travel to Yabesa village and hike through rice fields up to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, which was constructed by Her Majesty Queen Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuk. Perched high on a hill on the bank of the river, the chorten is home to paintings belonging to Nyingmapa traditions.
• Enjoy a picnic lunch by a picturesque riverside before travelling to Lobesa for a pleasant walk through small hillside villages on the way to a farmhouse. Here, see traditional Bhutanese cooking and farming demonstrations. This includes the milking of a cow, followed by the churning of milk and the production of cheese and butter. Also experience the brewing of local wine ("Ara") as well as the preparation of the national dish, "Emadasti".
• Afterwards, walk down through terraced rice fields to the main road, where your vehicle awaits.

• Today, drive towards Trongsa. Along the way, stop at the beautiful Chendebji Chorten, which was erected in the 18th century. The imposing Trongsa Dzong can be seen across a deep canyon, signalling your approach to the town along a curving road. Overnight at your hotel in Trongsa.

• After breakfast, transfer to Phobjikha Valley. Drive down the winding mountain road through oak and rhododendron forests into the wide and picturesque Phobjikha Valley. Phobjikha is one of the few glacial valleys in Bhutan and the chosen winter home of black-necked cranes migrating from the Tibetan plateau. The region is one of the most stunning in Bhutan. Visit the Phobjikha Sanctuary for a chance to marvel at black-necked cranes, as well as the 16th-century Gangtey Gompa, the only Nyingmapa monastery in western Bhutan. Overnight at your hotel in Phobjikha.
• Visit the outside premises of Trongsa Dzong, one of the largest dzongs in the country. Also visit the Ta Dzong watchtower and stroll through the small town of Trongsa. After lunch, drive to Bumthang Valley.

• Option 1: Drive to Longtey Village, located beyond Pele La Pass (3,420 m), for a hike across Kayche La (3700 m) and back to Gangtey. Climb gradually through thickets of dwarf bamboo, rhododendron, birch, fir, and hemlock rich with various birdlife to Kayche La, marked with several prayer flags. The other side of the pass is mostly meadows, and it is all downhill to Gangtey through a long and beautiful stretch of meadows and farms.
• Option 2: Shasila Hike - The trail is used by the people of Sha Ngawang and Chitokha to migrate between their summer and winter homes in Gangtey. It was also an essential trail used by the Gangtey Truelku and his followers in the past while migrating between his winter residence in Sha Chitokha and Gangtey Gompa. It takes approximately 03-04 hours for casual trekkers to reach Kheylaykha from Phobjikha. Your driver will meet you on the road and take you to Thimphu. Overnight at your hotel in Phobjikha.

• Drive back to Paro over Dochu La via Thimphu, where you will have an opportunity to visit handicraft and souvenir stores and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Thimphu.
• Afterwards, continue driving back to Paro and, en route, visit Semtokha Dzong, the oldest dzong in Bhutan. Time permitting, the journey can be broken with a visit to Tamchhu Lhakhang, built by Thangtong Gyalpo, the so-called Iron Bridge Builder. Overnight at the hotel in Paro.

• Today, after breakfast, enjoy a hiking trip to Taktsang Goemba - the Tiger's Nest. The trail is broad, and the walk is roughly up to 2 hours uphill. If you cannot hike, horse riding can be arranged to take you to a cafeteria.
• En route, you will have an opportunity to witness majestic vistas of the country, and once you reach the cafeteria, the view of the Tiger's Nest will appear. In the afternoon, relax at leisure. Overnight in Paro.

• Time to say goodbye to Bhutan. Enjoy breakfast and a morning at leisure until you are escorted to Paro International Airport for your flight home.

Your Bhutan vacation ends.