Itinerary
Days
1-2 Paro & Drukyel
Day 3 Thimphu
Day 4 Wangdue
& Punakha
Day 5 Trongsa
Days 6-7
Bumthang
Day 8 Wangdue
Days 9-10
Paro
Day 11 Depart
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Land
of the Thunder Dragon -
11 days
 Days
1-2: The flight
into Paro provides a most dramatic view of the Himalaya. The tiny town of Paro, bursting with colour
and tradition, is overlooked by a dramatic dzong. Fields, cover
most of the valley floor, while hamlets and isolated farms dot the
countryside - the houses here are considered to be among the most
beautiful in the country.
Travel into the remoter regions of the valley to spend the night
with a local family in their traditional farmhouse - help prepare
the evening meal or relax and enjoy the stunning scenery.
Nearby are the ruins of Drugyal Dzong, a site of great historical
significance and offering a magnificent vista of Mount Chomolhari, “Mountain
of Goddess” (7329 m). This is a favorite place for locals
to practice Bhutan’s national sport - archery.
Day 3: Thimphu lies
in a wooded valley, sprawling up a hillside on the west bank of
the Thimphu River. Quiet and peaceful, with its streets lined with
traditional shop fronts, this town seems almost too small to be
a capital – it is often said to be the only one without traffic
lights. Beautiful textiles in wool, silk and cotton, basketwork,
silver jewelry, thangkas and other traditional crafts of the Kingdom
are available in various Handicraft Emporiums.
 Day
4: The road to Punakha and Wangdue crosses the Dochula
Pass (3150 m), offering a great view of the Eastern Himalaya. Wangdue
Phodrang Dzong is perched on a spur at the confluence of two rivers,
completely covering it and commanding an impressive view . Across
the river, comes the first glimpse of the picturesque village of
Rinchengang whose inhabitants are celebrated stonemasons. Punakha
Dzong is the winter residence of Bhutan’s spiritual leader,
it is built between two rivers known as “Phochu” (Male
River) and “Mochu” (Female River).
Day 5: Cross the Black
Mountains to Trongsa. The approach is spectacular, for miles on
the end the Dzong seems to tease you so that you wonder if you will
ever reach it. Backing on to the mountain and built on several levels,
the Dzong fits narrowly on a spur that sticks out into the gorge
of the Mangde River and overlooks the routes south and west.
Days 6-7: The Bumthang
region encompasses four major valleys: Choskhor, Tang, Ura and Chhume.
The Dzongs and the most important temples are in the large Choskhor
valley, commonly referred to as Bumthang Valley. There are two versions
of the origin of the name - the valley is supposed to be shaped
like a Bumpa, a vessel that contains holy water, and Thang meaning
‘field’ or ‘flat place.’ The religious connotation
of the name aptly applies to the sacred character of the region.
The less respectful translation relates to the particularly beautiful
women who live here – bum means girl. It would be difficult
to find so many important temples and monasteries in such a small
area anywhere else in Bhutan.
Southeast of Jakar 48 km, Ura is the highest of Bumthang’s
Valleys and is believed by some to have been the home of the earliest
inhabitants of Bhutan. Ura is quite a large village, dominated  by
the Lhakhang, with about 40 closely packed houses along cobblestone
streets, giving the town a medieval atmosphere.
Days
8-10: Retrace the route back to overnight at Wangdue
before returning to Paro.
Day 11: Taktsang is
the most famous of all Bhutanese monasteries. It is perched on the
side of a cliff 900 m above the floor of the Paro valley, where
the only sounds are the murmurs of the wind, and water and the chanting
of the monks. The name Taktsang means ‘Tigers Nest’;
the Guru is said to have flown on the back of a tigress to the site
of the monastery where he meditated in a cave for three months.
Day 12: You will be transferred to the airport
for your departure flight.
Add-on accommodation and sightseeing packages available in Kathmandu pre or post trip.
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Paro
Center of an enchanting valley of fields, willow
trees and colorfully decorated houses - the tiny town is centered
on the lovely 17th century dzong. |
Thimphu
Established as a permanent capital in 1952, it
was then little more than a dzong and a few houses - today it
remains perhaps the world's smallest capital retaining a strong
national character in its arcitecture and relaxed charm |
| Taktsang,
the 'Tiger's Lair'
Bhutan's most iconic image and one of the most venerated pilgrim
sites in the Himalaya, the monastery clings to the cliff face
800meters above the valley.
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Bumthang
The
wide open valleys of Bumthang are a center for yak and sheep
breeding. Converted to Buddhism by Guru Rinpoche in the 8th
century the area contains numerous temples, shrines and sacred
sites as well as tiny villages. |
Punakha
Dzong
One of Bhutan's lovliest dzongs and the winter capital, build
of a site sacred since the 14th century. |
Wangdue
Phodrang
Perched on a spur between two rivers the dzong's
site is impressive and the building has an oddly rustic charm. |
Drukyel
It
was from this fortress that the Bhutanese repelled many Tibetan
invasions. The name means the victorious Bhutanese. It offers
a magnificent vista of Mount Chomolhari, “Mountain of
Goddess” (7329 m). A short distance south of the road
is Kyichu Lhakhang. This temple is said to be one of the 12
great geomantic temples ordered built by King Songtsen Gampo
of Tibet in the 7th century. It holds down the left foot of
an ogress whose body is so large that it covers Bhutan and
most of central Tibet. |
Tongsa
The landscape here is spectacular and the tiny village above
the dzong is one of small shops and restaurants. |
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