Bhutan – the kingdom of Happiness

Tour Itinerary

• Day 1
  Delhi to Paro

  After arriving & visa formalities and collection of baggage, you will be welcomed by our tour representative who will be your tour guide during your entire trip in Bhutan.

  On the way to Thimphu, you will visit on the way you will visit the iron chain bridge which might look frightening at first, but once you start crossing it, it becomes great experience.

  While crossing you will notice that it acts a lot like a trampoline, and while jumping is fun, be sure to be careful! When standing on the bridge and looking towards forward against the current of the river, it feels and looks as if you are flying on the bridge! There is a separate bridge next to this one that is specifically for cattle to use, as crossing over an iron chain bridge is very difficult and dangerous for them.

  After your arrival in Thimphu, we check-in at our hotel and offer coffee for refreshment

  Coffee Culture, is one great places to unwind and have a good time in the evening. Later in the evening you will walk around the Thimphu City (Thimphu Thromde)

  Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan. It is also the seat of government, spirituality, religion and commerce. It happens to be one of the liveliest and vibrant places you have ever visited. It is a unique combination of the old and the new in which tradition and progress have come together to welcome you. Thimphu has managed to preserve a strong national character in terms of its architectural style.

  Clock Tower Clock Tower Square has a tower with four clock faces located in Thimphu, capital of Bhutan. It is a famously known landmark in Thimphu.

  Overnight stay in a hotel in Thimphu.

• Day 2
  Thimphu Sightseeing’s

  Today early morning breakfast we will do sightseeing’s in and around Thimphu

  Folk Heritage Museum. The folk heritage museum was open to the general public in 2001 upon completion. It treasures troves of culture and rich Bhutanese heritage provide rich insights into the Bhutanese ethos. It also gives you a chance to see the various styles of dressing of the men and women from different parts of Bhutan.

  Tashichho dzhong The Tashichho Dzhong is a Buddhist monastery cum fortress at the northern edge of Thimpu the capital city of Bhutan. The Dzhong was built on the western bank of the river Wang Chu, and has historically served at the seat of the DrukDesi or the Dharma Raja of Bhutan’s government. After the kings assumed power in 1907 this post was combined with that of the king and Thimphu severed as the summer capital of the kingdom before becoming the full time capital of Bhutan.

  The original Thimphu Dzhong (the Dho-Ngyen Dzhong) is said to have been constructed in 1216 by Lama Gyalwa Lhanangpa. And was later taken over by Lama Phajo Drukgom Shigpo before the Dzhong was conquered by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who found the Dzhong to be too small and expanded it to what is now known as theTashichho dzong is also called the "fortress of glorious religion." It was erected in 1641 and was subsequently rebuilt by King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck in the 1960s.

  The Dzhong has been seat of the Royal government since 1952 and presently houses the Throne room and the Kings secretariat. The Tashichho dzong is also home to several ministries of the Bhutanese government, and the Central Monk Body which is the apex organization of the country's main spiritual order. The monument welcomes visitors during the Thimphu Tsechu festival which is held in autumn each year. The Dzongs main structure is a two striped quadrangle with 3 storied towers on each of its four corners

  Motithang Takin preserve The Motithang Takin Preserve also known as the Thimphu Zoo by many is a small natural preserve for the Takin Bhutan’s national animal. It was originally a mini zoo, but it was converted in a preserve later on as the Takin. The mini zoo contained a small number of Takin but the King of Bhutan later decreed that it was improper for a Buddhist nation to keep an animal in captivity. The animals were set free and the zoo was shut down, but for some reason the Takin refused to leave the area for the forests nearby.

  Instead the animals were frequesntly found roaming around the streets of the capital city in search for food. As a result the government decided to demarcate an 8 acre fenced location as the Motithang Takin Preserve. The preserve is a forested preserve that mimics the Takin’s natural habitat, in addition to the Takin there are a few musk deer and barking deer that live inside the preserve. There are plans to expand the preserves collection to include other rarely seen animals that live in Bhutan, currently the preserve plans to add the Red Panda and the Himalayan Serow to the preserve.

  Kuensel phodrang The Kuensel Phodrang or the Buddha point is the world’s largest sitting Buddha statue, the statue is 167 feet high. The statue is situated on top of a hill overlooking the city of Timphu, it can be accessed by road and is about 15 minutes away from the city’s center. The word Kuensel means everything is clear and from this place you will sure enjoy a great view of the Thimphu Valley on both sides. The statute will house a temple inside it, the statue and its adjoining car park and recreational center are currently under construction and is expected to be ready by December 2012.

   

  The statue is constructed out of bronze and is studded with many semi-precious stones. Since they are no factories in country that can make such a large bronze cast structure, statute is being manufactured in China and the pieces are brought to Bhutan and are assembled here. On the drive to the statue the steep winding hill road offers an unparalleled view of the city of Thimphu and is an excellent place to capture a view of the city especially after dark. A journalist once described the view as “seeing an osasis of light in the desert of darkness “as the city light of Thimphu shine very bright in an otherwise dark Thimphu valley.

  Overnight stay in hotel in Paro.

• Day 3
  Thimphu – Dochula Pass - Punakha

  Post early breakfast, you will drive towards Punakha via Dochula Pass. We will stop over for tea at Dochula (3,100 m), where on a sunny day, you can get stunning views of the Himalayan ranges. The Dochu La Pass is probably the best known mountain pass in Bhutan. Located at an altitude of 3150 meter above sea level, the Dochu La Pass is about 30 kilometer away from the capital city Thimphu and the road to Punakha.

  On a clear day the pass offers visitors a spectacular view of the majestic eastern Himalayan Ranges. A cup of hot coffee or tea at the pass has almost become part of tradition for people travelling to and fro from Punakha to the capital city.

  Another striking feature at the pass are the 108 Druk Wangyal Khangzang Chortens, that were built for the well-being of all sentiment beings on earth. The 108 Chorten were built as a tribute to the Kings of Bhutan for their selfless service and leadership they offer to the people of Bhutan. These Stupas or Chortens also represent the peoples love, appreciation and loyalty towards the country’s King.

  Punakha Dzong The Punakha Dzhong or the Pungtang Dechen Phortang Dzhong is located at the confluence of the Mo Chhu and the Po Chhu River, combine to form the Puna Tsang Chu which in turn is a tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra River. The Dzhong was constructed by Sahbdrung Ngwang Namgyal Wangchuck in 1638 on the exact spot as prophesized by the Guru Rinpoche some 800 years ago. According to the prophecy of Guru Rinpoche “a person named Namgyal will arrive at a hill that looks like an elephant”.

  And lo behold! Shabdung Ngawang Namgyal found that the peak of the hill was in the shape of an elephant’s trunk and built the Dzhong at that very spot. Another legend associated with the Dzhong is that of Zowe Palep, the architect of the Dzong received vision of the Dzhong in his sleep. This vision got imprinted in the architects mind and enabled him to construct the Dzhong without putting his plans to paper.

  The Punakha Dzhong is the second largest and the second oldest Dzhong in Bhutan. The Dzhong is home to some of the most sacred relics of the Drukpa Kagyu School of Buddhism; it is also home to the sacred mortal remains of Shabdrun Nagawang Namgyal and Trenton Pema Lingpa the great treasure discoverer of Bhutan. The Punakha Dzhong has also served as the capital of Bhutan till 1955 before the capital was moved to Thimphu.

  The Punakha Dzhong plays host to the annual Punakha Theschu Festival which is very popular with the locals and tourists alike.

  Overnight stay in a hotel in Punakha.

• Day 4
  Punkha – Paro

  Today post breakfast you will drive towards Paro, before that we will visit Chimi Lhakhang The Chimi Lhakang or the Chimel Lhakang is a Bhuddhist monastery located in the Punakha District of Bhutan.

  Drukpa Kuenley is called the Divine Madman due to his unorthodox methods of teaching via songs, humor and sometimes bizarre and shocking behaviour with deep sexual overtones. You might be shocked to see that the temple houses a number of wooden phalluses that the Lama had brought with him from Tibet. Pilgrims who visit the monastery receive the blessing by being struck on the head with a ten inch wooden Phallus (erect penis). The symbol of an erect penis is said to ward off evil.

  The monastery is also known as the temple of fertility and is visited not only by the Bhutanese but women from countries as far as Japan and United States to receive a special blessing that can help these women conceive children. These women receive the blessing by getting struck on the head with a 10 inch wooden/ ivory phallus. After visiting above place, we will drive towards Paro and there we will visit Rimpung Dzhong The Paro Dzhong is probably Bhutan's best known and most iconic Dzhong.This is probably the first building you will notice when you land at Paro International Airport and will probably be your first memory of Bhutan. The imposing Dzhong is perhaps the finest example of Dzhong architecture existing the world today, the massive buttered walls of the fortress dominate over the valley. The Rinpung Dzhong's names translates to the "Fortress on a heap of Jewels ".

  Ta Dzong (National Museum) The National Museum of Bhutan is housed inside the six storied circular Ta Dzhong. The Ta Dzhong is a medieval watch tower situated above the Rimpung Dzhong. The Ta Dzhong was constructed in 1656 with a purpose to give advance warning to the Paro Dzong in case of an approaching army, in fact the word Ta means 'to see' in Dzhongkha. The future first king was imprisoned here for a brief period in 1872. In 1968 the Ta Dzhong was converted into the National Museum of Bhutan. The Museum houses a priceless collection of textile, costumes, paintings, appliqué, wooden handicrafts, weapons, armour and jewellery. There is a small section dedicated to the natural history of Bhutan. There is a small chapel on the top of the building with icons representing Himalayan Buddhist traditions.

  Overnight stay in a hotel in Paro.

• Day 05 & 6
  Punakha to Paro

  (Hike Tiger Nest) After early morning breakfast, we will drive towards Paro and we will take you for a morning hike up to Taktsang Monastery, also known as ‘Tiger’s Nest’. Hanging precariously and magically from a rather steep cliff, the Taktshang monastery is a monument of genuine pride for the Bhutanese nation. It defies architectural principles to the core and amazes tourists from around the world. It is a sight to behold. Taktshang or the Tigers lair as the monastery is called, it is widely regarded is one of the most important monuments of spiritual significance in Bhutan. Its history is deeply associated with the visit of Guru Padmasambhava, the revered Indian saint who came to Bhutan in the 8th century AD.

  The cave was named Taktshang after Guru Rinpoche flew into the cave from Kurtoe Singye Dzong in eastern Bhutan while riding on a tigress. There 8 caves in total out of which 4 are relatively easy to access.

  Later after hike you will visit Kyichu Lhakhang The Jowo Temple of Kyichu is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. The temple was built by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo in the 7th Century AD. The Kyichu Lhakhang was one of the 108 temples constructed by him to subdue a demon that was terrorizing the people of the Himalayas. The temple is believed to have been visited by the Guru Rinpoche in the 8th Century during his visit to the Paro Valley.

  There are 2 orange trees located in the courtyard of the temple, there is a belief amongst the locals that these orange trees bear fruit all year long. This site is one of the most sacred holy sites is all of Bhutan, and our companies travel consultants recommend every traveller to visit this sacred temple.

  Overnight stay in a hotel in Paro.

• Day 7
  Paro Departure

  In the morning after early breakfast we will see you off at the Paro Airport for your onward destinations.