Western Bhutan Cultural Tour

Description

Upcoming fixed-departure trips: – 

A trip to the last Shangri-la is a must on any serious travel buff’s bucket list. This beautiful Himalayan kingdom that was hitherto inaccessible to the outside world opened its doors to low-impact, high-value tourism not too long ago. Bhutan fiercely guards its ancient cultural heritage, religion, traditional arts and crafts and natural heritage.

You are transported into a different land, in a different era, the moment you land in the Land of the Thunder Dragon, as Bhutan is called. Here is a country that values Gross National Happiness (GNH) over GDP. There is so much to pack into a trip to Bhutan! Lovely treks in the lap of the Himalayas, Buddhist monasteries and goembas, interesting museums, festivals, wildlife sanctuaries and much more.

Discover Gross Personal Happiness on this 7 days/6 nights trip in West Bhutan! Apart from the best of the sights in Thimphu and Paro, you will also visit Punakha to glimpse the majestic dzong there and the Divine Madman’s temple. You will also venture further eastward to Gangtey in Phobjika valley, a charming pastoral region.

Itinerary

• Day 1Bagdogra - Phuentsholing

  Try to reach Bagdogra (Siliguri airport) by 2 pm. The drive to Phuentsholing should take around 3.5 hours. Stay overnight in a 3-star hotel. Phuentsholing is a non-descripit town across the border, i.e on the Bhutanese side.

• Day 2Phuentsholing - Thimphu

  After breakfast set off for Thimphu, the capital city. The drive should take around 4.5 hours and we should reach around lunch time. After lunch and checking into a 3-star hotel, we shall go on a sight-seeing tour of Thimphu. The big golden Buddha statue at Kuensel Phodrang, folk heritage and textile museums are the places we will visit.

• Day 3Thimphu - Dochu La

  Dochu-la (3150 m) is about an hour’s drive from Thimphu. We will stop here to enjoy the panoramic view of the Bhutan Himalayas from there. The 108 chortens here were built in 2003 in honour of the soldiers who died while fighting Assamese insurgents.

• Day 3Dochu La - Gangtey

  The drive from Dochula to Gangtey should take about 4 hours, including a stop for lunch. At Gangtey we shall visit the Gangtey Monastery and hike along the nature trail from the monastery up to the wetlands conservation area in Phobjika Valley.

• Day 4Gangtey - Punakha

  The drive to Punakha takes around 2.5 hours. After lunch we shall visit the impressive Punakha Dzong and Chimi Lakhang, a temple built by Kunley Drukpa, a popular 15th century saint, also known as the Divine Madman.

• Day 5Punakha - Paro

  After an early breakfast, set off on a 3-hour drive to Paro. We shall stop at Tachogang Lhakhang on the way, to visit one of the famous iron chain bridges built in the 14th century. After lunch at Paro, we shall go on a tour of Paro and see some of the popular sights such as the Paro Dzong and the national museum.

• Day 6Paro - Tiger's Nest - Paro

  The hike to Tiger’s Nest monastery starts at a place about 30 min away from Paro. It is a stiff climb up to the monastery and should take about 2.5 hours. After visiting the famed monastery and having lunch, we shall head back to Paro, stopping on the way at Kyichu Lakhang, one of the oldest temples of Bhutan. We will have some time for souvenir shopping in the evening.

• Day 7Paro - Your city

  Our Bhutan trip comes to an end! Pack up after breakfast and head to the airport to catch a flight.

Inclusions

Ground transport from Bagdogra onwards, 6 nights in 3-star hotels, food, entry fees to some monuments, guiding charges.

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