Best of Bhutan Tours

Your guide from Bhutan Travel Club will take you to some of the treasures of the capital – Visit the National Folk Heritage Museum, the Zorig Chusum school of 13 traditional arts/crafts, the Textile Museum, the Bhutan Post Office to see the rich collection of stamps and philatelic history. Our guests can make stamps with their faces on it and send postcards to loved ones. Visit the colourful vegetable market where proud villagers behind pyramids of their agricultural produce greet you

with stone weights in their hands and smiles on their faces. It is interesting to see what may seem to you as ‘weird vegetables and forest products’ that actually enriches the Bhutanese palate.
After lunch, hike on Thimphu’s popular trail – Wangditse-Chokhortse Gomba hike (5 km loop, 380m high, 3 hours)
Take a ride upto the Takin Reserve Center in the evening to see the national animal of Bhutan – the Takin and stroll over to the viewpoint that offers great views of Thimphu city. Continue on the trail that traverses through beautiul bluepine forests with many prayer flags the trail. Continue along this trail until you reach Wangditse goenpa. Along the way there are good views of the Dzong and the underlying Thimphu valley, allowing nice shots of the fortress and its vicinity. The trail goes straight up the ridge. After about 500 m the trail levels out while crossing an open ridge with a field of prayer flags. The views of the city are excellent from here. It leads through open grassy areas, oak undergrowth and blue pines.
Enjoy a fabulous dinner at one of Thimphu’s best restaurant. Our good friend and owner of the restaurant is a very friendly person and will definitely add a personal touch to your meal.

***If you like/want to try mountain Biking, you could take out mountain bikes to ride on Wangditse MTB trail. We provide our bikes complimentary as a value-added service.

Enjoy a nice breakfast at the campsite. Visit the Kuensel Phodrang where the gigantic 169 ft statue of Buddha Dordenma is near completion. Enjoy a panoramic view of Thimphu city from there.
Drive to Punakha over the Dochula Pass (3140). Situated atop the pass at the backdrop of fluttering prayer flags is the Druk Wangyal Chortens, a collection of 108 chortens (stupas) that was built to exemplify the greatness of the Fourth King.  If you would like to hike, we recommend the Lungtsezelkha hike – another lovely like that passes through Rhododendron forests and alpine vegetation. Here you might come across some Yaks as we often spot them. It starts from Dochula pass – and climbs upto the peak where the Lungtsezekha temple stands at 3800m. From here, you can see the great Himalayan peaks of northern Bhutan as well as valleys of southern Bhutan.

Hike back to Dochula, and descend to the low-lying rice valley of Lobesa and pay your respects to one of Bhutan’s most charming and eccentric historic figures nicknamed ‘The Divine Madman’ at the Chhimi Lhakhang – also called the fertility monastery – our guide will explain the entire story about it. The visit involves a short nice hike through a beautiful village surrounded by paddy fields.

Stay in a cozy resort overlooking the valley.

Drive time 4 hrs

Drive to Punakha valley to visit Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal stupa, which involves a short scenic hike through paddy fields for about 45 minutes till the hilltop where the temple is located. From here you can also enjoy a majestic view of the underlying valley. The temple itself is a splendid example of Bhutan’s fine architectural and artistic traditions and the only one of its kind in the world. From here you can optionally take another great hike from the riverside crossing a suspension bridge to other side of the Mo Chu river for approximately 3 km with hours hiking. A picnic lunch is served on the banks of the Punakha river.

After lunch, continue to Punakha Dzong – the most beautiful fortress in Bhutan situated at the confluence of two rivers. This ancient fortress is the winter residence of the monastic order’s leadership and still serves as the administrative headquarters for the Punakha region. The fortress is a fine example of Bhutan’s rich art and architecture, and our guide who is an expert in iconography will explain all aspects of art, architecture, history and its significance.

Proceed to Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery which is atop a ridge amid pine trees and overlooking valleys of Punakha and Wangduephodrang. Interact with the nuns and they love to speak English with visitors and learn about the ways of the world.

Continue to Haa valley and stay overnight in Ugyen’s homestay. The house is more than 200 years old and is built in the traditional Bhutanese style typically seen all over Bhutan. It is an exceptionally large home displaying some fine features of days gone by, and fitted with amenities that cater to the western tourists. Guests will be guided over a babbling stream and past an ancient Buddhist Chorten (stupa) before being shown down a stone-lined path to be greeted by the whole family on the landing of the home-stay – a wonderful way to set the scene for a memorable stay.

At the farmhouse, you will have a wonderful opportunity to really experience authentic Bhutanese lifestyles. Enjoy a nice dinner with your host family and if you are interested you can also learn Bhutanese cooking here.

Drive time 5 hours

Explore Haa valley in the morning visit the popular temples of Lhakhang Karpo and Nagpo and continue to Chelela pass for a nice picnic lunch. The pass offers nice panoramic views over the valleys of Haa and Paro. Aftre a picnic lunch, you can hike to Kila Goenpa – a nunnery that houses about 50 nuns and then proceed to Paro town and watch a game of archery match played in Bhutanese style over a range of 120 m archery range, and filled with fun and frolic.

In the afternoon, visit the Paro Rinpung Dzong fortress overlooking the beautiful Paro river and hike upto the National Museum to immerse yourself into some rich history and heritage of Bhutan. The museum houses some of the most treasured collections of arts, artifacts, textiles, stamps, statues etc.
Explore the town in the evening on foot, and visit handicrafts shops along the street to appreciate Bhutanese craftsmanship and Art works.

Saved the best for the last. Today you’ll experience Bhutan’s most valued attractions, and perhaps the biggest highlight for your trip! An excursion to the famous Taktshang monastery –translated as- Tiger’s nest monastery. The temple was built in 1692 by a prominent historical figure named Gyaltse Tenzin Rabgye whose reincarnation is now a young teenager and already a prominent figure in the clergy. Your guide will complement the experience with its story.

On the way back visit the ruins of Drugyal Dzong fortress, which is an important Bhutanese heritage as it served as a strategic watchtower and a fortress that helped repel numerous Tibetan invasions in the 1600s. Peak of Jumolhari ‘Mountain of the Goddess’ can be seen on a clear day from here (7,329 mts/24,029 ft.).

Visit Kyichu Lhakhang – believed to be the oldest Buddhist temple in Bhutan built during the 08th century. Some of the most treasured collections of arts, artefacts, textiles, stamps, statues, etc.
Explore the town in the evening on foot, and visit handicrafts shops along the street to appreciate Bhutanese craftsmanship and Art works.

After breakfast at your hotel, your driver will drive you to the airport for your onward journey