Culture tour to Central Bhutan

DAY 1
Arrive at Paro International Airport from Delhi, Calcutta, Kathmandu or Bangkok.  Paro is situated in a beautiful valley at 2280 metres and is a fitting introduction to this charming kingdom.  Your guide will meet you and take you on a short one-hour drive along the Paro and Thimphu river valleys to Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital, at 2320 metres.  You can stop on the way to take in the magnificent Tamchhog Lhakhang, the hereditary place of worship for Bhutan’s iron bridge builder. Take a late afternoon walk around town and soak in the atmosphere of this magical capital with its busy shops and bazaars and photogenic citizens in national dress.

Overnight in Thimphu

DAY 2
Thimphu sightseeing. We will visit the weekly market, the revered Memorial Chorten, the National Library and the School of Traditional Arts. You could visit Changangkha temple, perched on the hilltop overlooking the town.  Devotees flock throughout the day to circumambulate and turn the prayer wheels.  The temple also contains beautiful wall paintings and hundreds of religious scriptures written in gold.  In the afternoon you can take in more of the sights and culture of the capital, with the option of a trip to Simtokha Dzong (one of the oldest fortresses in Bhutan, dating from 1629 AD). If you prefer to stay closer to town you could drive up to the Radio Tower (offering splendid views of the city from a hilltop festooned with prayer flags), visit the Takin Reserve showcasing the unique national animal, the Takin, browse the striking collection of intricate textiles at the National Textile Museum or visit the Folk Heritage Museum.  You may also like to visit the newly opened postal museum, detailing the history of Bhutan’s postal system and showcasing Bhutan’s rich assortment of interesting stamps.  If you would like to view or buy Bhutanese handicrafts you may like to visit the new market opposite Taj Tashi hotel which has an array of stalls run by local handicraft shops selling purely home made articles with no imports.  Tell your guide what takes your interest.

Overnight in Thimphu

DAY 3
Thimphu to Punakha. In the morning drive approximately 3 hours to the old capital, Punakha, via Dochu La pass at 3050 metres, where we will stop for a hot drink and enjoy spectacular panoramic views of the Eastern Himalaya ranges.  You will notice the change of climate and vegetation as we approach low-lying Punakha at 1250 metres.  Take a pleasant walk for an hour or so across terraced fields to Chimi Lhakhang (Temple of Fertility) built in the 15^th century by the ‘Divine Madman’ (Lama Drukpa Kuenley).  Then we will visit the imposing Punakha Dzong, “Palace of Great Happiness”.  Built in 1637, it is strategically placed at the confluence of two rivers, the Po Chu and the Mo Chu.

Overnight in Punakha

DAY 4
Punakha to Trongsa. Drive approximately 4.5 hours to Trongsa, the gateway to central Bhutan at 2180 metres. Set amidst spectacular scenery, Trongsa Dzong, the ancestral home of Bhutan’s royal family, commands the eye from miles away. You can also visit Ta Dzong, the museum in the watchtower dedicated to the Wangchuk dynasty, which tells the stories of the Dzong and the valley it has watched over for centuries and features personal belongings of the Kings and Queens of Bhutan. 

Overnight in Trongsa

DAY 5
This morning continue a further 2.5 hours through some of Bhutan’s most beautiful landscapes to Bumthang, an area of high valleys at 2580 to 3100 metres. Sightseeing in Bumthang, the spiritual heartland of Bhutan, with its many legendary monasteries, temples and palaces. Bumthang is the collective name for an area of 4 valleys - Chokhor, Tang, Ura and Chumey.  Your guide will take you on a fascinating tour of a variety of sacred sites including Kurjey Lhakhang and Tamshing Lhakhang.  You can also visit Bhutan’s largest Dzong (Jakar), with its picturesque location overlooking the Chokhor valley. You may be interested to see Bumthang’s famous Swiss cheese factory and dairy farm. 

Overnight in Bumthang

DAY 6
Drive to Tang valley, the most remote of Bumthang's valleys.  The road climbs past the trail to Membar Tsho (the burning lake), which is one of Bhutan’s most important pilgrimage sites.  Then on to Drangchel, Pema Lingpa's birthplace.  You will also see some picturesque villages and temples and can walk up to visit Ugyenchholing Palace, which is now a museum and gives an interesting insight into life in an aristocratic family in the last century.  Return to Bumthang for the night.

Overnight in Bumthang

DAY 7
Drive approximately 5-6 hours to Gangtey at 2900 metres.  Enjoy the views of the immense and remote Phobjikha valley and the black mountain ranges.  Visit Gangtey Gompa (one of Bhutan’s oldest monasteries and recently extensively renovated) and explore the valley where the villagers continue to live a traditional Bhutanese rural lifestyle.  This is the site where black-necked cranes visit in their hundreds in November each year after spending the summer in Tibet.

Overnight in Gangtey

DAY 8
Today you can do a day walk around the Phobjikha Valley.  You can start your walk at the Dewachen hotel and walk from here to the Black-Necked Crane Information Centre, which has lots of information on the valley and its famous migrating birds. From here you can walk to Beta Village where there is a small school, which you are welcome to visit if you are interested.  Then continue your walk to Gangtey Gompa from where you can walk along the Gangtey Nature Trail, past Semchubara village, through forests of blue pine trees covered with lichen (known as old man’s beard) and where you can hopefully see some birds.  Continue from the end of the nature trail to Kingathang village where you can visit a temple built by the Queen Mother.   From Kingathang, you can walk via Yusa village back to your hotel.  Total distance 12 to 13 km (6 to 7 hrs).

Overnight in Gangtey

DAY 9
Today we return to Paro, a drive of approximately 7 hours, via Wangdi.  Wangdi (also known as Wangdue Phodrang) was originally considered Bhutan’s secondary capital and it commands an important central position. Sadly Wangdi Dzong was gutted by fire in June 2012, destroying in a few hours not only a magnificent building that had stood proudly for hundreds of years, but also the painstaking work that had been in progress for many months to rebuild recent earthquake damage using traditional construction methods.  There is little now to see in Wangdi and after a brief stop for lunch continue on your way. In Paro you can meet your host family for an overnight stay in a local farmhouse allowing you to experience traditional Bhutanese village life.  Take the opportunity to try the restorative properties of a hot stone bath.

Overnight in Paro

DAY10
This morning you can visit the impressive Paro Rinpung Dzong, one of the finest examples of Bhutanese architecture.   You can also visit the National Museum.  This was previously housed in the Ta Dzong (watch tower) built on top of the hill above Rinpung Dzong to defend Rinpung Dzong and the Paro valley during times of war, in an unusual circular construction resembling a conch shell. Unfortunately, an earthquake in September 2011 damaged the Ta Dzong and the contents of the museum were moved to a neighbouring building.  You can still see a magnificent collection of Bhutanese artefacts – costumes, religious paintings, arms, textiles and a fascinating collection of Bhutan stamps.  The National Museum is due to reopen in the Ta Dzong in 2017. Nearby you can also visit the 7th century Kyichu Lhakhang, a temple of historical significance and one of the most sacred shrines in Bhutan. 

Overnight in Paro

DAY 11 
Take a day walk to the ‘Tiger's Nest’, the sacred Taktshang monastery which clings to the rock face 900 metres above the valley floor. Guru Rinpoche is said to have flown to the site riding on a tigress.  He subsequently meditated here for three months.  It is one of Bhutan’s most holy sites and draws pilgrims not only from Bhutan but also from neighbouring Buddhist countries.  You can have lunch at the Taktshang cafeteria from where you get a spectacular view of the monastery. On the way back you may be interested to visit a manor house turned museum in a local village.  The house dates from the 17^th Century and the museum is designed to showcase the culture of medieval rural Bhutan.  Afterwards you may also have time to visit Dumtse Lhakhang, a temple built by Thangtong Gyalpo, the iron bridge builder.

Overnight in Paro

DAY 12
Early in the morning your guide will accompany you to the airport to see you off onto your flight and wish you Tashi Delek (goodbye and good luck).