15-Day Cultural Tour with Day Walks & Festivals

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Today, you'll explore Thimphu with your local guide. Your guide can plan the day based on what takes your interest. You can visit the weekend market, the revered Memorial Chorten and the huge statue of Buddha Dordenma, which commands a tremendous view of Thimphu valley. You can also visit Changangkha temple, perched on the hilltop overlooking the town. You may like to visit the Takin Reserve showcasing the unique national animal, the Takin. The choice is yours!

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This morning, you will drive to just above Hongtsho below Dochu La where you will turn onto a farm road and drive about 30 minutes to Tashigang Gompa. Here, you can visit the Gompa – about 30 monks live here during the warmer months. From the monastery, you'll walk two hours up towards Lungchotse Gompa. From here, you will walk down another 1.5 hours to Dochu La pass at 3050 metres for a hot drink. Then, you'll continue your drive approximately two hours to the old capital, Punakha.

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You can hike an hour or so up to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyel Chorten, 30 metres tall and dedicated to the fifth king. From the top, you will see a beautiful view of the valley and surrounding villages. On the way back, you can visit the Punakha Dzong, “Palace of Great Happiness”. From here, you will cross one of the longest suspension bridges in Bhutan and continue hiking towards Mendrelgang. On the day, you can decide how far you'd like to hike with your guide and your driver will meet you.

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This morning, you'll 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. You'll then 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.

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Today, you'll spend the day 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 four valleys - Chokhor, Tang, Ura and Chumey. Your guide will take you on a fascinating walking and/or driving tour of a variety of sacred sites. You can also visit Bhutan’s largest Dzong (Jakar) overlooking the Chokhor valley and the famous Swiss cheese factory and dairy farm.

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Today, you'll take a day hike to Babzur via Petseling monastery. You'll hike for around 1.5 hours to a tiny village called Changbi where you will be welcomed with hot tea and snacks arranged by your guide. You'll continue on to Petseling monastery, home to around 70 monks. From here, you will have a panoramic view of the Bumthang valley. You'll then continue on to Babzur and after lunch here, you'll walk for another 1.5 hours then your driver will meet you and take you to Tang.

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Today you can visit Ugyencholing Palace still owned by a descendant of the Bhutanese aristocracy and now housing a fascinating museum. Then, you'll drive to start your walk for a couple of hours to Kuenzangdrak which is located on the face of a cliff. It was founded by Terton Pema Lingpa, the treasure revealer, in the 15th century and it consists of three temples. After, you'll drive until you reach the village of Chumey, stopping at Membar Tsho, one of Bhutan’s most important pilgrimage sites.

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Today you will visit the Domkhar Local Festival, which takes place at Domkhar temple. You will see locals dressed in their finest clothes who have walked from miles around to attend the festivities. They come to watch masked dances, to pray, and to feast. While the underlying purpose of the festival is spiritual, dances are more often like plays, or depicting significant historical events, especially surrounding the life of Bhutan's patron saint, Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche).

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This morning, you'll drive approximately four hours to Gangtey at 2900 metres. You'll enjoy the views of the immense and remote Phobjikha valley and the black mountain ranges on the way. Upon arrival, you'll 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.

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Today you can do a day walk around the Phobjikha Valley. You can start your walk at Khewang temple. Then, you'll continue walking along the farm road towards Gophu and Dogsena villages. You'll then continue your walk up to the top of the village called Pangsa village then to Jangchub Gompa. You'll then walk uphill towards Gangtey Gompa, through forests of blue pine trees covered with lichen. Your car can collect you whenever you are ready. In total, the walk is around seven to eight kilometres.

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Today you'll return to Paro, a drive of approximately 5-6 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. Renovation work is underway but meanwhile, there is little now to see in Wangdi and after a brief stop continue on your way.

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Today, you'll spend the day exploring Paro. You can visit the impressive Paro Rinpung Dzong, one of the finest examples of Bhutanese architecture. You can also visit the National Museum housed in the Ta Dzong (watchtower). You can see a magnificent collection of Bhutanese artefacts – costumes, religious paintings, arms, textiles and a fascinating collection of Bhutan stamps. Near to the museum, you may also be able to see a demonstration of traditional woodturning skills by local artisans.

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Today, you'll 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. Tiger's Nest 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 with a spectacular view of the monastery. After, your guide will suggest something for you to see.