BHUTAN 6 DAYS

6 days in Thimpu, Punakha, and Paro seeing the highlights of Bhutan starting at $1559 per person, double occupancy, land only

Package Includes:

1 night in Thimpu
2 nights in Punakha
2 nights in Paro
All meals (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, excluding drinks)
All sightseeing as listed in the itinerary below with an English-speaking guide
Entry fees to all museums and monuments
Transportation throughout
Bhutan Visa

Pricing

3 STAR HOTELS

$1559 per person, double occupancy

$1915, single occupancy

$1490 per person for groups of 3-6 travelers

Pricing for 4 and 5 star hotels, or larger groups, available upon request.

Validity

Valid 2023 - 2024. Prices subject to change due to holidays or increased demand.

Itinerary

DAY 1 - Paro to Thimpu

Arrive in Bhutan and meet your guide. Start your adventure with a visit to Tachog Lhakhang monastery to see its famous 15th century iron bridges. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Kuenselphodrang, a giant golden Buddha built high atop the hills above the capital. Dinner at your hotel.

DAY 2 - Thimpu to Punakha

After breakfast, visit the capital of Thimpu including the Academy of Arts and Crafts and the Royal Textile Academy, where young Bhutanese people are learning to preserve their artistic heritage. Drive to Punakha via the Dochula Pass (10,200 feet above sea level) and see the 108 stupas and enjoy views of Bhutan's highest mountain, Gangkhar Puensum, if the weather is clear. Lunch at a local restaurant. Head down into the Punakha valley and visit Chimi Lakhang, a fertility temple that is Bhutan's most visited. Here you can see new couples making pilgrimage to pray to the Divine Madman, or families coming to name their newborn children. The temple is accessible by a short and easy 30 minute hike. Arrive in Punakha and enjoy dinner at the hotel.

(Total drive time is 2.5 hours)

DAY 3 - Punakha

After breakfast, visit the village of Nezigang and begin a gradual uphill hike (1 hour) to the Khamsum Yuley Namgay Chorten, a shrine recently built by the Queen Mother. The beautiful shrine features elaborate paintings of Guru Rimpoche and superb views of the Punakha Valley. Lunch at a local restaurant. Hike down along ancient riversides and traditional farmhouses to the iconic Punakha Dzong. Home to the former winter capital, the 17th century Dzong sits besides the confluence of the Mo Chu and Po Chu rivers, and has played a pivotal role in the unification and development of Bhutan. It is now home to the head abbot of Bhutan. Dinner at the hotel.

Additional activities can be arranged for those who cannot hike to Khamsum Yuley Namgay Chorten.

DAY 4 - Punakha to Paro

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Paro (4 hours) and then have lunch in a typical local farmhouse. In the afternoon, visit the National Museum and the Paro Rinpung Dzong, which is home to the biggest of Bhutan's festivals, the Paro Tshechu. Dinner at the hotel.

DAY 5 - Paro

After breakfast, head deep into the Paro Valley to the monastic retreat of Taktsang, better known as the Tiger's Nest Monastery. The monastery was built on a sheer cliff face high above the Paro Valley and is thought to be the site where the Guru Rimpoche landed after flying over the the mountains of Tibet on the back of a tigress, bringing Buddhism to Bhutan. Horses are available to take you partway up the mountain where you can stop at a teahouse and enjoy the views. Anyone who wants to reach the monastery must hike the rest of the way there. Alternative sightseeing can be arranged for anyone who does not want to hike.

After lunch at a local restaurant or the teahouse, return to Paro and take a guided walk around the local bazaar. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 6 - Return home

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for your flight.

This itinerary is intended for active travelers who are able to do short hikes with breaks. Alternative itineraries are available upon request and can be customized to suit your activity level.

Please keep in mind that the entire country of Bhutan is located at a very high elevation and that you will need time to adjust when coming from places with low elevations to avoid altitude sickness.

We do not recommend Bhutan to anyone with serious health conditions, especially those that might be aggrivated in high altitudes.