Upon arrival in Kathmandu airport, you will be met by a Lumle airport representative. You will be escorted to your hotel. You will have some time to relax and recover from the flight.

Overnight in Kathmandu

Today drive to Kathmandu airport to take a short one-and-a-half-hour Himalayan flight to Paro, Bhutan. After landing at Paro International Airport, a tour representative will meet and greet you before guiding you to your transfer to the capital city of Bhutan, Thimphu. En route stop at Chuzom, the confluence of Thimphu and Paro rivers. Shortly before reaching Chuzom, you will see on your left the Tschogang Lhakhang, “the temple of the excellent horse”. On arrival at Thimphu, check-into the hotel. The remainder of the day is free at leisure for you to enjoy on your own an exploratory walk around Thimphu’s Main Street and market area. Also, visit the local Crafts Bazaar and browse through some of Bhutan’s fine traditional arts. Here you can buy hand-woven textiles, thangkha paintings, masks, ceramics, slate and wood carvings, jewellery and many interesting items made from local materials.

Overnight in Thimphu

Thimphu sightseeing. Start your day by visiting the huge statue of Buddha Dordenma, which commands a tremendous view of Thimphu valley. The huge 3-storey throne holds several chapels and the body itself is filled with 125,000 smaller statues of Buddha. Then hike from Kuensel Phodrang nature park to Changangkha Temple. A hike of around one hour or so through beautiful blue pine and rhododendron forest, which also gives a fantastic view of Thimphu valley. Then you can visit the School of Traditional Arts to watch students at work and to get an introduction to the 13 traditional arts, including painting, embroidery, woodcarving, mask-making and statue-making. You can also visit the Takin Reserve showcasing the unique national animal, the Takin. You may browse the striking collection of intricate textiles at the National Textile Museum or the weekly market.

In the afternoon, drive about 30 minutes to Pangri Zampa, Bhutan’s most important college for Tradi tional Astrology, founded in the 16th century. The college institute releases the official Bhutanese calendar annually and has the responsibility of deciding on dates for any important national events in Bhutan. Astrologers are available for private readings (for a fee). Later if you wish you can go and see some archery at the national ground. 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 homemade articles with no imports. Tell your guide what takes your interest. 

Overnight in Thimphu.

Thimphu to Gangtey. Today we drive approximately 5 hours to Gangtey 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. Continue 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

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, then continue 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 on 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

Gangtey to Bumthang. Drive approximately 3 hours to Trongsa, the gateway to central Bhutan at 2180 metres. Just before reaching Trongsa you may like to visit Tsangkha Tashicholing monastery where there is an arts and crafts training institute with around 45 young monks learning traditional skills of woodcarving, sculpture, painting and embroidery. Then continue on your way. 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. 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.

Overnight in Bumthang

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 walking and/or driving tour of a variety of sacred sites including Jamba Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang and Tamshing Lhakhang. In the afternoon, drive to Tang valley, the most remote of Bumthang's valleys, at 2700 metres. The road climbs past the trail to Membar  Tsho  (the  “burning  lake”), which is one  of Bhutan’s mostbimportant 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

Bumthang to Punakha. In the morning drive approximately 7 hours to the old capital, Punakha. You will notice the change of climate and vegetation as we approach low-lying Punakha at 1250 metres. Late afternoon, 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. If there is time take a pleasant walk for an hour or so across the terraced fields of Sopsokha village to Chimi Lhakhang (Temple of Fertility) built in the 15th century by the ‘Divine Madman’ (Lama Drukpa Kuenley).

Overnight in Punakha

We return to Paro, a drive of approximately 4 hours. In the afternoon visit the National Museum located in the Ta Dzong (watch tower) which was 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. The Ta Dzong houses a magnificent collection of Bhutanese artefacts – costumes, religious paintings, arms, textiles and a fascinating collection of Bhutan stamps. From here it is a short drive to see the impressive Paro Rinpung Dzong, one of the finest examples of Bhutanese architecture. Late afternoon, stroll around Paro town.

Overnight in Paro

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. Afterwards you may also have time to visit Dumtse Lhakhang, a temple built by Thangtong Gyalpo, the iron bridge builder. Late afternoon, you could visit a local farmhouse and take the opportunity to try the restorative properties of a hot stone bath to feel relaxed after the hike. If you prefer your creature comforts, you can take tea or dinner with the family and then return to your hotel.

Overnight in Paro

Today drive to Paro airport to take a short one-and-a-half-hour Himalayan flight to Kathmandu, Nepal. Upon arrival at Kathmandu airport, you will be met by a Lumle airport representative. You will be escorted to your hotel.

Remaining time at your leisure for rest & relax.

Overnight at the hotel.

We start of exploration of Nepal from Kathmandu, a mystical mix of religion, culture and everything in between.

We explore Kathmandu Durbar Square where most of the temples and palaces dating back to 17th and 18th century. Our time in Kathmandu also includes a visit to Boudhanath, the largest Buddhist Stupa in Nepal. You can walk around the Stupa spinning the prayer wheels engraved with chants and offer a traditional butter lamp to Lord Buddha. We than explore nearby is the Swayambhunath is an ancient religious architecture in the Kathmandu valley.

Throughout the trip, you will be accompanied by a driver and an English-speaking guide who will explain the historical and cultural importance of each spot.

Overnight at the hotel.

Today you will be driven to Kathmandu airport to board your inbound flight back home or extend your journey.