10D9N Magical West & Central Bhutan

Get ready for your Bhutan Holiday! Your travel journey begins with a flight into this exotic country. You will have a wonderful view of the mountains of Nepal and Bhutan while you fly into Bhutan. Upon arrival at the Paro airport, you will be received by the representative and then drive to Thimphu for an hour. After checking in at the hotel, you could have lunch.
After lunch you will visit the School of Arts and Crafts where you can see students learning 13 types of arts and crafts of Bhutan. Visit the Folk Heritage museum which is a replica of a medieval farm-house, and we still have this kind of house in some of our rural parts. Drive to Buddha point to see one of the largest statues of Buddha in the world. In the evening you can stroll around the Thimphu city to see the life of people in Bhutan’s capital. Overnight at the hotel in Thimphu. 

2nd Day of your Bhutan Travel journey. After breakfast drive towards Gangtey with short stop at Dochula pass. If the weather is clear, you could have a superb view of the Bhutan’s Himalayas from the pass. This breath-taking Dochula Pass is similar to mountain passes (Gyatso La Pass, Geu La Pass, Dikpa La Pass, Dorma La Pass) in Tibet on the way to Tibet Everest Base Camp and Mount Kailash. 

On the way, you will visit Gangtey monastery founded in the 15th century. This is one of the Nyingmapa monasteries in the country, and it was renovated by his holiness Gangtey Trulku Rimpoche, and was reconsecrated only in November 2008. A beautiful Phobjikha valley below the monastery is a roosting place for the Black Necked Cranes in winter. After checking in at the hotel you can have tea or coffee. And then if you want, you could also take a little walk around the beautiful valley. Night halt in Gangtey. 

3rd Day of your Bhutan Tour. Depart Gangtey for Bumthang. You can see Chendipji chorten (stupa) on the way, the chorten which is in Syambunath design of Nepal. Your lunch will be served in Trongsa and continue drive to Bumthang. On the way if you like you can have a short stop at Chummey Yathara shop, a place where you can find the woolen fabrics woven from sheep’s wool. From this place drive another ½ an hour to your hotel in Bumthang. 

4th Day of this Tour Package. The Bumthang valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in the kingdom. It is also the religious heartland where many saints and masters meditated leaving their imprints as sacred places of worship and pilgrimage Tales of Padmasambhava dominate these holy shrines. In the morning, visit Jampa Lhakhang one of the oldest monastery which was built by Tibetan King Songtshen Gempo in the 7th century to pin down the left Knee of the ogress.
And then visit Kurji monastery were body imprints of Guru Rimpoche from the 8th century remains preserved upon a rock. Then short walk to Tamzhing Monastery. While walking you will enjoy the view of green valley dotted with hundreds temples, thousand flags and beautiful chamkhar river flowing through the valley. The valley is also called mini Switzerland of Bhutan. After Lunch, drive to visit Tang Member Tsho (Burning Lake), Saint Pemalingpa had discovered several hidden treasure from the Lake. Later visit the old Wanduecholing Palace, used during our first and second king’s reign.  The palace is now converted into a monastic school.  Night halt stay at the hotel in Bumthang. 

5th Day of this Bhutan Trip. Drive to Trongsa. And check in at the hotel and have lunch. After lunch visit Trongsa Dzong, this was the seat of successive Trongsa Penlop (governer) and ancestral home of the kings. You can also visit the Trongsa museum. Though the museum is new but the museum has elaborate collections of our Royal family’s belongings and on Bhutanese iconography especially. Overnight at the hotel in Trongsa.  

6th Day of this Bhutan Itinerary. After your breakfast drive to Punakha. Have lunch on the way. Have a rest at your hotel in the evening. Overnight at the hotel in Punakha.

7th Day of this Tour Package. After your breakfast you will drive to Samdingkha village for about 45 minutes and then raft downward the Punakha Phochu valley which will take around 2-3 hours depending on the rapid of the river. Your rafting will be ending below the Khuruthang town of Punkha district.
Later visit a farm house to see how people live with their subsistence farm in the rural village. You can taste their traditional Butter tea with local homemade snacks, and taste Ara which is a distilled local wine. Nighthalt stay at the hotel in Punakha. 

8th Day of this Tour. After breakfast visit beautiful Punakha Dzong built in 1637 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. The dzong is situated between Pho Chu (Male River) and Mo Chu (Female River) two famous rivers of Bhutan. Punakha was the old capital of Bhutan, and winter capital for the central monk body at present. Drive to Paro with lunch stop at Dochula pass.
Upon arrival in Paro, visit the Kyichu Monastery which was founded by Tibetan King Songtshen Gymepo in the 7th century. This is one of the oldest monasteries founded with the introduction of Buddhism to Bhutan.  Night halt at the hotel in Paro.  

9th Day of this Package. The hike to Tiger Nest will take about 4 hours for a round trip with lunch stop. It’s an uphill hike.
Taktsang monastery is perched on the face of a cliff 800 Mts, above the Paro valley. It is a memorable spiritual journey. It was here that the great Tantric master, Guru Padmasambhava flew in from Tibet on the back of a flying tigress to propagate his teachings in Bhutan. Lunch at the cafeteria and then walk back all downhill. Enjoy your last night in Bhutan. Overnight at the hotel in Paro.

10th Day of this Trip. Our guide and driver will drop you at the airport and bid you goodbye for your flight departure.

All International tourists visiting Bhutan will require a visa. Lokopoko will arrange the visa for you upon confirmation of your booking with our Bhutanese partners. For Indian passport (or VIC) holders, Bangladeshi nationals and persons from the Maldives may obtain a visa on entry.

Tip: The same applies for going to Tibet. You'd need a Tibet Travel Permit on top a Chinese Visa in order to enter Tibet. And this travel permit can only be applied through a local Tibetan tour company (directly or indirectly). Lokopoko can also arrange this on your behalf.