Duration: 6 days and 5 nights

Description: The landscape can take your breath and if that doesn’t the predominant Buddhist culture is what you will see across all the sights here. From Thimphu to the several chortens you will visit, a great break is assured.

Day 1: Arrive at Paro and proceed to Thimphu (70 kms | 2 hours approximately)
Meals: Dinner
In the morning, board your flight for Paro. On arrival, you will meet our representative who will transfer you to your hotel in Thimphu.

Thimphu: Capital to the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, Thimphu is one of the smallest capitals in the world. Thimphu is a gallery of traditional Bhutanese art, architecture, culture, and tradition and above all still so ethnic and pure. For most part of its history, Bhutan has tried consciously to save its culture from the blunt influences of the western world. It is not that modernity has not reached this region, but they are being introduced in a phased and balanced manner that is unheard of at any place in the world. All these make Thimphu and other parts of the country a unique destination. Upon arrival, proceed for check-in at your hotel. Spend rest of the evening at leisure enjoy the warm dinner before you go to bed.

Day 2: Sightseeing at Thimphu
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
After breakfast, proceed for Buddha view point, Simtokha Dzong, and Memorial Chorten.
 
Buddha View Point: Another place from where you can get a good overview of the Thimphu valley is from the Buddha point (Kuensel Phodrang). It is again a short drive from the town. You can pay your obeisance and offer prayers to the Buddha, the largest statue in the country and then walk around and take a glimpse of the valley. 
 
Simtokha Dzong: monastery was built in 1627 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. It houses the Institute for Language and Cultural Studies. The carvings behind the prayer wheel in the courtyard are a major attraction of this temple. 
 
Memorial Chorten: also known as the Thimphu Chorten, is a chorten in Thimphu, Bhutan, located on Doeboom Lam in the southern-central part of the city near the main roundabout and Indian military hospital. 
 
Textile Museum: is worth a visit to get to know the living national art of weaving. Exhibitions introduce the major weaving techniques, styles of local dress and textiles made by women and men. 
 
Takin Mini Zoo: The Takin is the national animal of Bhutan, and looks like a cross between a cow and a goat. Legend has it that the animal was created by the great Buddhist yogi, Drupa Kunley, and it can be found only in Bhutan and nearby areas. 
 
In the evening, return to your hotel and rest overnight after a delicious dinner.

Day 3: Thimphu – Punakha – Thimphu (137 kms | 5 hours approximately)
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
After breakfast today, proceed to Punakha.
Punakha: Punakha used to be the winter capital of Bhutan. There is a fortress called the Punakha Dzong. The Dzong now serves as the residence of the royal family when they visit, the Rimpoche or Head Lama and also of the District Administrator called the Dzongdha. Punakha has one of the best public schools in the country, which used to be administered by the Jesuit priests from the Doicese of Darjeeling. Later the Bhutan government threw away all the missionaries and appointed local persons as Heads of all institutions and offices. There are two small rivers called Po Chhu and Mo Chhu that meet at Punakha and then run south. Punakha is a beautiful valley with tropical climate right through the year. This used to be a dead end road town, but now there are many roads and the place has graduated from a one bus a day town to a fairly well connected place.

Dochula view point stop: The first stop after leaving Thimphu on the journey East is Dochula pass at 3100m. Only about 45 minutes from Thimphu, it offers visitors their first glimpse of the Himalayan range. The road to Punakha branches left and curls its way down to the relatively low lands of the Punakha valley. 
 
Punakha Dzong: Majestically standing on an island between the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers, the city’s dzong is one of the most photogenic of all Bhutan’s ancient fortresses, and you will see pictures of it hanging in hotels and restaurants throughout the country. The dzong is joined to the mainland by an arched wooden bridge, and contains many precious relics from the days when successive kings reigned the kingdom from this valley. In the evening, return to your hotel in Thimphu and have a comfortable overnight stay. 

Day 4: Thimphu – Paro (70 Kms / 2 hours approximately)

Meals: Breakfast and dinner
After breakfast this morning, go for sightseeing to National Library, Painting School. 

National Library: housing an extensive collection of priceless Buddhist manuscripts; the Institute for Zorig Chusum (commonly known as the Painting School) where students undergo a 6-year training course in Bhutan 13 traditional arts and crafts.
Later during the day, start your drive to Paro. 
 
Paro: Paro is a historic town with many sacred sites and historical buildings scattered through the area. In addition, the Paro Valley is wide and verdant and is recognized a one of the most beautiful in all Bhutan. However, apart from the main street (which is constructed of traditional wooden structures), the bazaar area is a nondescript hodgepodge of concrete buildings that is totally bereft of charm and character. Upon arrival at Paro, check into hotel and have lunch (on direct payment basis). Later, visit Drukgyal Ruin Dzong. 

Drukgyal Ruin Dzong: Drukgyal Dzong was a fortress and Buddhist monastery, now in ruins, located in the upper part of the Paro valley in Paro District of Bhutan. The Dzong was probably built by Tenzin Drukdra in 1649 at the behest of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to commemorate victory over an invasion from Tibet. In the early 1950s Drukgyal Dzong was almost completely destroyed by fire. 
 
In the evening, return to your hotel and rest overnight after a delicious dinner.

Day 5: Sightseeing at Paro
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Morning after breakfast go on for excursion tour to Chele La Pass. 
 
Chele La Pass: At over 13,000 ft to the west above the Paro Valley is the highest road pass in the country and has amazing views of the Himalaya and most significantly the magnificent Jhomolari, Bhutan’s most sacred peak at over 22,000 feet. It is a one and a half hour drive from the valley floor in Paro to the pass. The views from here are absolutely mind boggling as the sweep of the snow clad Himalayas lie before you. 
 
On return from Chele La, visit National Museum of Paro and orientation of Tiger Nest Temple.

National Museum of Paro: Housed inside the revamped Ta-dzong building in Paro, National Museum of Bhutan is a cultural museum that has put on display the antique items gathered from different parts of the country. 
 
Tiger Nest Temple: The most famous of Bhutanese monasteries. It is said that Guru Rinpoche arrived here on the back of a tigress and meditated at this monastery hence it is called Tiger Nest. Precariously perched on the edge of 1,200 meter cliff, this monastery creates an impressive sight, and is the unofficial symbol of Bhutan. It is about 2-3 hour, totally up-hill hike from the parking lot to the monastery, though there is a cafe located on ridge across from the Taktsang (about 90 minutes into the walk) that provides a welcome opportunity to take a rest and purchase refreshments and snacks. Taktsang was established as a sacred place for meditation by Guru Rinpoche who visited the site on his second visit to Bhutan in 747 CE, though the first monastery was not constructed until 1694. In 1998 a tragic fire destroyed most of the original buildings, but these have since been painstakingly restored to their former glory. 

In the evening, return to your hotel, enjoy your dinner and a comfortable overnight stay.

Day 6: Departure
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast this morning, you will be transferred to Paro Airport to board your onward flight. End of tour services!