Bhutan 8-day Private Sightseeing Tour From Paro With Meals

$ 5,771 .42 USD

Total price per person

Reserve with $5,771.42

Bhutan 8-day Private Sightseeing Tour From Paro With Meals

This tour includes:

7x Breakfast

7x Breakfast

7x Dinner

7x Dinner

7x Lunch

7x Lunch

Accommodation included: 7 nights

Accommodation included: 7 nights

Bhutan Tourism Royalty/Levy ($65 per...

Bhutan Tourism Royalty/Levy ($65 per day per person)

Visa Fees ($40 per person)

Visa Fees ($40 per person)

All necessary permit fees

All necessary permit fees

All transfers and sightseeing with...

All transfers and sightseeing with entrance fees

Drinking mineral water in the...

Drinking mineral water in the car

All accommodations

All accommodations

English-speaking tour leader and driver

English-speaking tour leader and driver

Excellent SUV/ Hiace Toyota vans

Excellent SUV/ Hiace Toyota vans

Entry/Admission - Gangtey Monastery

Entry/Admission - Gangtey Monastery

Entry/Admission - Paro Taktsang

Entry/Admission - Paro Taktsang

Not included:

Airfare to and from Bhutan

Airfare to and from Bhutan

All personal expenses like laundry,...

All personal expenses like laundry, telephone, tips, shopping expenses

Spa Charges

Spa Charges

Travel and Medical insurance

Travel and Medical insurance

Start planning your experience

ย 

About experience

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Bhutan

Stop At: Thimphu, Thimphu, Thimphu District
The flight into Bhutan takes you close to the great Himalayas; offering dazzling scenic views of worldโ€™s highest glacial peaks. Youโ€™ll be greeted by Mt.Everest and Mt.Kanchenjunga, and our very own Mt.Jomolhari and Mt. Jichu Drakey mountain peaks.

Upon arrival youโ€™ll be received by our friendly professional guide who will help you settle into your comfortable vehicle, and then proceed to the capital city Thimphu. En route stop to visit the Tamchog Lhakang to take a short break and marvel at Bhutanโ€™s fresh air and rich nature. Walk over the ancient heritage iron bridge reconstructed using original chain link from the famous Tibetan bridge builder TangThong Gyalpo back in the 15th century.
On arrival you will be taken to your hotel for a check-in and short rest.In the evening visit the Memorial Chorten Stupa which is a sacred shrine built in the memory of third king of Bhutan. You will enjoy welcome dinner at the best restaurant where you can enjoy authentic Bhutanese cuisines. Overnight in the resort.

Drive time 1 hour.

Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
โ€ข Lunch
โ€ข Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at 3 and 4 star partner hotels of BTC

Day 2: Hiking and Cultural sightseeing in Thimphu - the capital city.

Stop At: Thimphu, Thimphu, Thimphu District
Visit the Zorig- Chusum school of 13 traditional arts/crafts to see local students hone their arts skills in various forms of traditional art. Visit the Folk Heritage museum. Then proceed to the Royal Textile Museum and Academy to appreciate the work of Bhutanese weavers and the rich textiles of Bhutan. Stroll around town and visit the Bhutan Post Office where you can see the famous Bhutanese stamps. If you would like, you can make stamps with your photos on it and post them to your loved ones.

After lunch, let's enjoy some hiking to stretch your muscles and enjoy the outdoors. Drive to Kuensel Phodrang where the gigantic 169ft statue of Buddha Dordenma sits majestically overlooking the valley. Enjoy a panoramic view of Thimphu city and visit the temple inside the big statue. After this, lets take a beautiful hike on the Kuenselphodrang trail which is the capital cityโ€™s favourite hiking trail that lasts for 2 hours.

In the afternoon, visit the Crafts Bazaar in the afternoon, along the streets of Thimphu which sells and displays various handicrafts and textiles made entirely in Bhutan. Visit the colourful Weekend Vegetable market to observe and interact with locals. Proceed to the Changlimithang Stadium to witness the national game of Bhutan โ€“ Archery โ€“ played with much fanfare and festivities over a range of 120m field.

In the evening, enjoy a nice dinner in one of the best restaurants. We can also take you to some friendly bars for a drink and watch some love music โ€“ so that you get a feel of the capital cityโ€™s modest night life.


Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
โ€ข Breakfast
โ€ข Lunch
โ€ข Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at at BTC's 3- and 4 star partner hotels

Day 3: Thimphu to Punakha

Stop At: Wangdue, Wangdue, Wangdue Phodrang District
Drive to Punakha over the Dochula Pass (3140m). Situated atop the pass at the backdrop of fluttering prayer flags is the Druk Wangyal Chortens, a collection of 108 chortens (stupas) that was built to exemplify the greatness of the Fourth King. If you would like to hike, we recommend the Lungtsezelkha hike โ€“ another lovely like that passes through Rhododendron forests and alpine vegetation. Here you might come across some Yaks as we often spot them. It starts from Dochula pass โ€“ and climbs upto the peak where the Lungtsezekha temple stands at 3800m. From here, you can see the great Himalayan peaks of northern Bhutan as well as the valleys of southern Bhutan.

Hike back to Dochula, and descend to the low-lying rice valley of Lobesa and pay your respects to one of Bhutanโ€™s most charming and eccentric historic figures nicknamed โ€˜The Divine Madmanโ€™ at the Chhimi Lhakhang โ€“ also called the fertility monastery - our guide will explain the entire story about it. The visit involves a short nice hike through a beautiful village surrounded by paddy fields. Stay in a cozy resort overlooking the valley.

Drive time 2 hours

Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
โ€ข Breakfast
โ€ข Lunch
โ€ข Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at BTC's 3-star partner hotels

Day 4: Punakha sightseeing and easy hiking

Stop At: Punakha, Punakha, Punakha District
Explore Punakha valley. Start with Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal stupa, which involves a short scenic hike through paddy fields for about 45 minutes till the hilltop where the temple is located. From here you can also enjoy a majestic view of the underlying valley. The temple itself is a splendid example of Bhutanโ€™s fine architectural and artistic traditions and the only one of its kind in the world. From here you can optionally take another great hike from the riverside crossing a suspension bridge to other side of the Mo Chu river for approximately 3 km with hours hiking. A picnic lunch is served on the banks of the Punakha river.

After lunch, continue to Punakha Dzong โ€“ the most beautiful fortress in Bhutan situated at the confluence of two rivers. This ancient fortress is the winter residence of the monastic orderโ€™s leadership and still serves as the administrative headquarters for the Punakha region. The fortress is a fine example of Bhutanโ€™s rich art and architecture, and our guide who is an expert in iconography will explain all aspects of art, architecture, history and its significance.

In the afternoon, if time permits, we can take a very scenic and easy hike on the Phochu loop after walking on the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan. This 7 km trail is not visited by many people but we take our guests here because we are a mountain-biking specialist and know many trails that are off-the-beaten track.

Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
โ€ข Breakfast
โ€ข Lunch
โ€ข Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at BTC's 3-star partner hotels

Day 5: Punakha to Phobjikha valley

Stop At: Gangtey, Gangtey, Wangdue Phodrang District
After breakfast, visit the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang Nunnery which is atop a ridge amid pine trees and overlooking valleys of Punakha and Wangduephodrang. Interact with the nuns and they love to speak English with visitors and learn about the ways of the world.

Continue to Phobjikha valley โ€“ also known as Gangtey valley. The drive to Phobjikha (Gangtey) follows the scenic Dang Chuu ( River), climbing through forests of bamboo and oak. After a 2-hour drive you will reach a junction where a small road splinters off into the hidden Phobjikha valley.
The scenic Phobjikha valley begs you to enjoy its beauty and theres no better way than exploring it on foot. So after lunch, enjoy a nice long day-hike (length of hike can be customised) down to Longtey village and the surrounding vicinity on the south-side.
Gangtey valley is home to the endangered black-necked cranes that visit the valley in winter. Weโ€™ll make a quick stop at the Crane Observatory to watch these elegant birds aided with a telescope.

Stay overnight in a nice resort. Drive time 2 hours

Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
โ€ข Breakfast
โ€ข Lunch
โ€ข Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at BTC's 3-star Partner hotels or Accredited local farmhouses

Day 6: Phobjikha to Paro

Stop At: Gangtey Monastery, Gangtey Bhutan
Proceed to visit the famous Gangtey Gonpa monastery โ€“ an important seat for the Nyingma tradition of Buddhism in Bhutan, welcomes you into the valley. Here guests can interact with keen student monks who are more than willing to share about their monastic lifestyle. Our tour leader is a Buddhist expert and he can also organize an hour of meditation in the monastery.

Around lunch time, weโ€™ll start to drive to Paro. Paro is a historic town with many sacred sites and historical buildings scattered through the area. In addition, paro valley is wide and verdant and is considered as rice bowl of the country for its paddy fields.

Once we reach Paro in the evening, lets visit a farmhouse in the evening to try a herbal hot-stone bath which is known to be therapeutic and helps ailments related to joints and muscle aches, besides simply soothing your mind and body. Perfect to unwind and goes well with the Red Panda local beer. This is a complimentary value-added experience from Bhutan Travel Club without any hidden costs.


Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
โ€ข Breakfast
โ€ข Lunch
โ€ข Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at BTC's 3-star partner hotels

Day 7: Bhutan's Biggest Highlight - Tiger's Nest Monastery

Stop At: Paro Taktsang, Taktsang Trail BT, Paro Bhutan
Weโ€™ve saved the best of Bhutan for the last. Today youโ€™ll experience Bhutanโ€™s most valued attractions, and perhaps one of the major highlights of your trip. An excursion to the famous Taktshang monastery โ€“translated as- Tigerโ€™s nest monastery is also a good way to acclimatise before you start trekking. A two hours hike would reward you with a spectacular temple clinging on a 1000 feet cliff. The temple was built in 1692 by a prominent historical figure named Gyaltse Tenzin Rabgye whose reincarnation is now a young teenager and already a prominent figure in the clergy. Your guide will complement the experience with its story. On the way back stopover at Satsam Chorten which offers you nice views of mount Jomolhari.
On the way back visit the ruins of Drugyal Dzong fortress, which is an important Bhutanese heritage as it served as a strategic watchtower and a fortress that helped repel numerous Tibetan invasions in the 1600s. Peak of Jumolhari โ€˜Mountain of the Goddessโ€™ can be seen on a clear day from here (7,329 mts/24,029 ft.).

Continue your drive to Paro and visit Kichu Lhakang one of the oldest temple dating back from 7th century build by Tibetan king Songchen Gyampo to propagate Buddhism and continue to embrace one of the oldest paintings dating back from 15th century in Dungtse Lhakhang.

On the way back, you can visit the oldest Buddhist monastery in Bhutan โ€“ the Kichu Lhakhang monastery.
Farewell dinner at a great restaurant and proceed to your resort for the night.

Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
โ€ข Breakfast
โ€ข Lunch
โ€ข Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at BTC's 3-star partner hotels

Day 8: Farewell

Stop At: Paro, Paro, Paro District
After breakfast at your hotel, your driver will take you to the airport. Your guide will help you with the formalities and fare you well on your onward journey.
Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
โ€ข Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.

Select a country to define if the visa is required