Himalayan Kingdoms

You arrive in Kathmandu today where we meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Our rep will help you settle in and give you an introduction to the surrounding area. The rest of the day is free to relax after your flight, and perhaps head to one of the many cafes and bars in the touristic district of Thamel near your hotel. | OVERNIGHT: Kathmandu hotel. | EXTRAS: Extra day in Kathmandu - pre-tour, Single Room Supplement (NPSGHK)

This morning we start with a walking tour from the tourist centre of Thamel, through Kathmandu's busy winding streets passing numerous tiny shops, workships and street corner temples to Durbar Square with its splendid array of Hindu temples and the old Royal Palace. We'll then drive up to the 'monkey temple' of Swayambhunath Stupa and see great views over the city and surrounding valley. An option is available early this morning to take a spectacular flight up to view Everest. If the weather is clear you will also be able to see Everest and many other Himalayan peaks on your flight to Bhutan, but from much further away. | OVERNIGHT: Kathmandu hotel. | MEALS: Breakfast. | EXTRAS: Everest Mountain Flight

We pick you up from the hotel this morning and transfer to the airport for the spectacular flight over the Himalaya to Bhutan (try and sit on the left side of the plane for the best views). While en route, complete immigration and custom form formalities for later declaration and keep your custom forms safe, as you will need to produce them again on departure. (Note - the Kathmandu-Paro-Kathmandu flights are not included in the tour price but may be purchased separately or added as an extra option. Please see the Options section and Tour Notes for more details). Paro airport provides a first taste of Bhutanese architecture and is surely one of the world's most beautiful. After lunch and an introductory chat with your Bhutanese guide, we will start our tours by visiting Ta Dzong, originally the Watch Tower for the Rinpung Dzong in Paro. It was later converted into the National Museum of the Kingdom and boasts a wide range of antique thangkha paintings, textiles, weapons & armour, household objects and natural and historic artifacts. You'll then walk downhill from the museum to Rinpung Dzong or the 'fortress of the heap of jewels' which is the seat of the district administration and the residence of the monastic school. The dzong is famous for its wall murals depicting Buddhist parables, symbols and the lives of prominent saints. Here you'll learn how these spectacular buildings have combined the monastic and civic administration of Bhutan for centuries. Finally, you walk down to the cantilever bridge below the dzong where your car awaits to take you to your hotel. | OVERNIGHT: Paro hotel. | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner. | EXTRAS: Kathmandu-Paro-Kathmandu flights