Thimphu Festival Tour Bhutan

In and around Paro You will arrive by air into the stunning Paro valley with its clear mountain air, forested ridges, striking monasteries and hospitable Bhutanese people in their conspicuous national dress is guaranteed to warm your heart. Our airport representative and guide will meet you at the exit gate of the airport and drive you to Thimphu along the windy road which should take about 1.5 hours. This lively town is home to Bhutan’s royal family, the civil service, and foreign missions that have offices in Bhutan. Tonight we will have dinner in one of the local restaurants and sample their unique cuisine.  You will stay here overnight in a hotel.

After breakfast we will drive to Tashichho Dzong which was built in 1641. The Dzong is where the throne room of His Majesty the King of Bhutan is located.  We then go to the festival location. The dances are known as Cham and are thought to bring blessings upon the spectators. A lot of meaning is imbued in the dances where the gods are regularly referred to. The festival is a huge social gathering where people are in a good mood and wear their very best clothing and wear a lot of jewelry on this once a year occasion. Later in the afternoon we drive to the Buddha Dordenma, a huge Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the mountains. It is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world at 51.5 meters tall. From here you can also look back on Thimphu city. On the way back to the hotel we will stop at the National Memorial Chorten. We will stay here overnight at a hotel with dinner included.

Today we will visit the Bhutan Post Office, School of Traditional Arts and Crafts and the well patronized weekend market. We will then visit the Changangkha temple in the hilly Motithang district and drive to the top of the ridge that overlooks Thimphu Valley. After this we will visit the Takin Zoo and see Bhutan’s national animal – the Takin. We will then head to the Drupthob nunnery and listen to the nuns recite their evening prayers. Another interesting place to visit is the handmade paper workshop where they make beautiful and extraordinary handmade paper. From here we will go to the weaving center at Changzamtog where they create traditional textiles. We will then go to the Handicrafts Emporium where there are many privately owned crafts shops, with a large variety of handcrafted products, including the well known Thangkas (paintings). We will stay overnight at a hotel with dinner included.