Druk Path Trek And Cultural Tour In Pristine Bhutan

Paro Altitude: 2,195m/7,200ft.  Arrive Paro International Airport by Drukair or Bhutan Airlines. On arrival, go through the immigration and customs formalities and get visa stamped on your passport. Your guide and driver will receive you at the exit gate of the arrival hall.As you will need to acclimatize to the altitude, today we will take it easy and drive you to one or two places of interest within Paro town. If your arrival time is way earlier than the hotel check-in time, we will visit one or two places of interest within Paro town. Otherwise, you’ll be heading straight to the hotel. Your guide and driver will assist you to check into the hotel so that you can relax for a while and then have lunch, your first taste of Bhutanese cuisine. Visit National Museum of Bhutan – Ta Dzong: The National Museum of Bhutan is located in Paro just above the Rinpung Dzong (administrative headquarter of Paro district). It is housed in an ancient watch tower called Paro Ta Dzong (Ta Dzong means “watch tower fortress”) built in 1649. It displays hundreds of ancient Bhutanese artifacts and artworks including traditional costumes, armour, weaponry and handcrafted implements for daily life. The collection at the National Museum preserves a snap-shot of the rich cultural traditions of the country. This unique ancient watch tower was converted into the National Museum in 1968. Visit Paro Rinpung Dzong: Paro Rinpung Dzong (Rinpung Dzong means “fortress of the heap of jewels”) was built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in 1646 and established as the administrative and monastic centre of the western region. Today, the Dzong serves as the office of the governor of Paro district and head of the district monk body in Paro. After visiting the Dzong, take a short walk to the traditional wooden cantilever bridge called Nemeyzampa, where your driver will be waiting for you. The roofed wooden cantilever bridge is built in a traditional style and this type bridges are called Bazam. Leisure time to explore Paro town. Overnight in Paro at Khankhu Resort or Bhutan Mandala Resort

Total Hiking Time: 4-5 hours, Taktsang Altitude: 3,120m/10,235ft. Today, you will hike to Paro Taksang at 3,120m/10,235ft. It is going to be a wonderful adventure presenting you with picturesque view from above and a perfect way to get acclimatized before we start our exciting 6-day trek tomorrow. Later in the afternoon visit a very auspicious 7th century temple later in the afternoon. Hike to Taktsang Monastery at 10,240 feet above the sea level: After early breakfast, drive to the base of the Taksang monastery from where the hike begins. It takes normally about 2 hours to reach the monastery from the nearest road point. The hike is a steep climb but takes you through the cool shades of pine trees giving you a lot of opportunities to take beautiful pictures of the valley below or the ridge above. There is a nice cafeteria on the way where you can rest and can see the breathtaking view of the Taktsang Monastery. It takes about another hour to reach the monastery from the cafeteria. Taktsang or the Tiger’s Lair (people prefer to call Tiger’s Nest) is located on a sheer 800-meter rocky cliff in Paro. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Bhutan. After lunch at Taksang Cafeteria, descend back to the base and drive to visit Kyichu Lhakhang. Visit 7th century Buddhist monastery – Kyichu Lhakhang: Kyichu Lhakhang (Lhakhang means “temple”), which is located just a few minutes drive from the main town of Paro, is one of the oldest monasteries in Bhutan. It is believed to have been built in 659 A.D. by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. According to the legend, spirit of a giant demoness lay spread across Tibet and Bhutan causing obstruction to the propagation of Buddhism. In order to subdue this demoness, King Songtsen Gampo was required to built 108 temples across the affected region. Kyichu Lhakhang, built to pin down the left foot of the giant demoness, is one of the two temples that were built in Bhutan. The other is called Jambay Lhakhang located in the district of Bumthang in central Bhutan and was built to pin down the left knee. Both the temples were believed to have been built overnight. Overnight in Paro at Khankhu Resort or Bhutan Mandala Resort

After breakfast, drive to the starting point of the trek. The first day can be quite arduous as you have to climb more than 1,300m elevation. You’ll pass by the National Museum of Bhutan and drive a little farther up to the road head. The trek follows a gravel road past a few farms for about 30 minutes and then climbs up a steep ridge before leading through blue pine and fir forests to Damche Gom. You hike past Jele Dzong, a peaceful temple on the hill with a grand view of the mountains. Lunch will be served near the temple. Continue the hike through thick alpine forests and dwarf Rhododendron trees until you reach the campsite, Jangchulakha. You may see herder and their yaks around the campsite offering you an opportunity to interact and experience a glimpse of their semi-nomadic lifestyle. Distance: 15km, Time: 6-7 hours, Ascent: 1,350m, Camp Altitude: 3,770m/12,370ft