HEART AND SOUL OF BHUTAN
< Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey, Jakar, Bumthang
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| Day 1 : Paro Arrival | |
| Arrive at Paro and checking in to your preferred hotel. The day is yours to get a taste of this quaint little town, to hear the silence of its valley and familiarise yourself with its many historical attractions. | |
| Day 2 : Paro sightseeing (AM) - Evening drive to Thimphu (PM) | |
| Spend half day in Paro visiting Ta Dzong or the National Museum, then drive up valley to the Drukgyal Dzong or the Fort of Drukpa victory and hope for a sighting of the snow-capped sacred peak of Mt Jhomolhari (. Hike uphill for about three hours for a close up view of the Taktsang Dzong or Tiger's Nest Monastery and get a magnificent view of the entire Paro valley. | |
| Day 3 : Thimphu (in Thimphu - halt) | |
| Your sightseeing of Thimphu, the modem
capital of Bhutan includes a visit to the general post office; the
arts and crafts school where you can see young children learning ancient
craft of paintings; the Traditional Medicine Institute where censures
old healing arts such as acupuncture and herbal remedies are practiced;
the Memorable chorten built in 1974 in the memory of King Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck with a multi-storied stupa and numerous paintings inside
the monument provide a rare insight of Buddhist philosophy. If your stay falls in the weekends then you can visit the weekend market, where everyone goes to buy fruits and vegetables, rice, grains, chilies and other fresh foods; the crowded stalls offer many colorful local items such as yak tall dusters, butter tea cups, turquoise from Tibet, and musical instruments. Stop by a traditional paper factory where paper is made from Daphnia and Edgeworthia shrub; visit the Botanical Zoo where you can see Yak and Takin, the National wild animals of Bhutan. Drive upto the viewpoint and take a hike beyond to enjoy a stunning view of the valley. Continue to downtown, visit the Handicraft Center, wandering through local shops if you like to browse through examples of Bhutan's fine traditional arts. |
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| Day 4: Thimphu - Gangtey - Wangdue (halt - Wangdue) | |
| From Thimphu, you will take an extraordinarily beautiful
drive to Gangtey, through the Dochula pass at 10,500 ft from where
you will enjoy a panoramic view of the Himalayan range to the north.
Enroute you will also catch a glimpse of the Chimi Lhakhang temple
( 20 mins walk across fields from the motor road and the Wangdue Phodrang
Dzong (1350 m), the gateway to central and eastern Bhutan, strategically
located on a promontory overlooking the meeting point of the Sunkosh
and Tangmachu rivers. Gangtey situated on a ridge overlooking the
large green expanses of the Phobikikiia Vallely is the winter heaven
to the rare Black Necked Crane, migrating down from the Tibetan Plateau.
On a hillock overlooking small villages is the GangteyMonastery, the
only Nyingmapa temple in the country the prayer hall at Gangtey Goemba
built in Tibetian style is the largest found in Bhutan.Due to the
concerns about wildlife, the sparsely populated valley doesnot have
electricity and no telephones. |
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| Day 5: Wangdue - Bumthang | |
| From Wangdue you will proceed to Jakar via Trongsa(2200M), the ancestral home of the royal family of Bhutan. Drive accross the Pele Laa Pass (3400M)and and through the Black Mountains National Parks which divide western and central Bhutan. Pass through rich forests of rhododendron and magnolias, and yak settlements. Cross the Nikka Chu bridge to enter the heavily cultivated Trongsa regions in central Bhutan. Beside the stream, IS THE great white stupa,the Chendebji Chorten built in the 19th century in Nepalese design, stands below the road as testimony to the subjugation of a demon by the Lam Shida. And then, visit the TRongsa Dzong, the most impressive dzong in Bhutan. Built in 1647 by the Shabdrung, this dzong itself is a labyrinth of temples, corridors and offices holding court over the local community. A architectural masterpiece, it is built on many levels into the sides of the hill, and can be seen from every approach to Trongsa, declaring its strength and majesty. From Trongsa, you will drive on to Jakar, in the Bumthang valley across the Yotong Laa Pass(3425M).en route stop at Zungney(2750M) to see the traditional weavings of Yathra, the woolen fabric in numerous colours and patterns. | |
| Day 6: Bumthang (In Bumthang - halt) | |
| Start your tour of the city with a walk upto Tamshing Monastery, founded by Terton Pema Lingpa, where about 200 monks reside. Visit Wangdicholing Palace, Jambay and Kurjey Lhakhang, the oldest monastries in the kingdom.All the Kings of Bhutan are taken their cremations rites at Kurjey Lhakhang. Visit some of the numerous temples in the city. Drive to the Meebartsho (burning lake), where Terton Pema Lingpa was led by mystic forces to discover spritural treasures at the bottom of the lake. This is considered one of the most holy places for buddhist pilgrimage. Visit a Swiss farm and taste sweet cheese, apple brandy and locally brewed wine and bear. | |
| Day 7.- Bumthang - Trongsa - Punakha. (halt) | |
| Your sightseeing of Tongsa valley includes a visit to Tongsa Dzong, the most impressive Dzong in Bhutan, the architectural masterpiece built in 1648 by the then Shabdrung.You will also visit the ancient watchtower situated above the town....... Continue drive to Punakha. | |
| Day 8: Punakha sightseeing (AM) - Drive to Paro (PM) (halt) | |
| Blessed with a temperate climate and drained by the Phochu and Mochu rivers, is the fertile valley of Punakha. Before Thimphu was made the capital of Bhutan, Punakha held the title as the winter capital because of its more temperate climate. Today it is the winter seat of Je- Khenpo (the Chief Abbot) and the Central Monk Body. Punakha Dzong, built at the junction of the Phochu and Mochu rivers in 163 7 by the first Shabdrung of Bhutan, Ngawang Namgyal, served as both the religious and the administrative centre of Bhutan. You will also visit Punakha High School if possible. | |
| Day 9: Departurefrom Paro | |