8 Days Classic Bhutan tour with easy hikes
‘Best of Bhutan’ is an exclusive offering from Bhutan Travel Club – a customised trip designed to give you an unparalleled insight into Bhutan and its culture, nature its people and the Bhutanese way of life- All in a comfortable time of 8 nights. On this tour we invite you to feel the soul of Bhutan as opposed to just skimming through attractions. Starts with the capital city of Thimphu, easy hiking exploration in the valleys Punakha with the most beautiful fortress and valley of Punakha, then to the idyllic valley of Phobjikha and finally to Paro to visit the iconic Tiger’s nest; - every stop is laden with attractions that will enliven you senses and will leave you with an indelible feeling of being transported back in time.
Our most valuable asset is our tour guides and field personnel who’ve been working with us for a long time and understand our company’s core values. This trip has very less driving times, with maximum exploration time to make the most of your holiday.
ItineraryDay 1: Welcome to BhutanStop At: Thimphu, Thimphu, Thimphu District
The flight into Bhutan takes you close to the great Himalayas; offering dazzling scenic views of world’s highest glacial peaks. You’ll be greeted by Mt.Everest and Mt.Kanchenjunga, and our very own Mt.Jomolhari and Mt. Jichu Drakey mountain peaks.
Upon arrival you’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 Bhutan’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:
•
•
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 city’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 – Archery – 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 – so that you get a feel of the capital city’s modest night life.
Duration: 7 hours
Meals included:
•
•
•
Accommodation included: Overnight at at BTC's 3- and 4 star partner hotels
Day 3: Thimphu to PunakhaStop 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 – 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 – 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 Bhutan’s most charming and eccentric historic figures nicknamed ‘The Divine Madman’ at the Chhimi Lhakhang – 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:
•
•
•
Accommodation included: Overnight at BTC's 3-star partner hotels
Day 4: Punakha sightseeing and easy hikingStop 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 Bhutan’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 – the most beautiful fortress in Bhutan situated at the confluence of two rivers. This ancient fortress is the winter residence of the monastic order’s leadership and still serves as the administrative headquarters for the Punakha region. The fortress is a fine example of Bhutan’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:
•
•
•
Accommodation included: Overnight at BTC's 3-star partner hotels
Day 5: Punakha to Phobjikha valleyStop 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 – 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. We’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:
•
•
•
Accommodation included: Overnight at BTC's 3-star Partner hotels or Accredited local farmhouses
Day 6: Phobjikha to ParoStop At: Gangtey Monastery, Gangtey Bhutan
Proceed to visit the famous Gangtey Gonpa monastery – 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, we’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:
•
•
•
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
We’ve saved the best of Bhutan for the last. Today you’ll experience Bhutan’s most valued attractions, and perhaps one of the major highlights of your trip. An excursion to the famous Taktshang monastery –translated as- Tiger’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 ‘Mountain of the Goddess’ 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 – the Kichu Lhakhang monastery.
Farewell dinner at a great restaurant and proceed to your resort for the night.
Duration: 7 hours
Meals included:
•
•
•
Accommodation included: Overnight at BTC's 3-star partner hotels
Day 8: FarewellStop 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:
•
No accommodation included on this day.
Informacion Adicional
"Not wheelchair accessible"
"Service animals allowed"
"Near public transportation"
"Infants must sit on laps"
"Infant seats available"
"Most travelers can participate"
"This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund"
"This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund"
"This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate"
"Confirmation will be received at time of booking"
Start Time:
08:30 AM
Duration: 8 Days
Start location: Traveler pickup is offered
Our guides and drivers will be waiting to pick you up at arriving ports with placard with guest names.
Airports- Paro International Airport, Airport Road Paro, Paro 12001, Bhutan
Cancellations and refunds:
If you cancel at least 7 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
If you cancel between 3 and 6 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
Portugues
Español
English
