Duration : 7 Nights / 8 Days
Destination Covered : Paro, Thimphu, Punakha
Tour Activities : Hiking, Museums, Sightseeing
Tour Themes : Hill Stations & Valleys, Religious & Pilgrimage, Culture & Heritage
Price on Request
Paro, Thimphu and Punakha Tour Overview
Experience Bhutan like never before with the Walking Above the Sky tour. This guided journey takes you through Bhutan’s most scenic and sacred landscapes. Hike to the iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery, perched on cliffs 3,000 meters above the Paro Valley. Trek through the peaceful Phobjikha Valley, home to the endangered black-necked cranes. Traverse high-altitude mountain passes with breathtaking panoramic views of the Himalayas. Explore ancient monasteries, including Gangtey and Kurje Lhakhang, and immerse yourself in Bhutan’s rich spiritual heritage and pristine natural beauty. Perfect for adventurers and spiritual seekers alike!
HIGHLIGHTS OF A KINGDOM ON THE SKY TOUR
‘A Kingdom in the Sky’ combines a tour of Bhutan’s cultural western valley’s of Paro, Thmphu and Punakha with a fabulous day camping trek to Bumdra monastery which includes a night in a wilderness campsite high in the Himalaya. This tour is specially tailored to provide insight into Bhutan’s Buddhist culture at a deep and comprehensive level.
Spend a night camping in the pristine Paro Wilderness high in the Himalaya.
Trek less trodden mountain paths, where few foreigners have ever set foo.
Discover some of the most sacred Buddhist monasteries and temples in the Himalaya.
Visit many cultural attractions including medieval fortresses (Dzongs), markets and museums.
Hike up to the famous Taktsang Monastery, perched on a cliff 900m above the valley floor.
Marvel at the elaborate and ancient wall paintings and carvings in Dzongs and temples.
Traverse beautiful landscapes from lush valleys to dense forests.
Incorporate a Value-Added Option such as a cooking lesson or meditation session with a monk.
BHUTAN TOUR DATES:
All of our Bhutan tours are private, tailor-made journeys for independent travel on dates of your choosing. We can easily customise your Bhutan tour to spend more in the places doing the activities that you are interested in. Please click on the ‘Tailor-Design This Tour’ tab above to begin customising this tour to your requirements. This tour can be experienced all year around.
Paro, Thimphu and Punakha Tour Itinerary
Following lunch, visit Kyichu temple, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan which was built in 7th century. Attend a special purification ceremony at the temple performed by monks. This ceremony is mainly performed to purify and to bring good luck to you for your trip in Bhutan. Afterwards, drive to the capital, Thimphu (1.5 hours) following the Pachu River. Before dinner at the hotel there will be an orientation on Bhutanese etiquette by your guide. Overnight at your hotel in Thimphu.
Then visit the National Memorial Chorten, built in the memory of the Third King and for world peace. Continue on to the picturesque 12th century Changangkha Temple and Nunnery at Zilukha.
Afterwards visit the Folk Heritage Museum featuring an exhibition of items and artifacts of Bhutanese villages and rural households. After visiting the museum we will walk to School for Arts & Crafts which is located close to the museum. This is one of the interesting schools where young boys & girls learn 13 different skills of arts & crafts in Bhutan. If your visit to Thimphu coincides on a weekend, you can visit the weekend vegetable market (open from Friday To Sunday). Overnight at your hotel in Thimphu.
Before reaching Punkha, visit Royal Botanical Garden in Lamperi. The park (47 square kilometers) serves as biological corridor connecting Jigme Dorji National Park and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, and features a variety of forest types, spectacular scenery, natural rhododendron groves, endangered wildlife and a lake.
Continue your drive towards Punakha through beautiful countryside offering a glimpse of everyday life in this most remote of Himalayan kingdoms. In the Dochu-La area there are vast Rhododendron forests that grow to tree size and bloom in late April/early May covering the mountains in a riot of glorious spring colour.
Punakha was the ancient capital of Bhutan. On arrival, visit Punakha Dzong, the “Palace of Great Happiness” built in 1637 by the Shabdrung, the ‘Unifier of Bhutan’ as predicted by the great Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambhava). It is situated at the confluence of the Mo Chu and Pho Chu (Mother and Father Rivers) and is the winter headquarters of the Je Khenpo and hundreds of monks who move from Thimphu to this warmer location. The three-story main temple of the Punakha Dzong is a breathtaking example of traditional architecture with four intricately embossed entrance pillars crafted from cypress and decorated in gold and silver. It was here on 17th December 1907, Bhutan’s first king was crowned. Overnight at your hotel in Punakha/
Afterwards short walk to Chimi Lhakhang, temple of the Drukpa Kuenly who is also known as the Divine Madman. He inherited the Divine Madman title since he revolted against the orthodox Buddhism in his time. He taught the people that religion is an inner feeling and it’s not necessary that one should be an ordained monk. He is also considered a symbol of fertility and most childless couples go to his temple for blessing.
Then enjoy exploring the villages in and around Lobesa valley where you will have the opportunity to interact with local people and learn more about rural life style in Bhutan. Overnight at your hotel in Punakha.
On arrival Enjoy a stroll through downtown Paro before checking into the hotel. Overnight at your hotel in Paro.
The adventure begins with an early morning drive up to the Sang Choekor to meet our ponies and while they are being loaded we may pay our respects at the college.
Above and ahead the Chhoe Tse Lhakhang (temple) nestles in the mountainside 1-2 hours walk away. Our home for the night is tucked in under Bumdra Monastery (cave of a thousand prayers) making the most of the awesome views of the Himalayan range. After lunch we can visit the monastery (if it is occupied) and also climb the peak to the north (about 4000m) for even better views, returning in time for a dinner.
Duration: 4-5 hours to camp 2-3 hours return trek to peak (optional)
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard. Overnight at Bumdra Wilderness Camp.
After a hearty breakfast, we either head straight back into the valley or linger a while soaking up the view and perhaps hang some prayer flags of our own. Eventually we have to drop back into the ancient pine and rhododendron forest on the monks’ winding trail.
After a couple of hours of descent, we begin to catch glimpses of the golden temples below. The path snakes across the mountainside between these monasteries before reaching the gardens of Zangtopelri (Heaven on Earth) from which you can peer over the edge and straight down onto the ornate rooftops of Taktsang Monastery, perched against the cliff-face far below. An hour later and we are at the gates of Taktsang looking across the gorge; a steep descent to a waterfall then up some steps and we pass into Tiger’s Nest itself. The Monastery is an important pilgrim site for the Buddhists. The great Guru Rimpoche is said to have flown here on the back of a tigress when he brought the teachings of the Buddhist Dharma to Bhutan in the 8th Century. He then mediated in a cave there for three months where the monastery was later built. The cave is said to be the origin of Buddhism in Bhutan.
Retracing our steps, we begin the final descent of about 45 minutes to reach our vehicle and drive further up the valley to the reconstruction site of Drukgyel Dzong, originally built in 1644 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to control northern route to Tibet (from here, it is only a two-day hike to the border with Tibet, China dominated by Mt Jhomalhari ).
Difficulty: Moderate.
Overnight at hotel in Paro.
More Details about Paro, Thimphu and Punakha Tour
Inclusions
- Hotel
- Bhutan Tourist Tariff Royalty & Visa fees.
- All private excursions and transfers in superior air-conditioned vehicle.
- Local English speaking guide/tour leader.
- Experienced driver.
- Accommodation in carefully selected, highest standard government approved hotels & guesthouses.
- All meals in Bhutan.
- All entrance fees and permits.
Exclusions
- All personal expenses such as bars, beverages, laundry, telephone and tips.
- Medical / Travel Insurance.
Payments Terms
- * 20% Advance Percentage of total booking amount
VALUE-ADDED OPTIONS
- In addition to offering independent, flexible tour options, Bhutan Travel Bureau can also arrange a variety of “add on” options to provide a more in-depth experience of Bhutan. These include:
- Cooking lessons
- A farmhouse stay
- “Ara” (rice liquor) brewing lessons
- Monastery experience
- Evening dinner & culture show
- Alternatively, you can awaken your senses with a range of wellbeing and spa retreats offering yoga, pilates, meditation, healing bodywork, hot stone baths and massage.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
- * Upon cancellation, refund will be made after deducting the Retention Amount.
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