travee+8N/9D Bumthang Spiritual Heartland - The Oldest Temples in the Kingdom
Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Trongsa, Bumthang · 8 nights / 9 days · Bhutan
From ₹33,533 per person
The Oldest Temples in the Kingdom. Stay plan: Paro (1N) – Thimphu (1N) – Punakha (1N) – Trongsa (1N) – Bumthang (3N) – Paro (1N). Arrive Paro International Airport, depart Paro International Airport.
Where the nights are
Paro (1N) → Thimphu (1N) → Punakha (1N) → Trongsa (1N) → Bumthang (3N) → Paro (1N)
Day by day
- Day 1 — Arrival and transfer to Paro
Arrive at Paro International Airport. Clear immigration and baggage, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel in Paro. The valley the only international airport sits in — a fortress over the river, the oldest temple in Bhutan and the Tiger Nest on the cliff above. The rest of the day is free to settle in. Overnight in Paro.
Overnight: Paro
- Day 2 — Paro to Thimphu
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Thimphu — a 55 km, ninety-minute drive up the Wang Chhu valley. The capital, and the only one in the world without a traffic light — a valley of dzongs, weaving studios and a very large seated Buddha. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Buddha Dordenma statue over the valley. Overnight in Thimphu.
Overnight: Thimphu
- Day 3 — Thimphu to Punakha
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Punakha — a 75 km, three-hour drive over the Dochula pass and its 108 chortens. The old winter capital at 1,200 m, warm enough for rice and oranges, with the finest dzong in the country at the meeting of two rivers. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Punakha Dzong at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu. Overnight in Punakha.
Overnight: Punakha
- Day 4 — Punakha to Trongsa
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Trongsa — a 130 km, four-hour drive over the Pele pass. The ancestral seat of the royal family, its dzong strung along a ridge above a gorge, commanding the only east-west road in the country. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Trongsa Dzong, the largest fortress in Bhutan. Overnight in Trongsa.
Overnight: Trongsa
- Day 5 — Trongsa to Bumthang
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Bumthang — a 68 km, two-and-a-half-hour drive over the Yotong pass. Four valleys that hold the oldest temples in Bhutan, the country buckwheat and its only brewery. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Jambay Lhakhang and the Kurjey Lhakhang. Overnight in Bumthang.
Overnight: Bumthang
- Day 6 — Bumthang: Jakar Dzong, the castle of the white bird
Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Bumthang — the Jakar Dzong, the castle of the white bird; the Tamshing Lhakhang and the Mebar Tsho burning lake; and the Ura valley drive and a cheese and beer tasting at Swiss Farm. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Bumthang.
Overnight: Bumthang
- Day 7 — Bumthang: Jambay Lhakhang and the Kurjey Lhakhang
Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Bumthang — the Jambay Lhakhang and the Kurjey Lhakhang; the Jakar Dzong, the castle of the white bird; and the Tamshing Lhakhang and the Mebar Tsho burning lake. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Bumthang.
Overnight: Bumthang
- Day 8 — Bumthang to Paro
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Paro — a 265 km drive over three passes, or a 30-minute flight from Bathpalathang. The valley the only international airport sits in — a fortress over the river, the oldest temple in Bhutan and the Tiger Nest on the cliff above. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Taktsang Tiger Nest monastery, a five-hour return climb. Overnight in Paro.
Overnight: Paro
- Day 9 — Paro — departure
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Time for any last shopping before your transfer to Paro International Airport for the onward flight. The tour ends here, and we hope it is not your last visit to Bhutan.
Inclusions
- Accommodation in Tourism Council of Bhutan approved hotels on double sharing basis.
- All meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner — for the whole tour, as the Bhutan tariff requires.
- A licensed English-speaking Bhutanese guide throughout, and a private vehicle with driver.
- All monument, dzong and museum entrance fees named in the programme.
- Bhutan entry permit and route permits processed before arrival.
- Mineral water in the vehicle and a hot stone bath where the programme names one.
- 24x7 on-tour coordination and a dedicated Bhutan destination desk.
Exclusions
- Airfare to Paro or to the entry gateway, and airport taxes on it.
- The Sustainable Development Fee levied by the Royal Government of Bhutan, quoted separately because it is a government charge and it changes by nationality.
- Travel insurance, which is compulsory for entry.
- Optional activities not named in the programme — rafting, mountain biking, archery, a helicopter transfer or a festival photography permit.
- Alcoholic and bottled beverages, laundry, telephone, tips and personal expenses.
- Peak-season and festival-period hotel supplements, and any Gala Dinner supplement.
- Anything arising from circumstances outside our control — road block, landslide, a cancelled Paro flight or a change of government levy.