8N/9D Gelephu and Central Bhutan Southern Gateway - In From the Assam Foothills

Gelephu, Trongsa, Bumthang, Punakha, Paro · 8 nights / 9 days · Bhutan

From ₹33,533 per person

In From the Assam Foothills. Stay plan: Gelephu (1N) – Trongsa (2N) – Bumthang (2N) – Punakha (1N) – Paro (2N). Arrive Guwahati Airport, India, with road entry at Gelephu, depart Paro International Airport.

Where the nights are

Gelephu (1N) → Trongsa (2N) → Bumthang (2N) → Punakha (1N) → Paro (2N)

Day by day

1. Day 1 — Arrival and transfer to Gelephu

   Arrive at Guwahati Airport, India, with road entry at Gelephu. Clear immigration and baggage, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel in Gelephu — a 250 km, six-hour drive west along the Assam foothills. The south-central border town, warm all year, and the gateway to Royal Manas and the central valleys. The rest of the day is free to settle in. Overnight in Gelephu.

   Overnight: Gelephu

2. Day 2 — Gelephu to Trongsa

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Trongsa — a 230 km, seven-hour climb north through Zhemgang. 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

3. Day 3 — Trongsa: Ta Dzong watchtower and its royal heritage museum

   Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Trongsa — the Ta Dzong watchtower and its royal heritage museum; the Chendebji Chorten on the road in; and the Trongsa Dzong, the largest fortress in Bhutan. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Trongsa.

   Overnight: Trongsa

4. Day 4 — 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

5. Day 5 — 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

6. Day 6 — Bumthang to Punakha

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Punakha — a 200 km, six-hour drive over the Yotong and Pele passes. 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

7. Day 7 — Punakha to Paro

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Paro — a 125 km, four-hour drive back over the Dochula pass. 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

8. Day 8 — Paro: Rinpung Dzong and its cantilever bridge

   Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Paro — the Rinpung Dzong and its cantilever bridge; the Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan; and the National Museum in the old watchtower. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Paro.

   Overnight: Paro

9. 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.