9N/10D Samdrup Jongkhar and Eastern Bhutan - The East First, and the West After

Samdrup Jongkhar, Trashigang, Mongar, Bumthang, Punakha, Paro · 9 nights / 10 days · Bhutan

From ₹37,624 per person

The East First, and the West After. Stay plan: Samdrup Jongkhar (1N) – Trashigang (2N) – Mongar (1N) – Bumthang (2N) – Punakha (1N) – Paro (2N). Arrive Guwahati Airport, India, with road entry at Darranga, depart Paro International Airport.

Where the nights are

Samdrup Jongkhar (1N) → Trashigang (2N) → Mongar (1N) → Bumthang (2N) → Punakha (1N) → Paro (2N)

Day by day

Day 1 — Arrival and transfer to Samdrup Jongkhar
Arrive at Guwahati Airport, India, with road entry at Darranga. Clear immigration and baggage, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel in Samdrup Jongkhar — a 110 km, three-hour drive north from Guwahati. The south-eastern border town where the eastern road meets the Assam plain. The rest of the day is free to settle in. Overnight in Samdrup Jongkhar.
Overnight: Samdrup Jongkhar
Day 2 — Samdrup Jongkhar to Trashigang
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Trashigang — a 180 km, six-hour descent to the Assam plain. The largest town of the east, above the Drangme Chhu, and the junction for Merak, Sakteng and the Indian border. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Trashigang Dzong on its cliff above the river. Overnight in Trashigang.
Overnight: Trashigang
Day 3 — Trashigang: Gom Kora temple and its sacred rock
Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Trashigang — the Gom Kora temple and its sacred rock; the Rangjung monastery and the Radhi weaving village; and the Trashigang Dzong on its cliff above the river. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Trashigang.
Overnight: Trashigang
Day 4 — Trashigang to Mongar
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Mongar — a 90 km, three-hour drive east. The first town of the east, on a hillside reached by one of the more spectacular road descents in the Himalaya. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Mongar Dzong, built in the 1930s in the old manner. Overnight in Mongar.
Overnight: Mongar
Day 5 — Mongar to Bumthang
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Bumthang — a 190 km, seven-hour drive over the Thrumshingla 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 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
Day 8 — 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
Day 9 — 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
Day 10 — 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.