Saturday 1st July – Dhaka – Thimphu 

• If you were not with us for our tour of Bangladesh, meet the group at Dhaka airport at 12:30pm. After getting introduced to each other, we will proceed onwards to board our Druk Air flight to Bhutan`s only airport, Paro, leaving at 2:50pm.
• Arrival in Paro at 4:55pm.
• The airport in itself is a sight on its own. Nicknamed the world’s trickiest airport, Paro’s airport was built on Bhutan’s only flat land long enough to accommodate a runway, still, it is surrounded by mountains and requires pilots to be extremely skillful to land and take off here. Only a handful of pilots around the world are qualified to operate in this airport!
• Once at the airport, we’ll meet our local guides for the tour
• Our first stop will be Ta Dzong – built in 1649, an ancient watch tower which now houses the National Museum of Bhutan. This unusual building is in a conch shape with 2.5m thick wall.
• Visit Rinpung Dzong – built in 1646, the literally meaning is “The Heap of Jewels”. The Dzong presently functions as the Administrative centre of Paro district.
• Begin our 55km drive to Thimphu, across multiple river valleys, and on our way stopping at Tamchog Monastery built by Thangthong Gyalpo in the 15th century.
• We`ll also stop at Tamchhog Lhakhang, the place of worship for the legendary iron bridge builder. Thang Thong Gyalpo was a Tibetan who came to Bhutan in 1433 looking for Iron Ore. He built a total of 108 bridges across Tibet and Bhutan, out of which 8 were built in Bhutan. His only surviving bridge is in Duksum.
• Arrival in Thimphu, where we will check into our hotel.
• We will then head out for a wander through the streets of the capital, with its busy markets, surrounded by the locals, all wearing the compulsory national outfit.
• Greeting dinner and overnight in Thimphu at Hotel Lhayul

Sunday 2nd July – Thimphu

Morning

• Today is our city tour of Thimphu, we’ll begin the day by heading to the Memorial Chorten built in honour of the Third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. The paintings and statues give a rare insight into Bhutanese culture.
• Visit the huge statue of Buddha Dordenma. It is so big it is possible to enter it to visit three stories filled with chapels and 125,000 smaller statues of Buddha. From the top of the statue, you’ll get a tremendous view of the whole of the Thimpu Valley.
• Explore Changangkha Lhakhang, the oldest temple in Thimphu.
• Stop by the Takin Preserve centre.  Takin is the National animal of Bhutan. An odd looking creature believed to be a mix of goat and cow.
• We’ll visit to the top of Sangaygang viewpoint, this is also where the Bhutan Broadcasting Service Tower is located at an elevation of 2685m.
• We’ll finish our morning trip with a visit of Dupthop Lhakhang, one of the few surviving nunneries in Bhutan.

Afternoon

• Lunch of traditional Bhutanese food at a local restaurant
• After lunch, as it turns out today is also market day in Thimphu, so we`ll make sure to head out for some people watching at the market.
• We’ll drop by Changlimithang stadium, the national football stadium of Bhutan, and watch Archery matches.
• Visit Tashichho Dzong, seat of the National Government and Central Monastic Body.
• Dinner back in Thimphu. You can try Bhutanese butter tea or Ara, the national liquor!
• In the evening, you’ll get the opportunity to wander across the handicraft markets to get some souvenirs. Once everyone is shopped out, we’ll visit the different bars and clubs of Bhutan (yes, they exist!)
• Overnight in Thimphu at Hotel Lhayul

Monday 3rd July – Thimpu – Punakha – Thimpu

Morning

• Today, after breakfast, we’ll be exploring outside of the current capital to head to the ancient capital of Bhutan, Punakha (2 hours driving).
• On the way we’ll take a break at Dochu La Pass. Dochula is at 3050 metres above sea level and offers panoramic views of the Eastern Himalaya ranges. It is also renowned for its meditation caves, where practitioners isolate themselves, trying to achieve enlightenment.

Afternoon

• On the way to Punakha, you’ll notice how climate and vegetation changes as we are progressively getting to lower altitudes.
• We’ll stop by Sopsokha village to visit Chimi Lhakhang the Temple of Fertility built in the 15th century by the ‘Divine Madman’ Lama Drukpa Kuenley. He travelled throughout Bhutan and Tibet as a “Neljorpa” (Yogi) using songs, humour and outrageous behaviour to dramatize his teachings of salvation through sex.
• Then we will visit the imposing Punakha Dzong, “Palace of Great Happiness”. Built in 1637, it is strategically placed at the confluence of two rivers, the Po Chu and the Mo Chu.
• In the evening, we’ll head back to Thimphu with dinner and overnight at Hotel Lhayul.

Tuesday 4th July – Thimpu – Paro – Tiger’s Nest Monastery

Morning

• Today, we’ll drive an hour to Paro.
• We’ve kept the most physical part for the end! After breakfast, we’ll take a 2 hour trek up to Bhutan’s most famous site, the Tiger’s Nest Monastery.
• By its local name, Taktshang monastery, the building clings to the cliff, 900 metres above the valley’s bottom. Guru Rinpoche, revered all throughout Bhutan, is said to have flown to the site riding on a tigress and subsequently meditated here for three months. It is one of Bhutan’s most holy sites and draws pilgrims not only from Bhutan but also from neighbouring Buddhist countries.
• If you wish, you may hoist prayer flags near the Tiger’s Nest and offer prayers inside the monastery.

Afternoon

• Lunch in Paro, and then we’ll head to Drugyel Dzong, built in 1647 by the great Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. It served as a defence post against the Tibetan invasion during the ancient days. This Dzong was destroyed by an accidental fire and has been renovated.
• Explore Kichu Lhakhang, built in 659CE by the Tibetan King Srongsen Gampo. He built 108 Temples in a single day to pin the Ogress to the earth
  forever and at the same time, convert the Tibetan people to Buddhism. Six of these Temples lie in Bhutan; most prominent of them are Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang and Kichu Lhakhang in Paro. This Temple is said to hold the left foot of the Ogress and Jambay Lhakhang pins the left knee.
• In the evening, we’ll stroll around town observing the finest examples of Bhutanese architecture. 
• Dinner and overnight at Tsherim Resort.

Wednesday 5th July – Paro – Kathmandu  

Morning

• After breakfast we’ll drive an hour back to Paro to the airport where the tour will conclude. Unless you wish to join us to Nepal and Tibet! Wednesdays are the days with the most option out of Paro airport with Druk Air to Bangladesh, Kathmandu, India, Bangkok or Singapore. From Kathmandu, you could easily join our tour of Tibet!

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