Suggested itinerary
If you have 6 night and 7day for Bhutan:
National Happiness Tour:
Day1 Arrival at Paro International Airport/ Thimphu
- Upon arrival at Bhutan, transfer to Thimphu, the drive is around 1.5 hours.
- Stop at 15th century temple for short walk through the Iron chain bridge.
- Check into hotelJumulhari/ Pedling Hotel and have dinner at the hotel.
Day 2. Biggest Buddha/ hike to Historical governor’s palace.
- Visit memorial chorten built in 1974 by Late Her Majesty Ashi kezang choden wangchuk.
- Visit Buddha point to enjoy whole Thimphu valley.
- Visit 13 traditional art and craft school, established in 1968 by late His Majesty.
- Stop at the Post office for personalize stamps.
- After lunch, meet an some old ladies at a small temple, sipping tea, learn the lifestyle of Bhutanese. And join them for their silent moment, to pray or to make offerings of butter lamp.
- Start your gentle and easy hike to governor’s palace through beautiful pine forest against rice valley view below.
- Dinner and stay overnight at Jumulhari Hotel/ Pedling Hotel.
Day3 Punakha Via Dochula pass, 3050 meter from sea level, view Himalaya
- Visit oldest Dzong/ fortress, Semtokha Dzong built in 1629 by Zhabdrung a father of unifier in 17th century.
- Drive to Punakha with beautiful forest and mountains.
- Soon reach to Dochula pass, 3050meter from sea-level, one of the most beautiful pass in the country.
- View all the Himalaya from the pass, and walk around the 108 stupa of Druk wangyel temple
- Tea /coffee /lunch at the cafeteria on the pass.
- Continue your journey to Punakha, the subtropical vegetation.
- Enjoy beautiful village view and enjoy the farm land. Stop for photos of the beautiful rice field.
- Check in the hotel and have dinner. (Dragon’s nest resort / Meri Phumsum resort)
Day 4 Magnificent fort of Punakha Valley, hike to fertility temple, walk through villages
- After breakfast , drive to Punakha Dzong.
- Beautiful view of the Punakha Dzong, the Dzong is located at the confluence of the male and female river
- Punakha Dzong was built in 1637 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the second oldest in Bhutan; punakha is still used as the winter capital of Monastic body, during winter 1000 monk’s shift to Punakha from Thimphu because Thimphu is very cold.
- Lunch at the local restaurant.
- Hike/ walk to Chimi lhakhang, temple of the fertility, where many young couple who don’t conceive after long marriage would visit for blessing.
- Walk take 1hour through the beautiful rice field and farm houses, watch the farmers daily activities(easy walk).
- Dinner and stay overnight. (Dragon nest resort/meri phunsum resort)
Day 5 Drive to Paro, visit Kychu lhakhang and Paro town (5 hours drive)
- Drive to Paro via beautiful Dochula pass, another chance to see the snow capped Himalaya
- Stop at the cafeteria for hot tea/ coffee and have lunch at local restaurant.
- Visit the Paro Rimpung Dzong, fine example of Bhutanese architecture, built in 17th century, it is a house of administration and monastic body.
- Visit oldest Temple in Bhutan built in 7th century in the middle of beautiful rice field.
- Have dinner and stay overnight. (Tenzinling Hotel/ Mandala Resort)
Day 6 Paro valley spiritual day excursion to Tiger Nest/ Taktsang goemba
- Hike to taktsang monastery. It normally takes 7-8 hours including photo stop and lunch at the cafeteria on the middle of the montain.
- It is possible to ride ponies instead of hiking up.
- 1hour to first view point, where there is cafeteria
- Visit monastery, no camera and mobile phone inside the temple
- Enjoy the last dinner at Bhutan and stay overnight. (Tenzinling Hotel/ Mandala Resort)
Day 7 Depart
- Departs early, after breakfast, your guide and driver will see you off at the airport. You need to check in two hours before departure.
If you have 4 nights for Bhutan:
Day 1: Arrive at Paro air port; drive to Thimphu.
- Take a drive to Thimphu following Pa Chhu downstream.Drive to Thimphu, stop at 15th century temple for short walk through the Iron chain bridge.
- Check into the hotel and have lunch
- Visit memorial chorten built in 1974 by Late Her Majesty Ashi kezang choden wangchuk
- Drive on to the BBS Tower Viewpoint or the Buddha point for a stunning view of the valley.
- Dinner at hotel
Day 2: Drive to Punakha via Dochula pass, 3050m from sea-level
- Breakfast at the hotel and then will drive about 3 hours to Punakha with beautiful forest and mountains. Reach the Dochula pass, 3050meter from sea-level, one of the most beautiful pass in the country. (On a clear day you will see all the Himalaya from the pass)
- Visit Druk wangyel temple and walk around the 108 stupas while enjoying beautiful village view and make photo stops for the beautiful rice field.
- Lunch at the cafeteria on the pass
- Drive to visit a stunning hill-top nunnery - Sangchen Dorji Lhundrup Chholing. Chat with the nuns and enjoy the charm of the surroundings!
- Stay overnight at Punakha
Day 3: Drive back to Paro via Thimphu
- After breakfast drive back to Paro via beautiful dochula pass
- Stop for tea or coffee at the pass against Himalaya view
- After Lunch, visit Paro Dzong built in the beginning of 17th century.
- Visit Kychu lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan built in 7th century.
- Leisure walk around Paro town
- And stay overnight in Paro.
Day 4: Hightlight of Paro valley-Tiger’s nest hike (Takstsang)
- Today we make an excursion to Taktshang Monastery – monastery with the most outstanding setting in Bhutan. Set on a vertical cliff face at 2950m above sea level, it defies all engineering logic. Hike 3 hours up to get a more dramatic view of the monastery.
- Stay overnight in Paro
Day 5. Depart: After breakfast, transfer to the airport and fly out to Kathmandu and then connect flight back to China.
