SHANGRI-LA BHUTAN TOUR
(9NIGHTS /10 DAYS PACKAGE)

 

Trip Length: 10 Days/ 9 Nights
Cost: 1 person US $2180, 2 persons US $2090 each, 3 more US $1820 each.
Cost includes: Government royalty, Bhutan visa fee, all meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner), Evening Tea and snacks, Accommodations on twin sharing, Transport in comfortable vehicle, Entrance fees in museums and monuments, Service of a licenced english speaking guide and sightseeings as per the itinerary.
Cost does not include: Druk Air fare, Beverages and other personal bills.

 

Trip Facts
This itinerary combines the main valleys of Bhutan. Your adventure begins once you board the Drukair flight to Paro. You will experience breathtaking views of the Himalayan Peaks including sacred Chomolhari and Mt. Jichu Drake in Bhutan. You will explore the Paro, Thimpu, Punakha, Wangdiphodrang, Phobjikha and Haa valley.  You will visit the valley of the endangered Black Necked cranes, Hike to the Choki Ttraditional Art School where they train the poor disadvantaged childern in learning our rich traditional arts and crafts, visit Haa valley which is opened for tourist only from the year 2002, visit ancient monasteries and Dzongs, Hike through lush green valleys and villages with many opportunities to interact with the locals and conclude your visit to Bhutan with a hike to the magical ridge top “tigers nest” of Taksang Monastery.

 

Detailed Itinerary

 

Day One / Thimphu

 

During your flight to Paro, you will experience breathtaking views of the Himalayan Peaks including sacred Chomolhari and Mt. Jichu Drake in Bhutan. On arrival at Paro International Airport you will be received by our representative. We head out through idyllic countryside of terraced rice fields interspersed with rhododendron and pine forests as we make a 1.3-hour drive to Thimphu, the tiny capital at 7,600 feet. En route, we see our first examples of Bhutan’s remarkable traditional architecture, one of the country’s unique cultural treasures. Even the most remote village farmhouses are hand-crafted using the same ancient methods used to create Bhutan’s religious fortress-dzongs. Afternoon, visit the Tashichho Dzong. The ‘Fortress of the glorious religion’ houses the throne room of His Majesty the king, the main secretariat building and the central monk body. Its courtyard is open to visitors during the off-office hours. Overnight at Hotel.

 

Day Two / Thimphu / Phobjikha valley

 

We head out of town on a spectacular 5 Hrs drive to Phobjikha valley crossing the  Dochu La Pass at 3100mtrs from where you can see the 108 beautiful chortens built by Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk. From this pass, on a clear day, you can have a superb view of the highest peaks in Bhutan. After a hot cup of tea at a café atop the pass and time to savor the mountain views, we continue our drive to Phobjikha Valley.

Today we hike in the beautiful environment of the Phobjikha Valley and visit a farm house. It is a glacial valley on the western slopes of the Black Mountains. The only Nyingmapa monastry, Gangtey goemba sits prominently on a hill top. The valley is a designated conservation area and borders on the Black Mountain National Park. Because of the large flock of black-necked cranes(Grus nigricollis) that winter here, it is one of the most important wildlife preserves in the country. The Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), Crane Observation & Education Center was established in the Phobjikha Valley in 1996 by Bhutan’s government, with assistance from the World Wildlife Fund. The center studies the conservation needs of the valley and holds workshops for farmers and students. Here you can use the centers powerful binoculars to observe the cranes in the valley and also get information about the cranes. The rare and endangered black-necked crane occupies a special place in Bhutanese hearts and folklore. Its arrival every autumn from Tibet inspires songs and dances; it usually heralds the end of the harvesting season and signals the villagers that it’s now time to pack up and go to the warmer lower valleys since Phobjikha valley is snowed-in during the winter months. The world’s entire population of about 5000 black-necked cranes breeds in Tibet and Ladakh. They winter in south-central Tibet and Bhutan. Overnight at lodge.

 

Day Three / Phobjikha / Punakha

 

Morning sightseeing around the Phobjikha valley. Visit the carpet weaving center, The Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), Crane Observation & Education Center and visit the Gangtey goenpa monastery. We continue our drive to the Punakha Valley. Enroute stop at Wangdiphodrang and visit the beautiful Wangdiphodrang Dzong built in 1638, a beautiful example of Bhutanese architecture. A half-hour walk through mustard fields brings us to Chimi Lhakhang (lhakhang means temple), a monastery and fertility temple dedicated to Lama Drukpa Kuenley, a Tibetan Buddhist saint known popularly as “the divine madman” and considered a folk hero in Bhutan for his unconventional ways. Drukpa Kuenley originally built a chorten on the site in the 14th century. The temple, flanked by nearly 100 tall prayer flags, sits atop a picturesque hill and has long been a pilgrimage site for childless couples.  Overnight at Hotel.

 

Day Four / Khamsum Yuley Namgay Chorten / Punakha Dzong

 

Morning drive to Nezigang village and hike to Khamsum yuelley Namgyal Chorten, a shrine built by Her Majesty the Queen, Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck in 1999. The shrine is perched high on a hill on the opposite bank of the Mo chu river offering superb views of the Punakha valley. The hike is a gradual ascent through cultivated rice fields and little hamlets. In the afternoon, we visit the Punakha Dzong, built in 1637 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. It stands majestically at the junction of the two rivers – Pho Chu and Mo Chu(the Male and Female rivers). The Punakha Dzong is an architectural wonder and it has played a prominent role in the civil and religious life of the Kingdom. The Dzong had been destroyed four times by fire, earthquake and flood. The Dzong has been now fully restored to its original splendor. The official name of Druk Pungthang Dechen Phodrang translates as "the palace of great happiness." Overnight at Hotel.

 

Day Five / Punakha / Thimphu

 

Drive from back from Punakha to Thimphu crosiing over Dochula pass. After a hot cup of coffee at a café atop, we continue our drive to Thimphu. Visit the King's Memorial Stupa built in 1974, Changangkha Lhakhang, Jungshi Paper factory where they make traditional Bhutanese paper, the National Library that houses the worlds largest book, ancient Buddhist texts and manuscripts, Painting School famous for traditional thangkha paintings, visit the Folk heritage Museum founded by Her Majesty the Queen Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk. The museum is one of a kind that portrays the lifestyle of a genteel family in the Thimphu valley in the olden days. Visit the Choki Handicrafts shop where Bhutanese textiles and other handicrafts are displayed and can be purchased. The shop is closely linked to Choki Traditional Art School – many of the goods are produced in the school itself and all proceeds go towards the upkeep of the school and the provision of tuition for the students. Later, visit the Tashichho Dzong. The ‘Fortress of the glorious religion’ houses the throne room of His Majesty the king, the main secretariat building and the central monk body. Its courtyard is open to visitors during the off-office hours.  Overnight at Hotel.

 

Day Six / Day Hikes

 

Drive 13 KM north of Thimphu to Dodena. A one-hour hike this morning brings us up to Tango Monastery, a monastic school and retreat built in the 15th century. The monastery is the residence of the Druk Desi Gyaltsen Tenzin Rabgye, a lama who is a reincarnation of the 16th century monk who founded Tango (tango means horse’s head; the monastery is named for a rock formation on the mountain it is built on). Tango’s inner courtyard is beautifully painted in bright colors, with lovely views stretching across the Thimphu Valley. We descend and head by road to the Bagana bridge for a two-hour hike on a fairly level trail through beautiful riverside village of  Kabesa. Enroute we stop to visit the Choki Traditional Art School (CTAS), the only charitable art school in the Kingdom which gives opportunity to the economically disadvantaged students from different parts of Bhutan. Students of Choki Traditional Art School graduate with traditional arts and crafts skills which they can put to use to earn good living back in their home village. A presentation by the principal will be organized followed by lunch at the school.  After lunch there will be a campus tour and visit to the classrooms where the guest can interact with the students. Overnight at hotel.

 

Day seven, Haa Valley

 

Morning drive from Thimphu to Haa valley.

 

About Haa Valley : Haa Valley is set at an altitude of about 9,000 feet in western Bhutan. Just opened to outsiders in 2001, the Haa region is pristine and holds a wealth of traditional culture. It was for many centuries the center for trade between western Bhutan and the Chumbi Valley of Tibet. The mountain-ringed valley is dotted with fields of millet, barley, potatoes, and wheat. Its farmhouses are beautiful and richly adorned with traditional painted motifs. Three prominent hills dot the valley and are believed by the locals to be the physical manifestations of three very important Buddhist saints. The left-hand hill represents Manjushri (the god of wisdom who holds the flaming sword that cuts the knot of ignorance), the middle one is Chenrizig (the Buddha of compassion, of which the Dalai Lama is the human incarnation), and the right-hand hill is Chana Dorji (the protector god of Bhutan). Collectively they are known as rigsum (three hills).
After lunch at our lodge, we visit Lhakhang Karpo (“temple of the white dove”), a monastery believed to have been built in the 8th century by the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, after he sent two doves (one black and one white) to find a sacred place to build a monastery. Another legend tells how the local nomads erected the temples in a single day—hence the name of the valley, Haa, meaning “sudden.” The Lhakhang Karpo houses around 120 monks and is one of the oldest buildings in Bhutan. Visit the Haa dzong situated in the center of the valley. Overnight at Lodge in Haa.

 

Day Eight / Haa / Paro valley

 

The 2 Hrs winding road from Haa to Paro ascends through pastureland past grazing yaks, before reaching the 3,900m Cheli La Pass. 4KM below the pass towards Paro valley at a turn-off is a hearders’ camp marked by prayer flags. From here hiking trails lead up for 45 minutes to Kila goemba a nunnery, established as a meditation site in the 9th century and reputedly the oldest nunnery in Bhutan. The hike to the nunnery is truly rewarded with a superb view of the Himalayan Mountains and the Paro valley. Driving down into the Paro Valley, the scenery transforms from sub-alpine pasture brilliant with wildflowers, to lush forests of blue pine, cypress, larch, fir and rhododendron.
After freshening up at our hotel, we head out to visit the National Museum, housed in the round, multi-storied Ta Dzong, built in 1775. The museum's collection includes ancient artifacts, weapons, and stamps, and an incredible collection of silver teaware. From Ta Dzong, we drive to the nearby Paro Dzong, the religious and secular center of the Paro Valley. Overnight in Paro.

 

Day Nine / Hike to Taktsang Monastery

 

Hike to the famous Tigers lair “Taktshang Lhakhang” Clinging to a black rock face, 900 meters above the valley floor, nestles Taktshang Lhakhang, one of the holiest and the most beautiful site of Bhutan.  Taktshang, the tiger's lair, acquires its name from the legend of its foundation, when in the 8th Century Guru Rinpoche, widely revered as the second Buddha, arrived from Tibet flying across the mountains on the back of a tigress. He meditated at the site for three months, from where he used the religious cycle of the Kagye to subjugate the Eight Categories of Evil Spirits, and thus converted the region to Buddhism. The hike to the Monastery is a gradual climb through the quiet approach path winds through lush meadow, oak and rhododendron forest, past quaint hamlets, fluttering prayer flags and rotating prayer wheels. The hike takes you about 4-5 hours from the car park.  Tonight we gather for our farewell dinner. Overnight in Paro. Total Hiking Time: About 3 Hours

 

Day Ten / Depart

After breakfast, we transfer to Paro Airport for onward journey.