Grand Annual Festival of PARO Tshechu and Cultural Tour of Bhutan

Your guide and the driver will receive you at the Paro International Airport then go on your first adventure in the Land of the Thunder Dragon.

First, you will visit the National Museum of Bhutan. Located in Paro just above the Rinpung Dzong (administrative headquarter of Paro district where the festival will be taking place), the National Museum is housed in a 17th-century watchtower called Paro Ta Dzong built in 1649. It displays hundreds of ancient Bhutanese artifacts and artworks including traditional costumes, armour, weaponry and handcrafted implements for daily life. The collection at the National Museum preserves a snap-shot of the rich cultural traditions of the country.

Visit and auspicious Paro Kyichu Lhakhang. Located just a few minutes drive from the main town of Paro, Kyichu Lhakhang is one of the oldest monasteries in Bhutan. It is believed to have been built on a single day in 659 A.D. by King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet in his effort to build 108 such temples across the Himalayan region to subdue the spirit of a demoness who was causing obstruction to the spread of Buddhism.

Visit Drukgyal Dzong. Located about 14km away from Paro main town is Drukgyal Dzong (the fortress of the Victorious Drukpa). It was built in 1649 to commemorate a victory against the invasion by Tibetan-Mongol forces. The Dzong was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1951. Today, the Dzong is under reconstruction and it is expected to take few years before restoring to its former glory.

Leisure time around Paro town.

Today after breakfast, you will visit the 17th-century Paro Rinpung Dzong and witness one of the largest festivals in Bhutan, the annual Tshechu of Paro. Later you will be transferred to Thimphu and visit an auspicious and one of the largest Buddha statue.

Paro Rinpung Dzong was built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in 1646 and established as the administrative and monastic centre of the western region. The annual event of Paro Tshechu is held here. Tshechus are grand events where entire communities come together to witness sacred mask dances, receive blessings and socialize. In addition to the mask dances, Tsechus also include colorful Bhutanese folk dances and other forms of entertainment. After watching the Paro Tsechu, take a short walk to the traditional wooden cantilever bridge called Nemey Zampa, where your driver will be waiting for you. The roofed wooden cantilever bridge is built in traditional style and this type of bridge is called Bazam.

You will then be transferred to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. The road distance is 55km and takes about 1.5-hours.

On arrival in Thimphu, visit the gigantic Buddha statue. The marvelous 169ft tall bronze statue of Lord Buddha is located on a hilltop, Kuensel Phodrang, overlooking the Thimphu valley. The giant Buddha statue houses more than 100,000 8-inch tall Buddha statues of the same type.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will hike to one of the important religious centers in Bhutan. Later after lunch, transfer to Punakha valley via the sacred mountain pass called Dochula.

Tango is located on the mountainside north of Thimphu. There is also a monastery called Cheri located on a mountainside in the neighbourhood. Hiking to Tango is much easier as most part of the footpath is paved and the uphill ascent is not as steep. It is roughly 14km from the main Thimphu town. Following the trail through the forests, the walk uphill takes about 1.5 hour in slow pace. A traditional lunch will be served at Folk Heritage restaurant.

After lunch, visit the National Institute of Zorig Chusum (Zorig Chusum means 13 Traditional Arts & Crafts) was established to promote and preserve the thirteen traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan and to facilitate increased access in learning skills by Bhutanese youths. Closed on weekends and government holidays.

Transfer to Punakha valley. En route stop briefly at Dochu La Pass (3,150m/10,335ft from where you can see, on a clear day, some of the highest peaks of Bhutan.

Just about 11km before arriving Punakha town, visit Chimi Lhakhang popularly known as "The Temple of Fertility" located on a gentle hilltop near the village of Sopsokha. To reach the temple, you have to walk 20 – 30 minutes through beautiful terraced paddy fields and traditional farmhouses.

You will explore the nearby village and interact with the local people.

Driving time from Thimphu to Punakha: 2.5-hours

On Day 4 of your trip, you will do a short hike to a picturesque temple on a peaceful hilltop and after lunch, transfer to the pristine Phobjikha valley where you will visit an important landmark not only in the valley but also in the region.

After early breakfast, you will be going for a 2.5-3 hour round trip hike to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyel Chorten. The hike takes you through terraced rice fields and a short climb before reaching the peaceful sacred site. The view below is stunning with glacial fed Mochu river snaking through the fertile valley of Punakha.

After the hike, drive back to Punakha town for lunch and then visit the masterpiece of Bhutanese architecture, the 17th century Punakha Dzong. You will spend some time appreciating the ornately carved wooden pillars and sacred wall paintings.

From there walk to the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan that runs over Phochu (male) river.

Then transfer to Phobjikha valley. Driving time from Punakha to Phobjikha valley: 3 hours

Today, you will do an exiting Gangtey Nature Hike through the pristine valley to learn about the local people living in the valley. After lunch, transfer back to Paro via the oldest fortress in Bhutan, Simtokha Dzong.

After breakfast, visit the most important landmark in the valley, the 17th-century Gangtey Monastery. From here go on an exhilarating Gangtey Nature Hike. The trail is about 5km and takes approximately 3 hours through the woods surrounded by splendid nature all around, wonderful meadows, beautiful traditional village houses, farmlands and crystalline streams. This short nature trail gives you a great feeling of the valley and understanding of the livelihood of the people living there. Lots of opportunities to take beautiful pictures!

After lunch, drive back to Paro. Driving time from Phobjikha to Paro 4.5-5 hours.

En route stop briefly at Simtokha Dzong, the first Dzong built in 1631 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel who founded the nation-state of Bhutan.

After an early breakfast at the hotel, you will hike to the famous Paro Taktsang and later in the evening visit a beautiful farmhouse for an authentic home-cooked traditional Bhutanese cuisine.

Drive to the base of the Taktsang monastery from where the hike begins. Taktsang monastery is located on a sheer 800-meter rocky cliff in Paro. After an hour of steep uphill hiking on the ancient trails shaded by pine trees, you'll reach a nice cafeteria from where you can see the spectacular view of the Taktsang monastery. Taktsang, or the Tiger’s Lair (people prefer to call Tiger’s Nest), is regarded as one of the most important monasteries in Bhutan.

The round trip hike takes about 4-5 hours for most visitors but you can hike at your own pace. Oneway horse riding is available on your way up for about USD20 up to the midpoint (Taktsang Cafeteria).

After lunch at the Taktsang Cafeteria, retrace your footstep back to the base where the driver will be waiting.

Towards the late afternoon, you will visit a beautiful farmhouse and enjoy delicious home-cooked local cuisine. You may participate and learn how to cook some popular local dishes. If you are interested in a home spa, you can soak up in a therapeutic and revitalizing traditional hot stone bath for a fee of about US$15. Specially selected stones believed to contain minerals are heated in a wood fired fireplace and dropped into a chamber of wooden tub releasing minerals. You can lighten up with a warm cup of locally brewed liquor known as “Ara” and feast on home-cooked authentic Bhutanese cuisine.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Paro International Airport for your onward journey. Our guide and driver will bid you farewell.