Wonders of Bhutan - 7 Days

Wonders of Bhutan - 7 Days

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7 Days From

$3635

Wonders of Bhutan - 7 Days

7 Days Starting and ending in Paro

Visiting: Paro, Thimphu, Punakha

Tour operator:

On The Go Tours

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

2 - 16

Age range:

18 yrs or 16 yrs with an adult

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians, Please contact On The Go Tours with specific dietary requests

Tour operated in:

English

Trip Styles:

Small Group

From: $3635

NB: Prices correct on 30-Jun-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

Uncover a nation untouched by modern civilisation with a week long journey through the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Set off from Paro to explore the capital city of Thimphu, the spectacular Punakha Valley and the famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery.

Highlights

  • Tiger’s Nest Monastery - Hike up to this famous Buddhist monastery, perched on a cliff face

  • Punakha Valley - Visit the beautiful Punakha Dzong, hike up to Chimi Lhakhand Temple and camp beside the scenic Mo Chu River

  • Paro - Enjoy a guided tour of the city, including the National Museum and Rinphung Dzong

  • Thimphu - Explore Bhutan’s capital city on a full day sightseeing tour including Memorial Chorten

  • Dochula Pass - Marvel at the spectacular Himalayan peaks and surrounding landscapes

  • Villages of Talo or Nobgang - explore the ancestral home of the Queen Mothers of Bhutan

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Paro

Location: Paro

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Nak-Sel Boutique Hotel & Spa

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Saturday. Welcome to Bhutan and the start of your holiday! You’ll be met at Paro Airport and transferred to your hotel to enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 2 : Thimphu

Location: Thimphu

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Migmar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Paro - Thimphu. This morning we enjoy a guided tour of the National Museum, housed within the old watch tower Ta Dzong perched on a hilltop overlooking the city. After browsing the museum’s exhibits we head to the impressive Rinphung Dzong, the backdrop for the Hollywood film Little Buddha. Later this afternoon, we drive to Thimphu and visit the weekend market. From Friday onwards vendors from surrounding villages travel to Thimphu to display their wares until Sunday afternoon when the market ends.

Day 3 : Thimphu

Location: Thimphu

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Migmar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

An intriguing blend of modernity and antiquity, Thimphu - Bhutan’s capital, allows travellers to step away from the typical tourist experience and be part of something wholly unique. Today we enjoy a full day of sightseeing, including stops at the Memorial Chorten - a beautiful stupa built in the memory of Bhutan’s third King, and the National Library - which has a vast collection of ancient Buddhist texts, manuscripts and modern academic books. We’ll also visit the Drubthob Nunnery, Folk Heritage Museum and the Takin Preserve where you can spot Bhutan’s national animal.





For those that appreciate local crafts we’ll stop at various workshops to see a wide assortment of beautifully hand-woven and crafted products, including a visit to the Handicrafts Emporium.

Day 4 : Punakha

Location: Punakha

Accommodation: Camp

Accommodation Name: Mo Chu River Camp

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Thimphu - Punakha Valley. An early start this morning takes us on the road to Punakha, climbing up through oak, pine and rhododendron forest to reach Dochu La Pass (3050m). After a short break we continue onto the spectacular Punakha Valley, where we enjoy a scenic 1.5 - 2 hour walk up to Chimi Lhakhang Temple - dedicated to Lama Drukpa Kunley (also known as the Divine Mad Monk). After our hike, we visit the impressive Punakha Dzong, a massive structure built at the confluence of the Pho Chu and Mo Chu rivers, and an exemplary masterpiece of Bhutanese architecture.





Later this afternoon we head to our campsite for some time to relax or explore the natural surrounds. In the early evening, you can opt for a hot stone bath served with local drinks, followed by dinner.

Day 5 : Punakha

Location: Punakha

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Mo Chu River Camp

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Punakha - Paro. After an early breakfast, we hike for approximately 2 - 2.5 hours, up through rice fields and along the banks of the Mo Chu river to the Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten, a stunning temple located on a hill with picturesque views of the valley below. We continue our exploration of the area with a drive to the charming villages scattered along a ridge above the Punakha Valley. Later this afternoon, we'll stop for a picnic lunch before visiting Sangchen Dorji Lhendrup Nunnery, perched on a ridge with spectacular views of the Punakha and Wangdue Valleys. Apart from religious training, the nuns are also taught skills such as embroidery, tailoring and statue making. After our visit to the nunnery we drive to Paro.

Day 6 : Paro

Location: Paro

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Nak-Sel Boutique Hotel & Spa

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Taktshang Pelphung Monastery or Tiger’s Nest Monastery as it is often referred to, is one of the most venerated and famous of Bhutan’s monasteries. It is located on the face of a sheer 900m cliff above the floor of Paro Valley. Today we embark on a scenic 4 - 6 hour hike, to view this spectacular and unmissable sight. The monastery is only accessible on foot or you can ride a pony part of the way (this must be arranged in advance by your guide).





From the trail (2600m) we take a steep one hour walk up to a cafeteria where you can enjoy refreshments and the wonderful views of Taktshang (2940m). Those who wish to proceed further must travel on foot, the trail continues uphill for another 45 minutes to a high observation point (3140m) where there is a Chorten (stupa). From this vantage point, the lookout to the monastery is incredible and seems almost close enough to touch. Continuing down a flight of cliff-hanging steps on the narrow trail you’ll reach a beautiful waterfall that plunges down the deep chasm and alongside is a retreat hermitage, jammed dramatically into a rock crevice. Then, the final climb up the flight of steep steps to the monastery. At any point during this walk, you can return if you find it too difficult, though we would like to note that client feedback highlights today's trek as one of the most rewarding and worth continuing to reach the top.



Once inside the monastery, there are several shrines and temples to explore, and you will see a few monks in residence too. After exploring the monastery, we walk back to the cafeteria for lunch before retracing our steps back to the road to journey back to Paro.



This evening we enjoy a traditional Bhutanese dinner at a farm house, giving you the opportunity to interact with a local family and learn about the local cuisine of Bhutan.

Day 7 : Paro

Location: Paro

Meals Included: Breakfast

Friday. After breakfast, our tour concludes and we bid you farewell, after transferring you to Paro airport to meet your onward flight.

What's Included

  • Accommodation

    3-4 star

  • 6 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners

  • 5 nights 3-4 star hotels and 1 night camping near the banks of scenic Mo Chu River

  • Airport arrival and departure transfer on day 1 & day 7 (only)

  • Guided sightseeing of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and the Punakha Valley

  • Traditional Bhutanese dinner at a farm house, giving you the opportunity to interact with a local family

  • Escorted by a licensed English-speaking local tour guide

  • All relevant transfers and transportation in private A/C vehicles

  • Entrance fees to all included sightseeing

  • All Bhutan government royalties and taxes

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What's Not Included

  • International flights, Bhutan visa administration fee payable upon arrival USD$20

  • Tipping - an entirely personal gesture

Age Policy

18 yrs or 16 yrs with an adult

Check out our Q&As

  • What is the maximum group size?

    16

  • What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?

    3-4 star

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Airport arrival and departure transfer on day 1 & day 7 (only)

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    Ensuring our footprint is light and that the benefits of travelling reach the local communities you visit is paramount to us. We’re proud to say that when travelling with us, the large majority of your holiday funds remain within the countries you visit, supporting local economies at a grass roots level.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Since 1998

  • Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?

    With English-speaking tours, it's not a huge surprise that most on our travellers are from English-speaking countries or have English as their second language. Our group tours cater for everyone from 18 years old to 70+

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes

Reviews of this operator

Nicola Hodgkinson (Google Reviewer)  

Recently returned from Greece, a...

07-May-2024

Recently returned from Greece, a 5 day tour with OTG. Unfortunately, I had a negative experience on day 2 where I needed local support to get me out of a tricky situation. Thank you to Alexandra Z from Hetco Tours in Athens for helping me continue on with the trip, to the Hotel Zafolia staffing team and to Danielle and team here in the UK for supporting me with the aftermath. Your kindness will not be forgotten and I will pay it forward. I've now booked 3 trips with yourselves and will continue to go back. Thank you all. Honestly, I am SO grateful. Blessings to you all. Nicola

Calvin  

Wonderful experience

05-Jan-2023

Jamal is our tour guide. Right from the start, he created a group chat in whatsapp and if any issues to make sure we contact him. He was on the ball with every issue thrown at him. Luggage being left behind, stragglers wondered off in a different path, hotel room etc. He explains the various site along our route to give us a better understanding of the local cultures. We had a great time, thanks to Jamal.

Trustpilot
Norma Sullivan  

Land of the Northern Lights 5 day tour of Iceland

10-Sep-2021

The Land of Northern Lights tour was a triumph! My tour of Southern Iceland was absolutely wonderful. The venues chosen, the timing allotted at each venue and the variety of things to experience was nearly perfect. Our guide, "Thor", was smart, amusing, full of history and anecdotal stories as well as being incredibly hospitable and helpful. This small group experience was my first, but not my last thanks to On the Go.

Trawls (Google Reviewer)  

On The Go Tours Sri...

05-Feb-2024

On The Go Tours Sri Lanka was an incredible experience that was made even better by our tour guide Akthar. He was incredibly knowledgeable about his country and he loved sharing it with us. The tour covers a wide range of activities so you can truly experience what Sri Lanka is all about. The beautiful 4-5 star hotels at the end of every day was an absolute bonus. Thanks for a great trip OTGT I’m sure this won’t be my last

Xtreme Floor Care (Google Reviewer)  

Traveled through Egypt with On...

30-Nov-2023

Traveled through Egypt with On the Go Tours, professional service, very informative and helpful tour guides. The choice of hotels was excellent... Definitely recommend this company

Gavin Harrigan  

King Tutankhamun 10 day tour of Egypt

16-Sep-2021

I have just returned from my tour with On The Go and it was an amazing trip! From arriving at the airport and meeting the OTG representative, everything was well organised and hassle free.  Our tour guide was Amir. He is awesome!! From the beginning he was so friendly and enthusiastic about showing us around Egypt, giving us loads of information at each place and time to explore ourselves. Learnt so much from him about this fascinating place, and he was always happy to answer more questions.   The trip itself was amazing. There's lots of travelling on this trip, but it's really not too bad, and the sights you see when you get to where you are going are worth it. I'm not a big fan of boats, but the Felluca ride across the Nile was pretty fun too.  On the first day I also did the optional tour of Cairo with Ahmed Helal - another excellent guide from OTG. It's worth doing this add on as you don't spend much time in Cairo, and you go to three very different places.  I'm so glad that I decided to do this trip. It was just ace.  If you're thinking about it too, you should probably just book it. And hopefully you get Amir as your guide.

Paul Kelly (Google Reviewer)  

TOTALLY MOROCCO We booked a 9...

26-Feb-2023

TOTALLY MOROCCO We booked a 9 day tour of Morocco visiting many main cities and places of interest. The coach was very comfortable and we felt safe with the driver Suliman. The guide was Hicham Touraouine and he was fantastic. He spoke perfect English as well as French, Arabic and Berber. He was so kind and considerate and made a good tour great. We particularly enjoyed ‘glamming in the Sahara Desert. So much to see and do and great food and company. We would definitely use On The Go Tours again, especially if Hicham was the guide. Paul & Penny

Joyce Heitler (Google Reviewer)  

I would give this tour...

09-May-2024

I would give this tour group no stars if possible. The tour was not guaranteed but they did not inform me when I booked and they did not have enough people. Way after I booked they said I needed a doctors letter because I was over 70. Also way after booking I was informed I needed travel insurance. They knew my age when I booked. They would not refund my tour even though it was 4 months away.

Sarah Paterson (Google Reviewer)  

Terrible tour of India. For...

27-Dec-2023

Terrible tour of India. For some reason On the Go hadn't realised that my room mate had booked her own room for the first night of tour. So the hotel in Delhi had tried to put me in her room after midnight, by wheeling in an extra bed. She went Crazy!! I then had to sit in hotel reception for hours. While the tour guide said he couldn't find me a room. Throughout the tour the guide consistently ask me and my room mate for money for my room, causing more friction between us. Don't book with this company had the worst experience ever. Go with Intrepid or G Adventure

brandy hoffman (Google Reviewer)  

I had used them once...

09-Aug-2023

I had used them once before and loved them. I decided to try them again for a Baltic tour not knowing that they put me on another Tour group- Baltic vision. Loved that tour but was not impressed they marked up the cost for me over 100%. I understand taking some for yourself because of paperwork, but over double the cost everyone else paid on the tour. Just double check before you book with them that you’re not over paying.

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  • Transfer as credit to Future Tours

    On The Go Tours allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform on the go tours, 60 days before departure.

  • Low Deposit

    On The Go Tours requires a minimum deposit of 300 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of on the go tours charges.

    Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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