5 Nights / 6 Days Cities Covered: >> Thimphu >> Punakha >> Paro

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1 Package Code :MY Address :FF-114, PEARL BUSINESS PARK, PLOT NO D-7, NETAJI SUBHASH PLACE, PITAMPURA, DELHIDelhi Contact: Bhutan Tour Price: 5445 (Pax 1) 5 Nights / 6 Days Cities Covered: >> Thimphu >> Punakha >> Paro Package Highlights: Inclusions : >> Daily breakfast at the hotels listed >> All transfer and sightseeing by Hiace bus as per the itinerary(vehicle not at disposal) Itinerary: Day 1: Thimphu: The flight into Bhutan takes you the great Himalayas, offering you the most scintillating scenery of the world's highest glacial peaks As you enter Paro valley, you will see the silvery Pa-chu (Paro river) meandering down the valley, the Paro Dzong (fortress) and the Ta Dzong KUZUZANGPOLA! WELCOME After completing the immigration formalities, we will exit the airport where our team will welcome you From Paro airport, we will start our drive towards the Capital of the Country, Thimphu We will take an hour of pleasant driving along the Pa Chu [Paro River] till Chunzum, the confluence point of Pa Chu and Wang Chu [Thimphu River] From here the road climbs steadily as we drive upstream along the Wang Chu passing the villages of Kharbije, Khasadrapchhu and Namseling As we approach Simtokha, we will have the first glance of the Capital of Bhutan, Thimphu Upon arrival check in at the hotel In the evening, visit the Tashichho Dzong; the main secretarial building which houses the throne room of His Majesty the King of Bhutan and also the head seat of Chief Abbot of Bhutan It is the summer resident of the monk body, the winter being in Punakha DzongLocated at the banks of the Wangchhu River the massive fortress was built in 1641 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and rebuilt in its present form in 1965 by the Third King of Bhutan Jigme Dorji Wangchuck Rest of the time at leisure to explorethe capital city

2 Overnight at the hotel Day 2: Thimphu: Today we will begin our day with the visit to the famous landmark of the capital, the Memorial Chorten, consecrated in the memory of the Third kind of Bhutan who is regarded as the father of the modern Bhutan Just as you enter the Chorten, you will be amazed to witness the local people, young and the old alike, circumambulate the Chorten with the prayer beads or the prayer wheel in hand, murmuring the sacred words of prayers The tall four storied Chorten contains statues and iconography of deities from the tantric teachings Next we will visit Buddha Dordenma, which is one of the largest Buddha statue in the World at 169 feet The body of the Buddha is filled with 1,25,000 smaller statues of Buddha The view of the Thimphu valley is spectacular from this point Iit is time to witness the National Animal of Bhutan, Takin, at the Takin Reserve Takin are related to sheep and weigh up 650 kgs According to the local folktale, the Devine Madman, Drukpa Kunley, created the Takin by joining the goat s head in the body of the Cow This interesting animal is an endangered species found only in few pockets of the Himalayas Visit Folk Heritage Museum One of the oldest house in Thimphu was converted in the Folk Heritage Museum in 2001 to give an insight into the traditional lifestyle of the Bhutanese forefathers It is like entering a traditional Bhutanese home in, say, 150 years back National Library Originally established in 1967 and housed inside the Tashicho Dzong, it was moved to the present site in 1984 It houses the important historical documents and photographs The World s biggest published book that weighs 68 kilograms and about 02 meters in height is also housed here Next visit the famous Changangkha Lhakhang, built in 13th century Situated on a small hill overlooking the Thimphu valley the monastery was built by Lam Phajo Dugom Zhigpo Children born in Thimphu are taken to this temple because it is considered the spiritual home of the children born in Chang valley and their names are considered here by taking the blessings from the protector deity Tamdrin If we are lucky, we can witness the local family with the child here performing the rituals Inside the Lhakhang, the central statue in the temple is Avalokitesvara, Buddha of compassion, in his manifestation with 11 heads, a thousand hands and eyes; it is built with bronze and plated with gold?? Overnight at the hotel Day 3: Thimphu: After breakfast, we will drive towards the Dochula Pass, a 16 kilometers, 40 minutes drive through the winding road, admist the forest of Pines and Juniper and the lovely view of the Simtokha Dzong as we ascend slowly towards Dochu La Pass In 2003, Bhutan chased the Indian rebels, hiding in Bhutan in the eastern border, out of the country with a minimal loss to the Bhutan army Some wanted to erect a monument for the victory, but the King replied that war should never be glorified So instead he commissioned this monument honoring the dead soldiers and the dead rebels from the conflict The 108 stupas is a memorial built then The 108 beautiful Chortens is built by Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck From this pass, on a clear day, you can have a superb view of the highest peaks, the sharp peak being Masagang

3 (7200 m) dominating the region, others are Tsendagang (6960 m), Terigang (7060 m),jejegangphugang (7158m) and Kangphugang (7170m) We will spend our time here, taking a stroll in between this 108 chortens, breathing in the fresh air, admiring the mountain ranges and getting lost in nature After this wonderful visit, we will take the downhill drive towards Punakha After your lunch, it is time to take a beautiful hike on the paddy fields towards Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Devine Mad Man called Drukpa Kuenley We can take a picturised and leisurely walk through the paddy field, no steep climb here, just easy walk in the paddy field The return journey takes about an hour and a half or two Punakha Dzong Next we will visit the most beautiful Dzong in Bhutan built in 1637 by Shabdrung, the spiritual and temporal ruler of Bhutan prior to the present dynasty It is an old capital, which still serves as the winter residence of the monk body The first King, Ugyen Wangchuck, was crowned here in 1907 It is now the winter residence of the Central Monastic Community and administrative headquarters of Punakha district Further drive from Punakha Dzong we will see one of the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan, spanning 350m and perched high above the very swift river of Po Chhu Draped with prayer flags, the bridge connects the town of Punakha and the Punakha Dzong, mainly used by locals from the other side of the town as a shortcut to Punakha Dzong Overnight at the hotel Day 4: Punakha: After breakfast we will retrace towards Dochula Pass and Simtokha, continue the descend along the Wang Chu [Thimphu River] to meet Pa Chu [Paro River] at Chunzom, the confluence point of Pa Chu and Wang Chu It will be interesting for the guest to take the walk on the bridge of the confluence point Notably are the 03 Chortens at the confluence point, of different style, 01 pertaining to Tibetan Style, the other of the Nepali Style and the last one of the Bhutanese style After the photographic season, we will continue our journey towards Paro along the Pa Chu A few kilometres from Chunzum is the Thamchok Lhakhang, a private temple owned by the descendent of the famous Tibetan bridge builder, Thangthong Gyelpo, also known as the Iron Chain Bridge Builder Still you can see the iron chain bridge which is built by him It is a photographer s delight Upon arrival in Paro check in at the hotel After lunch we will visit the Ta Dzong, the National Museum and the Rinpung Dzong [Paro Dzong] The Museum boasts of its collection of fine arts, paintings and bronzes There are also textiles, jewellery, and handicrafts sections as well as galleries of stuffed animals and butterflies from Bhutan The stamps hall is very popular and displays, among others, 3-D stamps, record stamps, silken stamps, embossed stamps and the famous triangular stamp depicting the yeti Located below the Museum is Paro Dzong Also called the Rinpung Dzong, the Fortress of the Heap of Jewels, Paro Dzong was built in 1645 by the Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel It is an imposing square fortress with a central tower and courtyards housing the administrative quarters and the monastic section After the visit, we will take the leisurely downhill walk to cross the typical Bhutanese Cantilever Bridge, one of the finest specimens in Bhutan with its shingle roof and two guard-houses at each end At the other end of the bridge will be our car and further drive to Hotel

4 Overnight at the hotel Day 5: Paro: Today the guest has the option to choose either hike to Taktsang Monastery or take can excursion to Chele la pass After breakfast drive 20 minutes to the end of the valley to Drukgyel Dzong from where one can see the towering peak of Jomolhari (7,316m, 24,003 ft) This mountain, also revered as a powerful goddess, forms the border with Tibet and provides magnificent background to the ruined Drukgyel Dzong and village Hike to Taktsang Monastery Taktsang Monastery, clinging on the steep rock, is one of the holiest temple in Bhutan It is believed that Guru Rinpoche flew on the Tigress back and meditated here The trek to the temple through the pine tree and sweet aroma of the air is indeed a very special and memorable event The return hike will take about hours The hike is usually till the cafeteria from where we will have a breath taking view of the Monastery and a photographer s delight After the visit it is an easy descend of 03 hours After the hike we will return back to our hotel NOTE: For the first 03 hours, we will take the ascend on the well marked trail to reach the cafeteria [lunch point] from where we will get the best view of the Tiger s Nest Further 02 hours hike will reach us to the Monastery However recommended hike is till the cafeteria Day 6: Paro: Transfer to the airport for your flight to India Hotel Details : Place Hotel Type Hotel Name Exclusion : >> Lunch, Dinner & Snacks >> The service of certified English speaking guide >> Travel Insurance >> Entrance fee to the Musuem & Monuments >> All Meals/Drinks not provided by us >> Expenses of personal nature like bar bills, telephone calls, laundry, extra mileage and any extra costs incurred due to natural calamities, landslides, flight delays etc Cancellation Policy : Prior - to 45 days or more 30% of tour costbetween days of departure 55% of tour costbetween days of departure 75% of tour costwithin 10 days to date of departure 95% of tour cost

5 Important Notes: >> Indian national travelling to Bhutan required VALID PASSPORT or ORIGINAL VOTER/ELECTION CARD and ORIGINAL birth certificate for children below 18 years Certificate issued by Govt of India >> The vehicle provided for the transfers and visits are as per the sightseeing point mentioned in the itinerary It is NOT at disposal The vehicle will report every morning at 08:30 am in the hotel and end the tour by 530 pm to 6 pm >> Carrying of Tobacco product is punishable offense to Bhutan Smoking is banned in Bhutan Please consult your guide or the hotel you are staying in to make sure that you understand the designated areas of smoking > > All tourists visiting Dzongs and temples must be dressed appropriately No half pant, sleeve less shirts,floaters, etc are allowed > > Indian Rupee bank notes of denomination 500 and above is not accepted in Bhutan In the case of tourists visiting Bhutan the bank notes shall be retained on entry to be returned upon exit >>Bhutan emphasizes on equality and respect to every individual irrespective of the job ranks Please call by simple work like charo [friend, when addressing male to male], Nono [sister, when addressing to ladies] Whistling or making gestures will draw negative response >> It is important to purchase a comprehensive insurance policy against illness, hospitalization, flight delays, cancellations and amendments due to weather conditions, political disturbances or natural calamities as well as emergency helicopter evacuation etc >>Delays are expected on account of bad weather conditions Our effort will be to continue with the trip as per the schedule & make you as comfortable as possible