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Billionaire Singapore found that the top three things that luxury travel segment guests are looking for while on holiday are cultural experiences, food and drink, and experiencing local life and people. Bhutan, one of the least-visited countries in the world and home to a wealth of natural and cultural discoveries made it to the list of five destinations that are trending with Asian travellers for 2023, based on a luxury survey.

6 Days 5 Nights

Paro/Phuentsholing

Max People : unlimited

Tour Highlights

Visit one of Bhutan’s top attractions
Various monuments and natural features
All of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, and Wangdue’s attractions
Phobjikha valley is short hiked through gorgeous terrain.
Take a stroll around Punakha’s rice fields.
Trek to the famous Tiger’s Nest monastery.

Arrival Location

Paro International Airport (Google Map) / Phuentsholing (Google Map)

Departure Location

Paro International Airport (Google Map) / Phuentsholing (Google Map)

Price Includes

Airport Transfers
Stay in hotels as indicated in the itinerary
All three meals, tea and coffee
Dedicated SUV vehicle with a driver and
English Speaking Guide throughout the Trip
Short hikes, Packed lunches and snacks wherever required
Monumental Fees
Bhutan Tourism Development Fee
VISA processing Fee

Price Excludes

International Air fare
Refreshments and bottled drinks and alcohol
Tips/gratuities
Cost arising out of Flight Cancellation/road blockades/ landslides and events beyond our control
Expenses of personal nature and any other expenses not mentioned in the above cost

Tour variants, extensions and combinations

Overnight in Phobjikha (+1 day): Spend one extra night in Gangtey so you may wake up in Bhutan’s most picturesque valley. See the 7-day program, Best of Bhutan II.

Jomolhari Yaksa or Druk Path trek (+6 to 7 days): Moderate high-altitude climbs can be used to extend this journey, which will make it much more enjoyable. Check out the combo of Jomolhari’s detailed itinerary.

Haa valley homestay (+2 nights): You can travel to the seldom-visited Haa valley by driving through the Chele-la pass, which is over 4,000 meters high, at the conclusion of the journey. You can climb to Kila Gompa, which dates back to the 14th century and is the oldest nunnery in Bhutan, along the way. You can also experience high altitude on the pass’ ridge, where in clear weather Mt. Jomolhari and Kanchenjunga can be seen. As a guest of a local family, you will stay in a three-hundred-year-old farmhouse in Haa. Haa Valley receives less visitors because an Indian military facility is located there. In any case, both the villages and the natural world are immaculate. You can go to a couple nearby temples and go on a pleasant village hike.

Tshechu festival (+1 night): If we prepare well, we can plan for you to experience the yearly Tsechu festival in a castle or monastery. Bhutan hosts a number of events, so we can absolutely adjust your visit plans to coincide. To book airplane tickets and hotel bookings, we simply need to start planning well in advance (ideally more than six months beforehand).

Gasa Hot springs (+1 or 2 days): North of Punakha, in the highlands, is Gasa, which only recently has a road connection. In addition to the stunning dzong and views of the high peaks surrounding, you may also take use of the “tsachu” or natural hot springs. There are many pools with various temperatures. Sulfurous water is thought to be helpful for a variety of skin conditions. In any case, beautiful pools are fantastic for relaxing. Spending the night in a local farmhouse is an added experience that lets visitors experience true Bhutanese friendliness.

Itinerary

Day 1Arrival to Paro and drive to Thimphu

Drive to Thimphu after arriving by plane at the Paro airport. If arriving by land, drive for around five hours from Phuentsholing/Jaigaon in India to Thimphu.
Visit the medieval bridge constructed with centuries-old iron chains at Tachog Lhakhang. Drive to Changlimithang stadium after you arrive in Thimphu to watch the country’s national sport, archery. From the morning until the evening, matches are being played.
Next, take a stroll to peaceful Coronation Park to see the walking Buddha statue and stop at Zangto Pelri Lhakhang, one of the principal temples that local Bhutanese like visiting. For the benefit of all sentient beings, turn the prayer wheels! After the journey, relax. You can choose to celebrate your arrival in Bhutan at the renowned Mojo Park nightclub or another of Thimphu’s well-liked locations.

Day 2Thimphu- Wangdue/Punakha

Drive to Buddha Dordenma, the enormous Buddha statue that overlooks the valley, in the early morning, and then walk to the city’s most impressive vantage point. Continue to the wild animal sanctuary to witness the famed national animal of Bhutan, the takin, as well as other creatures that live in the forests of that country. Drop to the central Clock Tower Square, then go down Norzin Lam Street, where you will notice the traffic police signaling at intersections. There are no traffic signals in any other capital city besides Thimphu.
Finish your tour at the handicraft market, where you may browse and shop for affordable items made in Bhutan. Continue your tour to the Folk Heritage Museum to see the display on Bhutan’s traditional village life (closed on Sunday, alternatively visit Simply Bhutan museum).
View of the Thimphu valley from the famous Dechen Phodrang monastery visit. The majestic Tashichho dzong fortress, which serves as the capital and seat of government, is also visible from here. Depending on time, visit the royal temple Druk Wangyel lhakhang on the way to Wangdue or Punakha in the afternoon.

Day 3Wangdue/Punakha, Excursion to Gangtey(Phobjikha)

Travel to Gangtey early in the morning. Visit the famous Gangtey Gompa, which is the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is located at the valley’s geographic and symbolic center. Take a 2.5-hour walking tour through the valley starting there. One of Bhutan’s most stunning and straightforward hikes is this one. You will pass past fields of buckwheat and potatoes before arriving to a mixed woodland with trees covered in “old men’s” beard lichen and seeing marshland in the distance. Rare black necked cranes can be observed here in the late fall and winter. If you’re curious to learn more about this secretive species, you may also stop by the Black Neck Crane Center.
Follow up your journey with a meal at a nearby farm where you can sample the cuisine and other local specialties like the salty suja tea and the ara spirit. Return back in the evening to Wangdue or Punakha.

Day 4Wangdue/Punaha-Paro

Early in the morning, take a little trek to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten for stunning views of the valley’s terraced rice fields. You may also want to think about going rafting on the Mo Chhu (simple) or Pho Chhu (thrilling) rivers. Continue your tour by seeing Punakha Dzong, also known as the “Palace of the Great Happiness,” which is the most elaborately decorated castle in the country and was the winter residence of the Bhutanese monarchs. Short stroll to the Chhimmy Lhakhang Temple, which is dedicated to the saint Drukpa Kunley, also known as the “Divine Madman,” who is said to have taught Buddhism via singing, drinking, and scandalous sexual antics in the 15th century.
Houses positioned along the path to the temple are adorned with phallic symbols in remembrance of the saint’s antics. The temple is also regarded as a fertility booster, drawing childless couples from all across Bhutan and abroad. Visit Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang nunnery, which is located on a high hill overlooking the valley and features stupa in Bhutanese and Nepali styles, if time allows. Drive to Paro in the afternoon.

Day 5Paro

The tour’s unquestionable high point is the hike to Taktsang Gomba (The Tiger’s Nest)! Despite the climb’s appearance of difficulty, it is immensely rewarding. You can cut it short in the café with a lovely view of the temple if you don’t feel particularly strong. If you still have the energy, you could climb up to Zangtopelri Lhakhang to see Tiger’s Nest from above! Depending on the weather, your fitness level, and your tastes, you might think about trekking in the morning or early afternoon.
Visit the National Museum as well, which is located in Ta dzong, a tower that serves as a lookout for the Paro castle below.
Then, as you descend to Paro town, stop to see the quaint old bridge that runs beneath the Paro Dzong. Here, you can snap lovely pictures with a castle in the background while wearing Bhutanese clothing.
The Paro Airport perspective is next. You might witness planes landing and departing off, depending on the timetable. The runway in Paro is renowned for being one of the toughest of all the international airports in the world.
Take advantage of your final evening in Bhutan by visiting Bondey’s village Zangtopelri lhakhang, a stunning new temple with exquisite decorations, or Dzongdrakha lhakhang, an ancient temple perched on the rock cliffs that is frequently compared to Tiger’s Nest in its beauty and is rarely visited by other tourists. You can also arrange for a mask dance performance and a traditional dinner in a local farmhouse.

Day 6Departure

If you have the time, you can drive to Drugyel dzong to visit a recently restored castle and the sacred Jomolhari mountain’s summit in good visibility.
After that, you may either take a flight out of Paro or drive for around 5 hours to the land border at Phuentsholing.