Bhutan

3 NIGHTS / 4 DAYS BHUTAN ITINERARY:

Day 1 Arrival in Bhutan

Land at the Paro International Airport. Our Chauffeur and Guide will greet you at the airport. You will be driven to the capital town of Thimphu which is about 60 minutes drive through picturesque sceneries and virgin valleys. Welcome to the Kingdom of Bhutan!!

Check into the rich and luxurious Taj Tashi where a welcome prayer will be done for your well being on arrival.

The rest of the day is spent getting used to the altitude and soaking oneself in the rich cultural surrounds of the destination. You can also try our Jiva Spa in the evening where a nice relaxing massage will get you rid of the flight fatigue.

Day 2 Local Thimphu Sightseeing

Thimphu is the capital city of Bhutan. Ideally you can start your day at leisure pace. After a leisurely breakfast you can leave the hotel by 1030 hours. The sighseeing in Thimphu will take about 5 hours. You can drop back to the hotel for lunch take a an hours break and resume sighseeing in the later half of the day.

Folk Heritage Museum- Established in 2001, this is an interesting museum built in the form of a very traditional Bhutanese house. The museum is a walk through the rural traditions, habits and skills of the Bhutanese .It organizes special exhibitions annually on select subjects pertaining to
Bhutanese heritage. Demonstrations of traditional ways of extracting oil, brewing traditional spirit, husking rice etc. and a buffet of traditional food items can be arranged with prior notice at an additional charge. The museum is closed on Sundays.

Textile Museum- Established in 2000, this is another of the new theme museums in the city. It is dedicated to the rich skill of the Bhutanese weaver, primarily women. Literally, women were ones who clothed the family before availability of machine made fabrics. The museum has a good collection of samples including rare pieces and antiques, some belonging to the royal family also. Since its establishment, the museum has organized competitions to encourage weavers as well as to pay tribute to the rich old tradition and skills. The Museum is closed on Sundays.

Memorial Chorten- The building of this landmark was originally envisaged by Bhutan's third king, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuk (the father of modern Bhutan) who wished to erect a monument to world peace and prosperity. Completed in 1974 after his untimely death, it serves both as a memorial to the Late King and as a monument to peace. See the government-run Handicrafts Emporium and privately owned crafts shops, which offer a wide range of handcrafted products, including the splendid Thangkha paintings and exquisite woven textiles for which Bhutan is famous.

Changangkha Lhakhang- It is a fortress like temple perched on a ridge above Thimphu, south of Motithang. The temple was established in 12th century on a site chosen by Lama Phajo Drugom Zhigpo, who came from Tibet. The central statue here is Chenrezig in a manifestation with 11 heads. From the courtyard of the temple, there is fascinating view of the Thimphu valley.

Tashichho-Dzong- Also known as the ‘fortress of the glorious religion’, it was initially built in 1641 and later rebuilt in its present form by King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk in 1965. The Dzong houses the main secretariat building with the Throne Room of His Majesty the King of Bhutan. The National
Assembly Hall is housed in a modern building on the other side of the river from the Dzong. During the warmer summer months, the monk body headed by His Holiness the Je Khenpo resides in the Dzong. Dzong is open to visitors between 1730hrs and 1830 hours during summers and between 1630 hrs and 1730 hours during winters. The Dzong is open to visitors between 0900 hrs and 1600 hrs on weekends Handicrafts Emporiums -There are various Handicraft Emporiums in town displaying a wide assortment of beautifully hand-woven and crafted products. The National Handicrafts Emporium across the road is a government owned emporium. The handicraft emporiums are closed on Sundays.

Weekend Market -Every weekend most of Thimphu’s scant population and many valley dwellers congregate on the banks of the river where the weekend market is held. It is an interesting place to visit and provides an opportunity to mingle with the local people. This market generally starts off on Thursday afternoon.

Takin Zoo- The zoo houses the ‘Takin ‘the national animal of Bhutan. This is a distinctive species by itself, with the body of an antelope and a goat’s head. A drive further will reach you to BBS tower which offers some breakthakibng views of the Thimphu Valley below.

You can walk down the street on Norzin Lam in the evening to explore the local markets. A Nice Bhutanese Meal at Chig Ja Gye will be a good choice for dinner.

Day 3 Sightseeing to Paro

Paro is known to be one of the prettiest valleys in Bhutan. Paro is about an hours drive from the hotel. It is recommended that you have an early breakfast and leave the hotel latest by 0900 hrs. The famous Tigers Next Monastery is also in Paro. In case you plan to do the Tigers Nest Trek in addition to the entire schedule of sight-seeing option given below, we recommend that you start early by about 0700 hrs.

Taktsang monastery- Hike to Taktsang monastery (Alt.3100m). One of the highlights of Bhutan. (The holy cave dates back to 8^th century) and the urrounding temples built in 1692 by the 4th Desi, Tenzin Rabgay.In 1998 a fire, cause still unknown, destroyed the main structure of Taktsang and
all its contains. Re-construction works is under progress till date. It takes 1 hr walk up hill to Taktsang cafeteria lunch is served here on chargeable basis. Evening at leisure in the town.and drive back to Thimphu.

Drukgyel Dzong- This Dzong is of historical importance, from whose ramparts the Bhutanese rebelled the Tibetan invaders. On a clear day, the 24000ft (7314m) white doomed Mount. Jomolhari looms overhead. Perched high on the top of the hill, it requires a 15 minute trek to reach the top.

Kitchu Lhakhang- Kichu Lhakhang was built sometimes in mid 7th century by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo. It is believed to be one of the 108 emples built to subdue a demoness residing in the Himalayas. It is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan.

Paro Ta Dzong- Overlooking the Rimpung Dzong it was built in 1951 as a watch tower, unlike the rectangular shape of the Dzongs, Ta Dzong is Round, more like parts of an European castle. From 1967 the Dzong was re-established as the National Museum and holds fascinating collection of arts, relics, religious thangkha, and many others.

The Dzong at Paro-A dzong is a fortress-monastery that serves both as a civil administrative center and as a monastic home for a community of monks. Most dzongs were built in the mid- 1600s to protect the inhabited valleys from invasion by Tibet. The Paro dzong was started in 1644 on the order of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of modern day Bhutan. Unlike most of the other dzongs in Bhutan, it survived the massive 1897 earthquake mostly unscathed, though it was damaged by fire in 1907.

You should arrival back at Taj Tashi by sunset. If you plan to go for the Tigers Nest trek, we recommend that you book a spa treatment in the morning itself. A nice relaxation massage can work wonders for your sour muscles.

Day 4 Departure

Its time to say good bye to Bhutan. In case you are departing by an early morning flight, we will be more than happy to pack some breakfast for you. You could also request for an early breakfast at the hotel.

Our Chauffeur drives you to the international airport at Paro. Depart with great memories and plans to visit again!!