Bhutan Tour Package – 8 Days

ARRIVE BAGDOGRA AIRPORT AT 08:15 AM. DRIVE TO PHUENTSHOLING [D] *
300 M 155 KMS 04 HOURS ASSISTANCE UPON ARRIVAL AT BAGDOGRA AIRPORT AT 08:15 AM.
DRIVE TO PHUENTSHOLING, THE BORDER TOWN OF BHUTAN. FROM BAGDOGRA, IT IS A FOURHOUR DRIVE TO THE BORDER TOWN OF BHUTAN AT PHUENTSHOLING. FROM THERE YOUR
TAKING INTO WONDERFUL PLACE CALLD JALDARA NATIONAL PARK BY JEEP .
HE DRIVE THROUGH RICE FIELDS AND TEA PLANTATIONS OF WEST BENGAL IS A PLEASANT
EXPERIENCE. AS WE APPROACH THE BORDER TOWN, THE BHUTAN MOUNTAINS BECOME
VISIBLE. WE WILL COMPLETE THE IMMIGRATION FORMALITIES [ALL PERMITS WILL BE SECURED
BY US IN ADVANCE SO WE WILL NEED VERY LESS TIME AT THE BHUTAN IMMIGRATION TO
ENTER BHUTAN] AND ENTER BHUTAN.
OUR TEAM WILL WELCOME THE GUEST INTO THE KINGDOM AND DRIVE TO OUR HOTEL.
UPON ARRIVAL CHECK IN AT THE HOTEL. REST OF THE TIME AT LEISURE.
DISCOVER THE TOWN AT LEISURE. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

TODAY AFTER BREAKFAST 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.
VISIT SIMPLY BHUTAN MUSEUM. A VISIT TO SIMPLY BHUTAN GIVES AN INSIGHT INTO THE TRADITIONAL
LIFESTYLE OF THE BHUTANESE FOREFATHERS. GUEST CAN EXPERIENCE A TRADITIONAL LIFESTYLE AND
EXPERIENCE BHUTAN AT CLOSE RANGE IN THIS MUSEUM.
IT 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,
DRUKPAKUNLEY, 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.
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 IT HOUSES THE IMPORTANT HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS AND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, 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. DINNER OVER
NIGHT AT HOTEL

AFTER BREAKFAST, WE WILL DRIVE TOWARDS THE DOCHULA PASS, 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. .
THE DOCHULA PASS AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 3100 M IS THE PLACES WHERE THIS MEMORIAL IS BUILT. SET ADMIST THE
FLUTTERING PRAYER FLAGS, IT IS A VISITOR’S DELIGHT TO SPEND SOME TIME HERE. 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 (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. FURTHER DRIVE TO PUNAKHA, WE WILL VISIT PUNAKHA DZONG, 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. NEXT, WE WILL SEE ONE OF THE LONGEST SUSPENSION BRIDGES 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.

TODAY 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 POINTS 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 STYLES. 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 HANDICRAFTSSECTIONS AS WELL AS GALLERIES OF STUFFED ANIMALSAND BUTTERFLIES FROM BHUTAN.
THESTAMPS’ 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
OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL

TODAY THE GUEST WILL VISIT THE MAIN HIGHLIGHT OF BHUTAN: HIKETO TAKTSANG MONASTERY
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 DRUKGYEL DZONG AND
VILLAGE.
HIKE TO TAKTSANG MONASTERY TAKTSANG MONASTERY, CLINGING ON THE STEEP ROCK, IS ONE OF THE HOLIEST
TEMPLES 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 05-06 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 MARKEDTRAIL TO REACHTHE CAFETERIA
[LUNCH POINT] FROM WHERE WE WILL GET THE BEST VIEW OF THE TIGER’SNEST. FURTHER 02 HOURS HIKE WILL
REACH US TO THE MONASTERY. HOWEVER RECOMMENDED HIKE IS TILL THE CAFETERIA.

TODAY WE WILL HAVE A LONG DRIVE FROM PARO TO BAGDOGRA.
PARO TO PHUENTSHOLING 160 KMS 04 HOURS
PHUENTSHOLING TO BAGDOGRA 155 KMS 04 HOURS
AFTER BREAKFAST RETRACE TOWARDS PHUENTSHOLING.
AFTER EARLY LUNCH IN PHUENTSHOLING, WE WILL EXIT BHUTAN AND CONTINUE OUR DRIVE
TOWARDS BAGDOGRA.
UPON ARRIVAL IN BAGDOGRA, CHECK IN AT THE HOTEL.
REST OF THE TIME AT LEISURE TO RELAX.
DINNER AND OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

DEPARTURE TRANSFER AT 09:30 FOR THE FLIGHT DEPARTING AT 12:30 [B]
AFTER BREAKFAST TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT FOR THE FLIGHT TO THE ONWARD DESTINATION.