Best of Bhutan

Day 0: Travel to Bhutan - Travel through Thailand, India, or Nepal
You will lose a day today as you travel across the international dateline to Thailand, India, or Nepal.

Day 1: Paro - Welcome to Bhutan!
After transferring from Bangkok (3 hours), Kathmandu (1 hour), or Delhi (2 hours) International Airports, you will arrive in Paro on Druk Air. Your flight into the Dragon Kingdom will be spectacular, with views of the Himalayan mountain range, including the incredible Mt. Everest and other mountains like Mt. Kanchenjunga, Mt. Makalu, Mt. Chomolhari, Mt. Jichu Drake, and Mt. Tshering Gang. Upon arrival, you will be met by your AAW guide/driver. If time permits, you will be taken to the National Museum and the Paro Rinpung Dzong. You will then be driven to Thimphu (1 hour), Bhutan’s incredibly relaxed capital, which will enchant you with its mix of tradition and modern urbanization. Red-robed monks wander the streets alongside young children skipping to school and packs of stray dogs. Though rapidly growing, it is the world’s only capital city without traffic lights, and traffic is still regulated by white-gloved policemen. After checking into your hotel, you will visit the National Textile Museum, which preserves the Bhutanese art of weaving and serves as an outlet for Bhutanese weavers to sell their work. You will then be driven to the Tashichhodzong, meaning “The Fortress of the Glorious Religion,” which is the seat of the royal government and the summer residence of the monk body and the chief abbot. The beautiful whitewashed stone building, capped by red-and-gold triple-tiered roofs, is silent within, except for the whir of prayer wheels and the occasional pigeon. This evening, you will enjoy a welcome dinner with your guide to get to know each other and prepare for the exciting journey ahead. (D)

Day 2: Paro to Thimphu - Discover Thimphu
Today, you will enjoy a full day of guided sightseeing in Thimphu. Your first stop will be the Painting and Wooden Craft School, where student monks in burgundy robes learn traditional art and painting techniques from a saffron robed elder. You will then visit the Memorial Chorten, a huge golden-spired stupa built in 1972 in memory of Bhutan’s third king, and the National Library, which is built in the style of a traditional temple and houses holy and ancient manuscripts, as well as the largest published book in the world! If interested, you can visit the National Folk Heritage Museum, which offers you the unique opportunity to step inside a traditional Bhutanese home, and the Traditional Medicine Center, where medicines made from Himalayan herbs are produced and dispensed to the public. You will then visit Changangkha, a 15th century temple located on a hillside overlooking the valley, and a traditional incense and paper factory. Then, stop by the zoo to observe the takin, a goat/antelope that is only found in Bhutan and is the national animal. Lastly, you will visit the BBS Tower, from which you will have a beautiful sunset view of the Thimphu valley. (B)

Day 3: Thimphu to Punakha - Discover Punakha
Today, you will travel to Punakha, the ancient capital of Bhutan (2 hours). The drive over Dochu La Pass is breathtaking and passes through a variety of ecosystems, with fir trees giving way to pine and oak forests, and then to subtropical vegetation. Due to its low elevation, Punakha is home to magnolia and fruit trees, as well as yellow mustard fields, making for a spectacularly colorful setting against the snowcapped mountains. You will visit the Namgyel Temple, recently built by the queen, from which you will have fantastic views of delicately terraced ride paddies, and the beautiful 17th century Punakha Dzong, the winter home of the monastic body. If you would like to, you can take a brief hike to Chimi Lhakhang, a temple built by a divine mad man where unfertile couples come to pray. Your evening will be free to relax and explore this ancient city. (B)

Day 4: Punakha to Phobjikha - Phobjikha Valley
This morning, you will be driven to the beautiful glacial valley of Phobjikha, where lush greenery contrasts rust colored fields of potatoes, one of Bhutan’s main cash crops. This valley is famous for being the winter home of the endangered black-necked cranes, which migrate every year from the arid plains of Tibet to spend the winter in a milder climate.  You will visit the Gangteng Gonpa, a very important monastery that dates back to the 17th century, before settling into your hotel for the evening. (B)

Day 5: Phobjikha to Paro - Drive to Paro
After a visit to the Nature Conservation Center, you will be driven back to Paro (5 hours).  Depending on the timing, you will enjoy lunch at Wangduephodrang or Dochula Cafeteria. The rest of your afternoon will be free to explore and enjoy dinner at one of the city’s many unique restaurants. (B, L)

Day 6: Paro - Discover Paro
Paro is a charming town located in a valley on the banks of the Paro Chhu, and its main street, built only in 1985, is lined with colorfully painted wooden shop fronts and restaurants. This morning, you will hike up to the famous Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest), which clings precariously to a cliff 2,600 feet above the Paro valley. It takes its name from the legend that Guru Rimpoche (the second Buddha), alighted here upon the back of a tigress in the eighth century. After meditating for three months in a cave, he assumed the form of the Terrifying Thunderbolt and subjugated the Eight Evil Spirits who hindered the propagation of Buddhism, thereby spreading Buddhism into Bhutan. Taktsang is one of the holiest sites in the country and one of the most venerated Buddhist monuments in the Himalayas.  Even for non-Buddhists, its incredible architecture and breathtaking location will make it one of the most memorable sites you will visit in Bhutan. You will then visit the 8th century Kyichu Temple, one of the oldest in the country, and the Drukgyel Dzong, which is largely in ruins, as well as a small farming village near the dzong.  Your evening is free to do any last minute shopping or sightseeing before your departure tomorrow. (B)

Day 7: Paro - Return Flight Home
Today, you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight home.