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Bhutan Leisure Tour
Treat yourself to the 7 night 8 Days Bhutan Cultural Tour designed at a leisure pace so that you can enjoy and explore the Wonders of Bhutan without rushing. With this Bhutan Leisure Tour, you not only get to discover the scenic splendors of Thimphu, Phobjikha, Punakha and Paro valleys but also experience the rich and precious cultural diversity which is strongly engraved in every valley and its people.
Embark into villages frozen in time. Starting from Paro, known for the various sacred sites including the famous Tiger Nest, the tour proceeds to ‘U’ shaped- Gangtey valley via Thimphu, where you can soak yourself in its scenic grandeur.
You can take hikes through the forest, try out a traditional hot stone bath with the game of Archery, eat lunch by the riverside, meet the local families & have farm dinner surrounded by hills and its latticed pattern. Try white river rafting or meet a monk at the hilltop.
If there are festivals coinciding with your date of visit - they can always be incorporated to make your Bhutan Cultural Tour experience more nourishing and rich.
Package Details :
Duration : 07 Nights/ 08 Days .
Destination Covered : Thimphu-Dochula- Phobjikha- Punakha- Paro .
Day 01: Fly Into Paro, Paro – Thimphu (55kms/1.5hours)
Experience the breathtaking view of the great Himalayas offering dazzling scenic views of some of the world’s highest glacial peaks. As you enter Paro valley, you will sweep past forested hills with the silvery Pa Chu (Paro river) meandering down the valley below. Paro Dzong (fortress) and Ta Dzong (watchtower) on the hills above the town will be a fine sight.
Our representative will receive you at the airport and drive to Thimphu. Discover the mountains speckled with sacred temples and monasteries on your way from Paro to Thimphu.
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On the way, stop at Tachog Lhakhang (the Iron Chain Bridge), a temple located across the famous iron chain bridge built over the meandering Pa Chhu (Paro River). Devour yourself to the invigorating ambience of the cool-sweeping breeze and bright colored prayer flags. The whole set up a feast to the eye.
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Upon arriving at Thimphu (2,300 meters), check-in your hotel and freshen up before visiting the exquisite massive structure of Thimphu Tashichho Dzong- a fine example of Bhutanese architecture. Set into the Grand Kuenrey, the most splendid room of the Tashichoe Dzong. The assembly of monks performs their daily prayers here before the enormous statue of the Buddha.
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Visit the local archery ground where the locals celebrate the national sport with dance and song with every hit.
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Take a stroll in the evening around Thimphu town and absorb the magical atmosphere of the capital city while capturing the sight of contemporary Bhutanese life.
Overnight: Hotel in Thimphu.
Day 02: Explore The Northern Paradise Of Thimphu
- After a good breakfast drive up to Kuenselphodrang and capture the vibrant Buddha Dordenma statue in the early morning sunrise. Apart from the serenity of the place the view of the Thimphu city from this mountain is gorgeous.
- Cheri Monastery: Drive to the Northern end of Thimphu valley and hike an hour up to the Cheri monastery; a place of tranquility and overwhelming quietness. As you approach the 17th century Cheri monastery; the other monasteries dotted atop the surrounding mountains with the backdrop of the blue sky is a delightful view to capture. Usually, you will be able to spot mountain goats freely mingling with the monks.
Return to your hotel and spend the evening on your own.
Overnight: Hotel in Thimphu
Day 03: Thimphu – Phobjikha (134kms/6 Hours)
Journey to Phobjikha valley, one of the most serene glacial valleys of Bhutan.
- On the way, stop at DochuLa to take in the clear air at 3,100 meters. Sip a cup of hot coffee at the DochuLa cafeteria while enjoying the mesmerizing panoramic view of the Himalayan ranges. If skies are clear, the high Himalayan peaks towards the northeast will be revealed in all their glory. Take in the 108 stupas beautifully adorned on the pass with the blue sky as the backdrop.
Stop for lunch at Nobding –continue towards Gangtey after lunch:
- Upon arriving at Phobjikha, pay your respect at the Gangtey Monastery which is an important Nyingma school of Buddhism. Situated atop a hill at an altitude of 2,800 meters, the monastery offers a stunning view of Phobjikha valley, winter home to the rare Black-necked Cranes.
Gangtey (Phobjikha Valley): The valley is popular for its scenic splendor and cultural uniqueness. Phobjikha is well known as the winter home of the Black-Necked Cranes (Grus Nigricollis), which migrate from the Tibetan plateau. The birds can be observed from early November to the end of March. Overlooking the valley is the Gangtey Gonpa.
- You can take a traditional hot stone bath while enjoying the tranquil landscape of Phobjikha valley in one of the farmhouses.
Overnight: Hotel in Phobjikha
Day 04: Phobjikha – Punakha (80kms/3 Hours)
Explore serene Phobjikha valley and head towards Punakha, the ancient capital of Bhutan.
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In the morning, hike from your hotel to Gangtey Monastery. The most beautiful and shortest of the existing nature trails in Bhutan. The trail hike starts from Khewa Lhakhang and ends at the Mani (like Chorten) stone wall to the north of the Gangtey Gonpa. The hike takes about 1hr 30minutes through the pine forest and small bamboo plants. You can see the Phobjikha valley so beautifully from this hike. It is one of the best hiking places for Nature lovers. During the winter months, we can see the endangered species of birds–Black Neck Cranes. (1.5 hours)
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Upon reaching Punakha; walk along the path through the traditional houses of Sopsokha village amidst agricultural fields of rice and mustard, leading to a hillock where the temple of the Divine Mad Monk is located. Sopsokha village is a typical example of clustered settlement. You may witness unusual paintings of phallus on the walls of the houses. The phallus paintings are traditionally believed to ward off evil influences and bad-mouth/gossips of others that bring bad luck.
Overnight: Hotel in Punakha
Day 05: Explore Gems Of Punakha
Drive further to take a small hike to Nyzergang to visit the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Temple.
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Hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten: Drive further to take a small hike to Nyzergang to visit the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. We can begin the day with a hike up through fields of rice along the banks of the Mo Chhu to the upper end of the valley to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. The scene from the stupa is spectacular. The Stupa stands majestically on the high hilltop of the Punakha Valley. This structure is a classic example of gorgeous traditional architecture. It was built by the Queen Mother for dispelling negative forces and to maintain peace and harmony in the country and for all the living beings.
It is a moderately strenuous hike of about one hour from the car parking
After the hike visit Punakha Dzong:
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Punakha Dzong is just as striking inside as outside and it is arguably the most beautiful Dzong in Bhutan. Located magnificently between Pho Chhu (Male River) and Mo Chhu (Female River) confluence, the intricate carving and amazing architecture of the Dzong is a great source of inspiration. This famous structure built-in 1637 has a lot to tell about the historical background and various Tibetan invasions won from this strategically located Dzong. It also houses the kingdom’s most sacred relic, the “Rangjung Karsa-pani”.
Overnight: Hotel in Punakha.
Day 06: Punakha- Paro (120kms/3-4hours)
Take a scenic drive from Punakha to Paro and on the way stop at Royal Botanical garden, Lamperi. It is a breathtaking 125 acres’ botanical garden with 46 species of rhododendron flower. You can choose to boat here. The best time to visit this place will be between April and June. The park also has trekking routes, walk around the Baritsho Lake, tree house, and camping space for visitors. The annual rhododendron festival is held here.
- Visit Namgay Artisanal Brewery where they brew many styles of beers considering the different drinking palates for taste, making sure that all beer-lovers are satisfied.
This added to the innovative nature of craft brewers all over the world have taken the market by storm, allowing them always to brew something new.
- Evening free or can visit the Paro town with a street of typical Bhutanese traditional buildings.
Overnight: Hotel in Paro
Day 7: The Iconic Tiger’s Nest Hike (4-6 Hours)
Get your energy up at breakfast this morning to hike up to the iconic Taktsang Monastery. Venture through the pristine surroundings of the Tiger’s Nest monastery. Be rewarded to an overwhelming sight monastery resting on the edge of a cliff at 900 meters above Paro valley.
Tiger’s Nest Monastery or Taktshang Goemba is one of the holiest and the most beautiful sites of Bhutan and acquires its name from the legend of its foundation, when in the 8th Century Guru Rinpoche, widely revered as the second Buddha, arrived at this place from Tibet flying across the mountains on the back of a tigress and blessed the entire place.
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Visit ancient Kichu Lhakhang built in the 7th century
Overnight: Hotel in Paro
Day 08: Departure
Our team will drop you at the airport and bid you farewell.
Bhutan Leisure Tour Map
Read Customer Reviews
5.0 / 5 Reviews
Wonderful Holiday With Bhutan Inbound Tour
Me and my husband had booked a tour with Bhutan Best Inbound Tour.
Ms. Geeta was a focal person from Bhutan Inbound who arranged our tour.
The tour went without a single hiccups from the time we were picked up from Paro International Airport till the drop.
Our guide Namgay was superb and our driver Jigme really knew how to maneuver through curvaceous road of Bhutan.
The hotel arranged were neat and clean.
We covered following destination Thimphu, Paro, Punakha and Haa Valley.
We tried traditional hot stone bath and local Archery with local people and it was a memorable experience; we also had farm house lunches, picnic by the river side but the best part was a surprise candle light dinner at Zhiwaling Ascent surrounded by forest , arranged by the Inbound team. We were really touched with this gesture.
Thank you Bhutan Best Inbound for your lovely service.
We will recommend you to all our friends and family.
Best ever experience in Bhutan with Thinley, Namgye and Pema
Extraordinary planning by Thinley, Namgye (tour guide) and Pema (driver). They were super flexible to accommodate all our requests. Guided us extremely well, in terms what we should see and what should be skipped to make the most of our time in Bhutan without compromising on the quality. Namgye explained the culture and history behind every site visited extremely well, and also encouraged us to complete more difficult hikes like Tigers Nest. Namgye and Pema also took care of our dietary restrictions and helped in suggesting to us the right places to shop at. Also, must highlight that they are by far the most economical - I had reached out to multiple local operators and not only was Thinley the most prompt and proactive but also gave us the most amazing experience at most reasonable price.
An amazing trip of a beautiful country well organized by Bhutan Best Inbound Tours
We just came back from a 7N8D wonderful trip of Bhutan (16/12/19 to 23/12/19, 2N Thimphu – City Hotel Thimphu, 1 N Punakha – Zhingkham Resort, 1 N Phobjikha Valley – Dewachen Hotel & Spa, 3N Paro – Tiger’s Nest Resort). Bhutan is an unbelievably beautiful, extremely clean and peaceful country. Bhutanese people are very friendly, disciplined and hospitable. We had booked this trip through Bhutan Best Inbound Tour.
Like all our trips, we initially thought of booking the hotel stay on our own through one of the travel portals and rely on local cab service, but soon realized that unlike other places it might not be a good option as it is highly recommended to have a local guide accompany you throughout your trip and availability of local taxis might be an issue. (Except for tourists from India, Bangladesh and Maldives it is mandatory for all tourists to book the tour through one of the local tour operators). Honestly, initially we were bit hesitant to book the trip through one of the local tour operators hence started exploring the popular international and Indian tour operators. But we were not satisfied by the responses and attitude and thought of exploring local tour operators registered with The Tourism Council of Bhutan. I contacted many local tour operators but was really impressed with the prompt responses and quote of Bhutan Best Inbound Tour.
I coordinated with Mr. Thinley to plan the itinerary. He patiently replied to all my queries (extremely detailed answers, very impressive!) and tailored the complete tour as per our request. He even ensured that all the hotels are booked as per our preference. Though we had booked our flight tickets on our own, Bhutan Best Inbound can help book the tickets and take care of all other formalities. One can definitely rely on them for a hassle free end to end tour.
On arrival at Bhutan Airport we were welcomed by our guide, Mr. Phurba Tsherig and our driver, Mr. Jigme. Thinley had even arranged a local sim card for us. Phurba is extremely knowledgeable and very passionate about his job. At every location he keenly and enthusiastically explained all the details. He even accompanied me to Tiger’s Nest hike. Jigme is one of the best drivers we’ve seen and we felt very safe because of his smooth driving. Both of them are extremely well mannered and were never intrusive. Phurba facilitated check-ins and check-outs at every hotel and ensured that rooms with best view are allocated to us. He also instructed all the hotels about our dietary restrictions. He ensured that we have a pleasant stay at all the hotels and are well fed :D. It was nice on part of Thinley to personally come and meet us at City Hotel, Thimphu. He presented us a holy prayer flag that we hoisted on our way to Punakha, a small purse for my wife and a fridge magnet! He was accessible through-out the trip and was checking about our trip’s progress at regular intervals.
We are extremely happy and satisfied by the hospitality and service offered by Bhutan Best Inbound Tours. I can safely say that they have exceeded our expectations. I will definitely recommend services of Bhutan Best Inbound to all travelers who want to explore this wonderful country.
Bhutan Best Inbound Tour is the best
We have been on many tours before and this is by far the best experience we have ever had with a tour company. Our trip was made possible and special by 2 of the guides assigned by Best Inbound Tours.
Mr. Purba an excellent tour guide always making sure we are comfortable and well fed at the same time very knowledgeable when it comes to local culture. He explains the importance of every fortress and temple we visited with such passion and patience. The hike up tigers next was extra special with the details given by Mr. Purba and the patience when walking with us slow hikers.
Miss. RinChen who is excellent behind the wheel is always on time and makes sure we get to our destinations on time and comfortably. Her handling of the vehicle across the mountains was simply amazing especially when we spotted wild monkeys and a rare black bear.
Both would make sure we don't miss any special moment during the tour. Every location and timing carefully picked for us so we get the best experience, knowledge and photo opportunity. From visiting the black neck crane, to the amazing hike up tiger's nest, this company plans it well and executes exceptionally.
What really touched us was that the folks at Best Inbound especially the owners drove down an hour just to visit us at least once to make sure everything is ok on top of that we wanted to look for some rare Bhutanese chocolates and the guides made sure we got them on the very last day.
Amazing company, amazing planning, amazing guides and just the right people for one to explore Bhutan the best way possible. Highly recommended and for sure will use them again.
Our trip to Bhutan was a "one of a kind" absolutely wonderful experience. We arrived 2 days after the country opened up and we stayed 7 nights. You could tell the difference in the air the minute you stepped off the plane. We were off and running as soon as we arrived that afternoon. Our guide Dorji and driver Pema made sure we did not want for anything. They seemed really happy to be out tour guiding after the covid hiatus. We had an itinerary planned out, but since it was just the 2 of us, they were super flexible. We requested a hike every day, and still got to visit all the classic and important Dzongs and mountain passes. Our excursion to Gangtey was quite unique. What an incredibly beautiful valley. We walked the nature trail, met some children at the local farms and finished up being serenaded by some novice monks practicing for the Buddhist ritual at the monastery. They were adorable even if the music was off key. Dorji was a wealth of information about the Buddhist teachings and the significance of all the different temples. I was overwhelmed with his knowledge. The food was quite good, tried butter tea, roasted rice snacks, chili cheese and local saki. The hot stone bath after the Tiger's Nest was perfect and what we needed to relieve the soreness. The Tiger's Nest hike was the highlight of the trip and we were worried that our age over 70 years was going to be a hindrance. We did quite well in that we made it to the top with rest stops in 2.15 hrs. The next day was a challenging hike from Chelela Pass through the forest to the Kila Nunnery. We hiked for over 2 hrs at 13,000 feet. We were the first to trek this path in 2.5 years and everything was overgrown. We took a few falls, but Dorji did his best to forge the path. I can't believe he even knew where the path was at times.. We raised our prayer flags at Lawala Pass and the good karma allowed us to see a black bear with her 2 cubs. We enjoyed the hotels in Gangtey and Punakha the best. The fresh food and view of the Punakha fort at the Dhumra Farm resort was a real treat. We met the owners of the company, Thinley and Jaya, on our first day and they were so helpful throughout the trip. They made sure everything was to our satisfaction. Just to give you an idea how wonderful Dorji and Pema were, they collected pine cones for me. They stopped on the side of the road and climbed down a hill to get the best ones. They also waited in town while we did some souvenir shopping. I highly recommend Inbound and Dorji and Pema, they are 10 stars out of 5
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