Grand Annula Festival of THIMPHU Tshechu Cultural Tour of Bhutan

Your guide and the driver will receive you at the Paro International Airport then go on your first adventure in the Land of the Thunder Dragon.

First, you will visit the National Museum of Bhutan housed in a 17th-century watchtower called Paro Ta Dzong. It displays hundreds of ancient Bhutanese artifacts and artworks including traditional costumes, armour, weaponry and handcrafted implements for daily life. The collection at the National Museum preserves a snap-shot of the rich cultural traditions of the country.

After lunch at Paro town, we drive to capital city Thimphu. On arrival in Thimphu, you'll visit the National Institute of Zorig Chusum where the 13 traditional arts & crafts of Bhutan are taught. After that, drive to visit the Buddha Dordhenma Statue located on a hilltop overlooking Thimphu valley.

Note: The coverage of sightseeing on the first day depends on your flight arrival time. If you arrive in the morning, you should be able to visit all of the sites.

Driving distance 55km, Driving time 1.5-hours, Thimphu altitude 2334m

Today after breakfast, you will visit the Tashichho Dzong and witness one of the largest festivals in Bhutan, the annual Tshechu of Thimphu.

Today, you will witness one of the biggest festivals in the country, the Thimphu Tshechu. This festival is held in the capital city for three days. The Tshechu is witnessed by thousands of people, both local and tourists. The actual Tshechu is preceded by days and nights of prayer and rituals to invoke the gods. Mask dances like the Guru Tshengye (Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche) and many other dazzling sacred mask dances are performed. Festivals are a true reflection of ancient culture and traditions that has been handed down from generation to generation and are still vibrant today. In Bhutan, it is understood that the Tsechu is an ideal mechanism to promote happiness and harmony, and strengthen the community and social bonds. These representations of traditional culture are given high priority and great respect from every level of Bhutanese society and function as a manifestation of Gross National Happiness (GNH) policy.

A traditional unch will be served at Folk Heritage Restaurant or a similar one.

Leisure time to explore the streets of Thimphu which attracts more people during the festival.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will hike to one of the important religious centers in Bhutan. Later after lunch, transfer to Punakha valley via the sacred mountain pass called Dochula.

Tango Monastery is located on the mountainside north of Thimphu. There is also a monastery called Cheri located on a mountainside in the neighbourhood. Hiking to Tango is much easier as most part of the footpath is paved and the uphill ascent is not as steep. It is roughly 14km from the main Thimphu town. Following the trail through the forests, the walk uphill takes about 1.5 hours at a slow pace. After the hike, return to Thimphu for lunch at one of the local restaurants.

After lunch, transfer to Punakha valley. En route stop briefly at Dochu La Pass (3,150m/10,335ft) from where you can see, on a clear day, some of the highest peaks of Bhutan.

Just about 11km before arriving Punakha town, visit Chimi Lhakhang popularly known as the "Temple of Fertility" located on a gentle hilltop near the village of Sopsokha. To reach the temple, you have to walk 20 – 30 minutes through beautiful terraced paddy fields and traditional farmhouses.

You will explore the nearby village and interact with the local people.

Driving distance from Thimphu to Punakha 74km, Driving time 2.5-hours, Punakha altitude 1200m

On Day 4 of your trip, you will do a short hike to a picturesque temple on a peaceful hilltop and after lunch, transfer to the pristine Phobjikha valley where you will visit an important landmark not only in the valley but also in the region.

After early breakfast, you will do 2-2.5 hour round trip hike to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyel Chorten. This wonderful hike takes you through terraced rice fields and a short climb through pine trees before you reach the peaceful sacred site. The view below is stunning with glacial fed Mochu river snaking through the fertile valley of Punakha.

After the hike, drive to visit the 17th-century Punakha Dzong considered as the masterpiece of Bhutanese architecture. You will spend some time appreciating the ornately carved wooden pillars and sacred wall paintings. From there walk to Bhutan's longest suspension bridge that runs over Phochu (male) river.

After lunch, transfer to Phobjikha valley. Driving distance from Punakha to Phobjikha valley 80km, Driving time 3-hours, Phobjikha altitude 3000m

Today, you will visit a very important landmark of the valley - the 17th century Gangtey Monastery located on a hilltop. You'll have opportunity to meet with monks and offer prayers at the monastery.

From here, you'll go on an exhilarating Gangtey Nature Hike. The trail is about 5km and takes approximately 3 hours through the woods surrounded by splendid nature all around, wonderful meadows, beautiful traditional village houses, farmlands and crystalline streams. This short nature trail gives you a great feeling of the valley and understanding of the livelihood of the people living there. Lots of opportunities to take beautiful pictures!

After the enriching hike and a sumptuous lunch, drive back to Paro. Drivign distance from Phobjikha valley to Paro is 175km and takes 4.5-5 hours driving.

After an early breakfast at the hotel, you will hike to the famous Paro Taktsang and later in the evening visit a beautiful farmhouse for an authentic home-cooked traditional Bhutanese cuisine.

Drive to the base of the Taktsang monastery from where the hike begins. Taktsang monastery is located on an 800-meter rock cliff above Paro valley. Taktsang or the Tiger’s Lair (people prefer to call Tiger’s Nest), is regarded as one of the most important monasteries in Bhutan. The round trip hike takes about 4-5 hours for most visitors but you can hike at your own pace. We recommend you start the hike early.

After lunch at the Taktsang Cafeteria, retrace your footstep back to the base and drive to visit an auspicious Paro Kyichu Lhakhang. Located just a few minutes drive from the main town of Paro, Kyichu Lhakhang is one of the oldest monasteries in Bhutan. It is believed to have been built on a single day in 659 A.D. by King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet in his effort to build 108 such temples across the Himalayan region to subdue the spirit of a demoness who was causing obstruction to the spread of Buddhism.

Towards the late afternoon, you will visit a beautiful farmhouse and enjoy delicious home-cooked local cuisine. You may participate and learn how to cook some popular local dishes. If you are interested in a home spa, you can soak up in a traditional hot stone bath for a fee of about US$15. Specially selected stones believed to contain minerals are heated in a wood fired fireplace and dropped into a chamber of wooden tub releasing minerals. You can lighten up with a warm cup of locally brewed liquor known as “Ara” and feast on home-cooked authentic Bhutanese cuisine.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Paro International Airport for your onward journey. Our guide and driver will bid you farewell.