7 Days Bhutan Adventure Tour with Haa Valley

Welcome to Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon! Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your local travel guide and driver in Paro International Airport, and then be escorted to Paro Town to start your wonderful journey.

You will firstly visit Rinpung Dzong, also known as Paro Dzong, is reputed as the finest example of Bhutanese dzong. Dzong, always served as the religious, military, administrative and social centers, is a distinctive Bhutan architecture in style with a complex of courtyards, temples, offices and monks’ accommodation surrounded by towering walls. According to Bhutanese tradition, dzong is always built on a hill top with the purpose of observing the attackers. Perching on the side of Paro Valley Wall, Rinpung Dzong was an important bastion for the Kingdom of Bhutan against invasion from the north. At present, it houses the Monastic Body and government offices, and serves as the religious, military, administrative, and social centers of their district.

After appreciating these charming architectures in Rinpung Dzong, visit Bhutan National Museum which is housed in Rinpung Dzong’s watchtower, keeping the rich culture and history of Bhutan. There are many impressive collections displayed in its five galleries, including traditional thangkas, festival masks, religious statues, interesting carvings, etc. Nextly, take a leisure walk through the cantilever bridge to Paro Town to attend an archery game which is Bhutan's official national game, played almost every day on the ground. Lastly, drive about 1.5 hours to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan Kingdom, for accommodation.

Arrival Ideas: 1) you are able to take an international flight from Kathmandu (1 hour), Kolkata (1 hour), New Delhi (2.5 hours), Guwahati (55 minutes), Siliguri (30 minutes), Bangkok (3 hours), Singapore (5 hours) and some other cities in India in peak seasons; 2) so far, all the flights to Paro depart and arrive in the morning.

This morning you will start the day by visiting the National Memorial Chorten (shrine), a monument dedicated to the past 3rd king of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. More than a memorial stupa, it is also one important religious center for Bhutanese daily worship. Then go to visit National Institute for Zorig Chusum, a school where students are taught to make Bhutan’s 13 traditional arts and crafts, like painting, woodcarving, embroidery, statue-making and so on. Next, go to Bhutan Post Office Headquarters, an informative and indulging museum with excellent exhibition of the evolution of Post & Telegraph in Bhutan as well as good details on historical and symbolic interpretation behind stamps. Afterward, drive to Buddha View Point where a massive bronze statue of Buddha Dordenma sits. The statue is placed on a lotus and below it is a meditation hall housed with 125,000 small statues of Buddha. This Buddha dominates over the valley of Thimphu, and you can hardly tell whether the view from Buddha Dordenma or the view of Buddha Dordenma is more spectacular.

Leaving Thimphu, drive through a forest of pine and hemlock, up to cross over the Dochu La Pass (Alt: 10142ft/ 3,050 m). From the place, you can enjoy the panoramic views of the majestic Himalaya Mountains. Keep driving along the winding road to the fertile valley of Punakha (Alt: 4430ft/ 1,350 meters).

Accommodate in Punakha Town.

Tip: there are many other interesting museums where you can probe into Bhutan's culture, history and local people's daily life, including Simply Bhutan Museum, National Textile Museum, National Library and Archives of Bhutan, etc. Feel free to tell your travel consultant if you are interested in visiting any one of them.

After breakfast, you will go to visit Punakha Dzong, situated between Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu (male and female rivers) and featuring in three docheys (one more than other dzongs). It is praised by many people as the most beautiful one in Bhutan’s 21 dzongs, especially in spring when the lilac jacaranda trees in blossom. Next, move to Wangdu Phodrang Dzong, where you can get a commanding view of the below valleys. In fact, Wangdu Phodrang Dzong enjoys an important status in the history as well, and it was the second capital city in the early days. Since Wangdu Phodrang is situated on the ridge, you can walk down to the bridge and have a short hiking to the village of Rinchangang. After the wonderful sightseeing, drive to the Chimi Lhakhang, a mysterious temple built in 1499 by the legendary “Divine Madman” - lama Drukpa Kunley. There is a tradition that the childless women can visit this temple to receive a wang (blessing) from the saint, then they will have a child.

After lunch, drive about 3.5 hours back to Paro. Have a good night in Paro Town.

Today, you will begin your adventure trip to Haa Valley, an off-the-beaten-track but sacred valley with its unique beauty and serenity. During the driving journey on the zigzagging scenic road from Thimphu to Haa Valley, you will glut your eyes on the fascinating natural landscape. When you get to the southern entrance to the town of Haa valley, take a visit to holy Lhakhang Karpo which is literally translated as White Temple. Before entering the building, you will be greeted by its big ornate gate. Inside the temple are statues of different deities and some elaborate thangkas.  Local people believe that the deity protects them from sickness.

In the afternoon, explore the small hidden villages in Haa Valley and enjoy the peaceful ambience. Accommodate in the town.

Today, you will take another nice drive from Haa Valley to Paro. Ascending along the winding road, you will get to Chele La Pass (Alt: 13,084ft/ 3,988 m) which delivers dramatic views on both sides. Stop there to admire the spectacular view of snow-capped mountains of Himalayan ridges in Tibet and enjoy the awesome fluttering colored prayer flags. In spring, there are many lovely blossoms in the valley can be seen from the pass. Hot tea and noodles are available at a mobile food van. Then continue your adventure tour with an hour’s trekking to Kila Nunnery, a mediation site with seven small temples clinging to a rocky cliff. It is believed as the oldest nunnery which can be dated back to 9^th century. The trekking trail through the pristine forests is stunning and interesting.

After the visit to Kila Nunnery, you will drive to Kyichu Lhakhang, the oldest temple of Bhutan. Just like famous Jokhang Temple in Tibet, it was built by Songtsen Gampo to subdue a demoness in 659. In this temple, you can admire many exquisite murals. One statue of Sakyamuni in the monastery attracts many pilgrims to get blessings.

Drive back to Paro Town for accommodation

Tip: 1) the wind might be strong, so make sure you take enough clothes to keep your body warm; 2) photography is not allowed inside most monasteries.

Start the day with short drive to Paro’s upper valley. If the day is clear, you’ll have an unforgettable view of the “Goddess” – Mt.Chomolhari (23,640 feet).

Afterward, it’s a short drive to Taktsang trail ahead. Take a challenging but necessary 2~3 hours’ trek to Taktsang Monastery, the most famous monastery in Bhutan, also known as “Tiger Nest Monastery, because Guru Rinpoche reportedly flew to the site on the back of a flying tiger late in the 7th century. Between blue pines and a blue sky, the monastery perches miraculously on a cliff nearly 2,700 feet above Paro’s valley floor. Break along the way for tea and snacks in small tea house, and the view of both Taktsang Monastery and Paro Valley is magnificent.

Hike down the mountain, then drive back to Paro for accommodation.

Tips: 1) it takes about 2 ~ 3 hours to trek from the parking lot to Taktsang Monastery, and you could ride a horse for the first hour; 2) photography is strictly forbidden in the monastery, but you can take a nice shot on your road to Taktsang Monastery; 3) travelers have to deposit all belongings (cameras, phones or other electronic equipment and bags) at the entrance.

Your journey in Bhutan comes to an end today! After breakfast, your guide will pick you up from the hotel to the airport in time for the scheduled flight to your next destination. Before that, you can take a rest at the hotel or go for a walk nearby.

Tips: Please pack your luggage carefully, especially for small things like camera charge, power adaptor, mobile phone, phone charger, wallet and towel.