The itinerary for the trip is as follows –
22 September – Day 01:
– Arrival in Paro and transfer to Thimphu. Sightseeing (most places we will go to will be at ground level with a maximum climb of 10-20 steps). National Memorial Chorten (iconic temple in the heart of Thimphu built by the Queen Mother) and the famous Buddha Statue.
– Relax in the hotel in the evening. Those who wish to venture out can do so, with car and driver. Overnight in Thimphu.
23 September – Day 02:
– More sightseeing today – We start sightseeing with the famous Buddha statue and move to see the National Textile Museum (a veritable treasure trove of Bhutanese textile history – has about 20 steps), the Clock Tower and National Institute for Zurig Chusom (where the youth are being skilled in the traditional arts of Bhutan) and CSI market.
– For lunch, we drive you 16 kms outside Thimphu to a place called Dodeyna. We’ll organise a picnic lunch by a riverside. The lunch served here will be catered based on your meal preferences – snacks like sandwiches etc. or a proper Bhutanese/Indian/Combination meal. Chilling a bottle of wine in the ice cold water of the river and then drinking it with lunch, surrounded by nothing but peace and quiet, is one of the finest experiences we can offer you in Thimphu.
– Evening to roam in the city. You’ll probably also cross the country’s only traffic island manned by a traffic policeman. Overnight in Thimphu.
24 September – Day 03:
– We check out of Thimphu and head to Gangtey, which is home to Bhutan’s ancient glacial valley called Phobjikha and is the gateway to central Bhutan. Distance is 125 kms and drive time is 3.5 hrs.
– Guests will be staying in a stunning property with a view of the glacial valley.
– If the breakfast is had early, then we could stop at a fortress called the Simtokha Dzong (one of the oldest in Bhutan, has about 15 steps). Next stop would be the Dochu-La (a high altitude pass where 108 chortens have been constructed).
– Reach Gangtey and spend the evening by a bonfire. Overnight in Gangtey.
25 September – Day 04:
– After breakfast, visit the Gangtey monastery. We call this the prettiest monastery of Bhutan. Leave for Punakha soon after. Distance is 70 kms and drive time will be 2 hrs.
– Punakha is the erstwhile capital of Bhutan and has the grandest fortress of the country called the Punakha Dzong. This is the fortress where the the Kings of Bhutan are coronated.
– Visit the longest suspension bridge of Bhutan in the evening. Overnight in Punakha.
26 September – Day 05:
– After breakfast, check out and visit the famous Fertility Temple (the only one in Bhutan) called Chime Lhakhang. The temple was built for the Divine Madman, a monk whose symbol, the phallus, is painted all over the homes in the villages around it, and has an interesting legacy. This temple is located at an elevation and a slow, meandering, unhurried walk to the top will take about 15 minutes.
– After the visit, leave for Paro. The journey will take 3 hrs.
– We reach hotel, check in and leave to see visit the oldest monastery in Bhutan called Kichyu. Guests may also want to visit the stupa like unique monastery called Dungtse, the one that has no lights inside.
– Have a relaxed evening roaming the main street or explore Bhutan’s only microbrewery located a stone’s throw from the hotel. Their Red Rice beer is worth sampling.
– Overnight in Paro.
27 September – Day 06:
– After breakfast, take a drive across Bhutan’s highest motorable Pass called Chele-La (3988 metres above sea level).
– Come back to Paro and go shopping on the Main Street.
– We would also recommend taking the famous hot stone bath at a Bhutanese home. This invigorating bath is taken in a wooden tub where riverbed stones heated on an open fire are dunked into the tub at one end. The water, replete with minerals of the stones is said to have curative and healing properties.
– Overnight in Paro.
28 September- Day 07:
– Departure day from Paro after breakfast.
