7 Days Bhutan Tour

Fly into Paro, then drive to Thimphu. Visit Tashichho Dzong in the late afternoon.
Main experience: Tashichho Dzong, a medieval-style fortress that also houses Bhutan's government. On weekdays it opens to visitors after office hours.
Lighter moment: A stroll around Clock Tower Square.
Local meal: Ema datshi and red rice.
Insider tip: Ask your guide to stop at Tachog Lhakhang's iron chain bridge on the way.

About Tashichho Dzong
Tashichho Dzong, on the banks of the Wang Chhu in Thimphu, is Bhutan's seat of government. It houses the throne room and offices of the King and the summer residence of the Je Khenpo (chief abbot). It was rebuilt in its present form in the 1960s in traditional style, without nails or written plans.
What to see:
The grand whitewashed courtyards and golden roofs
The central utse tower
Evening flag-lowering ceremony
Views of the dzong lit up at night

Spend the day in Thimphu: Buddha Dordenma, the Institute of Zorig Chusum, the National Library and the Memorial Chorten.
Main experience: Buddha Dordenma (Kuensel Phodrang), a 51 m Buddha statue on a hill above the city.
Lighter moment: The Institute of Zorig Chusum (weekdays), the National Library and the National Memorial Chorten.
Local meal: Lunch at the Folk Heritage Museum restaurant.
Insider tip: Browse locally made handicrafts at the craft bazaar near the main street.

About Buddha Dordenma (Kuensel Phodrang)
Buddha Dordenma is one of the largest seated Buddha statues in the world: a 51.5 m gilded bronze figure of Shakyamuni on a hilltop at Kuensel Phodrang, overlooking the southern end of Thimphu valley. Inside are 125,000 smaller gilded Buddha statues.
What to see:
The giant gilded Buddha
The meditation hall filled with small Buddhas
A panoramic view over Thimphu valley

About Institute of Zorig Chusum
The Institute of Zorig Chusum in Thimphu teaches Bhutan's 13 traditional arts and crafts, including thangka painting, wood carving, embroidery, statue-making and calligraphy, to young Bhutanese students.
What to see:
Students painting thangkas and carving wood
Embroidery and weaving classes
A shop selling student work

About National Memorial Chorten
The National Memorial Chorten was built in 1974 in memory of the Third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, the "Father of Modern Bhutan." From dawn to dusk, elderly Thimphu residents walk around it, spinning prayer wheels and counting prayer beads.
What to see:
Locals walking the kora
The large prayer wheels
The golden spire and whitewashed stupa

Drive over Dochula Pass to Punakha to visit Punakha Dzong and walk up to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten.
Main experience: Punakha Dzong (17th century), which played a central role in the founding of modern Bhutan.
Lighter moment: A walk through rice terraces up to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, or around the local market.
Local meal: Riverside lunch with red rice and fresh vegetables.
Insider tip: Punakha is warmer than Thimphu, so pack a lighter layer for the day.

About Dochula Pass
Dochula (3,100 m), on the road from Thimphu to Punakha, is famous for its 108 memorial chortens (Druk Wangyal Chortens), built in 2004 to honour Bhutanese soldiers. On clear days, especially from October to February, there is a panorama of the eastern Himalaya, including Gangkar Puensum (7,570 m), the world's highest unclimbed mountain.
What to see:
The 108 Druk Wangyal chortens
Druk Wangyal Lhakhang temple
A panorama of the eastern Himalaya on clear days
Tea at the pass café

About Punakha Dzong
Punakha Dzong, the "Palace of Great Happiness," was built in 1637–38 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal where the Pho Chhu (male) and Mo Chhu (female) rivers meet. It was Bhutan's capital until 1955, is where Bhutan's kings are crowned and married, and is the winter home of the monk body. Many people consider it the most beautiful dzong in the country.
What to see:
The six-storey central tower and three courtyards
The river confluence and the covered cantilever bridge
Jacaranda trees blooming purple in spring
Murals of the life of the Buddha

About Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten
Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten is a beautiful temple on a ridge above the Punakha valley, built by the Queen Mother and completed in 1999 to bring peace to the world. It is reached by a 45-minute walk through rice fields.
What to see:
Intricate paintings and statues
The rooftop view up the Mo Chhu valley
The walk through rice terraces

Take a full-day trip over Lawa La pass into the Phobjikha Valley. Visit Gangtey Goenpa and watch the black-necked cranes from the information centre.
Main experience: Gangtey Goenpa, a 17th-century monastery overlooking the wide glacial valley.
Lighter moment: Crane watching from the Black-Necked Crane Information Centre, or part of the easy Gangtey Nature Trail.
Local meal: Buckwheat pancakes and local potatoes, both valley specialities.
Insider tip: About 200–300 cranes spend the winter here. To protect them, the valley's electricity lines run underground.

About Phobjikha (Gangtey) Valley & Black-Necked Cranes
Phobjikha (2,900 m) is a wide, glacier-carved valley, one of the most beautiful places in Bhutan, and the largest winter home in the country of the rare black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis). Cranes arrive from the Tibetan plateau in late October and leave by March. To protect them, the valley's electricity lines run underground. Overlooking the valley, Gangtey Goenpa is a 17th-century monastery founded in 1613 by Gyalse Pema Thinley, grandson of Pema Lingpa.
What to see:
Gangtey Goenpa monastery
Black-necked cranes feeding in the marshes (November to February)
The Black-Necked Crane Information Centre and its telescopes
The Gangtey Nature Trail through pine forest and villages
The Black-Necked Crane Festival (11 November)

Drive back to Paro to visit the National Museum and Rinpung Dzong, with a free afternoon.
Main experience: The National Museum (Ta Dzong) and Rinpung Dzong.
Lighter moment: The rest of the day is free: rest, go to a café or browse the craft shops.
Local meal: Momos and butter tea in Paro town.
Insider tip: Take it easy this afternoon, since tomorrow is the biggest day of the trip.

About Paro Valley & Rinpung Dzong
Paro (2,200 m) is a wide, fertile valley of rice fields and traditional farmhouses, and home to Bhutan's only international airport. Rinpung Dzong, the "Fortress on a Heap of Jewels," was built in 1646 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who unified Bhutan. It still serves as the district's administrative and monastic centre. The dzong is reached by the covered wooden Nyamai Zam cantilever bridge, and it hosts the famous Paro Tshechu festival each spring.
What to see:
The courtyards, towers and painted woodwork of Rinpung Dzong
The traditional Nyamai Zam cantilever bridge
Paro town's painted wooden shopfronts and craft shops
Views of the valley and the airport runway from the road above

About National Museum of Bhutan (Ta Dzong)
The National Museum is housed in Ta Dzong, a round 17th-century watchtower built to guard Rinpung Dzong. Since 1968 it has displayed Bhutan's finest thangka paintings, bronze statues, masks, textiles, weapons and the country's famous postage stamps.
What to see:
Ancient thangkas and religious statues
Masks used in tshechu dances
Bhutan's collectable postage stamps
The view over Paro Valley and Rinpung Dzong

Hike to Tiger's Nest, then visit Kyichu Lhakhang.
Main experience: Paro Taktsang, a monastery built into the cliff where according to legend Guru Rinpoche arrived on a tigress. Alternatives: the cafeteria viewpoint or Chele La Pass (3,988 m).
Lighter moment: Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest and most sacred shrines in Bhutan.
Local meal: A farewell dinner at a farmhouse.
Insider tip: A hot stone bath is the perfect way to end this day.

About Tiger's Nest Monastery (Paro Taktsang)
Paro Taktsang is Bhutan's most famous landmark, a monastery built into a sheer granite cliff about 900 m above the Paro Valley, at 3,120 m. According to legend, Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century, flew here on the back of a tigress and meditated in a cave for three years, three months, three days and three hours. The present monastery was built in 1692 and carefully restored after a fire in 1998.
What to see:
The hike through blue pine forest and prayer flags (about 5–6 hrs round trip)
The cafeteria viewpoint halfway up, with a classic view of the monastery
The temples and Guru Rinpoche's meditation cave inside
The waterfall and bridge just below the monastery

About Kyichu Lhakhang
Kyichu Lhakhang is one of the oldest and most sacred temples in Bhutan, believed to have been built in 659 AD by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo as one of 108 temples to pin down a demoness who was blocking the spread of Buddhism. Its orange trees are said to bear fruit all year round.
What to see:
The 7th-century inner temple
The statue of Jowo Sakyamuni
Prayer wheels and elderly pilgrims walking the kora

If you cannot walk up to the monastery, then you can hike up to cafeteria which takes about 50 minutes from the base. Then take photo of Taktsang monastery, have a cup of coffee and return to the base.

Or

If you do not want to hike to Taktsang monastery then we will take you to Chele la pass, the highest motor able point in Bhutan at 3,988 meters above sea level between Paro and Haa valley. It is approximately 40 km one way from the hotel. Have a good view of snow- capped mountain and tourist indulge in bird watching.

After breakfast depart from the hotel to Paro Airport for your onward flight.