5 Days Essential Bhutan Tour

When you arrive in Paro International Airport, your tour guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel in Thimphu. It takes about 2 hours to reach Thimphu. The rest of the day is for you to take a rest in the hotel or stroll around.

Stay overnight in Thimphu.

In the morning, you will first head to Thimphu’s Weekend Market to experience the daily life of local people. You will have a wide choice of interesting items to explore, including vegetables, fruits, rices, dried meats, cheeses, incense powders, handicrafts etc.

Then you will trek to Chagri Monastery, also called Cheri Monastery. It is the first monastery in Bhutan and an important pilgrimage site with dozens of monks meditating there. During the trekking, you will walk through the paddy fields and enjoy the tranquil scenery in local villages and lush forests. Next, you will visit the National Textile Museum, to get a better knowledge about Bhutan national dress and weaving details. And you can also buy some specialties as souvenirs.

After that, you will continue to travel to National Folk Heritage Museum, where you learn how the ancient people lived with all these necessities like cooking tools, household ware, etc. Here you can also watch the live show of textile weaving and wine making.

After sightseeing in Thimphu you will drive to Punakha. With a stop en route for tea at Dochu La Pass (3,100 meters), where on a clear day you can get spectacular views of the Himalayas. After lunch at Wangduephodrong continue to drive to Punakha, the former capital of Bhutan.

Stay overnight in Punakha.

In the morning you will visit the famous Punakha Dzong, which is also known as Pungtang Dewa chhenbi Phodrang. It is constructed by Ngawang Namgyal in 1637 and it the second oldest and second largest dzong in Bhutan. After that you will drive to Paro from Punakha.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Bhutan's National Museum, a fascinating place housed in an old watchtower above the huge Paro Dzong (monastery/fortress). The museum holds a fantastic collection of Bhutanese national treasures ranging from ancient armor to textiles and Thangkha paintings.

Then, we drive to the head of the valley and visit Drukgyel Dzong built in a location that was chosen for its control over the route to Tibet. A spectacular view of Mount Jumolhari (23,996ft /7314m) can be seen from here. Also visit Rinpung Dzong and a typical Bhutanese farm house.

Stay overnight in Paro.

Today, you will trek from Paro Valley to Taktshang Goemba, which is commonly known as Tiger's Nest. Standing 3000 meters high on the cliff, it is one of the most sacred sites in Bhutan. It is said that the Guru Rinpoche once flew here from Tibet on the back of a tigress.

The trekking to Taktsang is a challenging one and you can choose to reach there by walking or horseback. Starting with a gentle forest climb, you will pass a creek and some prayer wheels, as the trail gets steeper and steeper.

On the way, there is a nice teahouse where you have a short rest and have a great view of the monastery. As you continues your trek, you will climb to the viewing point which is the best place to take photos of Taktsang. After that, the trail goes down until you make it to the entrance. Please note that you will be required to leave your backpacks, phones and cameras during the visit.

After visiting the monastery, trek down the mountain and head back to Paro.

Stay overnight in Paro.

Today, the guide will take you to the airport, then you can take your flight home or your next destination.