7D6N COUPLE GETAWAY

Paro - Thimphu - Phobjikha - Punakha (picnic lunch by riverside) - Paro

Day 1 Arrival in Paro, Paro- Thimphu

Distance: 54 km Estimated Driving Time: 1hr

Upon arrival in Paro airport our guide will receive you and you will be transferred to your hotel. Upon reaching the hotel we will let you settle in for a while. Afterwards we will visit the followings:

Ta Dzong (Watch Tower): Ta Dzong is a medieval watchtower situated above the Rimpung Dzong. It was constructed in 1656 with a purpose to give advance warning to the Paro Dzong in case of an approaching army, in fact the word ‘Ta’ means ‘to see’ in Dzongkha. In 1968 the Ta Dzong was converted into the National Museum of Bhutan and it houses a priceless collection of textiles, costumes, paintings, applique, wooden handicrafts, weapons, armour and jewelry.

Ringpung Dzong: Ringpung Dzong is probably Bhutan's best known and most iconic Dzong. The imposing Dzong is perhaps the finest example of Dzong architecture existing in the world today; the massive buttered walls of the fortress dominate over the valley. The Rinpung Dzong’s name translates to the “ Fortress on a heap of Jewels”.

Dumtse Lhakhang: Built by the iron bridge builder Thangton Gyalpo in 1422 to subdue a demoness and the pilgrim path winds clockwise up through the temple core, passing some of the finest murals in Bhutan, representing hell, earth and heaven on three floors.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Paro. Altitude: 2200m.

Day 2 Paro to Thimphu

Distance: 52 km Estimated Driving Time: 1hr

After breakfast we will drive to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. Upon reaching Thimphu we will visit some of many sites of Thimphu which includes the following:

National Textile Museum- where collections of royal textiles and antique textile artifacts, exclusive to Bhutan are displayed.

Folk Heritage Museum - Where the restored three-story, rammed-earth and timber building replicates a traditional farmhouse and is furnished, as it would have been about a century ago to provide an interesting glimpse into rural Bhutanese life.

Kuensal Phodrang -Where the world’s largest 51m-tall sitting Buddha, massive three-story base houses a large chapel, while the body itself is filled with 125,000 smaller statues of Buddha.

Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory -where traditional methods are used to produce the authentic Bhutanese paper known as Deh-sho. You can even try your hand at this ancient craft and make some paper of your own as a souvenir.

TrashiChhoe Dzong- “The Fortress of the Glorious Religion.” The majestic dzong houses some national ministries, His Majesty’s Secretariat, and the Central Monastic Body.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Thimphu. Altitude 2400m.

Day 3 Thimphu to Phobjikha

Distance: 135 km Estimated Driving Time: 3hrs, 56 mins

After early breakfast we will drive towards east passing the famous Dochu la pass. Stop at the pass for pictures. After 5 hours of drive passing the pass, in the mountain east of Wangdue Phodrang region lies the beautiful Phobjikha valley, on the slope of which is situated the great monastery of Gangtey established in the 17th century. The remote valley is the winter home for black-necked cranes, which migrates from the arid plains of Tibet in the north to pass the winter months in milder climate.

Upon arriving in Phobjikha Valley we will check-in to your hotel. After relaxing for a while we will visit the Black Necked Crane Information Centre. It has an observation room equipped with high power telescope and spotting scopes for catching the best view of the cranes (Please note that the cranes can be only seen during the winter months where they arrive from the Tibetan plateau during late October and even around early February).

Later towards the evening you can do a 360 walk of the valley. After the walk, you can choose to soak in the traditional set up of hot stone bath or massage at an additional fee. In the evening romantic dinner will be served and relaxation at the hotel.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Phobjikha.

Day 4 Phobjikha to Punakha

Distance: 81 km Estimated Driving Time: 2hrs, 41mins

If you want to enjoy the wetland nature trail, you will have to start early in the morning and enjoy the walk through 3km wetland nature trail that gives a breathtaking view of the valley.

After the walk we will have breakfast and visit the Gangtey Goemba Monastery, which is built on a ridge overlooking the valley and drive to Punakha. Before we reach Punakha we will stop at the village called Sopsokha to visit Chimi Lhakhang (Temple). The lhakhang is 20 minutes walk from the Sopsokha village. It is well known as “The Fertility Temple”, built by the Divine Madman also known as Drukpa Kinley with whom the phallic symbol is associated and couples unable to bear children are said to be blessed with children after visiting the temple.

After lunch we will visit the majestic Punakha Dzong (fort), which was constructed by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal the unifier of Bhutan as a nation-state in 1637. It is the second oldest and second largest dzong in Bhutan and one of its most majestic structures. Few minutes’ drive from the Dzong is the Suspension Bridge.

The bridge was built high on the river Po Chu (Male River), this arched wooden bridge connects the Punakha Dzong with Punakha town and the smaller villages scattered in the valley. A visit to this bridge is must if you are seeking a bit of thrill and a rush of adrenaline in your body while being in the midst of natural beauty.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Punakha. Altitude 1350m.

Day 5 Punakha

Today after breakfast we will hike to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. The hike is only reachable on foot that will take about an hour to reach. The chorten was built at the direction of Her Majesty Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wanghuck the third Queen mother of Bhutan with a splendid example of Bhutanese art and architecture.

After a romantic picnic lunch by the river we will drive back to Paro.

Upon reaching Paro we will check into the hotel and relax.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Paro.

Day 6- Hike the Iconic Tiger’s Nest

Today after early breakfast we will hike to the iconic and one of the most famous tourist destinations of the country, the Taktsang Monastery, ‘Tiger’s Nest’. The hike will take around 1 hour 40 minutes to get to Taktshang. If you are not much of a hiker it can take more than that. You can choose to hike the trail or ride up on a horseback by paying US$10/- but riding the horse will cover up only up to 60% of the hike and we don’t recommend riding on horseback down the mountain. We will stop for lunch in the cafeteria on our way back.

If time permits on the way back to our hotel we will visit Kichu Lhakhang: One of Bhutan’s oldest and most beautiful temples. It is popularly believed to have built in 659 by king Songtsen Gampo of Tibet, to pin down left foot of a giant ogress who was thwarting the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet.