Bhutan Introductory tour is the best of the two major city tour - Paro and Thimpu (the capital of Bhutan). In just 2 Nights and 3 days in these mystical cities of the Kingdom of Bhutan, you will witness enchanting landscape, fascinating monuments and the culture and lifestyle of people in Bhutan.
6 major destinations are hand-picked from these two cities to give you the best glimpses of the natural and the cultural delights the kingdom stores. You will visit the Tashichho Dzong, the Memorial Chorten and the Great Buddha Dordenma in Thimpu and the Taktsang Palphug Monastery (the Tiger’s Nest), the Kyichu Lhakhang, and the traditional farm house in Paro.
The Tashichho Dzong is a Buddhist monastery and fortress, which traditionally has been the seat of the head of Bhutan’s civil government since 1952 and the summer capital of the country. There are 30 temples, chapels and shrines withing the dzong that provide deep insight into the culture and architecture in Bhutan.
The Memorial Chotren, a Tibetan style stupa built in 1974, is both - a memorial to the Third Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Dorji Wnagchuk and a monument to world peace and prosperity. It’s a very prominent landmark in the city and unlike other stupas, this does not preserve human remains, but paintings and statues that provide deep insight into Buddhist philosophy. Larger than life size images of wrathful looking protective deities with their female consort, teachings of Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu School, teachings of Lama Gongdu, paintings of deities of Nyingma school and the representation of the protective bodhisattvas (Avalokitesvara, Manjusri and Vajrapani) are just to name a few. The very famous Monlam Prayer Festival is also held here.
The Great Buddha Dordenma is a 54-meter big statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. It also houses 8 inches tall 100,000 and 12 inches-tall 250,00 bronze glided-in-gold Buddha statues that look like the Great Buddha Dordenma itself. It is also considered one of the largest Buddha Rupas in the world. The statue is also very important as is said to have fulfilled two prophecies.
The Taktsang Palphug Monastery or the Tiger’s Nest is a scared site and temple complex that hangs on a cliff at 3,120 meters about 900 meters above the Paro Valley. It’s a cultural icon devoted to Guru Padmasambhava, the tutelary deity, who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan. It’s a very elegant structure built around the cave where Guru Padmasambhava is once said to have meditated for 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days and 3 hours in the 8th century. Out of 13 Taktsang caves, where he meditated, this is the most popular one. The place is also said to have been dedicated to tame the Tiger demon.
The Kiychu Lhakhang, a scared jewel established by the Tibetan Emperor Songtsen Gampo, is another important Himalayan Buddhist temple in Paro. It is considered one of the oldest temples as the main chapel, the Jowo Temple, dates back to the 7th century. It is also a part of the network of 12 temples arranged around Jo-Khang Temple at Lhasa. The temple is considered important, as during his visit, Guru Padmasambhava is said to have concealed many spiritual treasures here. This destination serves big time to historians and connoisseurs of art.
Moreover, to understand more about the lifestyle of people, we have also included a visit to traditional farm house in Paro. This provides an opportunity to connect with Bhutanese lifestyle like never though before.
This package is a fly-in-fly-out, all-inclusive package that includes meals, accommodation, flight to and from Paro, entrance fees, private transfers, visa fee and a local guide. This tour can be done all round the year; however, if you are looking for the best time, then March-May and late September to early December is recommended. It is best for travelers who have limited time, but want to make the most out of their stay in Bhutan. However, if you have more time, and are planning to explore more of these two vibrant cities of the country, then Amigo Treks and Expedition’s 3 Nights 4 days Best of Bhutan Package will be the best option to go with.
Day 1 Fly to Paro and Drive to Thimpu.
Day 2 Drive to Paro and explore Paro
Day 3 Fly to Kathmandu
Cost Includes
Cost excludes
Day 01: Fly to Paro and Drive to Thimpu. A private car will come to pick you at your hotel and take you to the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu to help you catch a flight to Bhutan. Kathmandu to Bhutan is a one-hour very scenic flight. In Bhutan, at the Paro International Airport (outside the luggage hall, to be more specific), one of the company representatives will meet you and provide further required assistance. You will then drive to Thimpu (65 kilometers). In about 1.5 hours, you will reach Thimpu, where you will quickly check into the hotel and get ready for the lunch served in one of the best local restaurants in Thimpu. After Lunch, you will visit the Tashichho Dzong, which is Buddhist monastery and fortress situated on the northern edge of the city of Thimpu and the western bank of the Wang Chu. After Tashichho Dzong, you will visit the Memorial Chorten also known as the Memorial Stupa or the Thimpu Chorten, located in Doeboom Lam in the southern-central part of the city. Next, you will head to Kuenselphodrang to see the Great Buddha Dordenma, a gigantic statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. You will then have dinner at one of the local restaurants in Thimpu at around 7:00 pm and get back to the hotel for overnight stay. Please note: We will visit the above three attractions only if your flight to Bhutan is in the morning. In case of afternoon flight, you will only visit Tashichho Dzong and visit rest of the two sites the following day.
Day 02: Drive to Paro and explore Paro Early in the morning, after breakfast, you will drive to Paro to hike to the Taktsang Palphug Monastery, also known as the Tiger’s Nest that hangs on a cliff at 3120 meters located 10 kilometers to the north of Paro of the upper Paro valley. For an average hiker, it takes about 5 hours (3 hours up and 2 hours down) to complete this hike. The lunch will be somewhere along the trail while hiking. Your next destination is Kyichu Lhakhang situated in Lango Gewog of Paro District. After exploring this temple, you will visit farm house and then a very famous traditional hot stone bath. You can also experience 1-hour traditional hot stone bath by paying USD 20 per person. If you do not want to experience this, you will have your dinner at the farm house and get back to the hotel in Paro for overnight stay.
Day 03: Fly to Kathmandu Early in the morning, after breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel and dropped off to the airport to catch a flight back to Kathmandu or any other destination. If you are flying back to Kathmandu, a company representative will pick you up from the airport and drop you off to your hotel in Kathmandu.
With 3 friends we trek up the Tsum Valley supported by our guide Dawa and porters Shambu and Anil… a fantastic trip. Beautiful, fascinating,
