Bhutan was overheard by the people as the so-called last Shangrila on the earth. We rather call Bhutan as the Buddhism flourishing country in a world where the esoteric teachings are spreading far and wide by the great spiritual masters. Its people are also mostly the practitioners of Mahayana/ Vajrayana Buddhism. Bhutan is a home to several sacred places, temples, monasteries and fortresses which gives the perfect place to do the prayers, offerings and meditations. Besides, you all will get the privileges to see the nature, culture and cuisine of this small Country. Apart from that its ecosystem is also home to rare and endangered species of flora and fauna, making this last Buddhism flourishing country spellbindingly beautiful place to receive different forms of blessings.
Activities: Tours & Sightseeing
Duration: 18 Nights and 19 Days
Season: Almost all season except monsoon (June, July and August)
Day 01: Arrival in Paro
Altitude: Around 2250m/7425 ft
On arrival at Paro International Airport, the representatives of the company will receive you and transfer you to the Hotel by Cars/Buses. Take it easy today as you must be tired because of long hours of flight and relax completely. Prepare well for the hike to Tiger’s Nest.You will be experiencing something which was never experienced before in your life.
Overnight: Paro
Day 02: Hike to Tiger’s Nest (Taktshang)
Altitude: 3100m/10230 ft
After breakfast, cars or buses will drop you to the basement of the excursion to view spectacular and the most famous Taktshang monastery. You can climb up to the monastery through beautiful pine forests, many of the trees with the beautiful hanging of mosses (also called Old man’s beard) and pass through an occasional grove of fluttering prayer flags. Stop at Taktshang Cafeteria for a stunning view of the monastery and break for tea/coffee as well. Then after some time resume your hike and continue until you see clearly within reach of the monastery. It is believed that in 8th century, Guru Rinpoche, the tantric mystic flew here on the back of a tigress from Singye Dzong in Kurtoe to Taktshang to subjugate demons and all evil spirits obstructing to flourish Buddhism and blessed them as the protector of the doctrine. It is also believed Guru Rinpoche has meditated here for three months and took his last manifestation in the form of Guru Dorje Drakpo (fierce thunderbolt) during subjugation.
Overnight: Paro
Day 03: Paro to Thimphu
Drive: 1 Hour
Altitude: 2400m/ 7920 ft
Distance: 65 km/ 39 miles
After breakfast, day starts with fire offering rituals ( ཞི་བའི་སྦྱིན་སྲེག) and after rituals, visit legendary Kyichu Lhakhang. It is believed that it was built in the year 659 by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. When he married the Chinese princesses Wencheng in 641, her dowry included the Jowo Shakyamuni, a priceless statue of the Buddha as a size of a small baby. As the statue was transported via Lhasa, it became struck in the mud and no one could remove it. The princess divined that the obstruction was being caused by a huge supine demoness, laying on her back. In order to pin down the ogress to the earth forever and to convert Tibetan people to Buddhism. It is believed that he had established 108 temples in a single day. Later in the evening drive to Thimphu, the Capital City of Bhutan.
Overnight: Thimphu
Day 04:Thimphu to Punakha
Altitude: 1350m/ 4455 ft
Distance: 76 km/ 45.6 miles
Drive: 2 ½ Hours
After breakfast drive through Dochula Pass, which is at the elevation 3140m above the sea level. If the weather is sky blue clear, you can enjoy a scenic view of the highest unclimbed mountain in the world in Bhutan and Himalayan ranges almost stretched 180 degrees. At Dochula Pass, we are going to make mountain smoke offering (རི་བོ་བསང་མཆོད). Then, you can break for tea for some time and resume your way to Punakha via sub-tropical Forest. Afternoon, take a short hike to Chimi Lhakhang (known as temple of No Dog), which was built in 1499 by the cousin of Lama Drukpa Kuenley (Divine Madman) in his honour after he subdued the demoness of the Dochula with his ‘magic thunderbolt of wisdom’.
Overnight: Punakha
Day 05: Punakha to Bumthang
Altitude: 2650m/ 8745 ft
Distance: 214 km/ 128.4 miles
Drive: 7 Hours
After breakfast, drive the whole day to Bumthang with several pit stops on the way and in the meantime you will enjoy the scenic view and topography of Bhutan.
Overnight: Bumthang
Day 06: Bumthang Sightseeing
On the first day in Bumthang, visit Jampa Lhakhang (Temple of Maitreya Buddha) which has the same legendary history as that of Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro. Then take a tour to Chakhar Lhakhang (Temple of Iron Castle). It is the site of the palace of the Indian King Sendha Gyab, better known as the Sindhu Raja, King who first invited Guru Rinpoche to Bumthang. The current temple was built in the 14th century by the Terton Dorje Lingpa. Later, further take a way to Kurjey Temple. The temple complex is named after the body imprint left by Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century after taming the local deity and turning him into the protector deity of Bumthang valley. In these temples, you all would get privilege to do the rites of sacramental offering/ganachakra offering (ཚོགས་འཁོར་བསྐོར་གནང་རྒྱུ)
Overnight: Bumthang
Day 07: Bumthang Sightseeing
In the morning, after breakfast, drive to the famous Ugyen Choling Palace which is around 33 km away from the main road. Ugyen Choling is the 16th century naktshang (country manor), built by Tsokye Dorje, the one-time governor of Trongsa and a descendent of the Terton (treasure discoverer) Dorji Lingpa. The family that owns Ugyen Choling has turned the complex into a museum to preserve its legacy and provide a place for religious studies, research and solitude. These traditional living quarters are recreated to exhibit the realistic atmosphere of the ancient lifestyles and living style of the people. En route, visit to Tang Rimochen which was built by Terton ( treasure revealer) Pema Lingpa to mark a sacred place where Guru Rinpoche meditated. The original name ‘Tag Rimochen’ ( an impression of tiger’s stripes) is derived from the yellow stripes that appear on the rock cliff behind the temple. There are handprints and footprints of Guru Rinpoche and his consort Yeshe Tshogyal.
Overnight: Bumthang
Day 08: Bumthang Sightseeing
In morning, after breakfast, drive to the sacred place of Green Tara (Choeday Pung monastery) in Chumey, which was recently renovated and repaired by Zhitrul Choni Rangshar Rinpoche popularly known as Tang Rinpoche here in Bhutan and now it serves as one of the main monasteries here in Bhutan for Rinpoche. In the monastery, the monks perform the sacred dances of Warrior King which are displayed to the public once every two years. This is the place to sit down and do meditation on your own for a day.
Overnight: Bumthang
Day 09: Bumthang Sightseeing
In the morning, visit Tamshing Goemba, it was built by Terton Pema Lingpa in 1501 and is the most important Nyingma Goemba in the country. After that visit the Mebar Tsho (burning lake), where the Terton Pema Lingpa said to rediscover several treasures from the lake and then end your day taking a tour to sacred meditation place of compassionate beings at Gongkar Kusum Choling Goemba.
Overnight: Bumthang
Day 10: Bumthang Sightseeing
In the morning, after you all are loaded with breakfast, drive toward Tharpaling Goemba. From Chamkhar town it will take almost an hour to reach the complex of temples. The Dzogchen master, philosopher and great saint Longchen Rabjampa from the Nyingma sect founded Tharpaling as part of eight Lings (outlying temples) and lived here for several years in his life. This is the opportunity to take a tour to each and every temple in a complex.
Overnight: Bumthang
Day 11: Bumthang Sightseeing
Now this a time to cover up all remaining sacred places in Bumthang or if possible it is a time to observe fasting day in Gonkar Kusum Choling Goemba to follow the footsteps of Dakini Gelongma Pema who was believed to be mediated here in her life.
Overnight: Bumthang
Day 12: Bumthang to Trongsa
Altitude: 1900m/ 6270 ft
Distance: 68 km/ 40.8 miles
Drive: 2 ½ Hours
In the morning, after breakfast, checkout from the hotel and retrace back to Trongsa. En-route, visit Ngangsey Lhakhang, which is also a sacred place of Terton Nyangral Nima Yodzar where you will get an opportunity to see his magical craft of spiritual dragger (ཕུར་པ) in this temple. Later, Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche also visited this temple and made prayers and wishes to liberate all the beings samsara and then visit Ganyen Lhakhang which has also legendary history as same as that of Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro and Jampa Lhakhang in Bumthang. Later in the evening drive off to Trongsa.
Overnight: Trongsa
Day 13: Trongsa Sightseeing
After breakfast, drive to the sacred place where Guru Rinpoche left his body imprint and which was later on visited by Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. Then take a visit to Kuenga Rabten Karma Drubdey Nunnery and then visit the holy place where Indian Prince Vessantara had given his sons and eyes as alm to the people who begged for it to complete his first to last of his generosity. If time permits then visit the defunct Ta Dzong (watch tower), which now displays the statuary and royal memorabilia in evening.
Overnight: Trongsa
Day 14: Trongsa to Punakha via Phobjikha
Altitude: 2900m/9570 ft
Distance: 198 km /115.8 miles
Drive: 7 Hours
Retrace and enjoy the way back to the roosting ground of black-necked crane in Phobjikha valley. Black-necked cranes are one of the most endangered species of birds in the world. These birds winter in south-central Tibet, north-eastern Yunnan province in China and in some parts of Bhutan as well. After you enter Phobjikha valley, visit Gangtey Goenpa, in 15th century treasure discoverer Pema Lingpa prophesied that a Goenpa named gang-teng (hill top) would be built on this site and that his teaching would flourish far and wide from here. Gangtey is the only Nyingma monastery found in western Bhutan. Later, continue your journey to Punakha and relax in the hotel after having a tiresome journey all the way from Trongsa.
Overnight: Punakha
Day 15: Punakha to Thimphu
Right after breakfast, drive to the Dho Jhaga Lama Lhakhang which is around 5 kilometers from Punakha. It is said that the Indian guru-magician Nagi Rinchen sent lightning and hail to split rock to liberate his mother’s consciousness which was trapped inside.Then take a visit to Punakha Dzong (the palace of great happiness) which is arguably the most stunning dzong in the country and construction was foretold by Guru Rinpoche. Then it was built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1637 and was completed the following year. After sightseeing was over then drove to Thimphu.
Overnight: Thimphu
Day 16: Thimphu Sightseeing
In the morning, attend the rites of sacramental offering/ganachakra offering (ཚོགས་འཁོར་བསྐོར་གནང་རྒྱུ) in Thimphu Zangdokpalri. Then proceed further to Kuensel Phodrang (Buddha Point), which was completed and inaugurated recently and then to TashiChhoeDzong. It was built in 1216 by Lama Gyalwa Lhanangpa and named as Dho-Ngen Dzong (Blue Stone Fortress). Later Lam Phajo Drugom Zhigpo, who brought Drukpa Kagyu lineage to Bhutan, took over the Dzong. In 1641 the Zhabdrung Rinpoche acquired the Dzong from the descendents of Lama Phajo and renamed it as TashiChhoeDzong (Fortress of the glorious religion). The third King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, when he moved the capital to Thimphu in 1960s then he began a five-year project to renovate and enlarge dzong and it houses both monastic body and administration offices.
Overnight: Thimphu
Day 17: Thimphu to Paro
Before you proceed to Paro. Take your time for some souvenirs from Thimphu. Then hit the road to Paro. En-route, visit Tamchog Lhakhang, the temple of excellent horse built by Drubthob Thangthong Gyalpo and now this temple is owned by the descendents of him.
Overnight: Paro
Day 18: Paro Sightseeing
To conclude your last tour here in Bhutan, after breakfast, drive almost half an hour to Drak Karpo Lhakhang (temple of White Cliff), a cliffside monastery where Guru Rinpoche had meditated for several months. Later, visit Dumtse Lhakhang, an unusual chorten like temple that was built in 1433 by the Drubthob Thangthong Gyalpo nick named as iron-bridge builder. The temple was built to subdue a demoness and is chained firmly to the ground. Later in the evening, take a leisure spree in Paro.
Overnight: Paro
Day 19: Departure
After breakfast drive to the Airport for your onward destination. Our team will bid you farewell from the Paro International Airport.
