Bhutan Himalayan Tour

THIMPHU - PUNAKHA - PARO

Duration

5 Days

Tour Type

Last Minutes Deal

Group Size

Min. 4 persons

Location

Bhutan

Overview

Have you had the fantasy of visiting one of the fictitious places we all have been reading from our childhood? Yes, one such place really exists and can be visited. Bhutan is one such country. It is considered as the last Shangri-La’s. This is because of its remoteness and the spectacular mountain terrain around. It is also fondly called “The Land of the Thunder Dragon” or “Druk Yul”.

You might not have heard about the ministry of Happiness? Yes, we mean it! Bhutan is the only country in this world where there is a designated ministry to care for the happiness of the people. Also, they measure per capita happiness, and worry about is more than income. So, you should visit such a unique place at least once in a lifetime. There are peace and harmony everywhere. The flora and fauna are mesmerizing. You will feel that God has created these unique features for the country of Bhutan as a reward for the way they all live.

The country is comprised of mountains and rivers all inter-twined beautifully. The forests are dense and lush green, as most parts are untouched by humans. As tourists, you will also be permitted to go to major tourist places and not just wander off into the wild. The forests are known to have many rare animals too such as snow leopard etc. A journey on these hills will seem like a roller coaster ride but much safer and slower so that you enjoy each moment of Luxury Bhutan tour.

The people there are so delightful always and content in what they have. You can learn a lot from the people just by observing them go on with their daily routine life. Smoking is not allowed in the whole country so the air is as pure as it can be. Taking a few deep breaths will make your lungs happy. The architecture is magnificent, you will see the fortresses known as Dzongs, ancient temples and monasteries which as centuries-old too, but well preserved.

The prayer flags in most places are a sight you cannot miss. This shows the tremendous faith people have in their religion. The waterfalls end up becoming foamy white as if from a fairy tale. Your family is going to love this place. Bhutan is a living heritage of Buddhism. If you endeavor to learn about Buddhism, there could be no better place than Bhutan. In the recent past, Bhutan has become a favorite destination for those looking for solace. It is perfect for a solo trip as you can get to think about yourself in a selfless way. The country practices controlled tourism by giving prior permission to tourists so as not to harm the environment and peace.

Tour Highlights

You may not have known that Bhutan is still ruled by the king in today’s world. But this does not mean that it lags modernization. You will very comfortable once you reach there. You shall not just be seeing the hills and waterfalls, but also be visiting many monasteries and stupas. You may be amazed to note that there are no traffic lights yet there is smooth traffic all around. You will not hear unnecessary honking. They follow the rule of preferring pedestrians in each crossing. You shall be physically fit to go on this tour as it will include a lot of walking and hiking.

Among other places the major tourist places that you shall be visiting shall be Ta Dzong, Ripung Dzong, Memorial Chorten(a stupa in memory of the third king), Trashichhoe Dong(made to unify government and religion). The other places are Buddha point, Do Chula Pass, ChimiLhankhang(fertility temple-praying for a child is blessed soon), Punakha Dzong ( gold-domed tower), and Taktshang Monastery (the most sacred monastery of entire Bhutan).

Know before you go

Meeting and assistance by our representative, Airport to hotel & vice versa transfers as per the itinerary.
Welcome with garlands on arrival.
Sightseeing services using air-conditioned transport with the driver as per the tour programme.
Accommodation to choose from in standard hotels offering 3-star facilities or superior hotels offering good 4-star facilities or deluxe hotels offering 5-star standard facilities with breakfast in all the places. Double or twin sharing shall be provided as per your preference.
Parking fees, fuel charges, driver allowance are all included.
Services of an English speaking local guide is included only during the sightseeing tour as per the programme.
A small group size of a minimum of 4 people is required for any particular date and in case of fewer numbers on any particular date, we will give you the option of date change or still travel on the same date by paying a slight supplement.
Rates are based on using standard hotels offering 3-star facilities with the option of upgrading to superior and deluxe categories offering 4 star and 5-star facilities respectively at a slight supplement.
All taxes are included.

Inclusions

Return Airport transfers with Meeting and assistance

Hotel accommodation on twin sharing with breakfast

Airconditioned Transport with driver

One Lunch or dinner with our compliments

Guide services during sightseeing

All taxes, Toll, Parking Charges

Exclusions

Entrance fees to the Monuments

Any items of personal nature like laundry, Tips, Camera fees etc.

Any Domestic or International Airfare

Travel Insurance

Any item not mentioned in Inclusion

Itinerary

DAY 01 : ARRIVAL AT PARO AND TRANSFER TO THIMPHU

You shall arrive to Paro by Druk Air along the most spectacular view. You shall be flying over the great Himalayas. As you disembark from the plane you will get the feel of the serenity of Bhutan with the flow of fresh air in your face. It is cool and clean fresh mountain air. Once you clear immigration and collect baggage you shall be given a warm welcome by our representatives. You shall proceed to the capital city Thimphu. Here you shall check-in at the hotel. Thimphu is known for its unique mix of modernisation while the ancient traditional building and culture co-exist. As it is the capital town there are offices of government, religion and commerce all alike. It is the world’s only capital of a nation where a population of 100,000 live yet there are no traffic lights. You never see chaos. Begin sightseeing by visiting Ta Dzong, built for the purpose of a watch tower, now converted into national museum. You will get to see an extensive collection of Antique Thangkha paintings, textiles, weapons, armour, household objects and artefacts. A visit to this museum will give you in-depth knowledge about Bhutan and its people. Next, take a walk down the trail to Rinpung Dzong. It literally means fortress of the heap of jewels. This fortress has helped save the nation from being invaded by Tibet in the past. The galleries are wooden, full of paintings of Buddha through his different phases of life. The depictions consist of four friends, old man, wheel if life, the life of Milarepa, Mt. Sumeru and Cosmic Mandalas. Next stop shall be Memorial Chorten, it is a stupa built in the remembrance of Bhutan’s third king, His late Majesty King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. He was fondly called the father of Bhutan and loved by the people of the country. The paintings and statues are a reflection of Buddhism. The last place for the day shall be Trashichhoe Dong. It literally means fortress of the glorious religion. It serves as the centre for government and religion. It was built by the political and religion unifier ShabdrungNgawangNamgyel in the year 1641. In recent past, in 1960 it was rebuilt without nails. Then you can explore the local area and go back to the hotel for scrumptious and night stay.

DAY 02 : TOUR OF THIMPHU AND TRAVEL TO PUNAKHA (74 Km, 2 Hrs 07 Min)

After you have had breakfast you shall start sightseeing. The first place to visit will be Budha Point( Kuensel Phodrang). It is at a short drive from the main city of Thimphu. From Buddha's point, you get a magnificent view of the city below. The largest statue of Buddha is placed here. Pay obeisance and offer prayers and stroll around for a while. Next, you shall be visiting Simtokha Dzong, in Bhutanese, it means Palace of the profound meaning of secret mantras. It is a comparatively small Dong. It was first of a kind at that time. It used to be a Buddhist monastery in the past now there is the premier Dzongkha Language learning institute. As you drive past Do Chula pass at the height of 3080 meters you will be mesmerized by the view of the valley. En-route you shall observe many Chorten and prayer flags. The view on a clear day is worth a lifetime memory. Next, you shall visit ChimiLhankhang is known as the temple of fertility. But the route is interesting as it is not completely accessible by road. After 15 minutes of the drive then walk through paddy fields is required. It will take around one and a half hours to complete the round trip on foot. It is believed by the devotees that those who do not have a child and wish for one can pray here and their prayers shall be answered soon. While you cross the fields and villages you can the simplicity of daily life of the common people of Bhutan. Next, you shall visit Punakha Dzong also called the Palace of Great Happiness. It is a six storied gold-domed tower. It is distinct in the neighborhood and can be seen from far. Check-in and night stay at Punakha along with .

DAY 03 : TRAVEL FROM PUNAKHA BACK TO PARO (115 Km, 3 Hrs 12 Min)

After breakfast, you shall start the journey back to Paro. En route from Dochu La. You shall be witnessing the dramatic river valleys of Wangcchu and Parochhu. The first tourist place that you sill visit that day will be Motithang Takin Preserve. It is also called the Thimphu Zoo. It is a small nature reserve for Takin. It was initially a zoo but it is against the principals of the Buddhist nation to keep an animal in captivity, so it was converted to a small reserve. The next stop will be the National Library. You can see archaic texts well preserved here. Thousands of manuscripts have been very well kept. Modern books and printing blocks for prayer flags are something you must not miss. Next is Tachogang Lhakhang, it is a temple built by ThankthongGyelpo after he experienced a vision of Guru Rimpoche, Amitaba and Avalokiteshvara here. You can see relics of the masters including his walking stick. People come here to seek blessings for their newborn babies and young ones form the protector deity Tamdrin. Children are blessed using a sacred dagger and then given a holy thread. Then you will go back to the hotel at Paro for and night stay.

DAY 04 : HIKING TOUR OF PARO

After breakfast, you shall proceed for sightseeing to Taktshang Monastery. It will be a five hours hike. It is the most famous monasteries of Bhutan sitting on a 900-meter cliff overlooking Paro. It is believed that Guru Rinpoche came here sitting on the back of a tigress. He meditated her hence it is called the Tigers nest. It has recognized as the most sacred place of Bhutan. Visit KyichuLhakhang, one of the 108 temples built by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo. This is when Buddhism entered Bhutan. In the evening you can stroll in the local market and indulge in shopping. Then return back to the hotel for and night stay.

DAY 05 : DEPART FROM PARO

After breakfast, you shall be given a ride to the airport for your journey thereafter. Our representatives shall assist you in exit formalities if needed. As your tour of Bhutan comes to an end with us for this time, we hope you had fun and will remember it all your life. Do give us a chance to serve you.

FAQs & Important Travel and Package Info

Exclusions

Return international flights, Visas, Insurance and items of personal nature.

Age restrictions

This visit is focused on guests aged 18 years or more seasoned For youngsters and child accompanied by the adults.

Tour occupancy

Minimum number for any tour date is 2 persons travelling together.
For solo travellers a single occupancy room is allocated.

Passport and Visa Requirements

All guests require a visa with a minimum validity of 6 months which should be beyond your return travel date is required for all passengers.
All Guests need visa and same should be applied in advance, do contact us for any assistance you may need.
It is the visitors responsibility to ensure they are holding the correct and current visa for the countries they are visiting.
Important: We suggest to arrange your visa at least 2-8 weeks prior to departure just incase for any delays due to consulate operating hours and processing times.

Travel Insurance

We recommend you purchase travel insurance as soon as possible after purchasing this package.

Health & vaccination

Travellers are advised to check with their local health professional at least 45 days prior to departure, as some vaccinations require 30 days or more to be effective.
Health care such as a doctor’s surgery, dentist and optometrists may not always be accessible on this tour. It is advised that you ensure you have adequate health insurance cover as part of your travel insurance.

Tipping

Tipping or porterages are not included and are entirely on your discretion while on tour.

Fitness requirements

Travellers should have a good level of physical fitness and mobility. They must be able to partake unaided in their chosen activities/package tours/cruise etc. as outlined in the itinerary.

Dietary Requirements

Any dietary necessities should be received by SpecialHolidays atleast 7 days prior your scheduled departure date. Failure to provide these details by this date may result in an inability to cater for your requirements.
By and large SpecialHolidays tries to cater for your pre booked dietary requirements but please note that on occasion, this may not be possible due to location, lack of availability of ingredients, and other extenuating circumstances. It is always advised to carry supplies with you.

Transfers

All airport and hotel transfers are included in the tour from the day of your arrival as per the package.

Documentation

Any applicable pre trip or tour documentation will be emailed to you prior to travelling. Should you have any queries regarding this please feel free to contact us directly via email at support@SpecialHolidays.com.

TZ savings

The value and comparative savings have been determined based on published rack rates and the value of inclusions. Please be advised that rack rates may not be reflective of actual rates being charged, dependent on the timing and manner of your booking and therefore are only indicative of the level of saving.

Itinerary amendments & changes

Occasionally our itineraries are updated prior to departure to incorporate improvements stemming from past travellers’ feedback as well as updates from our ground operators. Please note that while we operate successful tours in this region throughout the year, some changes may be necessary due to inclement weather, public holidays, common seasonal changes to timetables and transport routes, and unforeseen circumstances. This can happen with little notice so please be prepared for modifications to the route. The order and timing of included activities may also vary from time to time.

Availability

ll TZ trips are available on a request only basis and are subject to availability. Once booked you should receive a payment confirmation and receipt via email, followed by a booking confirmation normally within 48hrs of making a booking, sometimes this can take a little longer subject to supplier delay.
If you have not received your confirmation within 2 business days of payment confirmation please contact us immediately by email at support@SpecialHolidays.com.
In the event that your trip is unavailable for the dates you have chosen we will contact you by telephone to advise the next available dates.

Surcharges

Any prices quoted exclude specific costs/measures which may be introduced at a later stage as a result of Government changes due to COVID-19 health and safety restrictions. SpecialHolidays will inform its guests of these changes as soon as possible, these additional charges will be passed on by SpecialHolidays to the guest.

Name change or corrections

Name corrections or corrections may incur a fee.
After bookings are fully paid, any amendment has to be requested in writing and may incur a fee per person plus any additional costs and administrative expenses incurred in arranging the amendment.

Date changes

Date changes perhaps allowed at a slight fees.

Refunds

Kindly refer to our booking conditions for all information on refunds.
SpecialHolidays reserves the right to modify prices for marketing and commercial reasons. Please note that full terms and conditions apply. Refer to the website's terms and conditions.

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Indeed, the new thing each voyager needs to consider. We have kept our tours flexible and to ensure that assuming your tour is impacted by Covid, you will be covered by easily postponing or changing the travel dates that suits you.

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