Day 1: Arrive at Paro and drive to Thimphu

(Distance: 54 Km, estimated driving time: 1 hr)

Arrive at Paro by Drukair flight, Royal Bhutan Airline. You will be welcomed by our representative who will be your tour guide during your entire tour in Bhutan.

Drive to Thimphu and check into your hotel at Thimphu and after lunch visit the following:

• We will visit the folk heritage museum, an outdoor museum that gives an insight into rural Bhutanese life giving you a feel of rural Bhutan.
• Centenary Farmers’ market where farmers would be selling their wide range of farm produces (vegetables from farms and wild ferns or bamboo shoots collected from forest, flour, rice, roasted rice, rice flakes, spices, yams both cultivated and wild ones collected from forests, fruits, etc) and livestock products (mainly cheese and butter). Free interaction with people from town as well as from villages comes to this weekend market. Weekend market is from Thursday-Sunday (4 days).
• Tashichhoe Dzong, a fortress of the glorious religion. It was built in 1641 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel and was reconstructed into present structure by the late King, His majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck in the year 1962-1969.It houses the secretariat building, the throne room and the office of the king, and the central monk body.
• Watch Archery match: Bhutan’s national game
• Craft Bazaar where craftsmen and artisans from across the country display and sell their handicrafts.

In the evening you may visit local handicraft stores.

Overnight at a hotel in Thimphu.

Day 2: Thimphu-Paro & A Day Hike to Taktsang Ghoempa (Tiger’s Nest Monastery)

Distance: 54 km, estimated travel time: 1 hour

After breakfast, drive to Paro which takes about an hour and hike up to Taktsang Monastery, also known as ‘Tiger’s Nest’.

The climb up to the viewpoint will take around 1 ½ hours and from there you will enjoy a spectacular view of the monastery clinging to the side of the cliff.

Stop for refreshment at the View Point Cafeteria.Then walk further up to the monastery which will take about 1 hour.

It is said that in the 8th century Guru Rinpoche flew on the back of a tigress from eastern Bhutan to this place and meditated in a cave here for 3 months. The principal Lhakhang (monastery) of the present monastic complex dates from 1692. Taktsang was damaged severely by fire in 1998 but has now been fully restored to its former glory.

After visiting the monastery, walk back down to the road on the way stop for lunch at the view point cafeteria and then walk further down to the road point. Then drive back to hotel.

On the way, visit Kichu temple, one of the 108 temples built in the 7th century by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo. The story goes that a giant demon lay across the whole area of Tibet and the Himalayas and was preventing the spread of Buddhism. To overcome her, King Songtsen Gampo decided to build 108 temples, which would be placed on all the points of her body. Of these 108 temples, 12 were built in accordance with precise plans. Thus, it happened that in about the year AD 638 the temple of Jokhang in Lhasa was built over the very heart of the demon. In the evening relax and overnight at a hotel in Paro.

Day 3: Paro – Departure

In the morning, your Bhutan tour guide from Bhutan Dragon Rider Travels Travels will escort you to the airport for your onward destinations. We look forward to seeing you in Bhutan again.