Itinerary
- Day 1
Paro
You arrive at Paro International Airport in the Paro Valley and your guide will meet you there. Depending on when your flight lands, you'll have time to see Rinpung Dzong and check out the ancient Kyichu Lhakhang. If there's daylight left, Dumtse Lhakhang is on the list too. Later you can take a walk through Paro town to get a feel for the local culture and atmosphere.
- Meals
- Dinner
Included Activities
- Explore Rinpung Dzong (subject to flight schedule)
- Visit Kyichu Lhakhang (subject to flight schedule)
- Visit Dumtse Lhakhang (subject to flight schedule)
- Stroll around Paro town
Landmarks Rinpung Dzong Kyichu Lhakhang Dumtse Lhakhang - Day 2
Paro to Trashigang
You'll fly domestically to Yonphula this morning, then head to Trashigang in eastern Bhutan. Along the way, there's a stop at Draktsho East where you can learn about vocational training programs for youth with disabilities. Once you arrive, walk through the historic Trashigang Dzong fortress to see the architecture and layout. Later this evening, dinner is with the lodge owner, a former Home Affairs Minister who can talk about Bhutan's history and governance.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Dinner with former Home Affairs Minister (if possible))
Included Activities
- Visit Draktsho East vocational training centre
- Explore Trashigang Dzong fortress
- Dinner with former Home Affairs Minister (if possible)
Landmarks Draktsho East Trashigang Dzong Yonphula Airport - Day 3
Merak
This morning you'll travel about 3 hours to Merak Village, stopping at Rangjung Woesel Choling Monastery on the way. There you'll meet the Brokpa people, a semi-nomadic yak-herding community recognized for their black felt hats woven from yak hair and other traditional clothing. A local host guides you through the village and shares stories of their culture and daily life. By evening, gather around the hearth where Brokpa women perform traditional songs and dances while serving locally distilled rice wine and tea.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Traditional Brokpa gathering with locally distilled rice wine (Ara) and tea)
Included Activities
- Visit Rangjung Woesel Choling Monastery
- Meet Brokpa semi-nomadic community
- Guided village tour with local host
- Traditional Brokpa songs and dances performance
- Experience traditional hearth gathering
Landmarks Rangjung Woesel Choling Monastery Merak Village - Day 4
Merak to Trashiyangtse
After breakfast you'll see the sacred Yak Dance ritual, a traditional ceremony honoring the yak with ancient legends and protective chants. Then you'll travel west for roughly 5 hours toward Trashiyangtse, passing through small rural hamlets like Bartsham and Ramjar depending on road conditions. Arriving at 1,700m elevation, this quiet town is known for the spiritual Chorten Kora and for traditional woodturning and handmade paper crafts that locals practice.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Witness sacred Yak Dance ritual
Landmarks Chorten Kora Trashiyangtse - Day 5
Trashiyangtse
You'll spend the day in Bhutanese village life with hands-on activities based on what interests you. Options include joining farmers who make Ara (local rice wine) or cheese, learning butter churning techniques, or taking a guided walk through the village. You can visit Chorten Kora to watch elders in meditation and offer butter lamps as a symbolic gesture of enlightenment. The day is flexible so you can deepen your connection with this tranquil, rarely visited region at your own pace.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided village walk
- Visit Chorten Kora
- Offer butter lamps at Chorten Kora
Optional Activities
- Join farmers making Ara (local rice wine)
- Join farmers making local cheese
- Learn butter churning
Landmarks Chorten Kora - Day 6
Trashiyangtse to Lhuentse
You'll depart early for a full-day drive of about 6 hours through the eastern highlands to Lhuentse, the ancestral home of Bhutan's royal family. Along the way you'll stop at Gom Kora, a sacred site where Guru Rinpoche meditated and where his body imprint remains in stone. You'll pass through Mongar, a vibrant textile town, before arriving in the remote village of Autsho in Lhuentse district.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Gom Kora sacred site
- Stroll through Mongar textile town
Landmarks Gom Kora Mongar - Day 7
Autsho
You'll drive to Khoma Village to see the weavers who create intricate textiles that can take months to finish. Many of the men in this village do household work so the women can focus on weaving as their income. Later you'll visit Gangzur Village, which was once known for its pottery. Then you'll climb to Takila Ridge where a 3-storey Guru Nangsey Zilneon statue stands with sweeping mountain views. You'll return to Autsho for a quiet evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Khoma Village to observe weavers
- Visit Gangzur Village
- Ascend to Takila Ridge
- Visit Guru Nangsey Zilneon statue
Landmarks Khoma Village Gangzur Village Guru Nangsey Zilneon statue Takila Ridge - Day 8
Lhuentse to Bumthang
You'll spend about 6 hours driving through mountain passes and valleys to reach Bumthang, Bhutan's spiritual heart. You'll stop at Ura Village with its cobbled streets and medieval feel, and see Sumthrang Monastery built in the 13th century. Once in Bumthang, you can tour the Red Panda Brewery for craft beer, try your hand at archery which is Bhutan's national sport, and have dinner with a local family at Sherab Dema Farmhouse.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Dinner with local family at Sherab Dema Farmhouse)
Included Activities
- Visit Ura Village
- Visit Sumthrang Monastery
- Tour Red Panda Brewery
- Try Bhutan's national sport - archery
- Dinner with local family at Sherab Dema Farmhouse
Landmarks Ura Village Sumthrang Monastery Red Panda Brewery - Day 9
Bumthang
You'll journey to Tang, the most remote valley in Bumthang. There you can visit Membar Tsho, also called Burning Lake, one of Bhutan's most important pilgrimage sites. Next you'll go to Ogyen Choling Palace Museum, a former aristocratic residence where you can learn about Bhutan's noble history. You can have lunch in the palace courtyard. On the way back, you'll stop at the Bee Keepers' Cooperative and Ta Rimochen Lhakhang, which holds a footprint said to be from Guru Rinpoche.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Picnic or lunch in palace courtyard at Ogyen Choling Palace), Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Membar Tsho (Burning Lake)
- Tour Ogyen Choling Palace Museum
- Picnic or lunch in palace courtyard
- Visit Bee Keepers' Cooperative
- Visit Ta Rimochen Lhakhang
Landmarks Tang Membar Tsho (Burning Lake) Ogyen Choling Palace Museum Bee Keepers' Cooperative Ta Rimochen Lhakhang - Day 10
Bumthang to Punakha
Leaving Bumthang, you'll drive about 2.5 hours to Trongsa and explore the majestic Trongsa Dzong, the ancestral seat of Bhutan's royal family. From there you continue west for 4 hours to Punakha, descending into a lush subtropical valley. You'll see Chimi Lhakhang, the Temple of Fertility, surrounded by rice terraces, and browse local produce at Kaja Throm market before settling in for the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Explore Trongsa Dzong
- Visit Chimi Lhakhang (Temple of Fertility)
- Browse Kaja Throm market
Landmarks Trongsa Dzong Chimi Lhakhang Kaja Throm market - Day 11
Punakha to Paro
This morning you'll visit the regal Punakha Dzong sitting at the river confluence where the Mo and Pho Rivers meet. Then you drive 3 hours to Thimphu, crossing the Dochu La Pass at 3,050m where you can stop for a hot drink and take in the Himalayan views. You'll see Buddha Dordenma, which holds over 125,000 miniature Buddhas, and walk to the ancient Druk Wangditse Temple that overlooks Thimphu Valley. Later you continue to Paro.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Punakha Dzong
- Cross Dochu La Pass
- Visit Buddha Dordenma
- Walk to Druk Wangditse Temple
Landmarks Punakha Dzong Dochu La Pass Buddha Dordenma Druk Wangditse Temple - Day 12
Paro
You'll trek to Taktsang Monastery, known as the Tiger's Nest, perched on a cliff 900 meters above the Paro valley. According to legend, Guru Rinpoche arrived here riding on a tigress. The trek has three sections: first to the cafeteria takes 45 to 60 minutes, then to the lookout opposite the monastery takes about 1 hour, then you'll descend 475 steps and climb 300 more to reach the entrance. Inside you can see the cave where Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal meditated. You'll have a picnic lunch on the mountainside.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Picnic lunch on the mountainside), Dinner
Included Activities
- Trek to Taktsang Monastery (Tiger's Nest)
- View meditation cave of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal
Landmarks Taktsang Monastery (Tiger's Nest) - Day 13
Paro
After breakfast you'll be driven to Paro Airport for your flight to your next destination, marking the end of your journey through Bhutan.
- Meals
- Breakfast
