Highlights of Bhutan

After your overnight flight, board your connection to Bhutan the next morning.

Between Himalayan ranges and Kolkata’s foothills, the flight into Bhutan is not only one of the least travelled but is among the most spectacular. On arrival among Paro’s mountains, you’ll be met and transferred to Thimphu. Along the way you’ll stop at Chuzom where three styles of stupas – one Buddhist, one Nepalese and one Bhutanese – mark the confluence of the Thimphu and Paro rivers. You’ll also find the 15th century Tschogang Lhakhang or ‘Temple of the Excellent Horse’.

After checking into your hotel in Thimphu you’ll explore the local market area where fruit, vegetables and handicrafts are traded busily. You’ll then drive up to Buddha Point, home to stunning valley views and the country’s largest statue. In the evening, you’ll visit King’s Memorial Chorten whose golden spire is continuously circled by devotees to the click-clack of prayer wheels and the hum of mantras.

Stay: The Pema by Realm (Standard) or Pemako (Superior)

Today will be spent exploring the natural beauty and fabled history of Thimphu Valley. You’ll start by interacting and speaking with the monks of Pangri Zampa, a 16th century monastery. After learning about their studies in astrology and Lamaism, a leisurely one-hour walk will bring you to Tango Goemba. Set on an impossibly green incline, its gold roofed buildings and 18th century towers are home to intricate sandalwood statues. In the afternoon, a city tour of Thimphu will bring you to the priceless Buddhist manuscripts of the National Library, the Textile Museum and Zorig Chusum, where students are trained in the country’s 13 traditional arts and crafts. You’ll then enjoy an evening visit to Trashi Chhoe Dzong, a majestic fortress that combines ceremonial brilliance with monastic gravity in its throne room and government offices. End the day with a stroll through a local crafts bazaar.

Stay: The Pema by Realm (Standard) or Pemako (Superior)

After breakfast, you’ll set off on a drive over Dochu La, a 3,000-metre high mountain pass before descending through dense oak and rhododendron forests into the Phobjikha Valley. You’ll then follow – with the Himalayan Peaks as a backdrop – the Dang Chhu River before climbing back up through forests of bamboo and oak to arrive at Gangtey Village. Here, you’ll visit the tiered roofs and whitewashed pillars of Gangtey Gompa, the only Nyingmapa monastery in this region, before descending to the village floor, the winter home of black necked cranes.

Stay: Hotel Phobjikha, Gangtey (Standard) or Gangtey Lodge (Deluxe)

This morning, you’ll visit the Black Necked Crane Information Centre on the edge of the valley’s forest, bordering its wetlands. Make full use of its high powered telescopes for sightings of what has become one of Asia’s most iconic birds with its proud neck and skipping legs. After lunch, you’ll hike southeast through the dwarf bamboo to get closer to the birds and local villages. Then, after crossing through vegetable fields and orchards, you’ll reach Yeshi Gempo, a 16th century temple dedicated to Lord Buddha. After crossing a wooden bridge back, celebrate the day with a locally distilled, traditional drink. Lunch is included at Gangtey Lodge.

Stay: Hotel Phobjikha, Gangtey (Standard) or Gangtey Lodge (Deluxe)

On today’s drive to Punakha you’ll stop off for a short excursion where you’ll walk through verdant paddy fields to Chimi Lhakhang, a fertility temple set on a hillock in the centre of the valley. Blessed by Drukpa Kunley – known as ‘The Divine Madman’ – and built in 1499, it features phallic decorations alongside traditional ornamentation. You’ll also visit the tiny settlement of Pana for a rare insight into the daily life of Bhutanese villagers. On arriving in Punakha, you’ll visit Punakha Dzong; once the capital of Bhutan, this grand fortress is elaborately painted in golds and reds, the perfect contrast to its black carved wood and whitewashed walls.

Stay: Dhumra Resort (Standard) or Uma by COMO, Punakha (Superior)

Start the day with a hike up through fields of chillies, cabbages and rice to follow the banks of Mo Chhu once more, this time to reach Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten, a quadruple-decker monument that looks out over the entire valley. Your next stop is a nunnery that straddles the ridge between the twin valleys of Punakha and Wangduephodrang, offering breathtaking views of both. Here, you’ll find some of the country’s finest statue works along with a learning and meditation centre. In the afternoon, you’ll visit Talo village. Scattered along the hillsides, there’s farmhouses, flower gardens and sweet pea fields to explore.

Stay: Dhumra Resort (Standard) or Uma by COMO, Punakha (Superior)

Crossing back over the Dochu La, you’ll follow the banks of Wang Chhu and Paro Chhu to reach Paro at the northern reaches of the valley. En route, you’ll stop off at Simtokha Dzong, a castle monastery home of tantric teachings and language studies. Then, after checking into your hotel, you’ll head to Ta Dzong. Originally built as a giant watchtower, today it houses Bhutan’s Nation Museum, a collection of antique paintings, textiles, weapons, armour and household objects. There’s also Rinpung Dzong whose inner courtyard is lined with wooden galleries of fine wall paintings illustrating Buddhist lore; it’s no wonder than its name translates as ‘The Heap of Jewels Fortress’. In the afternoon, head into the green of Paro valley where farmhouses all follow the same architectural pattern, one where not a single nail is used.

Stay: Naksel Boutique Hotel & Spa (Standard) or Uma by COMO, Paro (Superior)

Your last full day in Bhutan will revolve around a five-hour hike to Taktshang Monastery’s cliff edge perch, hung 900 metres above the valley floor. Story has it that Guru Rinpoche arrived on the back of a tigress, giving rise to its name that translates as ‘Tiger’s Nest’. It’s a sacred site visited by all Bhutanese at least once in their life. Along the way, stop off at Kyichu Lhakhang, a 7th century temple whose construction marked the arrival of Buddhism in Bhutan. In the afternoon, a professional archery demonstration will showcase the country’s national sport – every village has a range. Teams of bowmen shoot at targets only a foot across from a distance of over 130 yards. Returning to Paro, you’ll have one last chance to pick up some keepsakes from the city’s main market street.

Stay: Naksel Boutique Hotel & Spa (Standard) or Uma by COMO, Paro (Superior)

Following a breakfast, you’ll transfer to the airport for your flight to Delhi where you’ll make your evening connection.

Return to the UK after your overnight flight and continue your onward journey home.