Fixed departure Thimphu festival tour 2024
Fixed departure Thimphu festival tour 2024 with hike to the Tiger’s nest monastery.
Thimphu festival dates: 13th – 15th Sept. 2024
Hotel category: 3 star hotels.
Price per person: US $ 1880 on twin sharing basis.
Single room supplement (Extra): US $ 245.
Total duration: 7 nights / 8 days tour.
Fixed departure Thimphu festival tour 2024 - Highlights:
- Scenic landscapes.
- Ancient temples, monasteries and magnificent dzongs (Forts).
- Witness the colorful Thimphu tshechu festival.
- Museums and government institutions.
- Meet local people.
- Visit beautiful Bhutanese farm house.
Thimphu festival tour itinerary 2024 - Detailed.
9th Sept: Arrive Paro & sightseeing:
Meet and greet at the airport and drive to the hotel. After lunch in a typical Bhutanese farmhouse, visit to:
- Dungtse lhakhang built in the 15th century by Thang Tong Gyalpo.
- Ta dzong built in 1649, an ancient watch tower which now houses the national museum of Bhutan.
- Rinpung dzong built in 1646 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. The dzong presently functions as the administrative centre of Paro district.
In the evening, free to stroll in the town for shopping and photography.
Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
10th Sept. Paro – Thimphu sightseeing (54 km, 1 hour. drive):
While in Thimphu, visit to:
- National postal museum where you can print your pictures on the official Bhutanese stamps.
- National textile museum.
After lunch, visit to:
- Painting school (School of 13 arts & crafts).
- National library which holds a huge collection of ancient texts and manuscripts.
- Simply Bhutan museum for wine tasting (Ara – local alcoholic drink), Bhutanese cultural show and visit folk museum.
- Craft bazaar.
In the evening, free to stroll in the town.
Dinner & overnight in the hotel.
11th Sept. Thimphu – Punakha sightseeing (74 km, 2 ½ hours drive):
- Built in 1499 by Lama Drukpa Kuenley, popularly known as “The divine madman”. The temple is also called “The temple of fertility”. He travelled throughout Bhutan and Tibet as a “Neljorpa” (Yogi) using songs, humor and outrageous behavior to dramatize his teachings of salvation through sex.
- This dzong was built in 1637 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. Punakha is the winter residence of Je Khenpo (The chief abbot of Bhutan). Punakha is also an ancient capital of Bhutan until the rule of the second king of Bhutan. The first national assembly of Bhutan was convened here in 1957.
Then hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Choling monastery.
- This monastery was built in 2004 by Her Majesty the Queen Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck and it overlooks Punakha valley. Perched high on a hill on the bank of the river, the chorten houses paintings belonging to Nyingmapa traditions. This monastery was built for the world peace and long life of His Majesty the King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
- This bridge is considered the longest of its kind in Bhutan and connects the two sides of the Pho chu river. You will get a great view of the river, valley, temple and a good boost of adrenaline as well. In the early years, the bridge was made for the lamas of Punakha dzong who crossed the river very often to visit nearby villages.
12th Sept. Punakha – Thimphu sightseeing (72 Km, 2 hours drive):
After breakfast, drive to Thimphu. While in Thimphu visit Simtokha dzong built in 1627 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel.
After lunch, visit to:
- Changangkha monastery, the oldest temple in Thimphu valley built in the 13th century by a Tibetan monk, Phajo Drugom Shigpo.
- Dupthob nunnery, one of the few surviving nunneries in Bhutan.
- Sangaygang view point – Walk across the field of prayer flags.
- Takin preserve center: Takin – A queer looking animal believed to be a mix of goat and a cow and has baffled the zoologists. The Bhutanese believe that this animal was created by Lama Drukpa Kuenley (The divine madman).
In the evening, free to stroll in the town.
Dinner & overnight in hotel.
13th Sept. Thimphu festival & sightseeing:
After breakfast, drive to Tashichho dzong & witness the festival (Full day).
- We also visit inside the dzong. The seat of the national government and the central monastic body including the summer residence of the Je Khenpo (The chief abbot of Bhutan).
In the evening (3 pm), visit to:
- National memorial chorten built in honor of the third King of Bhutan, late His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.
- Tallest statue of sitting Buddha in the world (51.5 meters) at Kuensel Phodrang.
Then free to stroll in the town for shopping and photography.
Dinner & overnight in the hotel.
14th Sept. Thimphu festival & sightseeing:
In the morning, drive to the dzong & witness the festival (Full day).
In the evening (3 pm), visit to:
- Weekend market (Centenary farmers’ market).
Then witness archery match at Changlimithang stadium.
Dinner & overnight in the hotel.
15th Sept. Thimphu – Paro (Hike to the Tiger’s nest monastery):
In the morning, drive to Paro and hike up the Tiger’s nest monastery (4 – 5 hours walk up & down).
- The primary monastery was built around Guru Rinpoche’s meditation cave in the 1684 by the Penlop (Governor) of Paro Gyaltse Tenzin Rabgay. This incredible monastery clings to the edge of a sheer rock cliff that plunges 900 meters into the valley below. Legend has it that Guru Padma Sambhava, the tantric mystic who brought Buddhism to Bhutan flew here on the back of a flying tigress, Dorji Drolo, said to be his favorite consort.
NB: You can hang prayer flags near the Tiger’s nest monastery and offer prayers inside the iconic Tiger’s nest monastery.
In the afternoon, visit to:
- Drugyel dzong built in 1647 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. This dzong served as the defense post against the Tibetan invasion in ancient days. It was destroyed by an accidental fire and is now under repair.
- Kichu lhakhang built in 659 A.D by the Tibetan King Srongtsen Gampo. He built 108 temples in a single day to pin the ogress to the earth forever and at the same time, convert the Tibetan people to Buddhism. Six of these temples lie in Bhutan; most prominent of them are Jambay lhakhang in Bumthang and Kichu lhakhang in Paro. Kichu lhakhang is said to hold the left foot of the ogress and Jambay lhakhang pins the left knee.
In the evening, free to stroll in the town.
Dinner & overnight in the hotel.
16th Sept. Paro - (Departure):
After breakfast, drive to the airport & farewell.
Trip Cost Includes:
- All meals [breakfast / lunch / dinner and evening tea].
- Accommodation [twin / double sharing basis]. Single room supplement is extra.
- All transportation within the country including airport transfers.
- Sustainable development fee (SDF).
- Bhutan visa fee.
- English speaking local guide.
- Sightseeing.
- Bottled water through out the tour.
Trip Cost Excludes:
- Entrance fees for museums and monuments.
- Drukair / Bhutan Airlines fares.
- Travel insurance premiums.
- Payments for service provided on a personal basis.
- Cost for any services not mentioned in the “Cost Include head”.
- Cost incurred due to mishaps, strikes, political unrest etc.
- Personal expenses such as laundry, soft drinks, camera charges, incidentals, portage, bellboy charges, tips or any other services.
- Hot stone bath.
- Cycling around Paro valley.
- Practice archery.
- Bhutanese cooking class.
- Bhutanese cultural show featuring various mask dances and folk dances.
- Talk on Gross National Happiness / Buddhism.
- Consulting an astrologer.
- Practice dart.
- Performing religious ceremony.
- Marriage ceremonies.
Fixed departure Thimphu festival tour - Photo gallery
