Itinerary

Thimphu - Monastery, Museum, Market, and shopping 

Today is the day to so some sightseeing of capital city. You will start the day with a visit to the amazing Buddha point - a massive golden Buddha sitting atop a gilded meditation hall overlooking Thimpu valley. It is considered one of the largest statues of Buddha in the world (51.5 meter) and holds an invisible secret: Undiscovered to many people viewing the statue, they aren’t looking at one Buddha, they’re looking at 125,000 of them.

Stop at Memorial Chorten - this gem is one of the most important religious structures in Thimphu and really gives a sense of how Buddhism blends itself in the city’s fabric. People come to this chorten to chant and pray for good fortune. A visit to Changgagkha Lhakhang will take you back to 12th century when this fortress like monastery was built at the tip of a ridgeline that juts like a bony finger toward central Thimphu.Personal blessing from monks or Longevity Blessing Ceremony  This scared ceremony is dedicated to Amitayus/Amitabha, the Buddha of Longevity. The Buddha Amitayus/Amitabha is invoked to enhance a person’s life - the general wellbeing of a person and to ward off all obstacles and negative energy.

You may not be able to see entire Bhutan in one tour but Folk Heritage Museum in Thimpu is the place which gives you an impressive glimpse of traditional Bhutanese lifestyle and artifacts from rural households. It not only displays a wonderful collection of typical household objects, tools, and equipment but also organizes demonstrations of rural traditions, skills, habits, and customs. We call it a Mini Bhutan! The museum does a remarkable job of recapturing the rural setting and ambiance of a traditional household by setting up paddy, wheat and millet fields, a traditional watermill with mill stones more than 150 years old, traditional style kitchen gardens with vegetables that were typically grown during the past 100 years and even one of the traditional hot stone baths that are famous throughout the country.

Lunch at Folk Heritage Museum Restaurant.

After lunch you will head towards an interesting session of Astrology at Pangrizampa, Collage of Astrology - the institute of traditional astrology, which is located around 8 km north of Thimphu. It is the only college of astrology in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Locals visit here every year to learn about their yearly predictions about their luck, money, health, career and many more. Tourists who are interested to learn about their future predictions can find it very interesting.

Shopping is one of the most exciting parts whenever travellers visit a destination. Everybody loves to explore the local market because it gives a chance to meet and interact with locals and know about them. Visit popular Handicraft Market in Thimpu which is a long market and is an array of beautiful small shops with various kinds of handmade/handcrafted items like sling bags, handbags, laptop sleeves, mats, wristbands etc. 

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Dinner at hotel.

Overnight in Thimpu (Meals: B, L, D)

Day 5

Thimphu / Punakha - Himalaya view, Beautiful Palace, Fertility Temple

Today is the time to see more of Bhutan. Check-out from hotel and drive to Punakha. This drive is only 85 kms but it takes around 2.5 hour because you will drive up and over Dochu La mountain pass through incredible views of the Himalayas in its purest form. Dochu La also has 108 memorial stupas built in the memory of brave soldiers. Take a short stop before driving further. 

Punakha valley is situated at an average elevation of 1200 m above sea level along with the two major rivers of Bhutan. The valley not only has a pleasant climate but also offers the fertile land that produces rice – the main cash crop and a wide variety of fruits - vegetables which you won’t see anywhere else.

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Upon arrival Punakha, visit the famed Chimmi Lhakhang Monastery – famous as fertility temple, established by a Buddhist master named Lam Drukpa Kuenley who became famous as “Divine Madman” due to his unconventional and outrageous style of teaching. Also known as fertility temple (about 45 minutes mandatory walk involves here). Walk across a village called Sopsokha which is quite unique, as cartoonish phalluses have been painted on nearly every structure. Local shops also sell elaborate decorative penises carved from wood. They are considered as fertility symbols, which locals believe deter evil spirits. If you’re not interested in buying a phallic object, they also sell paintings, prayer beads, scarves, and traditional masks – time to buy souvenirs! 

Lunch at local restaurant.

Later, visit Punakha Dzong, very impressive dzong of Bhutan and known as the Palace with great happiness. This fortress was built in 1637 at the confluence of two rivers. Punakha Dzong is a fantastic place to get a good look at traditional Bhutanese architecture, which uses lots of bright, vibrant colours. There is a three-story building of main temple which is a wonderful example of traditional architecture. Inside the fortress there is an ornated large prayer wheel and spinning it brings blessings. The fort also houses around 400 monks. 

Upon arrival check-in at hotel. Dinner at hotel. 

Overnight in Punakha (Meal: B, L, D)

Day 6

Punakha - Village, people, and picnic lunch

If you truly want to experience the culture in Bhutan, hiking is the way to explore the cultural and religious sites. In the morning, drive to Yabesa village and hike to through rice fields and up to Khamsum Yueley Namgyal Chorten, built by her majesty the queen Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuk. Perched high on a hill on the bank of the river, the Chorten houses paintings belonging to Nyingmapa Traditions. This hike is true opportunity to peep into the Bhutanese way of life. A 40-minute-long trail will compensate everything when you look at the Punakha valley from the temple. 

Enjoy your picnic lunch on a picturesque camp-site before going back to Punakha. You will get the chance to stop in a local village shop for tea/coffee.  

Rest of the day remains at leisure at hotel. Dinner at hotel.

Overnight in Punakha (Meal: B, L, D)