Monarch International Travel Services

Trip Route
Paro – Thimphu –Punakha –Trongsa (Gangtey) – Bumthang –Wangduephodrang –Paro

Trip Plan

Day 01 Arrive Paro
On arrival, you will be received by our representative and transfer to hotel. Later visit the Dzong and watch tower. Overnight hotel in Paro.

Day 02 Paro-Thimphu
Morning excursion to Taktsang or the “tiger’s nest. Return to Paro and continue drive to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. On the way have view of the Simtokha Dzong; the oldest Dzong in Bhutan built by Shabdrung in 17th century. On arrival in Thimphu check into the hotel. Overnight in Thimphu.

Day 03 Thimphu
Morning visit the King's Memorial Chorten, Changgangkha Monastery, the radio tower and the zoo, which contains the national animal of Bhutan: the takin. Visit the nunnery temple, the National Library, and the School of Arts and Crafts Afternoon visit the National Institute of Traditional Medicine, a traditional paper factory and the majestic Tashichodzong. Overnight in Thimphu.

Day 04 Thimphu-Punakha
Morning drive to Punakha, the former capital of Bhutan. On the way visit the Metshina Village and Chimi Lakhang. Overnight in Punakha.

Day 05 Punakha
In the morning, visit Punakha Dzong. Later drive 12 km north of Punakha Valley and hike for 30 minutes to Khamsum Yulley Namgyel Chorten, located on a beautiful hillock. Hike back to Punakha for lunch. After lunch, visit the Dzong, the ancient capital Bhutan. In the evening, you may stroll in the town. Overnight hotel in Punakha

Day 06 Punakha - Trongsa, with excursion to Gangtey
Begin the day by driving to Gangtey. Visit Gangtey Gompa . From there you'll head to Trongsa, the ancestral home of the royal family. You can browse through the Trongsa shops and town in the afternoon. Overnight in Trongsa.

Day 07 Trongsa-Bumthang
In the morning you'll visit Trongsa Dzong and Ta Dzong. Later drive to Bumthang. Along the way stop at a yethra (textile weaving) factory, where the yethras are designed with patterns unique to Bumthang, and you can even watch some of the weavers at their looms. You can spend the evening strolling through Bumthang town. Overnight in Bumthang.

Day 08 Bumthang
Watch the festival (if any falling during the trip) at the monastery. It’s a mask dance-local religious festival to enact the teachings of Guru (8th century spiritual master) performed by locals in Bumthang. Overnight in Bumthang.

Day 09 Bumthang
Morning visit the Jakar Dzong, Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang. In the evening, you may stroll freely in Bumthang town. Overnight in Bumthang.

Day 10 Bumthang-Wangdiphodrang
Begin the day at the Bumthang market, and then drive to Wangduephodrang, where you can stroll through the town and visit the shops. The nearby villages are known for their slate and stone carvings and bamboo work. Overnight in Wangduephodrang.

Day 11 Wangdiphodrang-Paro
Morning drive to Paro. In the evening you can visit a traditional farmhouse and, if you wish, enjoy a hot-stone bath and a typical Bhutanese dinner. Overnight in Paro.

Day 12 Paro Depart
Drive to the airport for departure

Best season March - May & September - November

Land of the Dragon

Bhutan, the land of the peaceful thunder dragon is known to the world by several names such as ‘The Last Shangri-La’ or The Last Place on the Roof of the World.’ Though the original name from the time of Marco Polo was ‘Bootan,’ the natives prefer to call their country ‘Druk Yul,’ or the Land of the Peaceful Thunder Dragon. Nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, Bhutan offers spectacular mountain views, immense scenic beauty and a unique culture and lifestyle. You can see beautiful Buddhist monasteries, carved wooden houses and the fine crafts of Bhutan.

Paro Valley This beautiful valley, where nature and man conjured to create their dearest image, is home to some of Bhutan's oldest temples & monasteries - as well as its only airport. Paro is one of the most fertile valleys in the Kingdom, producing a bulk of the famous red rice from its terraced fields.

Thimpu Valley Thimphu, the modern capital of Bhutan, lies at an elevation of 2,300 meters in a valley traversed by the Wang - chu, also called as Thimphu River. Taschichho dzong, the main secretariat building, houses the throne rooms of the King and is the summer residence of central monk body.

Punakha Blessed with temperate climate and fed by Pho-cchu ( male ) and Mo-chu ( female ) rivers Punakha is the most fertile valley in the country. Until 1955, Punakha served as the capital and is even today the winter seat of the Je Khenpo and the central monk body. The dzong was built at the junction of the two rivers in the 17th century by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal.

Wangdiphodrang To the south of Punakha, located at the altitude of 1,350 metres, is the Wangdi dzong, built again in the 17th century. The dzong stands at the confluence of Punakhachu and the Tang-chu river. The highest reaches of the valley provides rich pastureland for cattle. Phubjikha valley in Wangdiphodrang is the winter habitat for the rare black necked cranes.

Trongsa forms the central hub of the nation and is historically the place from where attempts at unifying the country were launched. The landscape around Tongsa is spectacular, and for miles on end, the dzong seems to tease you, wondering if you will ever reach there.

Bumthang Valley To the east of Trongsa lies Bumthang valley, at the altitude of 2,600 meters. This valley is the religious heartland of the nation and home to some of the oldest Buddhist temples.

Tashigang In the far east of Bhutan, on the bank of the Gamri river, lies Tashigang, the country's largest district. Tashigang dzong stands astride a hill slope below the main street. The dzong, built in the mid 17th century, serves as the administrative seat for the district, as well as the home of the monk body