Flying into the airport, in the beautiful Paro valley, the clear mountain air, forested ridges, imposing monasteries, and welcoming Bhutanese people in their striking national dress, provides a breath-taking first impression. On arrival at Paro airport, after immigration and custom formalities, your guide from Reach Bhutan Travel will welcome you and take you to the hotel. In the evening, you can stroll along Paro downtown to see the people and the local stores.

This morning, take a drive to Thimphu following Pa Chhu downstream till Chuzom where the two rivers meet, and here you can see the three different styles of stupas or Chorten commonly found in Bhutan: Nepalese, Tibetan and Bhutanese. The Chortens are Buddhist reliquaries, memorials to the teachings of the Buddha. Sometimes actual relics of the Buddha or revered monks are inserted into the dome of the stupa, but whether or not there are relics inside, the stupas mark the landscape with reminders of the Buddha’s teachings. From here, the road follows ThimChhu and slowly the valley begins to widen as you get nearer to Bhutan’s capital city. Thimphu has a special charm and it is fascinating to sit and watch a gathering of local people in the town square, wearing their traditional dress and going about their business in a typically unhurried Bhutanese way. You can have a free afternoon on your own to walk along the street to see the people and the local stores.

Visit the weekend market which takes place from Friday till Sunday evening. This certainly offers the best opportunity to see people from remote places come to sell their agricultural products. Later, drive to Punakha and one of the highlights of the journey is at DochuLa (3050m), the highest point between Thimphu and Punakha. It provides a spectacular view of the Himalayas to the north when the sky is clear, and it is marked with numerous Chortens. In Punakha, we will visit the Dzong that was built by Shabdrung, in 1637, on a strategic place at the confluence of PhoChhu and MoChhu rivers. The Dzong has played a hallowed role in the history of Bhutan. It served as the seat of Shabdrung’s government; several foreign delegations were received here in the 18th and 19th centuries. The central monastic body continues to reside here in winter. Damaged by four catastrophic fires and an earthquake, the Dzong has been fully restored by the present King from the latest fire in 1987.

Today, we will spend the whole day enjoying the Punakha Festival, the first festival in Bhutan of the year. The festival will accompany various mask dances and folk. Or, in the afternoon, we can proceed for other sightseeing like driving to visit the Khamsum Yulay Temple, passing the beautiful rural landscape.

After breakfast, we will drive to Paro from Punakha. On the way, we will visit Chimi Lhakhang and continue our journey. The road will ascend up to the great Dochula Pass. On the way back to Paro offers another chance to view the amazing Himalayan ranges. You can stop along the way to take photos wherever you find the best spot for photography. After lunch we will visit to Paro National Museum, which holds fascinating collections of art, relics, religious Thangka paintings and Bhutan’s exquisite postage stamps. And Later explore the Paro Rinpung Dzong. Located at the suburb of Paro City, Rinpung Dzong is a fortress built in the 17th Century to protect Paro valley, which offers you picturesque scenery and a sense of inner peace.

Today we hike up to the famous cliff-hermitage called Taktsang, the “Tiger’s Nest.” This monastic retreat is built into a sheer cliff face high above the Paro valley. Legend has it that the Tibetan Buddhist saint Padmasambhava flew across the Himalayas on the back of a tiger and landed here, bringing Buddhism to Bhutan. The trail to the monastery climbs through beautiful pine forest and an occasional grove of fluttering prayer flags.

After breakfast, drive to Paro international airport for your onward flight. The representative of Reach Bhutan Travel will see off and bid farewell.