The annual Black-Necked Crane Festival is one-day event celebrated on 11th November coinciding with the birth anniversary of our fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The festival is held inside the Gangtey Goenpa, in Phobjika under Wangduephodrang district. This event is organized and managed by Gangtey-Phobji Environment Management Committee (GPEMC). Black-necked cranes are endangered species and they fly to Bhutan from Tibet to spend their winter in Phobjika valley. This festival is celebrated in order to create awareness about the importance of conserving these endangered cranes and also to celebrate the arrival of these rare, beautiful and magnificent birds in the valley. This festival includes folk songs and dances. Likewise, mask dances and crane dances are also being presented. There are other dances and activities performed by the students too.
Day 1
ARRIVE PARO TO THIMPHU
Day 2
THIMPHU
Day 3
THIMPHU TO PUNAKHA
Day 4
PUNAKHA TO GANGTEY / PHOBJIKHA
Day 5
GANGTEY / PHOBJIKHA
Day 6
GANGTEY / PHOBJIKHA TO BUMTHANG
Day 7
BUMTHANG
Day 8
BUMTHANG TO PUNAKHA
Day 9
PUNAKHA TO PARO
Day 10
PARO
Day 11
DEPART PARO to OUR GUIDE WILL DROP YOU AT THE AIRPORT
Destination
DAY 01 (ARRIVE PARO – THIMPHU)
You will be received at the Paro airport. Then engaged in sightseeing around Paro after lunch wherein we will accompany you to Taa Dzong (Museum), Paro Rinpung Dzong, and Kicchu Lhakhang.
Taa Dzong lies on the hill located above the Paro Dzong. It is an ancient watch tower which is now used as the National Museum. The building has a unique design built in a shape of a conch shell. The museum has different galleries which provide better display and various categorizations such as anthropology, arms and armor, pre-history, manuscript, paintings, textiles, bronzes, decorative arts, philatelic items, epigraphic items and numismatics.
Next visit will be to Paro Rinpung Dzong. Rinpung means, “Heaps of jewels” and it is a fortress monastery possessing a long history. Inside the Dzong, there are fourteen shrines and chapels.
Finally, you would enjoy the visit to Kicchu Lhakhang. The temple is one of the oldest temple built by a Tibetan Emperor, Songtsan Gampo. It is believed that this temple is filled with various hidden treasures.
Drive to Thimphu (1.5 hours) following the Pachu River towards the evening. Before the dinner, we will orient you on Bhutanese etiquette.
Overnight at your hotel in Thimphu
DAY 02 (THIMPHU)
You will have a smooth drive towards Thimphu which would approximately take 45minutes from Paro. On reaching Thimphu, you will get to explore the place. Thimphu is the Capital city of Bhutan which is situated in the western part of the country. The place is rich in culture and tradition amidst the fast development occurring every day. It is also known for its Buddhist sites. The Bhutanese culture is fully reflected in the capital city in respect of literature, religion, customs, and national dress code, the monastic practices, music, dance, literature and in the media. Modernity has been blended without sacrificing on the traditional Buddhist ethos. You would be visiting the following sites:
Visit Tashi Chhoe Dzong – This marvelous fortress was built by Lama Gyalwa Lhanapa. The Dzong houses the office of the King, the cabinet secretariat, ministry of home affairs and finance and also other government departments.
Visit Bhutanese Craft Bazaar – It is a handicraft market in Thimphu which is acquainted with unique arts and crafts of the country. It will indeed take you to the different world exhibiting its own beauty and charm.
Visit Buddha Dordenma Statue – It is a massive Shakyamuni statue built on the hill top of Kuenselphodrang which is 51.5 meters in height which is made up of bronze and gold. It is one of the largest statue in the world. This great statue also houses over one hundred thousand small Buddha statues. I bet that you will be startled to gaze at this gigantic statue right in front of you.
Visit Bhutan Post Office – Bhutan post office is located in the heart of the Thimphu city. This is one exciting place to visit as there is unique collection of Bhutanese stamps and you will get to explore about Bhutan’s history from these stamps as well.
Visit Museum – Thimphu has Many Museums. Each artifact in the museum has its own stories to tell which you would love to listen.
Visit Royal Textile Academy
Simply Bhutan Museum
National Folk Heritage
National Textile Museum
Overnight at your hotel in Thimphu
DAY 03 (THIMPHU TO PUNAKHA)
Travel to Punakha (2 hours’ drive)
Visit Dochula Pass – On the way to Punakha you will come across Do Chula pass which is placed 3100 meters above the sea level. There are about 108 sacred stupas or temples being build out there. Gangkar Puensum, the highest peak in Bhutan is seen from the Dochula Pass.
Visit Punakha Dzong – Punakha Dzong is the second largest and one of the most beautiful dzongs in Bhutan. It was built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel as prophesied by Guru Rinpochhe. This Dzong is built at the confluence of Po Chhu and Mo chhu.
Visit Chimi Lhakhang – It is a popular Buddhist monastery built around 1499 by Ngawang Chogyal in honor of Lama Drukpa Kuenley who is also known as a “divine madman” after he subdued the demon of the Dochula with his “magic thunderbolt of wisdom”. He is called as a “Divine madman because of his unusual ways of teaching Buddhism by means of singing, humor and outrageous behavior, which amounted to being bizarre and awful. He is also considered as a symbol of fertility and most childless couples visit his temple for blessing.
Overnight at your hotel in Punakha / Wangduephodrang.
DAY 04 (PUNAKHA – GANGTEY / PHOBJIKHA)
Right after supper, we will accompany you to Gantey and you would definitely love this beautiful plane valley amidst the dense forest. The valley is wide and tightly enclosed. Here, you will visit the Gangtey Gompa (temple), which is built on a hill top. It is the only Nyingmapa monastery on the western side of the Black Mountain. Moreover, it is the biggest Nyingmapa monastery in the country.
Next, you would be exploring Phobjika valley which is one of the most beautiful U-shaped valley in Bhutan. Phobjika valley is home to Black necked cranes (endangered bird) which flies to Bhutan from Tibet during winter to roost. They migrate from higher altitude to spend their winter here because of the extreme cold weather in Tibet. The best time to visit this place is during winter as you can see Black necked cranes all over this magnificent valley. You can also see Yaks grazing on the mountains before entering the valley.
Overnight at your hotel in Phobjikha.
DAY 05 (GANGTEY / PHOBJIKHA)
Attend the Black-Necked Crane Festival. The festival features numerous cultural programs organized by the local community. These include students performing crane dances and small stalls would be opened offering colorful local items such as yak tail dusters, butter tea cups, turquoise and also different Bhutanese handicrafts too. You will also get ample of time to view the Black Necked Cranes, visit the Information Centre and enjoy walking along the trails throughout this wide valley.
Overnight at your hotel in Phobjikha.
DAY 06 (GANGTEY / PHOBJIKHA – BUMTHANG)
Drive to Trongsa (4 hrs) over Pele La pass (3,420m) on the Black Mountain range. Visit the beautiful Chendebji Chorten on the way which is built in a style unusual for Bhutan, with painted eyes facing the four directions. The Chorten was founded in the 18th century by a Tibetan lama to cover the remains of an evil spirit that was subdued at this spot. Trongsa Dzong, an ancestral home of Bhutan’s ruling dynasty can be sighted afar before approaching the town.
After lunch, visit Trongsa Dzong, a masterpiece of Bhutanese architecture. Trongsa is the largest Dzong in Bhutan. The Dzong was built in the 16th Century and apparently there are 22 temples in the compound. Next, we will accompany you to Ta Dzong museum housing an incredible collection of historical artefacts of the Royal Family and series of traditional armour.
Then, continue driving towards Bumthang (2.5 hrs), one of the most spectacular valleys in Bhutan and also the spiritual and historical heartland of the country. The road takes you sharply up to Yo Yutung La Pass (3,400m) before descending through dense coniferous forest to Chummey valley. Enjoy a visit to the Chummey weavers’ workshop wherein you can find various Bhutanese fabrics among which Mathra is the most popular one.
Overnight at your hotel in Bumthang
DAY 07 (BUMTHANG)
Explore beautiful Bumthang Valley
Bumthang is home to some of Bhutan’s oldest Palaces, Buddhist temples and monasteries. The unique architecture of Bhutan can be seen in the many large farmhouses and temples. It is located in north-central region of Bhutan. The place is commonly known as spiritual land of the country as it is associated with Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambhava) and with Terton Pemalingpa. It is well-known for its unique and vibrantly woven wool items called yathra which will be a best thing you could ever gift it to your loved ones back at home. During your stay in this beautiful place, you will be able to visit and discover sacred places, shrines and temples specifically:
Jambay Lhakhang
Kurjey Lhakhang
Tamshing Lhakhang
Jakar Dzong also known as ‘the Castle of the white bird’
Overnight stay at your hotel in Bumthang.
DAY 08 (BUMTHANG – PUNAKHA)
After having supper, we will drive back to Punakha crossing over Kiki La Pass & Yo-Tong La Pass. We will stop at Trongsa for tea and continue our drive to Punakha. Next, we will stop atChendibji Chorten for lunch and drive across Pele la pass.
Overnight at your hotel in Punakha.
DAY 09 (PUNAKHA – THIMPHU – PARO)
In the morning drive to Yabesa village and hike through rice fields up to the Khamsum Yueley Namgyal Chorten. The temple was built by her majesty the queen Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuk on a hilltop on the bank of the river. The Chorten houses paintings belonging to Nyingmapa Traditions.
After, taking a picnic lunch along the riverside, we will drive back to Thimphu. You will have an opportunity to visit handicrafts and souvenir stores. Afterwards proceed to Paro.
Overnight at your hotel in Paro.
DAY 10 (PARO)
After the breakfast, there will be a hike to Taktsang Monastery. Paro Taktshang is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of the country and your trip would be tedious without visiting this most important Buddhist temple. Taktshang “Tiger’s nest” is built on a cliff which is about 3120 meters above the sea level. It is located 10 km away from the Paro town and will take at least 2-4 hours for trekkers to reach the spot. You can even have an exhilarating uphill ride on a rented horse. It is believed that Guru Rinpoche (Buddhist saint) came riding on a tigress to this site and meditated in the cave for 3 years, 3 months, 3 days and 3 hours so as to subdue evil spirits dwelling in that region. He was indeed victorious which is why Taktshang was built to signify the victory over the evil spirit. There is a Taktshang cafeteria which serves tea, lunch, snacks and fruit drinks at a reasonable price as well.
In the evening, we will accompany you to a farm house in Paro for a hot stone bath. This traditional bath uses fresh water from the river mixed with Artemisia leaves. The water is then heated by dipping hot stones in the water tub. This hot stone bath is a traditional method of healing diseases. In additional, you would feel relax while taking hot stone bath. So, if you are tired, a hot stone bath is all you need!
Overnight at your hotel in Paro
DAY 11 (DEPART PARO)
After the breakfast, we will drop you to the Paro International Airport from where you will fly back home.
Khadenchey la!