21 Days Tour

Day 01. Paro.
On the arrival you will be greeted by our representative of The Jewels of the Dragon Tours and Adventure. Drive to the hotel. After lunch visit Rinpung Dzong which houses the monastic school and the office of the civil administration and Taa Dzong, the museum which holds old fascinating collections of art, relic and religious things and visit kyichu Lhakhang. Leisure walks around the Paro town.

Day 02. Paro-Halt
After breakfast, drive up to the Ramthangka (base camp) of Taktsang and then hike up to the most famous Monastery in the entire kingdom of Bhutan perched on the edge of a steep cliff, the hike to the viewpoint will take about an hour and it will take 2 to 3 hours to the monastery. Lunch at the Taktsang cafeteria. Walk back down. Drive to ruins of Drukgyel Dzong built in 1646 by Zhabdrung Ngwang Namgyel. From there one can see Mt. Jumolhari (mountain of goddesses) if the weather is clear. And drive back to the hotel.

Day 03. Paro – Haa – Paro.
After breakfast, drive to Chele La Pass which is at a cool crisp 12,200 ft/3720m and the route takes from spectacularly lovely forest of pine, oak and rhododendrons. Visit Kela Dechen Yangtse Anim Dratshang, a nunnery perched on the opposite hillside with prayer flags. From there you can get breathtaking view of Mt Jhomolhari. Drive back to Paro. Scroll around the town for some shopping. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 04. Paro – Thimphu.
After breakfast, drive to Thimphu On the way visit Tachogang Lhakhang. Continue drive to Thimphu and check-in hotel. Evening, visit Memorial Chorten- built in the year 1974 in the memory of our third king of Bhutan, His Majesty the King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk and then visit Tashichhodzong.

Day 05. Thimphu – Halt
Whole day sightseeing • Buddha Point/ Kuensel Phodang – Is the largest Buddha statue in the country, from there you can get a good over view of the Thimphu valley.
• Changangkha lhakhang – it is right above Thimphu Valley, this temple and monastic schools was established in the 12th century on a site chosen by Lama Phajo
Drugom Zhipo. • Motithang Takin Preserve – houses the rare national animal of Bhutan. Takin is listed by international conservation agencies as a vulnerable species and it is a rare animal found only in Bhutan, Nepal and Burma.
• Semtokha Dzong – the dzong stands on a lofty ridge five miles from Thimphu town was built in 1627 by Zhabdrung and it is the oldest dzong in the country. Over night at hotel.

Day 06. Thimphu – Halt
After breakfast drive 25 km from Thimphu town and hike to the Tango Monastery. The hike will take about one hour. Walk back to the road point and drive to Thimphu for lunch. After lunch visit National Textile Museum, Folk Heritage Museum, centennial vegetable market and scroll around the town for some shopping. Overnight at hotel.

Day 07. Thimphu – Punakha
After breakfast drive to Punakha – approximately 3-hour drive through picturesque valleys and mountain slopes dotted with typical Bhutanese villages. From the Dochu La pass, at over 10,000ft, vast panoramic views of the high snowcapped peaks of the Bhutanese Himalaya can be enjoyed on a clear day. Continue drive down into the Punakha valley. On the way visit Chhimi Lhakhang – which was built in 15 Century (dedicated to Lama Dukpa Kinley also known as divine mad man). It is a pilgrim site especially for childless couple and is a half an hour walk across a local village and rice field. Everyone in this kingdom believes that the Lam’s blessings will help a woman conceive. After lunch, visit punakha Dzong-built in 1637 by Zhabdrung. It is one of the most beautiful Dzong in the country. Later walk around Punakha and Khuruthang town.

Day 08. Punakha – Phobjikha.
After early breakfast hike to Khamsum Yuelley Namgyel Choeten. It is an invigorating one hour hike from the road head. The temple was built to remove negative forces and to promote peace, stability and harmony in the changing world. After visiting the temple, hike back to the road point and drive for a lunch to Hotel. After lunch drive to Phobjikha. En route visit to Wangdue prodrang Dzong which was founded by Zhabdrung in 1638. Continue drive to Phobjikha Valley.

Day 09. Phobjikha – Halt
After breakfast walk around the Pobjikha valley, this is a bowl-shaped glacial valley on the slopes of the Black Mountain. There you will get to see large flock of black-necked cranes, an endangered species that migrates from its northern habitats in Tibet and Siberia that winters in the valley. After lunch visit Gangtey Goenpa is a major attraction with an old monastery date back to the 16 century.

Day 10. Phobjikha – Trongsa
After breakfast drive to Trongsa via Pele la pass at the altitude of 3,150 meters, a wonderful opportunity for photographs. Check into the hotel. After lunch visit Trongsa Dzong , seat of the district administration, built in the 1648. And visit Ta Dzong, the watchtower that once guarded Trongsa Dzong from internal rebellion, stands impressively and provides visitors and insight into historical significance of Trongsa in Bhutan’s history.

Day 11. Trongsa – Zhemgang
Drive to Zhemgang. The drive will take about 4 hours. On the way we will see lots of Golden Langur. Lunch we will take pack lunch. After lunch continue the journey to Zhemgang. On reaching Zhemgang, mingle with the local and you will come across how bamboo product are made. Overnight stay in hotel.

Day 12. Zhemgang- Trongsa
After breakfast visit Zhemgang dzong which was founded by Lama Zhang Dorji Dakpa in 1963. The dzong is the oldest religious structure in Zhemgang which houses seven lhakhang. And drive to Trongsa.

Day 13. Trongsa – Bumthang.
After breakfast drive to Bumthang, visit Chummy weaving houses. Check in the hotel. After lunch visit Jakar Dzong, “castle of the white bird”. According to legend, when the lamas assembled in about 1549 to select a site for a monastery, a big white bird rose suddenly in the air and settled on a spur of a hill. This was interpreted as an important omen, and the hill was chosen as the site for a monastery and for Jakar Dzong. The fortress is now used as an administrative center of the valley and summer residence of monks. Late explore the valley and mingle with local.

Day 14. Bumthang – Halt
Whole day Sightseeing
• Chamkhar Lhakhang. Besides the main road, a short distance beyond Jambay Temple is Chamkhar (Iron Castle) Lhakhang. Although it is easy to mistake it for a house and drive right by, this is an interesting temple and is worth a short visit. It is one of the 108 monasteries built by Tibetan king Tshong tse Gambo to subdue evil spirits in the Himalayan region.
• Kurjey Lhakhang (Kurjey means, “Body imprint”). The temple to the right is the oldest and was built by Minjur Tempa in 1652. It was built around the cave in which Guru Rinpoche meditated and left his body imprint.
• Tamshing Lhakhang. This temple is also known as Tamshing Lhendrup Chholing (Temple of the Good Message).
• Jambay Lhakhang. Is a sacred monastery built in the 7th century by the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo. It is one of the 108 monasteries built by him to subdue evil spirits in the Himalayan region.

Day 15. Bumthang – Halt.
Morning, drive to Tang valley to visit Mebar Tsho (Burning Lake). Drive back to the town for a lunch and after lunch scroll around the town. Overnight at hotel.

Day 16. Bumthang – Mongar
We drive to Mongar from Bumthang and you would notice a change in the weather condition and that the place becomes warmer. We stop at Sengor where you would get to see the locals there. On the way there are a few places where we will stop. After reaching Mongar we can go to the small town and mingle with the locals there.

Day 17. Mongar -Tashigang
We drive to Trashigang, the eastern commercial hub of the country and the country’s largest district. We explored the town and mingle with the locals if you are not tired.

Day 18. Tashigang – Halt.
Vividly colored handloom cloth and end silk spun from cocoons bred from castor oils plants, are local specialties. The dominant language of the region is Sharchop instead of Dzongkha. Trashigang is used as the market place for the hill people from Merak & Sakteng, who are known for their exceptional features and for their costume made of Sheep skin and Yak wool. The hat they wear is unusual but has a significance of its own. We might be able to meet a few of these people.
We go visit the Trashigang Dzong which stands on the 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 school for the monk.
Drive to Rangung to visit Rangung Woesel Chholing Monastery – which was founded by Garab Rinpochhe in 1990. One can get a good view of the valley from the monastery.

Day 19. Tashigang – Tashiyangtse
Early in the morning we drive to Tashiyangtse and on the way we can visit the Gom Kora temple and continue drive to Yangtse. Which is the main attractions in this valley, is a great stupa, Chorten Kora built in 1940 and modeled on the style of the Boudhnath stupa in Nepal. After lunch visit the Trashiyangtse town is small but very beautiful with traditional designs and colours of the houses. This place is also famous for wooden products like dapa (plate), phob (cup) and others. One of the traditional painting schools is located in Tashiyangtse. Drive back to Tashigang.
Day 20. Tashigang – Samdrup Jongkhar
Early morning after breakfast drive to Samdrup Jongkhar, passing through several village and En-route visit hand loom (weaving centre) in Khaling and then visit Blind School. Continue drive to Samdrup Jongkhar the border town of India state of Assam.

Day 21. Samdrup Jongkhar-Gauhati
After breakfast, drive to Gauhati for your onward flight. The representative of The jewels of the Dragon Tours and Adventure will see off bid farewell.