At a Glance
Duration: 5 Days
Group Size: Up to 16 persons
Tour Grading: Easy
Activity: Cultural, Arts, Heritage, and Festival
Sights: Tiger’s Nest monastery, Paro Dzong, Thimphu Centenary Market, Kuenselphordang, Painting School of Arts and Crafts, Textile Museum, National Museum. Best Season: Paro Tshechu (Festival), dates: March 21–25, 2024 Trip Route: Paro-Thimphu-Punakha (Day excursion, time permitting)-Paro The annual Paro Tshechu is held every spring and is one of the most colorful and significant events in Paro Dzongkhag (district). The festival for 2019 is scheduled for March 17–21. Tshechus are considered a major attraction, and people travel from neighboring districts to participate in the festivity. Early in the morning, on the last day of the celebration, the monks display a gigantic thangka (embroidered painting), the Guru Throngdel, inside the dzong. Thongdrols are especially impressive examples of Buddhist art and never fail to amaze viewers. They are considered so sacred that simply seeing a Thongdrol is said to cleanse the viewer of sin.
Trip Highlights
- The only capital in the world without traffic lights
- Bhutan Postal Museum, Evolution of Communication Systems in Bhutan
- Annual Paro Festival
- Tiger’s Nest: an exhilarating task of 2 hours of climbing and another 1.5 hours of retrieving steps
Day 1: Arrive Paro
Arrival in Paro: Attend the First Day of the Festival On arrival, we will drive for 20 minutes to Paro town (2200m). From here, walk to Paro Dzong, crossing the cantilever bridge. The 17th-century fortress will introduce us to the Bhutanese way of life. Today will be the first day of Tsechu, so you can expect quite a huge crowd, but you will fall in love with the colorful festival. A full day at the Festival
Overnight: Hotel
Day 2: Paro to Thimphu
Today, we will attend the festival in the morning and drive to Thimphu (2400m) Lunch in Thimphu and then visit cultural sights like Changangkha Lhakhang, the Traditional Institute for Medicine, and the School of Traditional Painting of Arts and Crafts. In the evening, if time permits, we can visit the mini zoo to see the national animal, Takin.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 3: Thimphu to Paro
Today, after breakfast, we will retrieve our steps to Paro. Upon our arrival in Paro, we will visit the Tsechu ground again. After lunch, visit the Dungtse Lhakhang and Kyichu Lhakhang, which are among the oldest temples in Bhutan. Further, in the evening, drive up to visit the ancient ruins of Drukgyel Dzong. It is considered the most beautiful and famous archaeological site in Bhutan.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 4: Paro
Paro: Hike to Taktshang (The Tiger’s Nest) By now, we may have acclimatized to preparing to walk up to the famous Tiger’s Nest. The monastery is the most famous in Bhutan and has recently been listed as one of the ten holiest places in the world. This is one of the highlights of the trip. It’s perched on a high cliff, 900 meters above the floor of Paro Valley. It is named Tiger’s Nest because Guru Rimpoche is said to have flown to the site on the back of a tigress in the 8th century. This monastery is the holiest in Bhutan. The five-hour walk to the monastery, involving some intense but rewarding climbing over 900 meters, cleanses both the soul and the body.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 5: Departure
International Departure After an early morning breakfast, depending on the flight schedule, drive to Paro International Airport for departure to the onward destination and bid farewell.
