Bumthang Ura Tsechu

Welcome to Bhutan, Land of Thunder Dagon. Your Journey begins by flying on Druk Air or Bhutan national Airlines. You will meet the representative from Always Bhutan at Paro Airport. We start your tour by fist, visiting Paro Ta-Dzong museum, perched on top of a hill overlooking Paro valley. The museum boast a wide collection of treasures and artifacts reflecting Bhutan’s mythical history.
Later transfer to Thimphu, the Capital of Bhutan, passing through hills and some astounding countryside. Thimphu is situated in a large valley traversed by the Wangchu River and overshadowed by high peaks. En-route- view Tachogang monastery “temple of excellent horse” built by Thangthong Gyalpo“ the (Iron chain builder in Bhutan and visit the Iron Chain Bridge which is one of the most visible ancient craft work in the middle Ages.) before reaching to Chunzom. Later visit some cultural sites and walk through the main street of Thimphu.

A free day to explore Thimphu with local cultural experience.

To experience some wildlife in Bhutan, visit Takin Preserve in Thimphu. You can walk around the nature preserve for Takin that spans around 10 acres. Takin is a very unique Himalayan and happens to be the National Animal of Bhutan.

A must include the newly established 'Kaja Throm' at the vegetable Market. You can further take a walk and explore along the Thimphu river.

The main Thimphu streets are filled with quirky cafes and boutique shops.

A highlight to worth checking out is the CSI Market, a booming hub with the largest Market for local products under one roof in Bhutan.In the evening you also explore the local pubs and hangouts where locals and tourist alike can enjoy.

We continue our trip further east to Punakha today after breakfast. We are headed to Dochula Pass – The 108 chortens was built by the present Queen Mother of Bhutan Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck to commemorate Bhutan’s victory over Indian militants and to liberate the souls of the souls lost. After spending some leisure time at Dochula, we continue to Punakha valley which is approx. 1.5 hours driving downhill.
Our first stop in Punakha is to visit Punakha Dzong – Built in 1637, the dzong continues to be the winter home for the clergy, headed by the Chief Abbott, the Je Khenpo. It is a stunning example of Bhutanese architecture, sitting at the fork of two rivers, portraying the image of a medieval city from a distance. The dzong was destroyed by fire and glacial floods over the years but has been carefully restored and is, today, a fine example of Bhutanese craftsmanship.
Later check in to hotel and dinner at hotel.

Transfer to Trongsa (6 hrs). Drive via the bustling market town of Wangduephodrang. Drive up a winding mountain road through oak and rhododendron forests and over the Pele La pass (3,420m) on the Black Mountain range towards Trongsa. This pass is traditionally considered the boundary between western and central Bhutan. Further down the road stop to visit beautiful Chendebji Chorten. It is built in a style unusual for Bhutan, with painted eyes facing the four directions. The imposing Trongsa Dzong can be viewed across a deep canyon to signal your approach to the town around a curving road.
Afterwards, proceed to Bumthang (2.5 hrs), one the most spectacular valleys in Bhutan and also the spiritual and historical heartland of the country. The road winds steeply up to Yo Yutung La Pass (3,400m) before descending down through dense coniferous forest to Chummey valley. From here it is about an hour to Jakar, Bumthang’s main township.
Bumthang is home to some of Bhutan’s oldest Palaces, Buddhist temples and monasteries. The valley’s barley fields, apple groves and meadows lay below huge hills which climb up towards the Himalayan mountain wall separating Bhutan from Tibet. The beautiful architecture unique to Bhutan is evident in the many large farmhouses and temples. Bumthang is associated with Guru Rimpoche (Padmasambhava) and with Terton Pemalingpa.

Today we will witness the colourful masked dances and cultural festivities of the Ura Festival. Join local villagers from the local area gathered in their finest clothes for an exciting tradition of music, dancing, colour, and religious blessings.

Start early today for Gangtey, about 6 hrs from Bumthang. Farmhouses and temples dot the landscape and you will see local farmers wearing the traditional woven bamboo hats of central Bhutan. The wide and picturesque Phobjikha valley is one of Bhutan’s few glacial valleys, and chosen winter home of black necked cranes (November – March) migrating from the Tibetan plateau. We then continue our drive towards Gangtey valley, a serene and beautiful valley surrounded by shrubs and baby bamboos.

Towards the evening hours, we take a dip in ‘Dotso’ herbal healing bath at a nearby tavern and enjoy herbal nourished waters which is believed to heal one from diseases and illnesses. The bath is prepared using stones burned in fire and the water boiled with herbs up to 20 varieties with medicinal properties.

Day excursion and hike: Gangtey natural trail hike. You will drive for about 25 minutes to Longtey village which is near pelela pass ( altitude :3300 m) and then start your hike from Longtey Village up and over Kayche La (3700m) to Gangtey vilage. You will climb up gradually through the thickets of dwarf bamboos, birch, rhododendron, hemlock and fir to Kayche La, marked with some prayer flags. The other side of the pass is mostly meadows, and from here it is all downhill through the long and beautiful stretch of meadows and farms.

Early morning, we pay visit to Gangtey Goenpa monastery to experience and meditation on the lawns of this special monastery whos history dates back to 7th century. The monastery is believed to posses sacred relics and religious texts from ancient masters that has been preserved at the monastery.
After a relaxed morning session, we than continue our journey towards Paro valley that can take upto 4 hours.

We will take a two-hour hike to Taktsang Monastery, arguably one of the most photographed monasteries in Bhutan. Accessible only by foot, this sacred site was built precariously on the cliff’s edge, more than 10,000 feet above sea level. This is where Guru (Rinpoche) Padmasambhava, the father of Bhutan Buddhism, is said to have flown on the back of a tiger to meditate in a cave for three years. An exhilarating climb to the cafeteria is decorated with colorful prayer flags and provides breathtaking views of the Himalayas.
We end our tour with a visit to Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Bhutan. This is the second of two temples built in Bhutan by Tibetan King Songtsen Gambo in a single day to hold down the giant demoness who was preventing the spread of Buddhism.

Breakfast in the hotel, then drive to the airport for flight to your onward destination. We bid farewell and wish ourselves in the hope to meet again. We hope you cherish this special trip in your life and nourish yourself with all the positive energy accumulated through the journey.
Tashi Delek.