Castles in the Air | Detailed itinerary

Day 1

Your flight from Bangkok to Paro will take about 5 hours. On this flight the views of the Everest, Kanchen Junga and other Himalayan peaks, including the sacred Chomolhari and Jichu Drakey in Bhutan are awesome. On arrival in Paro our guide will receive you and check you into your hotel. After lunch we will see the rich history of Bhutan exhibited in the 17th century National Museum. The Paro Dzong, a massive fortress built in the 17th century now houses the monastic body. A tour of this beautiful Dzong will introduce us to the unique aspects of the Bhutanese Buddhism. A lovely stroll downhill from the Dzong over an old cantilever bridge wraps up an eventful first day in this magical kingdom.

Overnight in Paro | Altitude: 2200m

Day 2

Taktsang or the tiger’s nest temple is the most revered temple to the Buddhist. This magical temple clings to a vertical granite cliff 800m above the valley. Legend has it that in the 8th century, Guru Rimpochey, a tantric master flew here on the back of a tigress and meditated in a cave around which the temple is built. A hike to this temple will take up most of our morning. In the afternoon, we will host a special Buddhist prayer ceremony at the beautiful 1200 year old Kyichu Lhakhang Temple, to bring us good luck for the rest of the journey.

Overnight in Paro | Altitude: 2200m

Day 3

Paro to Thimphu
Distance: 60k
Driving time: 1 ½ h

Drive to the capital town Thimphu, in the morning. After checking into your hotel and lunch, visit the National Memorial Chorten, Takin Zoo, Textile Museum, Traditional Painting School, National Library, Thimphu Dzong, Weekend market, Folk Heritage Museum, etc.

Overnight in Thimphu | Altitude: 2400m

Day 4

Continue exploring Thimphu. Wander around town on your own, hunting for souvenirs.

Overnight in Thimphu | Altitude: 2400m

Day 5

Thimphu to Punakha
Distance: 80k
Driving time: 2 ½ h

Drive to Punakha over the Dochu La pass at 3000m. If we are lucky with the weather, we can see the entire Bhutanese Himacastless from this pass; east of castles to Gangkhar Puensum.

Punakha was the capital of Bhutan until the 1950s. Today, the central monk body moves to Punakha in the winter when it gets too cold in Thimphu. With a climate almost tropical in the summer, the valley is blessed with an abundance of fruits and rice. After lunch we will visit the magnificent Punakha Dzong which without doubt showcases the finest example of Bhutanese arts and crafts. After the Dzong, we will go on a short drive in the lush upper Punakha valley and hike for 45 minutes to the beautiful chorten temple of Khamsum Yuley on a hill.

Overnight in Punakha | Altitude: 1250m

Day 6

Punakha to Jakar
Distance: 210k
Driving time: 8h

The 8 hour drive to Jakar, the capital of the district of Bumthang, will take us through the districts of Wangdue and Trongsa and over the Pele La, Yotong La and Kiki La passes. The variety in the landscape and vegetation is spectacular, changing from dense pine forests to dwarf bamboo hill slopes enveloped in perennial mist.

Overnight in Jakar | Altitude: 2700m

Day 7

Bumthang is a very beautiful valley which attracted many important Buddhist masters over the centuries. Bumthang has the most number of religious sites than any other district in Bhutan. Visit the Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang, Tamshing Lhakhang and the Jakar Dzong.

Overnight in Jakar | Altitude: 2700m

Day 8

The region of Bumthang is made up of 5 different valleys. The tang valley is the most beautiful of all the valleys and also the highest with an average altitude of about 3100m. We will go on a day trip to Tang and visit the Ogyencholing Dzong, an old fortress of the lord of Tang in the olden days. The central tower of the Dzong is now converted into a museum and has a wonderful collection of artefacts.

Overnight in Jakar | Altitude: 2700m

Day 9

Jakar to Chuzomsa
Distance: 188k
Driving time: 7h

There is only 1 highway that runs from east to west so we have to back trace our way. Chuzomsa is in the district of Wangdue, 3 passes away from Jakar. As we drive through Trongsa, we will make a brief stop to visit the impressive Trongsa Dzong. It was from the Trongsa Dzong that the Bhutanese rulers fought off the British invasion attempts in the 1800s.

Overnight in Chuzomsa | Altitude: 1400m