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1 |
Arrival, drive to Thimphu |
Arrival by plane to Paro airport and 1.5-hour drive to Thimphu or full day drive from Phuntsholing in case of arrival by land. ➜ Program depending on the arrival time. Evening visit of Tashicho dzong, the castle, which serves as seat of the king and government. |
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2 |
Thimphu – Haa |
Early morning drive to Buddha Dordenma, the gigantic statue of Buddha overlooking the valley and walk to striking city viewpoint. ➜ See Memorial Chorten, always busy with devotees. ➜ Walk in Norzin lam street and see the traffic police signaling in junctions. Thimphu is onl y capital in the world without the traffic lights. ➜ Finish walk at handicraft market where many interesting Bhutanese souvenirs can be seen and bought for reasonable price. ➜ Drive to Changlimithang stadium to see archery match, traditional sport of Bhutan (depends on luck if the game is going on). ➜ From Friday to Sunday you can also visit to Centenary market where local people go to shop for food supplies. Market also has interesting handicraft section. ➜ Otherwise, you can enjoy some free time in the town, exploring it on your own. ➜ Late afternoon drive to Haa valley, taking scenic road from Chuzom. Overnight will be spent in local farmhouse as a guest of local family, with trying local delicacies like salty butter tea, and ara spirit. Accommodation facilities are rudimentary but experience is worth of it. ➜ Optionally you can spend night in hotel if simple facilities are not your cup of tea. |
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3 |
Haa – Paro |
In the morning visit to main village temple, Lhakhang Karpo (white temple) dedicated to local deity. ➜ Then drive to Katsho village and undertake short hike up to Juneydrak hermitage. This small temple perched to the rock cliff is considered to be “second Tiger’s Nest”. The last section of climb to this temple is very steep and you might need a support of rope which is fixed here. Place is inhabited by two welcoming hermits who will take you around. ➜ Then drive to Chele-la (3850 m), the highest motorable pass in Bhutan. In clear weather you might see Kanchenjunga mountain to the west and holy Jomolhari peak to the north. ➜ Descend by car to Paro. If time permits, visit also Dzongdrakha lhakhang, the temple built below the rock cliffs with great view of rice fields of Bondey village. The beauty of this temple, rarely visited by travelers, is only matched by the Tiger's Nest. |
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4 |
Paro |
Visit of the National Museum and Paro dzong (Rinpung dzong), the castle-monastery where Bernardo Bertolucci’s Little Buddha film was shot. ➜ The pristine Kyichu lhakhang is one of the two oldest temples built in Bhutan. ➜ Climb to Taktsang gomba (Tiger’s Nest), is the highlight of the tour. While the hike seems to be hard, it’s very rewarding. If you don’t feel so strong, you can climb just halfway to cafeteria with nice view of the place. You can consider climbing in the morning or early afternoon depending on weather, your fitness and preferences. |
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5 |
Departure |
If time permits, early morning drive to Drukyel dzong, the castle ruins from where you can see the summit of holy Jomolhari mountain in clear weather. ➜ Depart from Paro by flight or drive to Phuntsholing in case of departure by land. |
