Day 1

Your excursion begins with a warm welcome and a ‘khadar’ scarf at Paro airport. Your guide will then take you to see some of the most beautiful and storied cultural landmarks of Bhutan, from Rinpung Dzong, to Ugyen Pelri Palace, and eventually, the national museum, before taking you to the capital, Thimphu, the only capital city in the world that doesn’t have any traffic lights.

Day 2

Explore Bhutan’s cultural hotspots like the National Library, National Folk Heritage Museum and the National Institute for Zorig Chusum (also known locally as the Painting School). Later in the day, you’ll make your way up the Dochula Mountain Pass, with more stops at different cultural sites and villages, before settling in Punakha.

Day 3

This day’s highlight is your trek to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, a 3-storey chorten on a hillock, where you can admire beautiful and complex images belonging to the Nyingmapa tradition. In the evening, you’ll experience firsthand how rural Bhutanese live, with a traditional farmhouse visit, where you’ll be able to enjoy “dotsho,” a hot stone bath that locals use to treat various diseases.

Day 4

The day is dedicated to the Paro Tshechu, a religious festival honouring Guru Padmasambhava, the ‘one who was born from a lotus flower’. This Indian saint contributes enormously to the diffusion of Tantric Buddhism in Himalayan regions of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. Witness colourful traditional dances, and celebrate with the locals.

Day 5

You’ll take a short ride to a hiking trail that leads up to one of the most famous Buddhist monuments in the Himalayas, the Taktsang Monastery, also known as the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. After lunch, you’ll continue to the ruins of Drukgyal Dzong, built in 1646, and said to have prevented numerous invasions throughout the country’s history.

Day 6

After breakfast, your guide will accommodate you to the airport and bid you “Tashi delek!” for your onward flight.