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4N/5D Bhutan Winter Escape: Punakha and Paro - The Warm Valley in the Cold Months

4 nights · 5 days Leisure Punakha Bhutan Hyundai Creta (Bhutan)

The Warm Valley in the Cold Months. Stay plan: Punakha (2N) – Paro (2N). Arrive Paro International Airport, depart Paro International Airport.

Day by day

Distances and drive times are the ones our own drivers record, not map estimates.

  1. 1
    Day 1

    Arrival and transfer to Punakha

    Arrive at Paro International Airport. Clear immigration and baggage, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel in Punakha — a 125 km, four-hour drive over the Dochula pass. The old winter capital at 1,200 m, warm enough for rice and oranges, with the finest dzong in the country at the meeting of two rivers. The rest of the day is free to settle in. Overnight in Punakha.

    Overnight Punakha Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  2. 2
    Day 2

    Punakha: Punakha Dzong at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu

    Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Punakha — the Punakha Dzong at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu; the Chimi Lhakhang fertility temple across the rice fields; and the Punakha suspension bridge, one of the longest in Bhutan. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Punakha.

    Overnight Punakha Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  3. 3
    Day 3

    Punakha to Paro

    Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Paro — a 125 km, four-hour drive back over the Dochula pass. The valley the only international airport sits in — a fortress over the river, the oldest temple in Bhutan and the Tiger Nest on the cliff above. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Taktsang Tiger Nest monastery, a five-hour return climb. Overnight in Paro.

    Overnight Paro Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  4. 4
    Day 4

    Paro: Rinpung Dzong and its cantilever bridge

    Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Paro — the Rinpung Dzong and its cantilever bridge; the Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan; and the National Museum in the old watchtower. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Paro.

    Overnight Paro Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  5. 5
    Day 5

    Paro — departure

    Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Time for any last shopping before your transfer to Paro International Airport for the onward flight. The tour ends here, and we hope it is not your last visit to Bhutan.

    Meals Breakfast

Where you sleep

We name every property before you pay — not “4-star or similar” afterwards.

StopNightsHotels at each grade
Punakha 2 Standard · Deluxe · Luxury · Premium
Paro 2 Standard · Deluxe · Luxury · Premium

The named properties for each grade go out with your quotation, so you can look every one of them up before anything is paid. Ask for the hotel list →

What the price covers

Printed together on purpose. A list of inclusions without its exclusions is a quote you cannot check.

Included

  • Accommodation in Tourism Council of Bhutan approved hotels on double sharing basis.
  • All meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner — for the whole tour, as the Bhutan tariff requires.
  • A licensed English-speaking Bhutanese guide throughout, and a private vehicle with driver.
  • All monument, dzong and museum entrance fees named in the programme.
  • Bhutan entry permit and route permits processed before arrival.
  • Mineral water in the vehicle and a hot stone bath where the programme names one.
  • 24x7 on-tour coordination and a dedicated Bhutan destination desk.

Not included

  • Airfare to Paro or to the entry gateway, and airport taxes on it.
  • The Sustainable Development Fee levied by the Royal Government of Bhutan, quoted separately because it is a government charge and it changes by nationality.
  • Travel insurance, which is compulsory for entry.
  • Optional activities not named in the programme — rafting, mountain biking, archery, a helicopter transfer or a festival photography permit.
  • Alcoholic and bottled beverages, laundry, telephone, tips and personal expenses.
  • Peak-season and festival-period hotel supplements, and any Gala Dinner supplement.
  • Anything arising from circumstances outside our control — road block, landslide, a cancelled Paro flight or a change of government levy.

Close to this one

Same desk, same ground team, a different length.

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