8N/9D Bhutan Fly-In and Drive-Out - Eight Nights, Paro to the Phuentsholing Gate

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 Paro

   Arrive at Paro International Airport. Clear immigration and baggage, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel in Paro. 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. The rest of the day is free to settle in. Overnight in Paro.

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

   Paro: Taktsang Tiger Nest monastery, a five-hour return climb

   Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Paro — the Taktsang Tiger Nest monastery, a five-hour return climb; the Rinpung Dzong and its cantilever bridge; and the Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Paro.

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

   Paro to Thimphu

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Thimphu — a 55 km, ninety-minute drive up the Wang Chhu valley. The capital, and the only one in the world without a traffic light — a valley of dzongs, weaving studios and a very large seated Buddha. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Buddha Dordenma statue over the valley. Overnight in Thimphu.

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

   Thimphu: Tashichho Dzong, seat of the government and the Je Khenpo

   Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Thimphu — the Tashichho Dzong, seat of the government and the Je Khenpo; the National Memorial Chorten and its circumambulating crowd; and the Folk Heritage Museum and the National Textile Museum. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Thimphu.

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

   Thimphu to Punakha

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Punakha — a 75 km, three-hour drive over the Dochula pass and its 108 chortens. 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. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Punakha Dzong at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu. Overnight in Punakha.

   Overnight Punakha Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
6. 6
   Day 6

   Punakha: Chimi Lhakhang fertility temple across the rice fields

   Breakfast at the hotel. A full day in Punakha — the Chimi Lhakhang fertility temple across the rice fields; the Punakha suspension bridge, one of the longest in Bhutan; and the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten and its valley walk. The evening is free for dinner and a walk on your own. Overnight in Punakha.

   Overnight Punakha Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
7. 7
   Day 7

   Punakha to Thimphu

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Thimphu — a 75 km, three-hour drive over the Dochula pass and its 108 chortens. The capital, and the only one in the world without a traffic light — a valley of dzongs, weaving studios and a very large seated Buddha. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Takin preserve, the national animal. Overnight in Thimphu.

   Overnight Thimphu Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
8. 8
   Day 8

   Thimphu to Phuentsholing

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Leave for Phuentsholing — a 170 km, six-hour descent to the border. The frontier town on the plain where the permits are issued and the road into Bhutan begins its climb. Check in on arrival and, as the day allows, the Bhutan Gate and the Zangdopelri Lhakhang. Overnight in Phuentsholing.

   Overnight Phuentsholing Meals Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
9. 9
   Day 9

   Phuentsholing — departure

   Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Time for any last shopping before your transfer to Bagdogra Airport, India, with road entry at Jaigaon 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.

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.