Magnificent Nepal with Bhutan Tour

Duration : 12 Nights / 13 Days
Destinations covered : Kathmandu – Pokhara – Paro – Thimpu - Punakha
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Tour Itinerary:

Day 01: Arrive Kathmandu
Meeting and assistance by our representative. Transfer to hotel (Normal check-in time of hotel is 1400 hours). Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 02: Kathmandu
Breakfast at hotel. Full day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambunath & Patan Durbar Square. Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 03: Kathmandu
Breakfast at hotel. Full day sightseeing tour of Pashupatinath, Boudhnath & Bhaktapur Durbar Square. Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 04: Kathmandu - Pokhara
Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Pokhara which takes approx. 06 to 07 hours drive under normal road condition. Overnight at hotel in Pokhara

Day 05: Pokhara
Breakfast at hotel. Half day sightseeing tour of Pokhara city includes Bindyabsani Temple, Seti Gorge, Devi’s fall, Gupteshwor Mahadev cave + One hour boat ride on Phewa Lake. Overnight at hotel in Pokhara.

Day 06 : Day Hiking
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Naudada and hiking from Naudada to Sarangkot. Pickup from Sarangkot and transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel in Pokhara

Day 07: Pokhara – Kathmandu
Breakfast at hotel and drive back to Kathmandu. Arrive and evening is free for leisure. Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 08: Kathmandu – Paro (by Druk Air Flight @ 09:45 – 11:05) - Thimphu (52 km, 1 Hour Drive)
Arriving at the Paro International Airport, our representative will receive you and drive to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. The drive takes you through the winding road with lots of beautiful hamlets. Tashichho Dzong: Located on the northern edge of the city of Thimphu, on the western bank of the Wang Chu. Tashichho Dzong is Bhutan's most stately and arguably the most impressive building. It has traditionally been the seat of the Druk desi or ‘Dharma Raja’, the head of Bhutan's civil government, an office which has been combined with the kingship since the creation of the monarchy in 1907, and summer capital of the country. It houses the throne room of His Majesty the King of Bhutan and is the summer residence of the venerated monastic community. The current dzong is the impressive result of a redesign of the original medieval structure sanctioned by the Third King, His Majesty King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, when he moved the capital to Thimphu from Punakha. The Fortress of the glorious religion houses the throne room of His Majesty the King, the main secretariat building and the central monk body. Its courtyard is open to visitors during the Thimphu Tshechu and when the monk moves to its winter residence in Punakha. Overnight at hotel in Thimphu

Day 09: Thimpu Sightseeing
After breakfast visit the followings:
Memorial Chorten, also known as the Thimphu Chorten, is a large Tibetan-style Buddhist Monastery is a popular landmark in the city with its golden spires and bells. It was built in 1974 to honor the memory of the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. The architecture of the chorten has been designed to present it as ‘one of the most visible religious structures in Thimphu’. Folk Heritage Museum: A three storied traditional building houses the Folk Heritage Museum. The earthen and timber building was renovated and restored few years ago to appear as it was century ago. Established in 2001 in Thimphu, the museum provides glimpse into the traditional Bhutanese material culture and way of life. The artifacts, which are kept inside the house, remind the visitors about how the rural Bhutanese live today. This 19th century traditional house provides you a glimpse of the Bhutanese lifestyle, and artifacts from the rural households. One can come across typical household objects, tools and equipment.

National Institute for Zorig Chusum commonly known as Arts & Crafts School or Painting School, the Institute offers a six-year course on the 13 traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan. On a visit, one can see students learning the various skills taught at the school.

The National Library of Bhutan was first established in 1967 under the patronage of HM Queen Ashi Phuntso Choden (1911–2003), with a small collection of precious texts. The library was initially housed within the central tower (utse) of Tashichho dzong. Later, due to its growing collection, it had to move to a building in the Changangkha area of Thimphu.

Junghi Handmade Paper Factory ; the unit in Thimphu produces traditional handmade paper from natural plants mainly from ‘Daphne’ plant species which is insect-resistant. The other unit in Jimina, 22 km from the centre Thimphu town, recycles waster papers. The traditional handmade papers are widely used for religious scripts, packing materials, hand-carry bags, lampshades, envelopes, calendars . The paper looks a lot like Japanese washi, and in fact a lot of Bhutanese paper is exported to Japan also.

National Institute of Traditional Medicine strives to merge the allopathic and traditional systems of healing. A large laboratory and a production facility inside the institute monitor and ensure the quality of the components like the plants, minerals, precious metals etc. A day-care facility and clinic opened in the institute is available for public use. The institution also produces Bhutanese medicines and they have a plot inside their premise where they grow different herbs and plants. The institution premise has a small museum, a gift shop (where the famous herbal tea - Tsheringma- is produced) and also a training school for traditional medicine practitioners. After the closing of the institute, visitors can walk along the compound to view it from the outside. The Takin (Budorcas taxicor) is the national animal of Bhutan and also called cattle chamois. This globally rare and endangered animal is admired for its unique physique and agility on steep terrain of Bhutan. According to Lam Drukpa Kuenley(Devine Madman) Takin was created by joining the bones of a goat’s head and bones of the cow’s body. Thimphu Takins are kept in Motithang Takin Preserve center or Takin Mini Zoo

Weekend Market: If your visit to Thimphu coincides with the weekend, you can walk through the Thimphu Market to see the variety of food of Bhutan, including basket upon basket of fiery chillies, fresh cheese and a variety of fresh greens. In addition, many stalls contain Bhutanese handicrafts and household items. (This market is open only from Friday until mid Sunday). Bhutan Postal Muesum was established in November 2015 to celebrate the 60th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The main objective of the museum is to tell the story of Bhutan’s progress and development through the lens of the evolution of communications and postal system in the country. The story is told through anecdotes, artifacts and the rich assortment of stamps the country has produced over the years. You can have ayour own personalised stamp made with your own picture, bring an image you like on a USB stick to avoid the line outside the photographer's studio. Overnight at hotel in Thimphu

Day 10: Thimphu - Punakha (77 kms - 3 hrs)
After breakfast, Visit the following:
Dochula pass, located 30 km away from the capital, on the way to Punakha from Thimphu offers a 360-degree of beautiful panoramic view of Himalaya mountain range, especially on clear winter days. The 108 chortens that adorn the beauty of this place were built by Queen Mother to commemorate the Bhutanese soldiers who were killed when fighting the Indian rebels in 2003. The pass is also popular spiritual place for both locals and tourists because of an important temple that is located on the crest of Dochula pass. Besides the spirituality of the place many Bhutanese families visit the pass during holidays and weekends to simply enjoy the scenery of the place with their pack lunch and hot tea. For tourists, the place is an ideal location to capture beautiful pictures of Himalaya mountain range provided the weather permits.

Chimi Lhakhang: located near Lobesa, Punakha stands on a round hillock and is flanked by hundreds of prayer flags. Built in 1499, this monastery is dedicated to Lama Drukpa Kinley or ‘the Divine Madman’. An accomplished master of Mahamudra Buddhist Tradition, he is also known as the ‘Mad Saint’ for his unorthodox ways of teaching Buddhism by singing, humor and outrageous behavior, which amounted to being bizarre and strong sexual overtones and inclinations. Drukpa Kinley is also a cultural icon in Bhutan around whom countless yarns, fictions, stories and legends have been spun. In founding the site it is said that Lama Kunley subdued a demon of Dochu La with his “magic thunderbolt of wisdom” and trapped it in a rock at the location close to where the chorten now stands. He is also the saint who advocated the use of phallus symbols as paintings on walls and as flying carved wooden phalluses on house tops at four corners of the eves. The monastery is the repository of the original wooden symbol of phallus that Kunley brought from Tibet. This wooden phallus is decorated with a silver handle and is used to bless people who visit the monastery on pilgrimage, particularly women seeking blessings to beget children. The tradition at the monastery is to strike pilgrims on the head with a 10 inch (25 cm) wooden phallus (erect penis). Traditionally symbols of an erect penis in Bhutan have been intended to drive away the evil eye and malicious gossip. Overnight at hotel in Punakha

Day 11: Punakha
Hike Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten and later visit Punakha Dzong Drive 12 km north of Punakha and hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, a fine example of Bhutanese architecture and artistic traditions. An hour hike to the Chorten, through a moderately inclined trail surrounded by pine trees, this site offers beautiful view of the Punakha Valley. The Chorten built to remove negative forces and promote peace, stability and harmony in the changing world dominates the upper Punakha Valley with commanding views across the Mo Chhu and up towards the mountainous peaks of Gasa and beyond.

A fine example of Bhutanese architecture and artistic traditions, the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten stands out on a beautiful ridge above the Punakha valley. This 4-storey temple was built by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck as per the Holy Scriptures and took 9 years to complete it. This temple has been dedicated for the well being of the kingdom, its people and all sentient beings.

Punakha Dzong: The Punakha Dzong, also known as Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzong (meaning ‘the palace of great happiness or bliss’) is the administrative centre of Punakha dzongkhag in Punakha, Bhutan. Constructed by Zhabdrung (Shabdrung) Ngawang Namgyal on the 8th day and 8th month of the Fire ox year in 1673, it is the second oldest and second largest dzong in Bhutan and one of its most majestic structures. Punakha Dzong was the administrative centre and the seat of the Government of Bhutan until 1955, when the capital was moved to Thimphu. It is a six-storied structure with a central tower or Utse at an average elevation of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) with a scenic, mountainous background. The materials used in building the Dzong consisted of compacted earth, stones and timber in doors and windows. The Dzong was constructed as ‘an embodiment of Buddhist values’. The first King of modern Bhutan was crowned in Punakha Dzong. Punakha Dzong remained the centre of government until it was relocated to Thimphu. In 2011, the wedding of the 5th King was held in this fortress. Overnight at hotel in Punakha

Day 12: Punakha - Paro (138 kms - 4 hrs)
Drive to Paro then after visit National Museum and Paro Dzong
The National Museum of Bhutan is housed inside the revamped circular Ta-dzong building, an ancient watchtower above the Paro Dzong. This unusual round building is said to be in the shape of a conch shell. The original building was constructed in 1656 but the building was converted into a museum in 1968. The necessary infrastructure was created to house some of the finest specimens of Bhutanese art, including masterpieces of bronze statues and paintings gathered from different parts of the country. Suitable galleries were constructed to house the extensive collections. Works of art were elegantly displayed on scientific lines.

Some of the handicrafts items cover the history and cultural heritage of more than 1500 years. The National Museum has in its possession over 3,000 works of Bhutanese art, rich holdings of various creative traditions and disciplines that represent a remarkable blend of the past with the present and is a major attraction for local and foreign visitors.

Paro Dzong is one of the most impressive and well-known dzongs in Bhutan. One of the finest examples of Bhutanese architecture, it is also known as the Ringpung Dzong, which means ‘fortress on a heap of jewels’. It is the administrative seat of the district of Paro. The dzong was built in the 16th century on the foundation of a monastery built by Guru Rinpoche. It was used on numerous occasions to defend the Paro Valley from invasions by Tibet.

Unlike most of the other dzongs in Bhutan, it survived the massive 1897 earthquake mostly unscathed, though it was almost burnt to the ground by a fire in 1907. All-important relics were lost to the fire and nothing could be salvaged except for the Thongdrol, a 20x20 meter-wide Thangka. The Thangka is displayed annually during a ceremony called Paro Tshechu. The Dzong was however rebuilt the following year. Overnight at hotel in Paro

Day 13: Paro – Kathmandu (by Druk Air Flight @ 11:40 - 12:40) & Departure.
Last day of your tour after breakfast transfer to airport to board the flight for Kathnandu. Arrive and board the flight for onward destination.

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