7 Days Bhutan Cultural Tour – Explore Bhutan’s Culture, Monasteries & Valleys

Day 1: Arrival in Paro – Transfer to Thimphu

The flight into Paro is one of the most dramatic approaches in commercial aviation, banking between hillsides before touching down at 2,200 metres. Your guide meets you in the arrivals hall and the drive to Thimphu takes about an hour along the Pa Chhu and Wang Chhu rivers. The first day is deliberately gentle so your body has time to settle at altitude.

• Arrival at Paro International Airport and meet your licensed guide
• Scenic one-hour drive to Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital
• Visit the National Memorial Chorten, built in 1974 in memory of the Third King
• Evening free to walk Norzin Lam and adjust to the altitude

Day 2: Thimphu Sightseeing

Thimphu is the only capital city in the world without traffic lights, and at 2,320 metres it is small enough to feel like a large town. A full day covers the major sights without rushing, and there is time to sit with a cup of suja and watch the valley go about its day.

• Buddha Dordenma, a 51.5-metre bronze statue above the valley housing 125,000 smaller Buddhas
• Tashichho Dzong, seat of the government and the central monk body
• The Folk Heritage Museum, the takin preserve and a traditional paper workshop
• Time in the local markets and craft bazaar

Day 3: Thimphu to Punakha

Today crosses the Dochula Pass at 3,100 metres, where 108 Druk Wangyal Chortens stand on the ridge and, on a clear morning, the eastern Himalaya fills the skyline. The road then drops nearly 2,000 metres into the subtropical Punakha valley, which is noticeably warmer than Thimphu and was Bhutan’s capital until 1955.

• Drive over the Dochula Pass with its 108 chortens and Himalayan viewpoint
• Punakha Dzong, built in 1637 at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers
• Chimi Lhakhang, reached by a flat twenty-minute walk through rice terraces
• Overnight in the Punakha valley at around 1,200 metres

Day 4: Punakha to Phobjikha Valley

A three-hour drive climbs back into the mountains to Phobjikha, a broad glacial valley at 3,000 metres with no urban development to speak of. Between late October and mid-February this is where several hundred black-necked cranes winter after crossing from Tibet.

• Drive to Phobjikha Valley through pine and rhododendron forest
• Gangtey Goenpa, the seventeenth-century monastery overlooking the valley floor
• Walk part of the Gangtey Nature Trail, about six kilometres and ninety minutes downhill
• Black-necked cranes visible from late October to mid-February

Day 5: Phobjikha to Paro

The longest driving day of the trip, retracing the route west with stops along the way. You arrive in Paro with the afternoon free, which matters because tomorrow starts early.

• Scenic drive back to the Paro valley with photo stops en route
• Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan’s oldest temples, dating to the seventh century
• Time to explore Paro town and the traditional shops along the main street
• Early night before the Tiger’s Nest hike

Day 6: Paro – Tiger’s Nest Monastery

Paro Taktsang clings to a cliff 900 metres above the valley floor, and reaching it is the day’s work: roughly four to five hours round trip including time inside. The climb is steep and sustained rather than technical, and there is a cafeteria at the halfway point. Horses can be arranged as far as the cafeteria if you would rather not walk the first stretch.

• Early start to reach the trail before the day warms up
• Hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery at 3,120 metres, with a rest stop at the halfway cafeteria
• Time inside the monastery complex, where cameras and bags are left at the entrance
• Afternoon at leisure, or a traditional hot stone bath to ease the legs

Day 7: Departure from Paro

Paro departures are usually early, so breakfast is often before dawn. Your guide sees you through to the terminal.

• Transfer to Paro International Airport
• End of your 7 Days Bhutan Cultural Tour