West to East Bhutan Tour

On arrival at Paro International Airport, the representative from Somify Destination Tours – Gateway to your Unforgettable Bhutan Experience; Will warmly welcome & greet you. Visit Paro Rimpung Dzong, the centre of civil and religious authority in this region. Lunch will be served at one of the restaurants in Paro town. After lunch, drive to the village of Drukgyel and visit the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong, built in 1649 to commemorate the victory over the Tibetan invasion. On the way back visit Kyichu Lhakhang, it is one of the two most sacred and the oldest temples in Bhutan, built in the 7th century by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo (the 33rd Tibetan king, who is also the manifestation of Avoloketeshivara, commonly known to Bhutanese as Chenrize). Evening at leisure, dinner and overnight stay at Paro Hotel.

Today after having breakfast, we will make a hike to Paro Taktshang Monastery, the most famous and sacred monastery in Bhutan. Taktshang means “Tiger`s Nest” named after Guru Rinpoche reportedly flew to this site riding on the back of a flying tigress in the 8th century. We have to hike about 2 hours and 30 minutes up steep from the road end. The trail climbs through a beautiful pine forest, many trees festooned with Spanish moss, and an occasional grove of fluttering prayer flags. Lunch will be served at the Taktshang cafeteria and descending will take around 2 hours and 30 minutes. Evening at leisure, dinner and overnight stay at Paro Hotel.

Today, we will drive to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan via Chelela Pass (3988m), through Haa Valley. This pass is one of the highest passes in Bhutan, while we are travelling by motorable road. The drive will take 2 hours and 30 minutes till Haa, through a beautiful valley and forest of blue pine, silver fir, hemlock, spruce and large trees. Today, up to Chelela pass, we will ascend and descend till Haa. Lunch will be at one of the restaurants in Haa town. On reaching Haa, visit Lhakhang Karpo (white temple) and Lhakhang Nakpo (black temple). These temples were built in the 7th century, by the Tibetan 33 Dharma King Songtsen Gampo, along the time Kyichu temple was built. Then, we will drive to Thimphu through the lower road. The drive from Haa to Thimphu will take almost 4 hours, along a river valley, past small villages and traditional farmhouses. It`s a small & charming capital city located in the heart of the Himalayas. Evening at leisure, dinner and overnight stay at Thimphu, Hotel.

Today, after having breakfast, visit Memorial Chorten, built in 1974 in memory of the third late king Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, the temple inside gives good examples of tantric Buddhism and its philosophy. Big Buddha Point is a gigantic Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the mountains of Thimphu Valley. The Buddha Dordenma is sited amidst the ruins of Kuensel Phodrang, the palace of Sherab Wangchuk, the thirteenth Druk Desi and it is one of the largest Buddhas in Bhutan, at a height of 169 feet (51.5 meters). Changgankha Lhakhang, the place founded by the great Tibetan Lama Phajo Drukgom Zhipo in the 12th century and later the temple was built by his son. Mothithang mini-zoo, to see the National Animal of Bhutan Takin (Budorcas Taxicolor). The Takin as a National Animal of Bhutan is attributed to a legend of the animal’s creation in Bhutan in the 15th century by Lama Drukpa Kunley. Lunch will be served at one of the restaurants in Thimphu. After lunch, visit Zulikha Nunnery, the Thangtong Dewachen nunnery was founded in 1976 by Rikey Jadrel and today it houses sixty nuns engaged in Buddhist study and practices. Visit Paper Factory, where Bhutanese Traditional Papers & paper products are made. Weaving Center produces hand-woven textiles on site and has a selection of cloth and ready-made garments for sale. Evening, stroll around Thimphu city, then visit Tashichho Dzong, the seat of the National Government and the Central Monastic Body, including the summer residence of the Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot of Bhutan). Dinner & Overnight stay in Hotel, Thimphu.

After breakfast, we will drive to Punakha/Wangdi via Dochula Pass (3150m). Here you will have a breathtaking panoramic view of the Eastern Himalayan Mountain ranges. The pass is adorned with 108 small Chorten and many prayer flags. The road climbs steeply through forests of blue pine, spruce and rhododendrons up to Dochula and then the road descends through lush forests to the fertile valley of Punakha & Wangdi Phodrang. The drive will take around 3 hours. Lunch will be served on the way to Punaka/Wangi. On reaching Lobesa, visit Chhimi Lhakhang, located on a hilltop. The temple is known as ‘the temple of fertility’. This place was founded by divine madman Lama Drukpa Kunley in the 15th century. Later, this temple was built by his cousin Lama Ngawang Chogyel. At Punakha, visit the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan, Punakha Dzong. The winter resident for Central Monastic Body and head of the administrative purposes, even this is the best venue for the coronation of our kings in Bhutan. Dinner and Overnight stay in Hotel, Punakha/Wangdi.

After breakfast, drive to Phobjikha Valley via Lawala Pass (3280m). Here you can see a Yak grazing along the roadside. The road will ascend through semi-tropical vegetation and an alpine environment, with rhododendron trees and dark green dwarf bamboo till you reach Lawala Pass and descend to Gantey. The drive will take 2 hours and 30 minutes. On reaching Gantey, visit Gangtey Goenpa/Monastery, an important monastery of the Nyingmapa school of Buddhism, the main seat of the great treasure Pema Lingpa. Then, we will hike to Gangtey Natural Trail Hike, the most beautiful and shortest of the existing nature trails in Bhutan. We can see the valley so panoramically. The hike will take 1 hour and 30 to 50 minutes. Today`s lunch will be at one of the restaurants in Phobjikha Valley. Dinner and Overnight stay in Hotel, Phobjikha.

After our breakfast in the hotel, we will drive to Bumthang via Pelela pass and Yotongla pass through Trongsa, the ancestral home of the Royal Family. The drive will take 6 hours and 30 minutes through an alpine environment and semi-tropical vegetation with rhododendron trees and dark green dwarf bamboo. You will stop by Chendebji Chhorten, the chorten is patterned after Swayambhunath in Kathmandu and was built in the 19th century to cover the remains of an evil spirit that was killed at this spot. As you enter Trongsa valley, the huge fortress of Trongsa Dzong, the most impressive dzong in Bhutan appears on the far side of a deep valley and visit this Dzong on arrival. Then we will visit the Tower of Trongsa-Religion and Power in Bhutan. The Tower of Trongsa is a museum in which aspects of Bhutanese culture and history are explained by beautiful objects, while for others it is a sacred place of encounter with the gods. Lunch will be served at Trongsa. Then we will continue our drive to Bumthang through the hairpin bends with the dense forest of rhododendrons, conifers, alder and oak crossing Yotong La, 3425m. The road then comes out into a wide-open cultivated valley – which is the Chumey Valley, the first of Bumthnag’s four valleys. From here the road goes straight until we see Jakar Dzong and then drops into bends before straightening out again in the main valley at Chamkhar. It was the winter palace of our second King Jigme Wangchuck. The palace is an impressive building with superb woodwork and decorations. Dinner and Overnight stay in Hotel, Bumthang.

Today, visit Jambay Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, built in the 7th century. Kurjey Lhakhang is named after the body print of Guru Rinpoche which is preserved in a cave inside the oldest of the three buildings. Tamshing Lhakhang – which was established by Terton Pema Lingpa in 1501 and is the most important Nyingma Goenba in the country. Lunch will be at one of the restaurants in Bumthang. After lunch, we will visit Mebertsho (Burning Lake) – a sacred lake for Bhutanese people. Terton Pema Lingpa discovered several of Guru Rinpoche’s hidden religious treasures from this lake. Evening we will visit Farmer’s House for Bhutanese tea, alcohol and a hot stone bath (Dhotsho). We can also organize an overnight stay in the farmers house. Dinner and Overnight stay in Hotel/Farmers house, Bumthang.

After our early breakfast, we will drive to Mongar. The drive will take about 6 hours. After 1 hour and 30 minutes drive we will reach Ura Valley and then the road ascends to the Thrumsing La pass (3755m) through the forest of Rhododendrons and another sub-alpine forest. Then the road descends passing my rural villages. The drive is truly fantastic witnessing the extraordinary ecological contrast. An hour's drive from the pass, we will reach Sengor Village huddles in a large meadow. Lunch will be on the way to Mongar or we will take hot pack lunch. After lunch, we will continue our journey through the semi-tropical forest. We will also see the settlements here are scattered in semi-hilly areas. On arrival at Mongar, visit Mongar Dzong, which houses the district headquarters and monastic community. Then stroll around the small town of Mongar. Dinner and Overnight stay in Hotel, Mongar.

Today we will make a day excursion to Lhuentse, the ancestral home of Bhutan`s Wangchuk dynasty with a hot pack lunch. The drive will take 2 hours and 40 minutes, along with the dramatic scenery. It seems deserted by any human inhabitants as all the villages are hidden high up in the mountains. As we reach Tangmachu we will cross to the right bank of the river and drive continues upstream. Suddenly there`s a view of Lhuentshi Dzong, which dominates the head of the valley. On reaching the Lhuentse, visit  Lhuentse Dzong, which houses the district headquarters and monastic community. This Dzong was built by the 3rd Druk Desi Chogyel Minjyur Tempa in 1654. Originally, this place was founded by Tibetan great Lama Ngagyi Wangchuk in the 15th century.  After visiting the Dzong, drive back to the bridge, and turn left to Khoma Viallage. Visit Khoma Village, famous for its brocade fabric called Kishuthara. Then drive back to Mongar. Dinner and Overnight stay in Hotel, Mongar.

Today, we will drive to Trashigang via Trashi Yantshi. The drive will take about 3 hours and 30 minutes to Trashigang Chagzam and from here till we reach Trashi Yangtsi, it will take almost 3 hours. We will also pass through the scattered villages, cornfields and the zigzags of Yadi Road. On reaching Trashi Yangtse, visit Tashi Yangtshi Dzong and Chorten Kora, one of the stupas with styles similar to those in Nepal. Lunch will be on the way and we will drive back to Tashigang. On reaching Gomphu Kora, we will visit Gomphu Kora Lhakhang, a sacred meditation site of Guru Rinpoche founded in the 8th century. Then we will continue our drive to Tashigang. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel, Trashigang.

Today we will drive for a day excursion to Radhi village, which is famous for textiles, especially raw silk. In winter we can see young and old women weaving textiles through the Ranjung small town. At Radhi, we will visit the Radhi Lhakhang and at Ranjung, we will visit the Ranjung Youseling Monastery. Lunch we will have a hot pack lunch. After lunch, we will drive back to Trashigang. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel, Trashigang.

After breakfast, we will drive to Samdrup Jongkhar. Before we leave the Tashigang, we will visit the Trashigang Dzong, the dzong built in the 17th century by the 3rd Druk Desi Chogyel Minjyur Tempa. The head of the administrative and religious purposes of this district, the drive will take about 6 hours and 30 minutes. On reaching Kanglung, we will visit Kanglung Monastery, just above the road and Sherabtse College, which means the place with Peak of Knowledge, Bhutan`s only college built in the late 1970s. At Khaling, we will visit the Khaling Handloom, where young women are weaving and keeping our textiles alive in this modern world. Then we will continue our journey to S/Jongkhar through the thick forest and scattered villages of the east. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant or packed lunch.
Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel, Samdrup Jongkhar.

After breakfast, drive to ICP to process an Indian visa via an Indo-Bhutan border gate, and you will declare your Bhutan visa. Once all are done with immigration formalities, drive to Guwahati airport for your onward destination. Our guide and driver will bid you fare well and we wish you a very safe and have a comfortable and pleasant journey for your onward destinations.