Festival Tour in Bhutan

September 30: Arrival in Bhutan - Thimphu
Welcome to the land of the thunder dragon; Bhutan remains a mystery to many, and landing in Paro is where the excitement starts. Cruising over the treeline, slowly zigzagging into the country, the international airport pops up pretty last minute. Still, with only a few pilots that are trained enough to fly this route, it’s going to be smooth sailing. Upon arrival, you will be mesmerized by the small, artsy, and charismatic airport, and customs will feel like being greeted by an old friend rather than by government clarity. You will be greeted by your personal guide and driver and visit the National Museum of Bhutan before you take off to the capital city of Thimphu, where you will check into The Capital Hotel for dinner and overnight. 

October 1: Thimphu, something old, something new. 
Today, you will start your day sightseeing in the capital city. Don’t worry if you are not a city person; Thimphu feels like a developed village rather than an Asian metropolis. You will start with a visit to Buddha Point, where you will visit the impressive Buddha and see more than 100,000 small Buddhas inside. After you arrive back in the city, you will visit Simply Bhutan, a lively and interactive museum that showcases the tribes and life of the Bhutanese. After lunch, you will visit the memorial chorten, an essential landmark in the city where people from all over the city visit daily for their prayers for good health and luck. You will pass by the famous intersection where a traffic officer is arranging the traffic; you might have noticed that neither Thimphu nor Bhutan counts any traffic lights. In the evening, you will be dropped off at The Capital Hotel. Here, you will spend some time relaxing and can use their spa facilities. Feel free to let your guide know if you want to go out for a night in town and explore the karaoke scene or go for a local dinner.

October 2: Thimphu Festival 
Today, you will spend the entire day in Thimphu, where you can participate in the Thimphu Festival, the biggest festival in the country. In the morning, you will be dressed in a traditional Kira, and your guide will take you to the grounds and explain more about the many mask dances performed on this day. You will end the day in the city with a local dinner, and perhaps you will explore the town more in the evening when the locals celebrate the festival in the many cafes and restaurants around town. Overnight at The Capital Hotel 

October 3: Thimphu - Punakha: The old capital 
After breakfast, we will leave the capital city behind and depart for Punakha. This journey will take approximately 4 hours, but we will make several stops. Our first stop will be Dochula Pass, where you will have lovely views over the Himalayas on a clear day. After a 2-hour drive, we will arrive in Punakha and visit the Punakha Dzong, one of the country's most significant and beautiful dzongs. After a visit to the Dzong, we will continue to the iron suspension bridge, where we will cross the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan. After lunch, we will visit the nunnery and learn more about the local life of the nuns before we head to Ama Oms Homestay for the night, where we will spend the night with a local family and learn all about the daily Bhutanese life.

October 4: Punakha - Gangtey: Divine Madman village to the glacial valley
After breakfast, we will depart to Khamsum Yulley Namgyel Chorten for a beautiful 45-minute hike up to the Chorten, offering some of the best views over Punakha Valley. We will visit the chorten, hike back down, and continue to Lobesa, the village of the divine madman, also known as the fertility village. You will enjoy your lunch here overlooking the town and the temple before you take a walk to the village, where you will be surprised by the “decoration” on the local houses. You will visit the temple, where you can learn about the story of the divine madman and why this temple is so important for young families trying to conceive. We will then proceed to Gangtey & Phobjika Valley for our dinner and overnight at  ABC Lodge.

October 5: Gangtey Valley: A festival stepping back in time. 
Today we will explore Gangtey & Phobjikha Valley, also known as the beautiful glacial valley of Bhutan. We will start with a visit to the Gangtey Monastery,  where the smaller and more intimate Gangtey festival will occur. Dressed in local attire, we will spend some time at the festival grounds before heading out on a beautiful nature walk in the valley, enjoying stunning sights and beautiful nature. We will stop at a local house for tea and some chit-chatting before we continue our walk. In the evening, return to ABC Lodge for dinner and overnight. 

October 6: Gangtey Valley - Paro
After a leisurely breakfast, we will set off back to Paro, where our trip first started. We will pass several high mountain passes, including Lawa La Pass and Dochula Pass, and stop in Thimphu for a short visit at the postal museum where you can make your own stamps and send your loved ones greetings from Bhutan with your own personalized stamps. We will continue for another hour drive to Paro where we will check into our hotel in the afternoon and spend the rest of the evening at leisure. We can decide to walk to the town for some souvenir shopping or have dinner in the town. Overnight at Paro Eco Lodge.

October 7: Chelela Pass: Reaching new heights
After breakfast, we will depart for Chelela Pass, a scenic 2-hour drive to the top of the pass, the highest motorable road in the world at 3988 m / 13,083 ft. We will hike to the top off the pass, with beautiful views over the Himalayan ranges. We will enjoy our picnic lunch at the top of the pass before hiking back down. Before heading back to Paro, we will hike to Kila Goemba Nunnery, a short 45-minute hike; the monastery is set exclusively for Buddhist practitioners who want to retreat. Overnight at Paro Eco Lodge.

October 8: Hike to the iconic Tigers Nest 
In the morning, we will be picked up from our hotel and taken to the starting point for your trek to the famous tiger's nest / Taktsang Monastery. This will take approximately 3 hrs uphill. After a visit to the iconic Tigers nest, sitting on a cliff above the Paro Valley, you will hike back down, which takes approximately 2 hours. After you head back down, a delicious picnic lunch will be waiting for you, and we will head to the hotel, where we can freshen up and change before we head to the riverside for a game of traditional archery and a delicious local dinner. Overnight at Paro Eco Lodge.

October 9: Paro International Airport
After breakfast and a leisurely morning, you will be taken to the airport for your departure flight as you bid farewell to the last Shangri-la.