Bagdogra
– Phuntsholing
The representative of Atlas Tours and Trek will receive the visitors from
Bagdogra Airport/Siliguri and drive you to Phuntsholing, the border town
of Bhutan. The journey is through the West Bengal tea plantations and
small towns which takes about 3 hours. Overnight in hotel.
Phuntsholing
– Thimphu
After breakfast visit Kharbandi Monastery and continue the journey to
Thimphu with lunch stop at Bunakha. The after lunch you cross Chapcha-la
2,525 m. The journey is initially through the dense forest of sub-tropical
and after lunch through the conifer forest of temperate zone, from typical
southern Bhutanese Nepalese houses to typical Bhutanese houses. Overnight
in hotel.
Thimphu
–Sightseeing
After breakfast drive for sightseeing of the Thimphu valley. Visit the
Memorial Chorten built in memory of the Late King, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck,
the Father of Modern Bhutan. Then visit the National Library, Zelukha
Nunnery and Simtokha Dzong which now houses the school for national language,
Dzongkha. After lunch make a visit to Handicraft Emporium and after that
you can stroll in the town. Overnight in Hotel.
Thimphu
– Punakha – Thimphu
After breakfast, full day excursion to Punakha the ancient capital of
Bhutan where visitors are allowed to enter the Dzong if the Je Khenpo
(chief Abbot) and the central monk body is in Thimphu in their summer
residence. Lunch will be served at Wangdiphodrang. On the way back to
Thimphu halt for sightseeing at Dochula pass, alt. 3,080 m from where
you can see the beautiful Himalayan mountain range. Drive back to Thimphu.
Overnight in hotel.
After breakfast witness the cultural show for an hour or so, performed by the Royal Dance Troupe and drive to Thimphu city for last day of shopping of souvenirs. Lunch at hotel. After lunch drive to the Paro valley following the Thimphu river till Confluence where the Paro river meets the Thimphu river. Then drive up the winding road to Paro. The drive takes about 2 hours. Overnight in hotel.
Morning drive to Paro for sightseeing of the valley. Drive through the winding road northwest up the Pa Chu to Drugyel Dzong, the ruined Fort (destroyed by fire in 1950.) which once defended this valley from the Tibetan invasion. From here one can have the view of sacred Mt. Chomolhari on clear days. On the way back stop for a view of Taktsang (tiger’s nest) Monastery which clings on the sheer drop of rock face where the saint Guru Padma-sambhava landed on the flying tiger and mediated there. After lunch drive to Ta Dzong former Watch Tower which now houses the National Museum and then walk down passing close by the Paro Dzong, crossing the Bhutanese typical wooden roofed bridge to Paro town. After a short stroll in town drive back to hotel for the night halt.
Early breakfast then drive to the airport for departure.
