(Nature, culture, history)
Highlights:  Visitors taking this trip can observe the rituals of daily life in Bhutan that has remained sacred and enjoy the countryside.  From jingling brass bells of prayer wheels to ornate monasteries perched high above terraced paddy fields, there is a lot waiting to be experienced.

Day 1- Fly to Paro(2,250m/7,382ft)
Paro is in Western Bhutan
Transfer for the flight by Druk Air, Bhutan's national airline, to Paro, the country's only airstrip. The flight gives fantastic views of the Himalaya, and particularly exciting is the section through the Bhutanese foothills and the thrilling landing.  You will be met on arrival by your Bhutanese guide and then transferred to your hotel.

There may possibly be time to have an initial wander along the streets of the small township of Paro. 

Day 2 – Trek to view Taksang
2-3 Hours walk
Acclimatization walk to Taksang Monastery. Taksang is one of the most respected places of pilgrimage in the Himalayan world.  For people unaccustomed to the altitude it takes about three hours at an average walking speed to reach the temple.  Follow an ancient path marked by river powered prayer wheels; the climb begins, up through a forest of oak and rhododendron to the Taksang tea house, a log cabin.  The view over the Lhakhangs from this tea house is extraordinary, and the effort of climbing up to it is amply rewarded.  The Taksang Monastery, tragically wrecked in a fire early in 1998, rebuilt, it is perched some 2950m up on a cliff overlooking the valley. The buildings cling to the black rock, overhanging the valley below by some 800m.  It was said to be where the legendary Indian saint, Guru Padma Sambhava, flew from Tibet on the back of a tiger to defeat five demons, who were opposing the spread of Buddhism in Bhutan.  Lunch will be served at the view point cafeteria. 

Afternoon: visit Kyichu Lhakhang.  It is said to be one of the 108 temples built by the Buddhist king of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo, to subdue a demoness who sprawled across the entire Himalayan region and prevented the spread of Buddhism.  The temples were built to pin down different parts of her body and Kyichu Lhakhang was built over her left foot.  The Kyichu Lhakhang is composed of twin temples 1) the ancient temple and 2) the recent temple.  The ancient temple is deeply respected for its antiquity and holds one of Bhutan’s holiest statues of the Jowo, Buddha as a prince at the age of eight, which is alike to the one in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.   The recent temple was built in 1968 by Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck.  The two temples with their graceful golden spires now form a harmonious whole. 

Visit Ta Dzong, the National Museum of the Kingdom. Originally built as Watch Tower since 1967 it is the National Museum of the country and holding fascinating collection of art, artifacts, thangkha paintings and Bhutan's exquisite postage stamps. 

Overnight hotel Olathang, Paro.

Day 3 – Shuttle to Punakha
Driving Distance   :               135 kms
Driving Time          :               4hrs
Altitude                  :               1350 m
Punakha is in Western Bhutan
4 hours drive to Punakha via Dochula pass (3050m) through magnificent forest of rhododendron and magnolia. From the pass, weather allowing, you have panoramic view of the Eastern Himalayan peaks, among them Mt. Masagang (7158m) and our highest peak, Mt. Gangkar Puensum.   Lunch at Dochula cafeteria.  Passing the magnificent group of 109 Chortens (stupas) at Dochula, the Druk Wangyel (or Great Victory) Chortens, the road curls its way down into the relative lowlands of the Punakha Valley. Before Thimphu was made the permanent capital of Bhutan, Punakha was the Winter Capital for 300 years because of its more temperate climate. The Je Khenpo (leader of Bhutan's religious order) and his council of monks still come to pass the winter months here.

Punakha Dzong, or Punthang Dechen Phodrang, was strategically built at the confluence, the river island between the mighty Phochu and Mochu Rivers in Punakha. While the rivers provided natural defense against invaders, it did not obstruct the view of the Dzong. The imposing structure, the biggest and the most magnificent of its kind at that particular point in time, was visible from all four sides. The construction of Punakha Dzong on the strategic location was completed in 1637 AD and it represented the supreme flowering Bhutanese art and architecture.

Day 4 – Hike to Chorten Nebu a 16th century temple
 40 minutes shuttle to Kabjisa trail head, and 3 hours hike uphill will reach you to Chorten Nebu.  It is a beautiful walk to a lovely village surrounded by orange groves to a temple, which dates back to the time of 'The Divine Madman' Drukpa Kunley.  According to legend, the area around Chorten Nebu was once a dense forest where evil sprits dwelt.  One day the revered Drukpa Kinley, the Divine Madman, arrived here when all the demons were gathered together in conclave.  He hurled a blazing log into the gathering and all the evil sprits were scorched to death.  The great oak tree is said to have grown out of the blazing log that Drukpa Kinley threw and, intriguingly, its bark is still a dark, burnt brown.  This tree is much venerated by people who live in the villages around.  Hike back on a different trail through rice fields to the road head.  Overnight at hotel, in Punakha.

Day 5 – Punakha/Wangdi Phodrang Hike
Driving Distance   :               21 kms
Driving Time          :               30 minutes
Altitude                  :               1350 m
Wangdi Phodrang is in Western Bhutan
21 KM drive to the 17th Century Wangdi Phodrang Dzong, dramatically straddling the crest of a ridge, with the Punatsangchhu River flowing far down below. En-route 25 minutes walks to Chime Lhakhang, a beautiful fertility monastery, and learn about the famous saint known as Drukpa Kinley the “divine madman,” who remains one of the best-loved saints in Bhutan.  He spread his teaching through his unorthodox and often shocking behavior, using songs and poems, earthy jokes, and his legendary sexual prowess, to draw attention to true Buddhist values After visiting the Dzong and lunch at Wangdi Phodrang we will take a leisurely walk (3 hrs) to the hotel through paddy fields and beautiful villages.  Overnight at hotel, Punakha.

Day 6 – Punakha Dromchoe
The Punakha Dromchoe is a dramatic event, combining powerful religious rites with a dazzling display of horsemanship and swordplay.  After the prayers and rituals invoking the protection of the deities, a historic battle is re-enacted, between Bhutanese forces and an invading Tibetan army.  When Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal came to Bhutan from his monastic seat in Tibet in 1616, he brought with him the most sacred relic of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, known as the Rangjung Kharsapani, and interred it in a special chapel in Punakha Dzong.  A Huge Tibetan army marched into Punakha in 1639 to retrieve this relic but, thanks to a series of elaborate ruses, they are routed by the Zhabdrung’s much smaller force.   First Tibetan spies watching from a distance saw an apparently endless stream of well-armed Bhutanese soldiers marching out of the dzong-they were unaware that it was the same small group of men who would march out of the dzong, circle it and re-enter from a hidden back door, only to re-emerge from the front door again.  This made them think the Zhabdrung’s army was much larger than it actually was, and that they would be hopelessly outnumbered.  The second ruse worked equally well-one night the Tibetans spied a solemn procession going down to the river.  Bringing up the rear of the procession was the Zhabdrung himself, carrying a casket which he threw into the river.  The watching Tibetans were convinced that the precious relic had been thrown into the river.  The Tibetan army turned tail and fled, believing the sacred relic was irretrievably lost.  The sacred Rangjung Kharsapani relic, of course, was still safely in its casket in Punakha Dong, where it remains.

These episodes are re-enacted every year at the Punakha Dromchoe, with great pageantry and dramatic lair.  Heralded y a troupe of musicians paying horns, oboes and drums, men dressed as the Zhabdrung’s Pazaps (warriors) in splendid and colorful medieval battledress, thunder in and out of the dzong, brandishing their swords to blood curdling war cries, while cavalrymen gallop up and down the bridge leading to the dzong.  At the conclusion of the Dromchoe, is the Serda- a majestic procession of monks led by the Je Khenpo (the chief abbot of Bhutan) carrying a casket, and dressed in sumptuous ceremonial robes and hats, wends its way down to the river, where they immerse a casket and some oranges into the water in a symbolic re-enactment of the victory over the Tibetans.

Day 7 - Shuttle to Thimphu the Capital city
Driving Time          :               2.5 hrs
Altitude                  :               2350m
Thimphu is in Western Bhutan

The drive is around 2.5 hrs from Punakha Bhutan’s old capital to Thimphu, our present Capital.    Afternoon sightseeing includes visits to the late king's memorial chorten, the Textile Museum, the Heritage Museum, the silversmiths and pottery workshops and possibly the National Library. There will also be plenty of time to continue exploring the streets and emporiums. Overnight at Hotel, in Thimphu.

Day 8 – Thimphu Valley Hike
Shuttle 40 minutes to Begana village and hike for around 5 hours through pine forests, field, and village and finish behind the King’s palace and back to the hotel through town. More time to explore the streets for shopping. Overnight at hotel, Thimphu

Day 9 – Thimphu to Paro
More time to explore, sightseeing and shopping in Thimphu.   Afternoon 2 hours drive to Paro.  Overnight at Hotel

Day 10- Departure Paro