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Jen Pa Leg Sho! Welcome to Bhutan. When you arrive at the Paro airport, you’ll be met by a local representative and transferred to Thimphu (2400 m) – Bhutan’s capital city. After settling in, meet your small group and local leader for a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. Join your leader for an orientation walk to get acquainted with Thimphu’s main street and visit the National Memorial Chorten – a stupa built in honour of Bhutan’s third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. After the meeting, join your group and leader for a welcome dinner at a restaurant that’s a common favourite with the locals. Learn about the rich history of Bhutanese cuisine as you tuck into a traditional feast, including seasonal vegetables and the country’s signature dish – red rice with tasty chilli cheese. You may like to try some Bhutanese peach wine or some Ara, the national spirit, served neat and hot.

After breakfast, you’ll explore Thimphu. Stop off at Buddha point, named after its giant gilded Buddha statue, and take in panoramic views of the city. Take a short hike through pine trees where your leader will help you spot takin (a goat-antelope type creature) – the national animal of Bhutan. Pass by the fortress and monastery of Tashichho Dzong, sitting on the banks of the Thimphu Chhu River. After lunch, your leader will weave together the cultural heritage of Bhutan during visits to the National Textile Museum, Simply Bhutan Heritage Museum (where you can try your hand at the national sport of archery), and the Voluntary Artists School in Thimphu – an institution where young people receive formal education in the art of traditional painting, sculpture and woodcarving. Thimphu has an excellent range of handicrafts, most notably woven cloth, wooden masks, thangkas, silverware, jewellery and bamboo crafts from all over Bhutan.

This morning, visit Desho Paper Factory to see a traditional method of making paper by hand. Next, travel to the castle-monastery of Simtokha Dzong, built to guard against a demon that’s said to have escaped into the nearby rock. Then, drive the winding Dochula pass (3100 m), marked by more than a hundred chortens built in memory of Bhutanese soldiers killed fighting Indian insurgents in 2003. Continue through lush forests and vegetation as you make the scenic drive to Phobjikha. Here, you’ll find a valley rich with wildlife – keep an eye out for serows (a goat-like animal), and muntjacs, also known as barking deer. Make an afternoon visit to Gangte Goemba – an expansive monastery with magnificent views of the valley. This hilltop complex is one of Bhutan’s two main centres of the Nyingmapa school of Buddhism. Your guide will provide a local perspective on the subjects of Buddhism and happiness – the two most important pillars of Bhutanese culture. With happiness at front-of-mind, the Bhutanese government employ a Gross National Happiness index to measure the wellbeing of its people and to convey the importance of non-economic factors such as sustainability, culture and community vitality.

Start the day with a visit to the centre of the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) where you’ll learn about the vulnerable, black-necked cranes that fly to Bhutan each winter. The Phobjika Valley receives more of these visitors than any other part of the country, and the RSPN has taken special measures to protect them, as well as 13 other vulnerable species. Read informative displays on the cranes’ habitat and behaviour and use the centre’s spotting scopes to search for cranes in the valley. Wild cranes will only be visible during the winter months, but if you visit outside this period, you may still have the chance to see black-necked cranes that are being rehabilitated in the centre. In the afternoon, join your leader on a gentle 2-hour hike around the valley and learn about the flora and fauna that call this preserve home.

This morning journey to Punakha, stopping at a local village along the way where you’ll take a short walk to the Chimi Lhakhang – The Temple of Fertility. Your leader will explain how people from all corners of the country visit the Lhakhang to seek a blessing from Drukpa Kuenley, also known as the ‘Divine Madman’. A revered womaniser and drinker, this wandering preacher taught that sexual freedom was at the centre of Truth. On the walk through the village of Sopsokha to the temple, you’ll notice the phallic symbols painted on walls – a symbol of fertility and protection from evil. Arrive at your resort in Punakha, which features great views of the valley.

Begin the day with a short drive to the base of a hill where a ridge-top monastery sits. In this almost sub-tropical valley, you’ll head out on a hike at a suspension bridge that crosses the Mo Chu River and pass through paddy fields before the climb to a moderately inclined trail to the Kahmsum Yulley temple. Built by the Queen Mother, the temple is a classic example of Bhutan’s fine architectural and artistic traditions. From the top you can take in sweeping views across the valley. After lunch, you’ll visit the white-walled, red-roofed Punakha Dzong, the administrative and religious centre and winter retreat of His Holiness, Je Khenpo – the chief abbot of Bhutan. The Dzong boasts intricately carved woodwork, prayer halls and beautiful religious paintings on walls and doorways. End the day at the Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Temple and nunnery, where you’ll arrive in time for evening prayers.

This morning, begin the journey to Paro. When you arrive, enjoy some free time to wander Paro town before making your way to your Feature Stay accommodation – a hotel conveniently located in the heart of Paro Town that blends classical Bhutanese architecture and modern comforts, offering views of the surrounding valley. In the afternoon, visit Kaja Throm – a local farmers market – before enjoying dinner with your group.

Balanced 900 m above the valley floor sits Taktsang, or the Tiger’s Nest – a beautiful monastery and Bhutan’s most recognised building. After breakfast, begin a hike through pine forests, passing beneath thousands of brightly coloured prayer flags. Your leader will guide you up into the mountains for a closer view of the temple, sharing the legend of its history along the way. Reach a small teahouse and stop for lunch and refreshments while taking in truly unforgettable views. For those interested, it’s possible to get a closer look at the Tiger’s Nest by hiking another hour each way to reach the temple. Anyone not interested in hiking further can relax at the teahouse and soak it all in. Back in Paro, immerse yourself in traditional Bhutanese culture as you visit a farmhouse for a home-cooked final dinner.

After breakfast, your driver will transfer you to the airport for your onward flight. Please check with your leader about the exact departure time from the hotel. Please note that your leader may not be with you as the group may leave on different flights.