Bhutan: Paro, Thimphu and Punakha
Overview
- Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
- Departures: Private, any date
- Group size: Private, from 1 traveller
- Accommodation: Comfortable 3★ hotels and lodges, with upgrades to 4–5★ properties on request
- Country: Bhutan
Explore the dzongs, temples and farming valleys of western Bhutan, from the capital Thimphu over the Dochula pass to Punakha, and finish in Paro with the hike to Tiger’s Nest.
This eight-day trip suits travellers who want to see the heart of Bhutan at a gentle pace: its fortress-monasteries, its farming valleys and a culture that still shapes daily life. It works well for couples, solo travellers and families with older children, and it fits neatly after a trip through India or Nepal.
You arrive in Paro and drive straight to Thimphu, the small capital, for two nights among its dzong, crafts schools and hillside Buddha. You then cross the Dochula pass to Punakha, a lower, warmer valley of rice terraces, for its great dzong and the walk to Chimi Lhakhang. The last three nights are in Paro, with its old temples, the National Museum and, on the final full day, the hike to Tiger’s Nest.
The order is deliberate. By the time you hike to Tiger’s Nest, you have spent almost a week above 2,000 metres, and the trail feels easier. A few honest notes:
- Altitude: Paro and Thimphu are well above 2,000 metres. Most people adjust easily, but take the first day slowly.
- Winding roads: distances are short on the map, but mountain roads mean drives of three to four hours to and from Punakha.
- Licensed travel: visits are arranged through licensed operators with a daily Sustainable Development Fee, rules that change; we confirm them when we book.
- Weather: flights into Paro depend on the mountain weather.
We can add a festival, a few days in the Phobjikha valley or the Bumthang region, or a gentle day hike. Tell us your interests and we will plan around you.
Day-by-day itinerary
Fly into Paro, where the approach through a narrow mountain valley gives you a first view of Bhutan. Your guide and driver meet you at the airport, both in national dress. Drive about an hour to Thimphu, the capital, at around 2,300 metres. After lunch, take it easy, and in the late afternoon join local people walking around the white Memorial Chorten.
Overnight: Thimphu · Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Start at the giant seated Buddha Dordenma on the hillside, with views across the valley. Visit the National Institute for Zorig Chusum, where students learn the traditional arts, and a textile museum. After lunch, see the takin, Bhutan’s national animal, at its preserve above the city. Finish at Tashichho Dzong, the seat of government, if visiting arrangements allow.
Overnight: Thimphu · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive east to the Dochula pass, at around 3,100 metres, where 108 small chortens stand among prayer flags; on clear days you can see the high Himalaya. The road then winds down to the warm Punakha valley, about three hours in all. In the afternoon, walk through rice fields and the village of Sopsokha to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Divine Madman.
Overnight: Punakha · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Visit Punakha Dzong, built in the 17th century where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers meet, and cross its wooden bridge into the courtyards. Walk over the long suspension bridge upstream, strung with prayer flags. In the afternoon, hike up through terraces to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten for views along the valley. Gentle rafting is an option when conditions allow.
Overnight: Punakha · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Return over the Dochula pass to Paro, about four hours with stops. Paro sits at around 2,200 metres, among rice fields, apple orchards and farmhouses with painted windows. In the afternoon, visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest and most sacred temples in Bhutan, and walk around it clockwise with local people turning the prayer wheels. Stroll along the main street of wooden shopfronts.
Overnight: Paro · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Visit the National Museum in the old watchtower above the town, then walk down to Rinpung Dzong and cross the covered bridge below it. Drive to the head of the valley to see Drukgyel Dzong, which once guarded the route to Tibet. In the afternoon, visit a farmhouse for butter tea and a look at family life. Rest well for tomorrow’s hike.
Overnight: Paro · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you hike to Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest monastery on a sheer cliff high above the valley. The trail climbs through pine forest hung with prayer flags, with a café about halfway that looks across to the monastery. Allow about five hours or more for the round trip. Photography is not allowed inside. Celebrate with a relaxed farewell dinner in Paro.
Overnight: Paro · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, your guide and driver take you to Paro airport for your flight out of Bhutan. Flights here depend on good weather in the mountains, so we plan your onward connections with a comfortable margin. If your flight is later in the day, you may have time for a last walk in the valley. End of your trip.
Overnight: — · Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
- Accommodation with full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner), as is usual in Bhutan
- Licensed English-speaking guide throughout
- Private car and driver throughout
- Airport transfers in Paro
- Bhutan’s daily Sustainable Development Fee and visa (we arrange them; confirmed in your quote)
- Entrance fees to the sights in the itinerary
- 24/7 support during your trip
Not included
- International flights to and from Paro
- Travel insurance
- Drinks with meals
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities, such as river rafting
Good to know
Sample itinerary: we adapt the route, hotels and dates to you and confirm everything in your written quote. Best March–May and September–November.
You arrive and leave by air through Paro, which has flights from several cities in the region, including Delhi and Kathmandu. Flights into Paro depend on good weather, so we keep a margin around your connections. Within Bhutan, you travel by private car with your licensed guide and driver: Paro to Thimphu takes about an hour, Thimphu to Punakha about three hours over the Dochula pass, and Punakha to Paro about four hours.
Frequently asked questions
Visits to Bhutan are arranged through licensed tour operators, and visitors generally travel with a licensed guide and driver. Bhutan also charges a daily Sustainable Development Fee. These rules change from time to time, so we confirm the current ones, along with your visa, when we book.
It is a steady uphill walk on a good trail, with a final section of steps down and up across a gorge. Allow about five hours or more for the round trip at your own pace. We schedule it near the end of the trip so you are used to the altitude.
Full board is the usual arrangement for travellers in Bhutan, with meals at your hotel or at restaurants along the way. Bhutanese food is often spicy, with dishes such as ema datshi, chillies in cheese, but milder dishes are always available.
