11 Days Black Necked Crane Festival Tour in Bhutan

Upon your arrival in Paro by Druk Air, Bhutan’s national carrier, you will be picked up by your tour guide at the airport then escorted to Paro town for lunch.

After that, you will be transferred to Thimphu, following the Pachu River. It is a short drive of about 1.5 hours, and you can stop on the way to see the Tamchhog Lhakhang, a hereditary place of worship for the Bhutan’s iron bridge builders.

Upon arrival in the capital city of Bhutan, you will pay a visit to Tashichho Dzong (Thimphu Dzong), the most beautiful Bhutan dzong as well as the headquarters of Bhutan government. You will also explore the National Library and Folk Heritage Museum, a 300-year-old traditional house converted into a museum.

Stay overnight in Thimphu.

Tashichho Dzong

Today, it will be a full-day sightseeing tour in Thimphu. You will first visit the National Memorial Chorten, constructed in memorial of the third King of Bhutan, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, in 1974. The King was generally regarded as the father of modern Bhutan and widely esteemed by the Bhutanese. Then head to National Textile Museum, which keeps the traditional art of waving preserved and exhibits a good collection of ancient colored textile in various forms. keeps the traditional art of waving preserved and exhibits a good collection of ancient colored textile in various forms.

After lunch, you will visit the National Institute of Traditional Medicine, to see the productive process of Bhutan’s traditional medicine, herbs mostly, and watch the medical practitioner training. Next, go to Traditional Paper Making Factory, which originated from the old tradition in the 8th century, Bhutan papermaking has been well preserved and listed as the valuable national heritage of Bhutanese culture.

Stay overnight in Thimphu.

Buddha Dordenma Statue

In the morning, we will continue our wonderful trip and travel northeast to Punakha, the former capital of Bhutan. On the way, you can stop for a rest at scenic Dochu La Pass (3,100m). The pass is a perfect vintage point where you can have an unobstructed vista of the mighty Himalayas.

We will have lunch at Wangduephodrang (1,350m) before keeping driving to Punakha. In Punakha, you will visit the celebrated Punakha Dzong, the second largest Dzong in Bhutan, built in 1657 at the onflunence of Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu Rivers. After that, you will go to visit Chimi Lhakhang, also known as Chime Lhakhang. Located near Lobesa, it stands on a round hillock and was built in 1499 by the 14th Drukpa hierarch, Ngawang Choegyel.

Stay overnight in Punakha

Dochu La Pass

After the tasty breakfast, we will drive to Phobjikha valley along a winding mountain road though oak and rhododendron forest. Known as Gangtey Valley, Phobjikha valley is one of the most beautiful high-elevation valleys in Bhutan, and is the winter home of black-necked cranes, migrating from the Tibetan plateau.

During your walk in the intriguing valley, you may pay a visit to the Gangtey Monastery, the only and the biggest Nyingmapa monastery in Bhutan.

Stay overnight in Gangtey.

Gangtey Monastery

Today you will spend a full day attending the Black-Necked Crane Festival. As an annual event celebrated at the courtyard of Gangtey Goenpa in Phobjikha valley, the Black-Necked Crane Festival features various cultural programs, like folk songs and dances, mask dances performed by the local people, crane dances and environmental conservation-themed dramas, as well as songs by school children.

Besides, you can also visit the Information Centre and take a scroll through some of the amazing nature trails in the valley.

Stay overnight in Gangtey.

Black-Necked Crane Festival

From Gangtey to Bumthang, it is a long drive of around 5 hours. But the journey will take you through cultivated fields, green forests, before you arrive at Chumey valley, the first of the four valleys in Bumthang. Deep in the central regions of the country, Bumthang valley is broad and presents a different landscape you may not see in west Bhutan.

Stay overnight in Bumthang.

Bumthang valley

Today, you will enjoy a sightseeing around Bumthang. Deep in the central regions of the country, Bumthang valley is broad and presents a different landscape you may not see in west Bhutan. You will first visit Tamshing Lhakhang, which famous for its collections of printings exemplifying the region’s style. Then crossing the suspension bridge to the Kurjey Lhakhang. Not far from Kurjey Lhakhang sits the Jambay Lhakhang, a temple built by the King Songtsen Goempo of Tibet in the 7th century. Next, you will continue to visit Jakar Dzong, a wonderful architecture in Bhutan, with a circumference of more than 1,500 meters.

Stay overnight in Bumthang.

Jambay Lhakhang

In the morning, we will drive to Punakha from Bumthang. On the way, we will pass across the Kiki La Pass & Yo-Tong La Pass. Before arrival, we will have a rest in Trongsa.

Stay overnight in Punakha.

Today, we will first drive to Yabesa village to visit the beautiful Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Lhakhang (Temple). It takes about 1 hour to get to the temple by hiking to he upper Punakha valley and crossing the hanging bridge through large tracts of paddy fields. Then you can enjoy stunning views at the site of the temple.

In the afternoon, we will head to explore the Wangduephodrang Dzong, built in 1639 on a spur at the confluence of two rivers. It is the third oldest dzong in the country after the Semtokha and Punakha dzongs, and played a significant role in Zhabdrung's efforts to unite the country.

Then drive to Paro and check in the hotel.

Stay overnight in Paro.

Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Lhakhang

Today, we will enjoy the exciting trek to the Taktshang Goemba, also known as Tiger's Nest. Standing incredibly on the side of a sheer cliff 900m above the Paro Valley, Taktshang Goemba (3210m) is the landmark of Bhutan and the holiest temple of the country. Legend has it that Guru Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche) had flied here on the back of a tigress and meditated in the caves on the cliffside for three months. The temple has therefore become the holy site worshipped by all Bhutanese devotees, and known as one of the world’s top ten temples.

After the trek, we will head back to Paro.

Stay overnight in Paro.

Trek to Taktshang Monastery

Your tour guide will transfer you to Paro International Airport for your next destination.Tour service end.