9 Days Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival Tour

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

In the morning, we will 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

You will set out in the early morning after breakfast and travel to Bumthang (2,700m). Covering a distance of 197 kilometers, it will take you 7 hours to get to Bumthang from Punakha.

The on-the-route scenery is amazing, the bus will take you to lush forests of oaks and pine trees and you can see view changes as you ascend the mountain. Meanwhile, the open green meadows with rhododendron ridden valleys will lead you to visit Chendebji Chorten, a large Nepalese style chorten sits quietly by the side of the road. The chorten is modeled after the Swayambhunath in Kathmandu. It is said that Chendebji Chorten was built in the 19th century by Lama Zhida to cover the remains of an evil spirit who was killed at this spot.

After arriving at Bumthang, your guide will help you check in the hotel.

Stay overnight in Bumthang.

Chendebji Chorten

Today, you will first enjoy a sightseeing around Bumthang. 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.

It is in the evening that you will attend the first day of Jambay Lhakhang festival. Begins around at 8:30 pm, the festival is one of the most interesting events held in the temple Jambay Lhakhang. During the festival, you will watch all kinds of chams (dances), including Terchham (Naked Dance), which was formerly initiated by Terton Dorje Lingpa, Mewang, Macham, Ging Tsholing, Dramtse Ngacham, Zhana Cham etc. The dances are performed by the local villagers of Norgang, Changwa and Nangsiphel.

Stay overnight in Bumthang.

Jambay Lhakhang festival

Today, you can choose to go on to experience more of the festivities at Jambay Lhakhang, or enjoy an excursion to Tang Valley, the most remote valley in the Bumthang district. 

During the excursion, you will take a 45-minutes’walk to Ugyen Chholing Palace, built in the 16th century by the Trongsa Penlop Tshokey Dorji. The main building in the palace features a fascinating museum offering a real insight into the lifestyle of a Bhutanese noble family.

Then you will also head to visit the 14th-century Tang Rimochen Lhakhang where Guru Rinpoche meditated and Mebar Tsho (Burning Lake), where some of Guru Rinpoche’s treasures were found in the 15th century by the famous treasure discover Pema Lingpa.

Stay overnight in Bumthang

Ugyen Chholing Palace

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 get up early and say farewell to the charming Gangtey valley. About a 5-hour drive will bring you back to Paro. You will encounter the Simtokha Dzong en route. Built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, Simtokha Dzong is often said to be the first dzong in Bhutan.

In the afternoon, your guide will bring you to visit the imposing Paro Rinpung Dzong (also named as Paro Dzong), a fortress once built to defend the valley from invasions. However, it now serves as an administration center and school for monks.

Stay overnight in Paro.

Paro Rinpung Dzong

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 also 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.