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7 Days Punakha Tshechu Festival Tour
Paro – Thimphu (1N) – Punakha (3N) – Paro (2N)
Join in the 7-day Punakha Tshechu Festival Tour to enjoy a unique experience in the land of Dragon Kingdom! You will expect to enjoy the spectacular festivity of Punakha Tsechu with locals, including typical mask dances and unfolding of gigantic Thangka. Meanwhile, the tour will take you to see sacred sites in Paro, Thimphu and Punakha, to better understand what does Bhutan really look like.
After a pleasant flight journey to Paro, you will start your tour from the beautiful valley of Bhutan. Then a short transfer to Thimphu will bring you to visit the highlights of the capital city, including the Tashichho Dzong, Folk Heritage Museum and National Library. Next, you will head to Punakha to spend two days attending the grand festival there. And before the tour ends, you will also trek to Tiger’s Nest, which is a mythical and magical temple and the landmark of Bhutan.
- 1 - 3 Mar 2023
- Festival Experience, Cultural Sightseeing
- Private Tour for One and More
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Paro (2250m); Transfer to Thimphu (2350m)
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
Accommondation
The following local hotels are for your referrence. Please feel free to tell us your preferred hotel standard while enquring for your trip to Bhutan.
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Thimphu Namseling Hotel
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Thimphu Druk Hotel
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Thimphu Six Senses Bhutan
Meals Included
- Lunch and Dinner
Please feel free to tell us any of your food requirement.
Day 2: Thimphu to Punakha (1250m)
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
Accommodation
The following local hotels are for your referrence. Please feel free to tell us your preferred hotel standard while enquring for your trip to Bhutan.
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Punakha Meri Phuntsum
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Punakha Zhingkham Resort
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Punakha COMO Uma
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Punakha: Attend Punakha Tshechu Festival
Today, you will attend the Punakha Tshechu Festival, which is held in the grounds of the wonderful Punakha Dzong. Various mask dances and folk dances are performed during the festival, showcasing the birth anniversary of Guru Rimpoche, the Lotus Born Great Master also reffed as Second Buddha.
Stay overnight in Punakha.
Punakha Tshechu Festival
Accommodation
The following local hotels are for your referrence. Please feel free to tell us your preferred hotel standard while enquring for your trip to Bhutan.
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Punakha Meri Phuntsum
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Punakha Zhingkham Resort
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Punakha COMO Uma
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Punakha: Attend Punakha Tshechu Festival
The following day will continue with the wonderful celebration of Punakha Tshechu. You may see the unfurling of a huge cloth thangka, a hallowed parchment, delineating Padmasmabhawa and symbolism from Buddhist pantheon.
As an option for the activity in the afternoon, you can also choose to drive through the beautiful rural landscape to visit the Khamsum Yulay Temple, a classic example of gorgeous traditions and architecture of Asian country.
Stay overnight in Punakha.
A huge cloth thangka
Accommodation
The following local hotels are for your referrence. Please feel free to tell us your preferred hotel standard while enquring for your trip to Bhutan.
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Punakha Meri Phuntsum
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Punakha Zhingkham Resort
-
Punakha COMO Uma
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Punakha to Paro
After a tasty breakfast in the morning, we will drive back to Paro from Punakha. On the way, you will see the great view of the amazing Himalayan ranges. You can also stop at Dochula Pass to take impressive photos
While in Paro, you will visit Ta Dzong Museum, the national museum located on the hill behind the Paro Dzong. It houses many fine arts, religious relics, handicrafts, as well as textiles, jewellery etc., offering a great orientation into Bhutan’s historical, cultural, and religious past. After that, you will go to explore the famous Paro Rinpung Dzong. It is a large Dzong, Buddhist monastery and fortress built in 17th Century to protect Paro valley. Rinpung Dzong houses the district Monastic Body and government administrative offices of Paro Dzongkhag.
Stay overnight in Paro.
Paro Rinpung Dzong
Accommodation
The following local hotels are for your referrence. Please feel free to tell us your preferred hotel standard while enquring for your trip to Bhutan.
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Paro Olathang Hotel
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Paro Tashi Namgay Resort
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Paro Le Meridien Hotel
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Trek to Taksang Lhakhang (Tiger’s Nest)
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
Accommodation
The following local hotels are for your referrence. Please feel free to tell us your preferred hotel standard while enquring for your trip to Bhutan.
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Paro Olathang Hotel
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Paro Tashi Namgay Resort
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Paro Le Meridien Hotel
Meals Included
- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Tour Price
Add-on Activities
The general travel itineraries in Bhutan are usually leisure and relaxing. To make the most your time in Bhutan, you can choose to have more activities as you like, such as light hiking around the town or a featured culture experience.
Here we offer you the most popular travel ideas that most of our travelers choose to experience as an add-on activity during their trips in Bhutan. For more available activities or anything you want to add on to your trip in Bhutan, just feel free to contact us.
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Bhutan Hot Stone Bath
The popular Hot Stone Bath, a traditional healing process in Bhutan, is a great experience for you to relax and refresh yourself after one-day hiking or trekking. Different from hot spring, it is a kind of hot water bath offered in a traditional way with a wooden tub and herbs in the water. You can experience it in a local farmhouse or in a resort.
Please notice that you need to pay additional fees for the hot stone bath (usually within 30 minutes).
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Sightseeing Hiking
Even you don't take the trekking tour in Bhutan, you can also experience pleasant hiking on your travel days. Especially during your trips in western and central Bhutan, like in Gangtey, Bumthang, and Trongsa, there are some easy hiking and trekking trails around the town. You can take light hiking for 1 to 2 hours after general daily sightseeing. Just feel free to tell your guide if you are interested in an extra hiking experience.
Generally, you don't need to pay extra money for the hours' hiking.
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Cultural Exploration
Bhutan is a place that rich in culture and handicraft. If you want to experience more local culture and the real life of the locals, you can ask for more activities, such as a visit to a local weekend market, a class of traditional Bhutan archery or traditional weaving in Bhutan. Just feel free to let us know want you are looking for and want to experience during your Bhutan tour, we will help you find the best options to do.
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Farmhouse Homestay
All of our tour packages cover the accommodation from 3-star hotels to 5-star hotels and resorts. But if you want to get closer to the local Bhutanese' life, it is suggested to take one night stay in a farmhouse. It will be an unforgettable experience to eat ordinary food and dishes and live in the typical Bhutanese house just like a Bhutanese does.
Since the accommodation is required to be arranged in advance, if you are keen on a homestay in Bhutan, please tell us as early as possible.
Food and Drinks
All of our Bhutan tour packages include three meals a day. The local restaurants often provide Bhutanese food. In some hotels, you can also have western Buffet at breakfast and dinner. There are also local markets selling fresh fruits, such as apples, pineapples and so on. If you have any requirements on food, such as vegetarian, please feel free to tell your travel consultant or your local guide.
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Bhutanese Food
Most of your meals are in local restaurants, which offers typicla bhutanese food. The most popular food among local people is the Chili Cheese.
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Western Buffet
Besides the traditional Bhutan dishes, you can also have western buffet in some hotels in Bhutan. There are more choices for you.
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Western Breakfast
The breakfast offered in Bhutan hotels often include the egg, the toast with butter, honey and jams. You can choose to have a cup of tea or coffee.
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Water and Drinks
For every day trip, we offer one bottle of water for each tourists. There are also kinds of soft drinks you can buy in the restaurant, hotel or shops in the town in Bhutan. Also, you can taste the local beers if you want.
Bhutan Tour Planning FAQs
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