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Bhutan Breakaway (8 days)8 days duration
The isolated Kingdom of Bhutan is less well known than that of Nepal but Bhutan boasts impressive and unique geographic, historic, cultural and spiritual characteristics. The following eight-day tour commences in Delhi and combines well with our India Gold Tour. Starting in Delhi, you fly past the Himalayas to Paro, from where you are driven to Thimphu, the picturesque and charming capital of Bhutan. You will then be driven over a beautiful mountain pass to Punakha, Bhutan’s original capital. Punakha is home to the highly respected Bhutanese Painting School and National Textiles Museum. It’s then back to Paro for two enriching nights and days.
On arrival into Delhi you will be met and transferred to your luxury hotel for the night.
On a clear day your flight to Bhutan provides a wonderful view of Himalayan scenery. Flying along the Himalayan Range from Kathmandu, it is a fascinating journey, culminating in an exciting descent past hills into the Kingdom.
Following breakfast you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to Delhi Airport for your flight for Paro. On arrival in Paro you will be met and taken for lunch before being driven to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. On arrival you will be taken on a short orientation walk in the vicinity of your hotel. (BLD)
Exquisitely beautiful and brimming with traditional Bhutanese art, architecture, and culture, this tiny capital of Bhutan is nothing less than Shangri-La.
Your first stop today will be at the Trashi Chhoe Dzong (Fortress of the Glorious Religion); a distinctively Bhutanese fortress-monastery erected in 1641. You will see more of the kingdom’s Buddhist culture at the National Memorial Chorten, one of Thimphu’s major monuments and a place where locals come to worship on a daily basis. In the afternoon you will be taken to Tango Goemba, a monastery of the Mahayana school of Buddhism located outside the city. Here you will be given the opportunity to witness how the locals are trained in the Buddhist way of life. (BLD)
After breakfast you undertake a comprehensive half day city tour, which includes visits to the National Library and the nearby Institute for Zorig Chusum (commonly known as the Painting School) where students spend six years training in the 13 traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan. You also visit the folk Heritage and National Textile Museums, a fascinating testimony to Bhutan’s living traditions.
Following lunch you will be taken by road, over the stunningly beautiful Dochu La Mountain Pass, to Punakha. On arrival you check into your hotel for two nights. (BLD)
This morning you visit Punakha, the kingdom’s capital until 1955, and the winter home for the country’s central body of monks. The local dzong has a gold-domed six-story tower, which your guide will take you inside to view its courtyards and religious statuary, while explaining its depth of historical and spiritual tradition. You also get to visit the newly built stupa of Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten.
Later in the day you will be taken on an excursion to Wangdue Phodrang, a 400 year old town, whose dzong is located on a ridge with a commanding view of the valleys below. As you enjoy a guided tour to the dzong you will be fully immersed in Bhutan’s spectacular Himalayan scenery, where the works of a long isolated culture exhibit a dignity and spirituality to match the loftiness of their natural surroundings. Following the visit you will be returned to your hotel in Punakha. (BLD)
After breakfast you will be driven to Paro, visiting enroute the Simtokha Dzong, the oldest fortress of the Kingdom, now housing the School for Religious and Cultural Studies. Later you visit the Paro Dzong, one of the most impressive dzongs in Bhutan. Gleaming white above the surrounding valleys, it defended many Bhutanese during the past conflicts with Tibet. You also visit the National Museum where you will find an outstanding collection of religious paintings called “thangkas”. (BLD)
Following breakfast you will be taken on a drive to see the ruins of the Drukgyel Dzong, perched in the mountains, at the departure point for many long-distance mountain treks. On your return you stop at Satsam Chorten where you undertake a visit to the spectacular Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest) with its spectacular photographic opportunities. (BLD)
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Delhi where you will be met and taken on a market tour.
Inca Tours does not own any of the hotels, lodges or service providers utilised in making up the tours. As a result Inca Tours is only acting as an agent for the operators and as such does not accept responsibility for any negligence, omissions, errors or differences in standard experienced by passengers when utilising the operators' products or services. Please Note: for full booking terms and conditions please see the back of our booking form. To Enquire about this Product Please call us now on 1800 024 955. Alternatively, you can enquire about this product by clicking the button below. |
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