• Arrival at Paro by Druk Air from Delhi. The flight offers beautiful views of the Himalayan Mountain ranges and the geographical terrain of the Kingdom of Bhutan. If the weather is clear, one can get fantastic views of the mountains which provides an excellent opportunity for photographers to capture scenic shots from the plane.
• On arrival at Paro Airport, Our team member will be there to receive you from the plane and escort you to the lounge while you wait for the immigration formalities to be completed.
• Drive towards your hotel. Check into the hotel, refresh, and have lunch.
• Start exploring Paro.

The Paro Cultural Tour should always start with a casual browse through the National Museum, housed in the Ta Dzong (Watch Tower) of the Rinpung Dzong, where an intriguing collection of artifacts serves as a great introduction to the rich culture and heritage of the Kingdom.  The National Museum boasts a rich variety of exhibits collected from all over the country and belonging to different eras, some as early as 2000 B.C. A visit through the galleries shows the country’s transition from the later Stone Age to the modern Mahayanist Buddhist Kingdom.

• Just a short stroll below lays the dominating Paro Dzong, built to defend Paro from the Tibetan invasion. It is also known as Rinpung Dzong which means ‘the fortress of a heap of jewels’. This fine example of Bhutanese architecture now serves as a central monastic and administrative seat of the Paro district.

It is a premier example of Bhutan’s architecture. Built-in 1646 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the Dzong stands on a hill above Paro Township. Once inside the Dzong, you will be amazed by the architecture and the ancient frescoes which have been preserved to this day.

Take a walk along the paved stone path running alongside the imposing outer walls.

• From the Dzong, continue a leisurely walk back into town crossing the scenic Nyemi Zampa (Bridge), a unique model of Bhutan’s traditional cantilever bridge over the Pa Chhu (Paro River).
• Return to the hotel. Refresh and enjoy your first night by having a relaxing dinner at the hotel.

• Start the day with an early breakfast and then drive towards Taktsang.
• The walk to Taktsang Monastery – the Tiger’s Nest is approximately four hours up and back. The monastery is perched on a cliff overlooking the valley and was said to be where the legendary Indian saint, Guru Padma Sambhava, flew from Tibet on the back of a tiger to defeat five demons, who were opposing the spread of Buddhism in Bhutan. It’s a steep uphill walk-through wood, of about 1½-2hrs, to reach a tea house (an ascent of 340m/1,125ft. approx). Apart from offering welcome refreshments, this tea house is one of the principal viewpoints of the monastery, and those who prefer not to climb any further can relax here whilst others have the option to continue.  But a further half an hour’s ascent is well worth it, as it brings you to another viewpoint directly across from the monastery. If you can visit, the final section of the walk takes you from here steeply down 100m/330 ft approximately into the gorge that separates you from the monastery and then climbs back up again to reach the monastery gate.
• Return downhill and have a relaxed leisurely lunch at the hotel.
• After lunch, drive to Drukgyel Dzong, an old fortress towards the north side of the valley.
• The Dzong was recently renovated after years of being kept as a ruin. Your guide will most proudly provide you full details of the history of this iconic Dzong which played a strategic role in Bhutan’s history.
• Return to the hotel and have a leisurely dinner and evening at the hotel.

• Start the day early and drive towards Thimphu which is about one and a half away.
• Routee stops at Dogar Dobji Dzong, a 16th-century structure, built by the brother of the Divine Madman, Drukpa Kinley. Legend has it that the statue of the Guru Landrachen housed here, complained when the apostate Tibetan monarch Langdharma tried to smash it with a hammer. This Dzong became Bhutan’s first jail in 1976 but has since returned to its monastic origins.
• Check into your hotel, refresh, have lunch, and start exploring the small capital town.
• Visit Tashichhoe-Dzong which is a beautiful fortress where the Monastic Body resides. The “Fortress of the Glorious Religion” was initially erected in 1641 and rebuilt by King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck in 1962 and consecrated in 1969 by Je Yonten Tharchin, Thri Zur Thinley Lhundup, and Dorji Lopen Nyizer Tulku. Tashichhodzong houses some ministries, His Majesty’s secretariat, and the central monk body.  In the Dzong courtyard, one is surrounded by beautiful architectural structures housing various temples which are beautiful and impressive.
• Visit Zorig Chusum (The National Institute for Thirteen Arts / Painting School), which is Bhutan’s leading institute to preserve and promote culture and to contribute to the country’s economy through the production of quality products and services. Visitors are invited to observe the students’ lessons in painting, calligraphy, embroidery, wood and slate carving, sculpturing, boot making, weaving, gold grinding, and making religious drums, depending on what program is taking place at the time you visit. You also have the opportunity to purchase items made by the school.
• Visit the Folk Heritage Museum, which is a restored three-story traditional rammed mud and timber house, inaugurated as a museum by Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck in 2001. It showcases the traditional artifacts used now and in the past, the skills necessary to make or use these artifacts, the folklore and legends, the songs and poems, the sketches and drawings, and the oral knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation. It connects people to the Bhutanese rural past through an exhibition of items and artifacts, used in rural households, and demonstrations of rural customs, traditions, habits, and skills.
• Visit National Library was established in 1967 to preserve and promote religious and cultural degradation from rapid modern development. It holds more than 10,000 volumes of scriptures in classical languages as well as 4,500 foreign collections. On the top floor, rare and sacred classical texts written in gold and silver letters are displayed.
• Walk around the Traditional Handicrafts market or take a stroll through the main street to visit some handicraft stores.
• Visit the King’s Memorial Chorten (built in memory of the third King of Bhutan who reigned from 1952-1972. As the name denotes this National Memorial Chorten was consecrated on July 28, 1974, in memory of the Third King. Chorten means ‘Seat of Faith’, and Buddhists often call such monuments, the ‘Mind of Buddha’.
• Drive up to the Buddha statue and get a beautiful view of the Thimphu Valley. Circulate or do koras around the statue.
• Make your way back to the hotel, refresh, and wind down with a leisurely dinner at one of the local restaurants or your hotel.

• After breakfast drive to Punakha
• Visit Khamsum Yuelley Namgyel Chorten. The three-leveled chorten took eight and a half years to build and was consecrated in 1999. Dedicated to the Fifth King, it was built to remove negative forces and to provide peace, stability, and harmony in an ever-changing world. It is therefore filled with every form of colorful protectors imaginable.
• Visit to the Punakha Dzong is a must. The Punakha Dzong is considered one of the most important and also one of the most beautiful dzongs in the Kingdom. It was built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in 1637 and was the seat of the government every winter until Thimphu was established as the permanent capital in 1955. It is still the winter residence of the Dratshang (Central Monastic Body). Take time to admire the impressive, colorful, and detailed artistry of the surroundings, including huge statues of Buddha, Guru Rinpoche, and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, as well as paintings of the one-thousand Buddhas.
• It is located between two valleys in the middle of Punakha by the riverside.
• visit Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang. Perched on a ridge amid pine trees and overlooking valleys of Toebesa, Punakha, and Wangduephodrang, the magnificent structures of Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Lhakhang. The Lhakhang comprises a double-storied temple, a chorten resembling Nepal’s Boudhanath stupa, and a higher learning and meditation center for nuns. Initiated by the Yab(Father of the four Queens), and with His Majesty’s consent, a grand consecration ceremony on October 12th, 2010 marked the opening of the temple which is built for the benefit of all sentient beings and for the dharma to flourish in the country. The temple houses a 14-foot main bronze statue of Avalokiteshvara; the biggest in the country. Other statues include those of Guru Padmasambhava, Gautama Buddha, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, Tsela Namsum, the 21 Taras, and Tsepamay (Buddha of longevity). The unique feature of the structure is the skillfully carved black marble blocks surrounding the stupa, depicting the 84 Mahasiddhis, 16 Arhats, and the great lamas of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage.
• On your way back, take a walk along the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan.
• Wind down after your active day on the river relax and enjoy your final evening at Punakha.

• Start your day with a leisurely breakfast and drive towards Thimphu. The journey will be three hours.  En route stop at Semtokha Dzong which is located along the periphery of Thimphu.

• The oldest Dzong in the country (built in 1628) stands on a soaring ridge 3 miles / 5 km before reaching Thimphu town. Its strategic position is evident as it controls all the approaches to and from Thimphu. Notice the contrast between traditional and modern as you enter the Dzong grounds; the white-painted Dzong with the growing city in the background and the newly constructed 164 ft / 50 m tall Buddha statue perched on the hill right behind. It is officially known as San Ngak Zabdhon Phodrang meaning ‘Palace of the Profound Tantric Teachings’. It now houses the Institute of Language and Culture Studies. The dzong is not only worth a visit due to its historical significance; the dzong also houses three unique altar rooms situated in locations to the left, right, and front as you enter. The main room, which stretches over two stories, is a good place for contemplation in majestic surroundings, and the grand statue of the Past Lord Buddha is worth moments of admiration.
• Stop for lunch at Thimphu in a local restaurant.
• Continues to drive to Paro, and check into hotel.
• Evening takes a walk-through Paro town which still has most of the original traditionally built shops though many new modern buildings are now replacing the old. A browse through the little handicraft stores located in traditional houses can be interesting if looking for souvenirs and memorabilia from your visit to Bhutan.

• Transfer from Thimphu to Paro airport. Tashi Delek! You have completed your “kora” or journey to Bhutan.