7-Day The Sanctuary Signature Retreat in Bhutan

d the stairs of the plane, your hassle-free smooth check-out at Immigrations and finally seeing your smiling tour guide and driver at the Airport gate.

Begin your wellness sojourn at the Sanctuary by first meeting with a traditional doctor and get a complete program to achieve a healthy balance between body, mind and spirit. You can enjoy any massage of your choice from their professional spa therapist followed by a visit to the steam and sauna rooms and a dip in their indoor pool. With their own vegetable and herb gardens, the 4-course lunch and 6-course dinner of the Sanctuary are every guests favorite part of the day.

The majestic Rinpung Dzong or the Fortress of Heaped Jewels is located along the Paro river gathering attention and admiration from every corner of the valley. Like all the Dzongs in the country, the Rinpung Dzong houses the administrative offices along side the district monastic body, i.e. the monks, their living quarters and learning centers.

(Ta Dzong) built in 1649 to guard the valley from numerous Tibetan invasions. Built in the shape of a conch shell the tower was converted to a Museum in 1968, was severely damaged by three major earthquakes, the recent being in 2011 and renovated and reopened in all its former architectural glory in June 2020 as the National Museum. The Museum has on display numerous unique sets of religious and historical artifacts that narrate the traditional heritage and culture of Bhutan. The artifacts include festival masks, fine arts, paintings, textiles from all over Bhutan, collection of stamps, preserved specimens of exotic animals and many antique collections. A visit to the Museum will familiarize a visitor to the ancient culture and traditions of Bhutan and discover the beauty, mystery, myths and legends that makes Bhutan a hidden gem of a country.

The Kyichu Lhakhang/temple is one of the oldest temple in Bhutan and has been visited and blessed by numerous renowned Buddhist saints over the centuries. The temple enjoys a peaceful and serene location away from the main town and though the structure is simple but abounds in many tantric and mythical wonderful stories that will take you back to the times of demons and saints and their battles. The temple was built in the early 6th Century by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo credited for introducing Buddhism to Tibet and he is believed to be a manifestation of the Buddha of Compassion (Avalokiteshvara) of whom the Dalai Lamas are similarly believed to be a manifestation of.

Drugyal Dzong means the Fortress of Victory and owes its name for being a stronghold against the numerous combined forces of Tibetan and Mongolian armies and to commemorate the victory of the final battle with the Tibetans. Constructed in 1649, the Drugyal Dzong was built as an important base for defense against several Tibetan invasions unlike the other Dzongs in the country that were built solely for administrative and spiritual purposes. It is about 20 minutes’ drive from the main town and the Dzong is located north of the valley at a strategic site close to the Tibetan border. Unfortunately, the Dzong was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1951, and though not reconstructed however its ruins were preserved until a few years ago when the Government decided to resurrect it to its former beauty and glory.

is the lucky location to the only international airport in the middle of paddy fields and traditional Bhutanese houses. Paro valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Kingdom with majority of it's inhabitants dependent on agriculture and tourism industry. Paro valley also contributes a large amount of fresh produce including, vegetables, rice and dairy to the Bhutanese palette. Hundreds of temples and monasteries can be found dotting the hills and vales, one of them being the remarkably iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery perched on a vertical cliff at 10,000ft high above the valley.

Benefit from the various unlimited services like the differently themed massages, herbal compressions, traditional hot stone bath, Jacuzzi, beauty treatments, etc. You can combine all well-being treatments with other hands-on activities like pottery classes in their art studio, cooking a local dish with the Chef, traditional Bhutanese sports like archery and darts or just relax at the pool and open terrace overlooking the magnificent valley.

Thimphu is an amalgamation of modern technology and facilities amidst ancient culture and traditions. The capital has been able to maintain its aesthetic architectural beautify in perfect sync with development and expansion, as can be seen in all the buildings in and around the city. There are no sky scrapers nor huge shopping malls, no fast food chains nor any international brand outlets, no homeless people nor any slums and instead the settlements follow the meandering river with high-rise mountains on either side. The bustling capital city of Bhutan is home to a little over one hundred thousand people including the Royal family and is also the most cosmopolitan city of Bhutan. It is the hub for commerce, political and the head office of the central government and international offices of many development partners are located in the valley. Probably Thimphu is the only capital city in the world without a single traffic light and instead the traffic is manned by policemen.

The Memorial Chorten located in the heart of the Thimphu city is a favorite spiritual hangout and a great interactive place for tourists and Bhutanese. The 3 storied stupa houses some very prominent statues of Buddhist saints, figures and relics and therefore considered very auspicious for conducting rituals and ceremonies. The main statue of the ‘Wish-fulfilling Buddha’ inside the Chorten is said to grant wishes for the earnest and honest hearted! Everyday from dawn till dusk the young and old circumambulate the Stupa, with the elderly spending their whole day chanting prayers, sharing their packed lunches, turning the huge prayer wheels and spending time with their friends. They look forward to sharing smiles and a few words with visiting tourists and the Memorial Chorten is an interactive place for tourists wanting to mingle with the locals and exchange stories.

Overlooking the quaint Thimphu city is one of the largest Buddha Dordenma Statue in the world. The statue is 51.5 meters in height, made of bronze and glided in gold making it one of a kind. Popularly known as the Buddha Point, the place is a favorite among devotees who comes from all corners of Bhutan to pay their respects. Like any other religious sites or monasteries in Bhutan, the building of the gigantic statue was also prophesied. The first prophecy was made by Guru Padmasambhava in the 8th century and in the 20th century by Yogi Sonam Zangpo, that a Buddha statue will be built in this region for the World Peace and Happiness.

onastic Body, however the importance of the Tashi Chho Dzong is that it houses the office of the King, the Throne room and the Central Monastic Body. Tashi Chho Dzong or the Fortress of the Glorious Religion is located along the banks of the Thimphu river and is one of the most prominent and spectacular attraction in the valley. Though travelers are restricted to enter the offices or the Royal office, however a walk along the beautiful flower garden, glimpse of the architectural structures and visiting some of the auspicious temples is well worth the visit. Also, since the visiting hours are after 5 pm this is also the perfect time to watch the intimate ceremony of lowering the flag and the majestic march of the policemen as they march the flag off to the interior offices.

Bhutan is popular with stamp collectors for its beautiful and varied stamps and the Bhutan Postal Museum located in the heart of Thimphu town lives up to its reputation through the display of ancient and unique stamps. The first postage stamps in Bhutan were issued in 1962 around the same time the motorable roads were opened and prior to that there were official mail runners literally running through the valleys and mountains delivering mail. The Museum provides a glimpse on the history and evolution of communication systems in Bhutan, amazing stories of legendary mail runners and for tourists an interesting experience of custom making your own stamps with your photos. You can use these personalized stamps to send postcards to your family and friends around the world.

If you want to mingle with the Bhutanese people and jostle with local farmers amongst the aroma of organic fruits and vegetables, the Centenary Farmers Market is the place to be. Smiling tourists watch in awe as locals bargain with the vendors and you can even stock up on your organic fruits for the coming days. The market is one of the busiest place in the valley with farmers from all corners of Bhutan selling their organic produce. A stroll through the market will give the travelers an insight into the food habits and cuisines of Bhutan. One ingredient that is widely seen in the market is the dried and fresh green chilies which is the most essential ingredient in all the Bhutanese dishes. Photographs are allowed and travelers can also exchange a few words with some vendors who speaks English.

hike to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery locally known as Taktsang Goemba. The hike to and excursion of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery is a full day activity normally taking about 3-4 hours uphill with the option of riding a pony till midway. Located on a steep cliff high above the Paro valley at an altitude of 3,120 meters above the sea level, the Tiger’s Nest is an architectural and engineering feat baffling visitors with its spiritual ambience and extraordinary history. You can enjoy your BBQ lunch at the base of the Monastery.

begins to feel fresher and clearer and the scattered settlements will indeed evoke a medieval Bhutan of a valley suspended in time and space. Located at an altitude of 2,670 meters above the sea level, Haa is unmistakably a quite and peaceful high altitude paradise of Bhutan least visited by tourists

Haa means esoteric hiddenness and people in some parts of this valley still perform Bon rituals (an ancient religion worshipping the spirits of nature, including sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, lakes and sacrificing animals to appease the deities). With a sumptuous picnic basket from The Sanctuary to be enjoyed at a scenic picnic spot, some of the optional sightseeing in the valley is a visit to the Haa Dzong, a fishery where you will see Bhutan’s popular brown trout and a stroll through the small town of traditional houses.

the Airport, or if it’s an afternoon flight you can indulge yourself with some more well-being activities and services.