9-Day HimalayanCruiser, The Ultimate Luxury Bhutan Cultural Tour

It is a fine example of the ostentatious Bhutanese art and architecture evident everywhere. Located above the Dzong is the National Museum showcasing various artifacts and relics of ancient Bhutan.

National Museum showcasing various artifacts and relics of ancient Bhutan

Enjoy the one and half hour drive to Thimphu through the beautiful landscape and during holidays you can stop over and watch an archery match in progress. Thimphu is one of the few capital cities in the world not having traffic lights and the traffic is still manned by traffic policemen. You can either check into your hotel and relax or go for an evening stroll through the town and and market areas.

After a leisurely breakfast explore the capital Thimphu and visit the main sites. Soak in the panoramic view of the Thimphu valley from the site of the gigantic Buddha Shakyamuni, one of the largest statue of Buddha at a height of 169 feet (51.5 meters).

You can also enjoy a short hike around the Buddha, and then a stopover at the Memorial Chorten/stupa in town is another favorite with the tourists and elderly citizens as they circumambulate the Chorten chanting prayers and pulling at their beads. The main statue of the Buddha inside the Chorten is said to grant wishes for the earnest and honest hearted!

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 could even stock up on your organic fruits for the coming days.

After office hours (5 pm) visit the impressive Tashi Chho Dzong / Fortress of the Auspicious Religion. The Dzong houses the office of our King, few government offices and the Central Monk Body.

After an hour drive from Thimphu you will reach the scenic Dochulaa Pass (3150 meters) from where you can enjoy spectacular views of the snow capped Himalayan Mountains and the mini 108 stupas built over a hill

You can have your lunch in one of the many tourist standard restaurants in Lobesa Market and after, visit the Fertility Temple / Chime Lhakhang. It is a pleasant 30 minutes walk through mustard and paddy fields. Standing on a picturesque hilltop the Lhakhang is famous for its fertility wish grants to couples. Inside the walls of the Lhakhang are beautiful frescoes depicting the colorful life of Lama Drukpa Kuenley, the Divine Madman regarded for his crazy methods of teaching which included blessing women in the form of copulation!

Another two and half hour drive will reach you to your destination that is Gangtey and Phobjika valleys

Gangtey and Phobjika are one of the most beautiful glacial valleys of Bhutan and most importantly the winter home to the endangered and sacred Black Necked Cranes from late October till March. These valleys are remote, peaceful and beautiful and while there are not many tourist attractions or sights per se, however the valleys offer numerous hikes in and around the valley. You can visit the Gangtey Goemba Monastery and if interested also get a horoscope reading from the Astrologer. A must do is the short one and half hour Gangtey Nature Trail hike through the pine trees. You can enjoy a picnic lunch in one of the many beautiful spots overlooking the valley. You can enjoy some more short hikes, walk through the villages and also visit some traditional farmhouses and interact with the villagers or walk/drive back to your hotel and enjoy a relaxed evening.

Punakha is the old capital city of Bhutan and the Punakha Dzong meaning the fortress of Great Bliss, was built by in 1673 to commemorate the final victory against numerous Tibetan invasions. Located on a piece of land between two rivers Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu (literally meaning male and female rivers), the Dzong is massive, huge and magnificent in all its architectural grandeur. Although ravaged by flood, fire and earthquakes many times, the Dzong was always rebuilt with its original pattern and design. A few minutes walk from the Dzong through beautiful flower gardens and huge flowering trees will bring you to the longest iron suspension of Bhutan. Continue walking on the rickety bridge till you reach the other side of the river where your car awaits to take you back to your hotel. Enjoy the ride along the river and the paddy fields

After breakfast drive for a few minutes up north and walk for about an hour to Khamsum Yulley Namgyel Chorten stupa. The walk is beautiful through the pine trees, the stupa is beautiful and so is the view from there. Enroute you will also be walking through a suspension bridge over the Puna Tsang Chhu – Punakha River.

You can then visit the Sangchen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery where you can watch the nuns as they go about their daily life and rituals and since most of them speak a little English you can interact with them and exchange life-stories. You can also enjoy the beautiful view of both the valleys with the meandering river and landscape dotted with houses and prayer flags.

The drive back to Paro is about 4 hours and enroute you can stopover to visit the Semtokha Dzong, the first Dzong built in 1629

Tachogang Temple across the iron suspension bridge, and back in Paro you can check into the Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary and enjoy their hospitality.

After an early breakfast drive for about 30 minutes to the base of the Taktsang Monastery, and while there are options to ride a pony till halfway, we’d suggest you to walk all the way to the Monastery. It is about 3 hours uphill and 2 hours down, and enroute there is a cafeteria, however we can either arrange a picnic lunch or depending on your walking pace you maybe able to come back to your hotel for lunch. Since the Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary offers many activities you have the choice to stay at your Hotel and enjoy these facilities, or you can visit few temples located in the town and enjoy a stroll through the market places and numerous small handicraft shops.

Final view of Paro from Bird Eye view