Festival
Black-Necked Crane Festival Tour
A week timed for 11 November, when Phobjikha welcomes its cranes back from Tibet with a festival in the courtyard of Gangtey Goenpa.
Price on request
Cultural
Western Bhutan in 7 Days
Four valleys in a week: the capital, the warm rice terraces of Punakha, the crane valley of Phobjikha, and Paro for the walk to the Tiger's Nest.
- Length
- 7 days / 6 nights
- Grade
- Easy
- Best months
- March to May and September to December
- Price
- Price on request
Overview
A week is the length most first visits to Bhutan settle on, and this is the route we would suggest for it. It crosses two passes above 3,000 m, sleeps in four valleys that feel nothing alike, and keeps the hardest walk for the end, when you have had five days to get used to the altitude.
The drives are part of it. Between Thimphu and Phobjikha the road climbs and falls through forest for hours, with a new valley at the bottom of each descent, and we stop where there is something to see rather than when the kilometres say so.
Like every trip here it is private: your own guide, driver and vehicle. If you would rather have a second night in Punakha, or trade Phobjikha for Haa, say so when you enquire.
Highlights
- The walk to Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest, on your last full day
- Punakha Dzong at the meeting of two rivers
- Dochu La and its 108 chortens, with the Himalaya beyond in clear weather
- A night in the Phobjikha valley, winter home of the black-necked cranes
- Thimphu's craft school, Memorial Chorten and the great Buddha above the town
Route
- Thimphu
- Punakha
- Phobjikha
- Paro
Day by day
Day 1 Arrive in Paro and drive to Thimphu
Your guide and driver meet you outside the arrivals hall. The road to the capital follows the Paro river down to its meeting with the Thimphu river and then turns upstream; on the way you see Tamchog Lhakhang across the water, reached by a bridge of iron chains.
After checking in there is time for the Memorial Chorten, where townspeople walk their evening rounds, and for the drive up to the Buddha Dordenma for the view over the valley as the light goes.
- Drive
- 54 km, about 1 hour
- Night in
- Thimphu
- Meals
- L, D
Day 2 Thimphu
A day in the capital at an easy pace. In the morning, the school where students learn the thirteen traditional crafts, the Textile Museum, and Changangkha Lhakhang on its ridge above the town. After lunch, the takin preserve and the craft bazaar.
Tashichho Dzong opens to visitors once the working day is over, so it comes last.
- Night in
- Thimphu
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 3 Over Dochu La to Punakha
The road east climbs through pine and rhododendron to Dochu La at about 3,100 m. If the sky is clear the eastern Himalaya is laid out to the north, and you can walk among the 108 chortens on the hilltop before the long descent.
Punakha is some 1,900 m lower and noticeably warmer. A short walk across rice fields leads to the temple of Chimi Lhakhang, and the afternoon is for Punakha Dzong, entered by its covered bridge.
- Drive
- 76 km, 2 to 3 hours
- Night in
- Punakha
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 4 Punakha to the Phobjikha valley
Before the day warms up, cross the footbridge over the Mo Chhu and walk up through the terraces to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten for the view of the upper valley.
Then east, past the ridge-top dzong of Wangdue Phodrang, and up into oak and bamboo before the road turns off to Phobjikha. Gangtey Goenpa stands at the head of the valley; from its gate the nature trail runs down through the pines to the edge of the marsh.
- Drive
- 75 km, about 2 hours
- Night in
- Phobjikha
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 5 Phobjikha to Paro
From November to March the morning starts at the edge of the marsh, watching the cranes feed before they move off. In other months there is time for the information centre or another short walk.
The drive back west is the longest of the week, broken at Dochu La for a second chance at the view and for lunch. You reach Paro in the late afternoon.
- Drive
- 185 km, about 5 hours
- Night in
- Paro
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 6 The Tiger's Nest
An early start for the walk to Taktsang. The path climbs steadily through pine forest to a teahouse with the classic view across the gorge, then on to a lookout level with the monastery, down a flight of steps past a waterfall and up to the gate. Allow four to five hours there and back, more if you like to linger.
In the afternoon, if your legs agree, a visit to Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan.
- Night in
- Paro
- Meals
- B, L, D
Day 7 Depart from Paro
Your guide and driver take you to the airport in time for your flight.
- Meals
- B
What is included
Included
- The Sustainable Development Fee, US$100 a night for each adult at the current rate
- Visa fee of US$40 and the visa application made for you
- Six nights in hotels, in a twin or double room
- All meals from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 7
- A licensed English-speaking Bhutanese guide throughout
- A private vehicle and driver, including airport transfers
Not included
- Flights to and from Paro
- Travel insurance
- Entry fees at monuments and museums
- Drinks, laundry, tips and personal spending
Practical details
- Accommodation
Hotels in Thimphu, Punakha, Phobjikha and Paro. Phobjikha is a small farming valley, and its lodges are simpler and colder at night than those in the towns.
- Meals
Breakfast and dinner at your hotel and lunch at a local restaurant on the way. Tell us about any dietary need when you book; vegetarian food is easy everywhere.
- Transport
A private vehicle with a driver for the whole trip. The road is paved and winding, so drives are slower than their distance suggests.
- Guide
One licensed guide stays with you from arrival to departure. A guide is required by the authorities inside dzongs and monuments.
- Visa and permits
We apply for your visa once the trip is confirmed; it is normally issued within five working days. You need a passport valid for at least six months. See our pages on the [visa](/bhutan-travel-guide/visa/) and the [Sustainable Development Fee](/bhutan-travel-guide/sustainable-development-fee/).
Questions about this trip
Do I need a visa for Bhutan?
Yes, unless you are an Indian national, in which case you need an entry permit instead. The visa costs US$40, is applied for online, and is normally decided within five working days.
When you book with us we make the application for you. You send a scan of your passport, which must be valid for at least six months, and a recent passport photo. See Bhutan visa and entry permits.
What is the Sustainable Development Fee?
A fee every visitor pays to the government of Bhutan for each night in the country. It is US$100 a night for adults and US$50 for children aged 6 to 11; children under 6 pay nothing. Indian nationals pay Nu. 1,200 a night.
It is paid with your visa application. When you travel with us we collect it with the tour payment and pass it on. See the Sustainable Development Fee.
How hard is the walk to the Tiger’s Nest?
It is a steady uphill walk on a wide path, not a climb, and most people in ordinary health manage it. Allow four to five hours there and back. The monastery is at about 3,120 m, so you will feel the altitude; go slowly and drink plenty of water.
That is why our itineraries keep it for the end, after several days in the country. A teahouse halfway makes a good turning point for anyone who would rather not go on. See hiking to the Tiger's Nest.
When is the best time to visit Bhutan?
March to May and September to November have the mildest weather and the clearest skies, and the largest festivals fall in those months. They are also the busiest.
Winter is cold but dry and sunny, with the black-necked cranes in Phobjikha and the Punakha festivals. Summer is the monsoon: green, quiet and often cloudy. See the best time to visit Bhutan.
Places on this trip
More tours
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Price on request
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Price on request
Tell us how you like to travel
A few lines are enough: when, how long, and what draws you to Bhutan. We answer with a suggested route and what it would cost.
We reply ["within 24 hours"].