Bumthang Cultural Tour & Trek

On reaching Kathmandu international airport our AE staff will receive with a transfer to hotel in the hub of Kathmandu around Thamel area, an interesting place with shops, stores, international standard restaurants. Our guide will meet and inform you with details of the hotels and of Bhutan’s Bumthang cultural tour and trek and more.

A free day in Kathmandu with tours, morning guided sightseeing tour at places of interest, Kathmandu city and the surrounding valley steeped with history, culture. Kathmandu is full of World Heritage Sites with old Temples, Monasteries, Stupas, Royal Courtyard and Palaces, afternoon free at leisure for souvenirs shopping.

Depending upon the flight time to Paro in Bhutan transfer to Kathmandu international airport for an hour panoramic flight to Paro, on reaching at Paro airport, after going through immigration and visa formalities our Bhutan representative and guide will receive you in Bhutanese custom and tradition and a short drive to respective hotels in Paro, with afternoon free at leisure.

Morning after breakfast our guide will meet you at given time for a tour with short drive and nice walk with an hour uphill with slow gradual pace to the famed and charm of Bhutan at Taksang Monastery also called as “Tiger\'s Nest”. A place for meditation and prayers when monks and lama are in retreat and prayer in isolation for few weeks or months, from this high cliff edge of Taksang monastery overlooking scenic views of Paro and of distance snow capped Mountains, after a wonderful time return back by the same route, after lunch visit of 17th centaury Ta-Dzong, and then in 1967converted into a National Museum.

From Paro after an interesting time, morning heading to the Bhutanese capital at Thimpu, with a scenic drive for about two hours to reach the modern capital of Bhutan at Thimphu (probably the only city in the world without traffic lights), at Thimphu transfer to nice hotels with Bhutanese hospitality, after lunch visit of memorial stupa, indigenous hospital, where traditional medicine is still practiced since hundreds of years and tour of painting school.

After a nice time in Thimphu, morning a pleasant scenic drive over Duchulu pass at 3,050 meters to reach Tongsa after heading with another climb at Pele-la a pass of 3,150 meters high, offering glamorous views of inner and central Bhutan’s landscapes panorama, which is just before Tongsa, then arriving at Tongsa a small countryside village with nice surroundings, here overnight in Lodge or nice Guesthouse stopping for lunch and overnight stay, afternoon a free time to walk around this nice village of Tongsa and interact with the locals.

From Tongsa with delightful time, after breakfast another pleasant drive with nice scenery of inner Bhutan’s landscapes and of Himalayan peaks, the drive leads for about 3 hours of interesting journey to Bumthang located in central part of Bhutan, on reaching at Bumthang a nice charming town with many farms and agriculture area, a pleasant view of this place with large green fields and coniferous alpine woodland full of rhododendron and pine trees, in Bumthang overnight at lodge or in a nice Guest Houses with warm Bhutanese hospitality, afternoon visit of 17th century Jakar Dzong, at present turn into Bumthang valley administration centre.

A beautiful place to start this wonderful short trek in central Bhutan countryside, first day walk starts following Chamkhar chu-river and several traditional villages and chortens and prayer walls, a Buddhist prayer monuments at Jakkar village area, then the walk leads into enchanting pristine woodland of rhododendron and pines trees with tremendous views of snow capped mountains towards north, after a fine walk of downs and uphill trail with over hills and ridges reaching at Ngang Lhakhang for overnight stop and camping.

From this lovely place of Ngang Lhakhang our journey continues which is quite a long day today reaching at Ugyenchholing 2,850 meters high, morning walk starts with a long climb to Phephe-la pass at 3,340 meters, with overwhelming scenery of surrounding rolling green hills and fertile valleys with snow clad mountains after enjoying the panorama, a long descend towards Tang Valley to reach our overnight camp at Ugyenchholing village with a long interesting walk of the day and concluding this short trekking as well.

Morning at leisure in Ugyenchholing village a visit around the village is worthwhile a true culture with pure Bhutanese traditions and custom found around this region, although all Bhutanese wears national and traditional dresses all the time, but this village is more special, here visit the Dzong (fort) and the country village, afternoon drive back to Jaker following Tang chu river, on route visit a holy Tso-lake, and then reaching at Jakar for overnight stop in the comfort of nice simple lodge.

After a wonderful time in the mid hills and rural villages of central Bhutan and visiting its beautiful country life of typical tradition and custom of Bhutanese, today a leisure morning, after lunch drive back to Tongsa which takes three hours of scenic driving, on reaching Tongsa overnight stay in a nice Tourist Lodge.

From Tongsa after visiting fascinating places of central Bhutan and its beautiful countryside, morning drive leads to Punakha town, which is an old capital of Bhutan, here visit of Buddhist monuments and monastery and then continue drive to the Bhutan’s capital in Thimphu, at Thimphu check back in the same hotel or similar type for last overnight in Bhutan soil, with afternoon free for walk and last day shopping souvenirs.

Morning back to Paro on the same route, after a wonderful drive reaching at Paro airport, as per the flight time to Kathmandu for sweeping scenic flight of an hour with parallel views of mountains all the way to Kathmandu, at Kathmandu transfer to hotel after a short drive around Thamel area, with whole day free as per the time of return flight from Paro.

Last day in Nepal with memorable moment and awesome experience and good time with Annapurna Encounter services, as per the international flight time our AE staff will transfer you to airport for the flight back home or to respective countries.