Day 1: Arrival (Paro-Thimphu)
 
Welcome to Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Touching down at Paro International Airport, you will be greeted by your guide upon exiting the arrival hall. They will transport you to Thimphu.

After light lunch, you will visit Buddha Point at Kuensel Phodrang. The 169 feet bronze statue of Buddha Dordenma, Vajra Throne Buddha symbolising indestructibility was completed in 2012. The view of Thimphu valley from the Buddha point is spectacular and beautiful, especially at night.

Then we will visit the National Memorial Chorten which was built in honor of the late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. From there, we will head towards the majestic Thimphu Dzong. This dzong is one of the most important monuments in the country. It is in this dzong that His Majesty The King works. It also houses the office of other important offices.
 
Accommodation: Hotel Tara Phendeyling
 
Day 2: Thimphu to Gangtey
 
Today, we will be leaving Thimphu for Gangtey valley. On the way, we will stop at
Dochula Pass where there are 108 chortens built at the command of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. It was constructed to commemorate Bhutan’s victory over Indian militants and to liberate the souls of the souls lost.

Passing Wangdue (left), one of the major towns and district capital of Western Bhutan. Located south of Punakha, Wangdue is the last town before central Bhutan. The district is famous for its fine bamboo work and its slate and stone carving.

We will pause to view the Wangdue Phodrang Dzong which is being reconstructed. Built in 1638, Wangdue Dzong is dramatically perched on the spur of a hill and overlooks the confluence of the Tsang Chu and Dang Chu rivers.
 
Accommodation: Village Homestay
  
Day 3: Gangtey
 
The valley of Phobjikha is well known as the winter home of the Black-Necked Crane (Grus Nigricollis). Bhutan is home to around six hundred black necked cranes with Phobjikha being one of the popular places that the birds migrate to in the winter months from the Tibetan plateau. The elegant and shy birds can be observed from early November to end of March. Another significant landmark in Phobjikha is the famous Gangtey Gompa monastery. This is an old monastery that dates back to 17th century. Today we will do some short hikes around the valley of Phobjikha.
 
Accommodation: Village Homestay
 
Day 4: Gangtey to Bumthang
 
En route to Bumthang is Trongsa, the ancestral home of the ruling dynasty.

Trongsa, literally "New Town" in the Dzongkha language, is where the current monarchs have its origin. Each King in the line of succession has held the post of Trongsa Penlop or Governor before donning the Raven Crown.

Trongsa Dzong - The foundations of Trongsa Dzong were laid in the 16th century by by Pema Lingpa. The Dzong flourished during the 17th century under Zhabdrung Ngwang Namgyal. With its massive structure, its wall looming high above the winding Mangde Chu Valley, the Dzong commands the east-west road.

Taa Dzong - Built as a watch tower the Taa Dzong has since been turned into a Heritage Museum. A book on this prominent Dzong is written by Christian Schicklgruber entitled The Tower of Trongsa, Religion and Power in Bhutan.
 
Accommodation: Hotel Riverlodge (or similar)
 
Day 5: Bumthang
 
This is one of the most spectacular valleys in Bhutan and also the heartland of Buddhism in Bhutan. It is an area with a wide variety of fauna and flora. The Guru Rinpoche and his lineage of Tertons (treasure finders) making Bumthang thier home have led to more than 40 temples being built in this peaceful valley.

In the morning, we will hike to the Tamshing Goemba, built in 1501 by the Buddhist saint Pema Lingpa. We will also visit Kurjey Lhakhang (left-bottom), one of the most sacred monasteries in Bhutan. Built by the Guru Rinpoche in 1652, it houses a rock with his body imprint. Legend has it that Guru Rimpoche manifested as a Garuda to defeat the demon Shelging Karpo who had taken the form of a white lion.

We will also visit Jambay Lhakhang, built in 659 by Tibetan King Sontsen Gampo to pin down a demoness who was obstructing the spread of Buddhism. Come October, the Jambay Lhakhang Drup is one of the most colourful festivals in Bhutan.

Jakar Dzong - pitched on a high ground overlooking the town junction, it was built as monastery in 1549 by the great grandfather of the Zhabdrung. It is now used as the administrative center for Bumthang district

In the afternoon, we will hike up to Thangbi Valley, crossing a suspension bridge to visit the Thangbi Lhakhang built in the 14th century via an unpaved road.
 
Day 6: Bumthang to Trashigang
 
It is a long journey.
We will be travelling through is the biggest national park in Bhutan called the Thrumshingla National Park. The 768 sq.km of this national park is located within the boundaries of four districts: Bumthang, Lhuentse, Mongar and Zhemgang and it was established in 1998.

You will enjoy the natural beauty of the undisturbed environment and take photographs of some breathtaking scenery like the Namling Bra(cliff) waterfall which falls down the deepest cliff in Eastern Bhutan. The next town is Mongar where we can rest for awhile over a warm cup of tea.
 
Accommodation: Lingkhar Resort
  
Day 7: Gomkora Tsechu
 
We will drive towards Gomphu Kora to witness the tshechu. It is an hour drive from Trashigang town.
This is a sacred site where, around 850 AD, Guru Rimpochhe subdued an evil spirit, he chased all the way from Lhasa Samye, Tibet. The Kora festival at Gomphu Kora was initiated 400 years. The Gomphu Kora Tshechu is one of the biggest festivals in eastern Bhutan providing a welcome break for locals to trade, socialize, and celebrate before the start of the farming season.

The festival draws people from remote villages, school children, village youths, businessmen, civil servants, and the Dakpa tribe in of Tawang, neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh (India) who endure days of travel on foot amid rugged environs with entire families in town. Some say that Drakpas have done this for more than a millennium, beginning shortly after Guru Padmasambhava sanctified the place in the 8th century AD. Traditionally, the festival was an occasion for the people of eastern Bhutan, to choose their spouse and also to rejuvenate the degrading stock. This is still seen even today.
 
Accommodation: Lingkhar Resort

 
Day 8: Trashigang to Bumthang
 
We begin our drive back to Bumthang through the lush environment of the east.
 
Day 9: Bumthang to Punakha
 
We will again be travelling for the whole day towards Punakha
 
Accommodation: Zhingkham Resort
 
 
Day 10: Punakha to Paro
 
We will visit the majestic Punakha Dzong.
Punakha Dzong - Built in 1637, the dzong continues to be the winter home for the clergy, headed by the Chief Abbott, the Je Khenpo. It is a stunning example of Bhutanese architecture, sitting at the fork of two rivers, portraying the image of a medieval city from a distance. The dzong was destroyed by fire and glacial floods over the years but has been carefully restored and is, today, a fine example of Bhutanese craftsmanship.

In the afternoon, we would start our drive to Paro. Before we start we will pay a visit to Chhimi Lhakhang—a 20-minute walk across terraced fields through the village of Sopsokha from the roadside to the small temple located on a hillock in the centre of the valley below Metshina. Ngawang Chogyel built the temple in 15th century after the ’Divine Madman’ Drukpa Kuenlay built a small chorten there. It is a pilgrim site for barren women.
 
Accommodation: Bhutan Mandala Resort
 
Day 11: Taktsang Hike
 
Taktsang Monastery - A one hour hike to the cafeteria is also a vantage view whereby you can enjoy the stunning view of the monastery. Prayer flags adorn the cliffs and this is also where Guru Padmasambhava landed on the back of a tigress in the 8th century.

Kyichu Lhakhang - After a sumptuous local lunch, we will retrace our steps to visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan.
 
Accommodation: Bhutan Mandala Resort

 
Day 12: Depart Paro
 
Today we will bid fond farewell to this beautiful Himalayan country and take an early flight back to Singapore. We hope by now you would have made some friends and also kept many photos and beautiful memories of Bhutan! And we look forward to seeing you again in this beautiful land of endless Enchantments!