Tours / Cultural journeys

Bhutan Himalayan Journey: Monasteries, Valleys and the Tiger's Nest

Seven days from Thimphu and Punakha to the Phobjikha Valley, finishing at Tiger’s Nest.

Trip at a glance

Duration7 days, 6 nights
Main stopsThimphu, Punakha, Phobjikha, Paro
Starts and endsParo
Travel styleCultural journey
Best seasonSpring and autumn are most popular; year-round possible

Overview

This seven-day journey adds the Phobjikha Valley to the classic western route. After Thimphu and Punakha you drive up to the glacial valley that black-necked cranes visit each winter, before returning to Paro for the hike to Tiger’s Nest.

It balances sightseeing with time in the countryside, and ends with a traditional hot stone bath.

Why travellers choose this journey

Bhutan’s top spiritual and natural highlights, including Phobjikha
Visa, hotels, transport and an expert guide arranged for you
Perfect for first-time visitors, couples and culture seekers

Highlights

The hike to Tiger’s Nest (Taktsang)

Punakha Dzong at the meeting of two rivers

Dochula Pass and its 108 chortens

The Phobjikha Valley, winter home of the black-necked crane

A traditional hot stone bath

Route

Thimphu
Punakha
Phobjikha
Paro

Day by day

The full itinerary, day by day. Every journey is private, so we can adjust the pace, hotels and stops to suit you.

Day01

OvernightThimphu

Arrive in Paro and drive to Thimphu

Fly into Paro International Airport, an arrival famous for its views. Weather permitting, the flight passes the high Himalaya before descending between steep forested ridges to land in the Paro Valley. Your local guide meets you outside the terminal and introduces you to the driver who will travel with you throughout the journey.

The drive to Thimphu, Bhutan’s charming capital, takes about an hour and a half along the Paro Chhu. At Chuzom, where the Paro Chhu meets the Wang Chhu, three chortens in different styles mark the confluence, and a little further on the road passes Tachogang Lhakhang, a temple reached by an iron chain bridge in the tradition of the 15th-century saint Thangtong Gyalpo. In the evening, enjoy a gentle stroll through Thimphu’s craft shops and cafés, an easy way to settle in and adjust to the altitude.

Day02

OvernightThimphu

Thimphu sightseeing

Spend the day discovering Thimphu, where ancient traditions and modern life sit side by side. Start at the Buddha Dordenma, a gilded statue around 51 metres tall that overlooks the city from the hill of Kuensel Phodrang. Continue to the National Memorial Chorten, the city’s busiest place of devotion, where elderly residents circle the chorten and turn prayer wheels throughout the day.

At the Motithang Takin Preserve you can see the takin, the unusual animal chosen as Bhutan’s national animal, and hear the legends associated with it. In the late afternoon, visit Tashichho Dzong, the majestic fortress on the banks of the Wang Chhu that serves as the seat of Bhutan’s government and the summer home of the central monastic body. Its courtyards, temples and carved galleries are open to visitors once the government offices close for the day.

Day03

OvernightPunakha

Thimphu to Punakha via Dochula Pass

Drive east from Thimphu, climbing through forest to Dochula Pass at 3,100 metres. The 108 Druk Wangyal chortens stand on a small hill at the pass, built to honour Bhutanese soldiers, and on clear days the view stretches along a line of Himalayan peaks to the north. Pause for tea before the long descent into the Punakha Valley, where the air grows warmer and rice terraces appear along the rivers.

In Punakha, walk through the paddy fields to Chimi Lhakhang, the Fertility Temple dedicated to Drukpa Kunley, passing village houses painted with protective symbols. Then explore Punakha Dzong, built in 1637 at the meeting of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu and once the capital of the country. The dzong’s courtyards, temples and setting between the two rivers make it one of the most breathtaking sights in Bhutan.

Day04

OvernightPhobjikha

Punakha to the Phobjikha Valley

Leave Punakha and drive south past Wangdue Phodrang, then climb through forest towards the Black Mountains. The road crosses a pass of over 3,000 metres before descending into the Phobjikha Valley, a wide glacial basin at around 2,900 metres, with a wetland at its heart, surrounded by pine-covered hills and scattered farmhouses. Much of the valley is protected as a conservation area.

Visit Gangtey Monastery, a 17th-century Nyingma monastery on a ridge overlooking the valley, where you may hear monks at prayer. Then walk the Gangtey Nature Trail, an easy route of about two hours that descends through pine forest, meadows and farmland to Khewa Lhakhang, with panoramic views across the valley. In winter, black-necked cranes feed in the marshes below. The evening in Phobjikha is quiet and peaceful, often with a crackling wood stove at your lodge.

Day05

OvernightParo

Phobjikha to Paro

Enjoy a tranquil morning in the Phobjikha Valley, perhaps with a short walk as mist lifts from the wetland. In the crane season, from late October to February, stop at the Black-necked Crane Information Centre, where telescopes allow you to watch the endangered cranes feeding in the marshes without disturbing them, and where displays explain their migration from the Tibetan plateau and the community’s efforts to protect them.

Then begin the long drive back to the Paro Valley, retracing the route over the mountains, past Wangdue Phodrang and over Dochula Pass, before continuing through Thimphu. The road passes terraced fields, villages and alpine forests, with stops for meals and views along the way. Arrive in Paro in the late afternoon or evening, and rest in preparation for tomorrow’s hike to the Tiger’s Nest, the highlight of the journey.

Day06

OvernightParo

Hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery

Today you climb to the legendary Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest, Bhutan’s best-known landmark, perched on a cliff about 900 metres above the valley floor. Tradition holds that Guru Rinpoche arrived here on the back of a flying tigress in the 8th century and meditated in a cave around which the monastery was later built, making it one of the holiest sites in the Himalaya.

The trail winds up through blue pine forest strung with prayer flags, with a café and viewpoint about halfway, and most visitors take two to three hours to reach the monastery. Ponies are available for part of the ascent. Inside, small temples lit by butter lamps hold statues of Guru Rinpoche and other deities, and your guide explains their significance. After descending, relax with a rejuvenating traditional hot stone bath, heated with river stones and often scented with herbs.

Day07

Depart from Paro

After breakfast, with views of the Paro Valley, your guide and driver accompany you to Paro International Airport for your onward flight. If time allows before your departure, you may be able to take a last look at Paro town or stop at a viewpoint above the valley, where Rinpung Dzong and the river are framed by forested hills.

The departure from Paro is almost as spectacular as the arrival, as aircraft climb out of the narrow valley between high ridges, and on a clear day the snow peaks of the Himalaya may be visible from the window. At the airport your guide bids you a warm “Tashi Delek”, the Bhutanese wish for good fortune, and we hope you take home lasting memories of the monasteries, valleys and people of Bhutan.

Good to know

Private journeyPlanned around your dates, pace and interests
GuideA licensed Bhutanese guide accompanies you throughout, as Bhutan requires
ArrivalParo International Airport
PriceDepends on dates, hotel category and group size; our prices include the government’s Sustainable Development Fee