Bhutan- the country with 800,000 people claims to be the happiest country on planet earth. After being there, I can agree – it's pretty happy place! And it is the only country that has a Gross National Happiness index, a philosophy that values happiness over anything else. In fact, it is the guiding principle of the government of Bhutan!
The trip to Bhutan from Kathmandu is ideal because you will experience a 40 minute flight over the stunning Himalayan Mountains, Landing at the Paro – the only international airport in Bhutan. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this could be the most scenic and beautiful flight on earth. From the air you can see many of the high peaks including Mt. Everest, Mt. Kanchengunga, Mt. Lotse, Mt. Makalu and Mt. Choyo for example.
The 5-day tour started from the Paro airport. From the airport, we drove to stunning Paro city. It is such a clean and beautiful place with all houses covered in stunning artwork. After having lunch in Paro, we drove towards the base of Tiger's Nest and hiked to Tiger's Nest. An hour and half walking uphill we arrived – tired but it was well worth the hike. Tiger's Nest was beyond amazing. It's a place where I could have stayed for hours – simply staring in admiration at the gorgeous surroundings and meditating in silence.
From there, we drove on to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. Another beautiful city in Bhutan.The next day we stopped at Buddha point another mind-blowing, must-see spot. I really enjoyed visiting Buddha point and the view of Thimphu valley was best from this vintage point. After visiting Buddha point, we drove towards Punakha via Dachula pass. After a very scenic few hours of driving through mountain roads, we arrived in Punakha, the phallus city, for lunch and then carried on to PunakhaDzong.
PunakhaDzong (OMG), I can't explain it!! It is definitely a place that defies description and can only be seen and felt with the heart. This is one of the places in Bhutan you should not miss! And this is the reason why I highly recommend the 5-day tour so that you don't miss any of these amazing sites. After few hours in PunakhaDzong, we drove for another 15 minutes and spent the night in Wangdu. The next morning after breakfast, we drove to Punakha again to visit the phallus temple (ChimiLhakhang). This is the most popular fertility temple in the country and many childless couples come to receive blessings. After visiting this great place we drove back to Paro and stayed there for the next two nights to be able to do some sightseeing in the area. We wentto few Dzongs and visited the places around the city.
Yes, I agree! Bhutan must be the happiest country in the world! Bhutan has everything and yet, the material world has not been able to ruin the happiness of the people. It's the policy of Bhutan to value happiness over anything else and they are doing great job of it! Bhutan truly is a piece of paradise on earth and you should add this unspoiled country to your Bucket List.
I have just finished tour in Bhutan and I have tried to capture it all in the vlog I've created. I hope you enjoy my video and please feel free to ask questions or leave comments. Ensure you watch the video until the end, in order to give you a full understanding of what you can expect when booking this incredible tour with Mountain Ram Adventures. Namaste from the team here at Mountain Ram Adventures. We look forward to making all your Bhutan dream come true!
Note For The Interested Travelers Participating in the Five Day Bhutan Tour
For the Five Day Bhutan Tour the travelers need to have a valid visa of Bhutan which takes around 7 working days and can only be done through travel agencies and tour operators enlisted in the tourism council of Bhutan. The interested travelers are requested to contact the team at least 2 weeks before the beginning of the Bhutan Tour to ensure a seamless travel experience.
As the Five Day Bhutan tour is beginning we will be heading to Paro Airport from the Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal through a scenic mountain flight. We will be dropped off at the airport by the team representatives of the Mountain Ram Adventures. During the flight we will be able to see the spectacular views of some of the highest peaks in the world including Mount Everest, Mount Cho Oyu, Mount Makalu, Mount Kanchenjunga and many more. The total flight time will be around 40 minutes long after which the travelers will be welcomed into Bhutan by our Bhutanese Guide who will be accompanying us for the entirety of the tour. After having our lunch we will be heading towards the Tiger’s Nest (Paro Taktsang). The Tiger’s nest is around 1.5 hours from the base of the hill and we will need to hike our way up there. We will be gaining around 400 M in elevation during our hike reaching an elevation of 3100 M. After reaching the Tiger’s Nest we will be exploring the iconic landmark. After an amazing sight seeing of the Paro Taktsang we will be heading back down to the starting point and will be transferred to our Hotel in Thimpu, the capital city of Bhutan.
Note: Taking pictures and videos inside the monastery is restricted and travelers need to keep their electronics outside while entering the Paro Taktsang. The electronics can be kept in a locker outside the vicinity of the landmark and can be collected afterwards.
After a goodnight rest in Thimpu we will be heading towards Punakha after having our breakfast. On the way to Punakha we will firstly reach Buddha Point where we will be exploring for a bit. The Buddha Point is a Tranquil spot from where we will be able to see the beautiful view of the Thimphu Valley. After a beautiful detour we will again resume our journey back towards Punakha during which we will be passing through the DochuLa Pass at an elevation of 3100 M. There are a total of 108 memorial chortens or stupas known as "Druk Wangyal Chortens" and is also a viewpoint to see the beautiful Himalayas. After a short drive from the DochuLa Pass we will reach Punakha where we will be having our lunch. We will be heading towards Punakha Dzong shortly after having our lunch. The Punakha Dzong is one of the oldest and largest fortified monasteries of Bhutan and is also called the Palace of Great Happiness. After the sight seeing tour of the Punakha Dzong we will be transferred to our hotel in Punakha. After that we can freshen up and explore the local area or rest for the night.
On the 3rd day of the journey we will begin our day with a delightful breakfast and will be heading for a short sightseeing tour after which we will be heading towards Paro to Thimphu. We will be visiting the most revered and sacred fertility temple in Bhutan, the Chimi Lhakhang which was constructed in 1499 AD. After exploring the landmark for a bit we will be heading towards Paro passing through the DochuLa Pass and Thimpu. We will be having our lunch in Thimpu and will be visiting the Memorial Chorten in Thimphu after which we will be headed straight towards Paro. After reaching our designated hotel we will have free time to rest or just explore the locality.
The fourth day of our Bhutan Tour will be spent on Paro exploring the city. The sightseeing of Paro city will begin shortly after we have our breakfast. We will be firstly visiting the Drukgyel Dzong which was built to commemorate the victory of Bhutan over the invasion from Tibet. The fortress was destroyed by a fire during the 1950’s and the restoration of the historic monument was started in 2016 AD. After exploring the Drukgyel Monastery we will be heading towards Kyichu Monastery which is one of the oldest monasteries of Bhutan dating back to the 7th century after exploring the beautiful landmark we will be visiting the Rinpung Dzong also known as Paro Dzong. The Dzong is also known as the “Fortress of Heap of Jewels”. The Rinpung Dzong will be our last place of sightseeing and after that we will be dropped back to our hotel. As the sightseeing tour is finished we will have free time to explore Paro city and buy some souvenirs from the local vendors from the locality as well.
As the Five Day Bhutan tour is ending we will be heading back towards Nepal via a scenic flight of 40 minutes from Paro. We will be transferred to the Paro Airport from our hotel after we have our breakfast. We will be bidding farewell to our Bhutanese Guide and team. After entering the airport we will be passing through the security and heading back to Nepal marking the end of our mesmerizing and beautiful Bhutan Tour. We will be enjoying the spectacular views of the Himalayas during our flight. After landing in the Tribhuvan International Airport we will be meeting the representatives of the Mountain Ram Adventures team who will be transferring us to the Head office of the team at Z Street, Thamel or the travelers can head towards their home directly from the airport marking the official end of our Bhutan Tour.
An elevated point of 5416m. You will be mountain climbing in the main on well established trails. Come and join a Great adventure trip.
Bhutan is considered to be one of the safest countries in the world and renowned for their hospitable nature. Exploring the city area alone during the evening time is safe but the travelers are suggested to stay aware of the area they are exploring and contact the team members if any problems arise while exploring. The travelers will be provided with the contact details of the team during the beginning of the tour.
During the Five Day Bhutan Tour the Mountain Ram Adventures team will be providing the travelers rooms in the well established Hotel on a twin sharing basis for the entirety of their trip.The team will also be responsible for arranging Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (3 meals per day) for the travelers during the trip.
Yes, for the Bhutan Tour having a Guide who is well educated about the sites is essential as without the guides travelers will miss out on unique travel experiences during the tour. During the Bhutan Tour the Mountain Ram Adventures team will be assigning a guide who will be accommodating the travelers for the entirety of the tour sharing their vast knowledge about the monuments and cultures.
During the Five Day Bhutan Tour the travelers will be provided with three meals per day: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner according to the package. The meals available during the tour will be palatable to the travelers. Several popular Bhutanese dishes which the travelers can try during the tour include Ema Datshi (National dish), Jasha Maru, Phaksha Paa, Kewa Datshi and many more.
Bhutanese ngultrum (BTN) is the official currency of Bhutan. Indian Rupees (INR) is also in use in Bhutan. The travelers can exchange their local currency into the Bhutanese currency before the beginning of the tour from the local money exchange vendors in the Thamel area or the Tribhuvan International Airport.
The travelers can apply for the visa through the registered Travel Agencies/ Tour Operators who will apply for the visa through the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Bhutan. The travelers participating in the Tour with the Mountain Ram Adventures team will be assisted during the visa application process and will be providing the travelers with their visa after the arrival of visa. The usual visa process takes around 1 week
To Participate in the Bhutan Tour there are no age restrictions and can be enjoyed by travelers of all ages. However some of the Hikes including the 1.5 hours hike to the Tiger's Nest can be challenging to the senior citizens and childrens who are under the age of 10 years. The travelers need not to worry as the travelers will be accompanied by a guide for their entirety of the trip who assists the travelers during any difficult case.
The best time to participate in the Bhutan Tour is during the months of March to May and September to November is the best time to participate. If avoiding clouds and searching for pleasant weather the month of May and November is ideal and for budget conscious travelers traveling during the months of June or December is perfect.
Yes, the Five Day Bhutan Tour is possible if the travelers are vegetarian as vegetarian meals are popular in Bhutan which can be enjoyed by the travelers. The travelers should inform the Mountain Ram Adventures team before the beginning of the tour so that the team can make the necessary arrangements for the travelers to have proper vegetarian meals for the entirety of their journey.
Even though the Paro Airport is considered to be one of the dangerous airports in the world the flight to Paro Airport from Kathmandu is completely safe as the pilots who are eligible to fly to Paro have to be certified with a special training to ensure the safety of the flights. Due to this reason also the flights to Paro are quite limited.
For the International Tourists participating in the Bhutan Tour with the Mountain Ram Adventures can leave their extra luggages with the team in the Head office at Z Street, Thamel which will be completely safe and can collect their bags after the completion of the Bhutan Tour.
The travelers are suggested to pack warm clothes for the journey while participating in the Bhutan Tour as the temperature of Bhutan is chilly as the country is nestled amidst the Eastern Himalayas. The travelers will also be provided with a checklist of all the essentials for their trip if requested by the travelers with the team.