TOURIST ATTRACTION
The leading tour attractions we take you through our Bhutan tour packages are:
Paro
At an altitude 7000 feet, the beautiful valley of Paro is home to many of Bhutan's oldest monasteries & temples. This enigmatic town is full of legends, natural splendor and folktales, making it an attractive stop in Bhutan tour. The country's only airport is situated here and the national carrier Druk Air is the only airlines operating here. The Paro valley is also home to Mount Chomolhari (7300 meters.) situated at the northern end of the valley whose glacier water forms the picturesque Pachu river flowing through the valley.
Sightseeing, trekking, hiking and nature watching are some the rejuvenating experiences you can indulge in Paro valley during your Bhutan tour.
Rinpung Dzong
Known as the "Fortress of the heap of jewels" this is the venue for the annual Paro Tsechu held every spring. It is located on a knoll across the Paro Chu river and a walk through the Nemi Zam bridge over a stone inlaid path offers a good view of the architectural wonder of the Dzong as well as life around it.
Ta Dzong
This castle shaped Dzong is located on the high hillside in the vicinity of Rinpung Dzong. Built as a watch tower, the Ta Dzong has since been turned into the national museum. An art lover's paradise, it holds a fascinating collection of art, relics, religious thangkha paintings and Bhutan's exquisite postage stamps.
Taktsang Monastery
The Taktsang "Tiger's lair" is one of the most popular spiritual heritage sites, perched precariously on the rock face of a sheer cliff 900m above the ground. The hike up to the monastery takes about 3-4 hours. There is a look out point & a cafeteria within the monastery campus.
Kyichu Lhakhang
This monastery dates back to the 7th century & is one of the oldest & sacred. It is composed of twin temples, the first temple was built by Buddhist Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century and in 1968, a second temple was built alongside the first one, in the same style by H.M. Ashi Kessang, the Queen Mother of Bhutan.
Drukgyel Dzong
(The Ruined fortress) This is a 17th century fortress that used to keep invading Tibetan forces at bay, but was destroyed in fire in 1951. On a clear day one can see Mount Chomolhari from the village below the Dzong.
Thimphu
: No Bhutan tour would be complete without a visit to Thimpu. At an altitude of 7000 feet, Thimphu is a bustling town on the bank of Thimphu Chu & set gloriously in the hills of the Thimphu valley. It's the home to the Bhutanese Royal family, the Royal Government, & to several foreign missions & development projects. Interestingly, it is the only world capital without any traffic lights.
Tashichho Dzong
Known as the 'Fortress of the glorious religion', this Dzong houses the throne room of His Majesty the King, the main secretariat building & the central monk body. Its courtyard is open to visitors during the Thimphu Tshechu and when the monk body moves to it's winter residence in Punakha. Bhutan's only golf course, a nine whole circuit, is situated next to this magnificent Tashichho Dzong.
Memorial Chorten
This stupa was built in 1974 by the mother of the Third King, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck in memory of her son.
The Institute of Zorig Chusum
The traditional arts & craft institute.
National Library
Bhutan's national Library is located close to the Institute of Zorig Chusum & contains Bhutan's history in the form of religious & historical literature.
The Folk Heritage Museum
Founded by Her Majesty the Queen Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck the museum is one of a kind that portrays the life style, items and artifacts of Bhutanese villages and rural households in the Thimphu valley in the olden days.
The Institute of Traditional Medicine
A hospital of indigenous medicine.
Weekend Market
Every Saturday & Sunday most of the Thimphu population congregate on the banks of the river, where the weekend market is held. Here villagers from the valley & other nearby places come to sell their agricultural products. At the weekend market, you can experience the taste of some of the finest local cuisines or shop for souvenirs to take home.
For the spiritually inclined & those prefer short treks there are various monasteries & temples in & around Thimphu.
Punakha
(Altitude 4420 feet) Punakha served as the capital of Bhutan until 1955. It's the winter seat of the Je Khempo (Chief Abbot) & the monk body. It has a temperate climate & its rich fertile valley is fed by the Pho Chu & Mo Chu Rivers.
Druk Wangyel Chortens at Dochula
On the way to Punakha to from Thimphu is the Dochula pass from where a panoramic view of the Himalayan mountain range can be seen, especially on clear winter days. The beauty of this place is further enhanced by the Druk Wangyel Chortens - a 108 stupas built by the eldest Queen, Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck.
Punakha Dzong
Built by the Shabdrung in 1637, the Punakha Dzong stands majestically at the junction of two rivers- Pho Chu & Mo Chu. The Dzong is open for visitors during the Punakha Tsechu & during the summer months when the monk body moves to Thimphu.
Khamsum Yulley Namgyel Chorten
Build by the third Queen, Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck this Chorten is a splendid example of the fine Bhutanese architecture, art & is the only one of its kind in the world. It has been built over eight & a half years & its details have been inspired from religious scriptures.
Wangduephodrang
( Altitude 4430 feet) Located to the south of Punakha this is the last town before central Bhutan. The district is famous for its fine bamboo work, slate work & stone curving.
Gangtey Goempa / Phubjekha
( Altitude 9840 feet) Bhutan is home to around six hundred black necked cranes with Phubjekha being one of the popular places that the birds migrate to in the winter months from the Tibetan plateau. These elegant & shy birds can be observed from early November to beginning of March. Overlooking the Phubjekha valley is the Gangtey Goempa. This is an old monastery that dates back to the 17th century.
Trongsa
( Altitude 7600 feet) Trongsa forms the central hub of the kingdom & is historically the place from where attempts at unifying the country were launched. The landscape around Tongsa is spectacular.
Trongsa Dzong
Built in 1648, Trongsa Dzong is the ancestral home of the Royal family. Both the first & the second king ruled the country from this ancient seat. It is he largest Dzong in the country and can be seen from a large distance
Ta Dzong
Perched above the Trongsa Dzong this is a watch tower which once stood guard over the Trongsa Dzong from the internal rebellion. It's now being turned into a heritage museum.
Bumthang
( Altitude 8,530 - 13,125 feet) This fascinating valley is the religious heartland of the nation & home to some of the oldest Buddhist temples & monasteries. Its gentle sloping hills offer plenty of walking opportunities to the many temples that dot this valley. The valley is also famous for its production of honey, cheese, apple & yatha- a woolen material that has multiple uses.
Jambey Lhakhang
it's one of the 108 monasteries built by King Songtsen Goempa in the 8th century to subdue evil sprits in the Himalayan region.
Kurje Lhakhang
Kurje Lhakhang is located just a few meters beyond Jambey Lhakhang. It was built in memory of the saint Guru Padmasambhava who was supposed to have meditated there in 8th century.
Tamshing Lhakhang
This monastery lies on the other side of the river opposite the Kurje Lhakhang. It was built in 1501 by Terton Pema Lingpa, a re-incarnation of Guru Padmasambhava & whose linage the Royal family traces to their ancestors too.
Jakar Dzong
The Dzong was initially built as a monastery in 1549 by the great grand father of the Shabdrung. It is now used as the administrative center for the Bumthang district.
Mebar Tsho (Lake of Burning Fire)
This is a sacred lake of the Bhutanese who believe that Pema Lingpa discovered religious treasures from this lake in the 12th century. On auspicious days many Bhutanese offer butter lamps on this fresh water lake.
Ura Village
Ura lies in the Tang valley, a one & a half hours drive from Bumthang town. The drive is mainly through sheep pastures & along the way one can glimpse magnificent view of the Mount Gangkar Puensum from Ura la. The main characteristics of this village are the closely packed cluster houses. It is the last settlement before the climb to the highest road pass at Trumsingla.
Mongar
( Altitude 5575 feet) The Journey from Bumthang to Mongar is one of the most beautiful in the Himalayas crossing 3800 meters high Trumsing-la pass. Mongar marks the beginning of eastern Bhutan. The second largest town in the sub tropical east, Mongar, like Trashigang further east, is situated on the side of a hill in contrast to the other towns of western Bhutan which are built on the valley floor.
Trashigang
( Altitude 3775 feet) This is the largest district of Bhutan & it lies in the Far East on the banks of river Gamri Chu. It was once the center of a busy trade with Tibet. Today it's the junction of east-west highway with road connecting to Samdrupjonkhar & then to the Indian state of Assam. The nomadic people of Merak & Sakten who are remarkable for their exceptional features & costumes use this town as their market place mostly during winter.
Trashigang Dzong
( Altitude3775 feet) It was built in 1659 & now serves as the administrative seat for the district as well as the home of monk body. The Dzong commands a remarkable view of the surrounding countryside.
Gom Kora
It is said that the Guru meditated in this place to subdue a demon that dwelt in a big rock. A temple was then built.
Trashiyangtse
( Altitude 6000 feet) Trashiyangtse is also home for black necked cranes especially in Bomdeling. This is the eastern most Part of Bhutan & borders the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India.
Chorten Cora
It is similar to the stupa of Bodhnath in Nepal & was built in 1740 by Lama Ngawang Lodey. During the second month of lunar calendar an interesting celebration known as 'Kora' takes place here when people from neighboring Arunachal Pradesh also join in the festivities.
Samdrup Jongkhar
The road from Trashigang to Samdrup Jongkhar was completed in 1960s & it enables the eastern past of the country to access & benefit from trade with the south as well as across the Indian border.
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