Private Departures: Bhutan8-Day Mountain Odyssey

Sample Itinerary-Create Your Own Private Customized Itinerary

Day 1 — Delhi
Arrive in Delhi and transfer to your award-winning hotel, Trident Gurgaon, named “Asia’s Leading Luxury Hotel” by the World Travel Awards. Spend the night in luxury, relaxing after your travels and preparing for the excitement of Bhutan. You may choose to indulge yourself in the Spas at Trident, with modern services combined with indigenous treatments to refresh, recharge and ready you for the journey ahead. Lodging: The Trident Gurgaon

Day 2 — Thimphu
Fly to Paro, and drive to capital city of Thimphu, at 8,000 feet. Adjust to the altitude while experiencing your first taste of Bhutanese culture. As Bhutan’s largest city, Thimpu has great dining and shopping opportunities while retaining its dignified and low-key character. You will have no doubt that you are in the world’s only Buddhist theocracy, with monks a common sight in the city’s everyday to-and-fro. You’ll also observe how Buddhism is integrated into every aspect of life in Bhutan including dance, clothing style and music. Lodging: Riverview Hotel

Day 3 — Thimphu
Spend the day touring Thimphu and its cultural centers. Local arts schools welcome you to see how the ancient Bhutanese traditions are passed on from generation to generation. Watch expert weavers at work in the Gagyel Lhundrup Weaving Centre. Visit the Folk Heritage and National Textile Museum, great places to deepen your understanding of Bhutan. Take a short trip to the very interesting Takin Preserve, habitat for Bhutan’s national animal, the takin. This odd-looking animal looks like a cross between a goat and a moose, and was once part of a mini-zoo. When the king dissolved the zoo based on ideological dissonance, the takin refused to leave, creating the need for this preserve. Lodging: Riverview Hotel

Day 4 — Punakha
Drive to Punakha, the former capital and now the rice bowl of Bhutan. Explore both the small town and even smaller villages to experience the kind and joyous personalities of the Bhutanese people. Chat with monks studying English and religion at the Nalanda Buddhist College. Visit Punakha Dzong, a fortress built in 1637 that has withstood four catastrophic fires, an earthquake and several substantial floods, and has recently been restored to its original glory. Tour the temple of The Divine Madman, a “crazy wisdom” teacher whose deeds are recorded in paintings on the temple’s walls. Bhutanese believe that this temple increases fertility and visit when they want to have children. Lodging: Zangto Pelri Hotel

Day 5 & 6 — Paro
Drive to Paro and stop to hang prayer flags at the Dochu La Pass. Visit Rinpung Dzong, said to be the best example of traditional architecture in Bhutan. Sample unique local foods such as smoked and dried yak cheese, and jellied cow skin…or maybe not. Browse locally made products among the town’s shops. Don’t miss the traditional Bhutanese hand-made boots. The Bhutan National Museum is housed in a former watchtower, making one of its best displays the view itself. Lodging: Tiger Nest Resort

Tiger Nest Resort
Situated in the idyllic valley of Paro, Tiger's Nest Resort has incorporated the best of traditional Bhutanese design with intricate wood carvings, oak floors & staircases, stone inlaid pathway and slate roofs. Picturesquely situated amongst pine trees, the hotel has direct views of the two of the most celebrated sights in Bhutan - Taktsang Monastery and 24,000-foot Mount Chomolhari.

Day 7 — Paro
Take a full day hike up to the famous Tiger's Nest Monastery, one of the holiest sites in Bhutan. Guru Padmasambhava, who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan, is said to have flown here on the back of a tigress and meditated in a cave for three months. The cave still exists inside the monastery. It is still a working monastery, with practicing Buddhists hiking up for retreats and resident monks residing year-round. You’ll hike through pine forests and rhododendrons, up switchbacks and higher still. Don’t rush, it’s not a race. It is, however, a very Bhutanese thing to do. You’ll see pilgrims young and old and, no matter what they are wearing on the way up, they will all be wearing the required national uniform when they enter the monastery. As you are not a Bhutanese citizen, you are not required to wear the uniform. Lodging: Tiger Nest Resort

Day 8 — Depart
Take a commercial flight from Paro to Delhi, India and connect with international flight home.