DAY BY DAY PLAN
Itinerary
This is a sample route. The final journey can be adjusted based on your flight dates, hotel preference, walking level, and travel style.
Day 1-3: Arrival and Thimphu Cultural Discovery
Arrive in Bhutan and begin your luxury journey in Thimphu, the country’s peaceful capital. After settling into your lodge, explore the city’s cultural highlights, including local museums, traditional craft centres, Buddha Dordenma, the National Memorial Chorten, and nearby heritage sites. During your stay in Thimphu, enjoy guided experiences that introduce you to Bhutanese art, spirituality, and daily life. You may visit monasteries, learn about traditional paper making or incense preparation, browse local markets, and take scenic walks with views across the valley. For travellers who enjoy walking, a forest hike above Thimphu offers a beautiful introduction to Bhutan’s mountain landscapes, with peaceful trails, pine forests, and panoramic views of the capital valley.
Day 4: Thimphu to Punakha via Dochula Pass
Travel from Thimphu to Punakha, crossing the scenic Dochula Pass. On clear days, this mountain pass offers beautiful Himalayan views and a peaceful setting surrounded by prayer flags and memorial chortens.
Along the way, visit important cultural sites before descending into the warmer Punakha Valley. The journey includes opportunities to stop for photographs, enjoy a relaxed lunch, and experience the changing landscapes between Bhutan’s highlands and fertile valleys.
Days 5–6: Punakha Valley Experience
Spend two days discovering the beauty and calm of Punakha. Visit sacred temples, riverside villages, and the magnificent Punakha Dzong, one of Bhutan’s most impressive historic fortresses.
Enjoy a gentle hike to a hilltop chorten, explore traditional countryside, and experience local Bhutanese hospitality through carefully arranged cultural activities. Depending on your interests, the day can also include archery, village walks, a visit to a nunnery, or time around Punakha’s iconic suspension bridge.
Days 7–8: Gangtey and Phobjikha Valley
Continue your journey to Gangtey, one of Bhutan’s most peaceful and scenic valleys. Set within the wider Phobjikha Valley, Gangtey is known for its open landscapes, forested hills, traditional villages, and the historic Gangtey Goemba monastery.
Explore the village, visit the monastery, and take in the quiet beauty of the valley. The following day can include a guided hike through forests and ridgelines, offering wide views of the valley and a deeper connection to Bhutan’s untouched natural landscapes.
In the evening, enjoy a special dining experience inspired by local Bhutanese traditions.
Day 9: Gangtey to Bumthang
Journey from Gangtey to Bumthang, Bhutan’s spiritual heartland. The drive follows mountain roads, valleys, and traditional settlements, with stops along the way at cultural landmarks and viewpoints.
Pass through Trongsa, a place closely connected to Bhutan’s royal history, before continuing toward Bumthang. On arrival, settle into the lodge and enjoy the calm atmosphere of one of Bhutan’s most sacred regions.
Days 10–11: Sacred Bumthang Valley
Spend two days exploring Bumthang’s temples, monasteries, legends, and spiritual landscapes. Visit some of Bhutan’s most important sacred sites, including ancient lhakhangs associated with Guru Rinpoche and other revered Buddhist masters.
The journey may also include visits to quiet valleys, hidden temples, local villages, and traditional weaving areas. Bumthang offers a slower, deeply spiritual side of Bhutan, making it one of the most meaningful parts of the journey.
Days 12–14: Paro, Heritage Sites, and Tiger’s Nest Monastery
Fly from Bumthang to Paro and continue the final part of your journey in one of Bhutan’s most beautiful valleys. Explore Paro’s cultural landmarks, including the National Museum, Paro Dzong, Kyichu Lhakhang, and the town’s traditional streets.
On the final full day, hike to the iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Bhutan’s most famous spiritual site. Built dramatically on a cliffside above Paro Valley, this sacred monastery is one of the most unforgettable experiences in Bhutan.
After the hike, return to your lodge for a relaxing wellness experience and a special final evening in Bhutan.
Final Morning: Departure from Paro
After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to Paro International Airport for your onward flight. Depart Bhutan with memories of sacred valleys, refined lodge stays, cultural encounters, mountain landscapes, and one of the most complete luxury journeys through the kingdom.
INCLUDED
What is Included?
- Luxury accommodation at selected Amankora lodges
- Private guided journey through Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey, Bumthang, and Paro
- Accommodation as selected
- English-speaking guide, private driver, and vehicle
- Private airport transfers
- Daily cultural excursions and sightseeing as outlined in the itinerary
- All in-house meals at the lodges
- Picnic lunches during selected travel days
- Selected in-house beverages
- Touring permits and monument access passes
- One-way domestic flight from Bumthang to Paro
- One 60-minute holistic massage per person
- Traditional Bhutanese farmhouse lunch experience
- Private dining experiences at selected lodges
- Archery and selected cultural activities
- Personalised itinerary planning assistance
- Flight reservation support
- Bhutan visa processing assistance
- Laundry service
- Pre-trip and on-ground travel support