Classic Bhutan: Paro, Thimphu & Punakha

The flight into Paro is itself one of the more memorable arrivals in aviation — only a handful of pilots in the world are certified to land here, and the descent threads between the ridges of the Paro valley with the wing tips seemingly brushing pine. Met on the tarmac with a traditional khadar (white silk scarf) and driven the short distance to the hotel for check-in and a lunch of red rice, ema datshi, and butter tea. In the afternoon, a gentle introduction to the valley: Rinpung Dzong (the imposing 17th-century fortress-monastery on the riverbank) followed by the circular National Museum housed in the old watchtower above. Early dinner and an early night to help with the altitude and jet lag.

Stay:

Hotel Olathang, Paro

Meals:

D

The signature day of any Bhutan trip. Taktsang Monastery — the Tiger's Nest — clings to a vertical cliff face 900 metres above the Paro valley floor, the spot where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours. The hike is a steady 5- to 6-hour round trip on a well-maintained trail of switchbacks through blue pine and prayer-flag-strung rest stops. Most groups take a tea break at the halfway cafeteria, where the first clear view of the monastery opens up across the gorge — it is one of the most photographed scenes in the Himalaya. Inside the monastery, several small lhakhangs are open for visit; remove shoes, leave cameras at the door.

Stay:

Hotel Olathang, Paro

Meals:

B/L/D

Distance:

7 km

Altitude:

3120 m

A short and scenic drive of about 90 minutes east to Thimphu — at roughly 100,000 people, the world's only capital city without traffic lights, with intersections still managed (charmingly) by white-gloved police officers. The road follows the Wang Chhu river, with the steel-cable Tachog Lhakhang Bridge as a photogenic mid-morning stop. In Thimphu, visit Tashichho Dzong (the seat of government and the central monastic body, lit golden after dusk), the National Memorial Chorten where elderly Bhutanese circumambulate from morning to evening, and the giant gilded Buddha Dordenma that watches over the valley from a hilltop south of town. Evening at leisure to wander Norzin Lam, the main shopping street.

Stay:

Hotel Druk, Thimphu

Meals:

B/L/D

A full day to take in the capital. Morning at the Crafts Bazaar and the National Institute for Zorig Chusum, the school where students train for years in Bhutan's thirteen traditional arts — wood carving, slate carving, embroidery, thangka painting, bronze casting, and more. Continue to the Royal Textile Academy to see the country's astonishing hand-woven silks. In the afternoon, an archery match at a local club — Bhutan's national sport, played with much singing, dancing and good-natured heckling between the teams. If scheduling allows, we can also arrange a brief private audience with a senior monk at one of the smaller goembas.

Stay:

Hotel Druk, Thimphu

Meals:

B/L/D

Cross the Dochula Pass at 3,100 metres — the most beautiful drive in the country on a clear morning, with 108 white chortens (the Druk Wangyal Chortens) arranged on the saddle and the eastern Himalaya laid out across the northern horizon. Coffee and apple pie at the pass-side cafe is a tradition. The road then drops 1,800 metres through subtropical forest into the warm Punakha valley, where rice paddies replace the alpine pine. After lunch, visit Punakha Dzong — arguably the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan — built in 1637 at the confluence of the Pho Chhu (father river) and Mo Chhu (mother river), the site of every royal wedding and coronation.

Stay:

Dhensa Boutique, Punakha

Meals:

B/L/D

Altitude:

3100 m

A gentle morning walk across the rice paddies to Chimi Lhakhang, the small temple founded by the 15th-century saint Drukpa Kunley (the so-called 'Divine Madman' famous for his unconventional and frequently bawdy teaching style). The temple is a place of pilgrimage for Bhutanese couples hoping to conceive, and you'll see phallic motifs painted on many of the houses in the valley as a result — quintessentially Bhutanese in their cheerful subversion. After lunch, choose between a relaxed afternoon by the hotel or an optional Class II white-water raft down the Mo Chhu — an easy float with great valley views, no white-water experience needed. Evening dinner with the option of a private monk-chant blessing if requested in advance.

Stay:

Dhensa Boutique, Punakha

Meals:

B/L/D

Distance:

6 km

Early breakfast and the drive back to Paro — about three hours, recrossing Dochula Pass for one last view if the morning is clear. We aim to reach the airport at least two hours before departure for a relaxed check-in, with time at the small but excellent airport cafe. Final khadars at the security gate, and a last 'tashi delek' (Bhutan's all-purpose blessing — auspicious, well, fortunate) before you board. Most onward flights connect through Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok or Singapore.

Stay:

—

Meals:

B