About this trip
Punakha hosts two consecutive festivals each spring, both staged in the courtyards of the spectacular Punakha Dzong at the meeting of two rivers. The Drubchen opens the week with a unique three-day re-enactment of the 17th-century battle in which Bhutan repelled a Tibetan invasion; armoured "warriors" charge the dzong courtyard accompanied by trumpets and drums. The Tshechu follows immediately with three days of cham (masked dance), each dance teaching a chapter of Buddhist cosmology, and ends at dawn on the final day with the unveiling of the giant Thongdrol — a silk appliqué said to liberate viewers from their sins on first sight.
Highlights
- Punakha Dzong — arguably the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan
- The Drubchen warrior procession (rare, only in Punakha)
- Pre-dawn Thongdrol unveiling on the festival's closing day
- Tiger's Nest hike, Dochula Pass, Thimphu sights
The exact festival dates shift each year with the lunar calendar — typically late February to early March. We sync our group departures to land you in Punakha for both festival peaks.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 01 Arrive Paro
The flight into Paro is itself one of the more memorable arrivals in aviation, threading between mountain ridges with the wing tips seemingly brushing pine. Met on the tarmac with a traditional khadar (white silk scarf) and transferred to the hotel for check-in. After lunch, an unhurried introduction to the valley — visit Rinpung Dzong (the imposing 17th-century fortress-monastery on the riverbank) and the circular National Museum housed in the old watchtower above. Early dinner and an early night to settle from the journey and the altitude. Tomorrow's Tiger's Nest hike is a long one.
- Stay:
- Hotel Olathang, Paro
- Meals:
- D
Day 02 Tiger's Nest hike
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, 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. Tea break at the halfway cafeteria, where the iconic view of the monastery first opens up across the gorge. 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
Day 03 Drive Paro · Thimphu · Punakha
An early start east, with a long first stop at the capital Thimphu (the world's only capital city without traffic lights, with intersections still managed by white-gloved police). Visit Tashichho Dzong, the National Memorial Chorten where elderly Bhutanese circumambulate from morning to evening, and the giant gilded Buddha Dordenma watching over the valley from a hilltop. After lunch, continue over Dochula Pass at 3,100 metres — the saddle marked by 108 white chortens (the Druk Wangyal Chortens), with the eastern Himalaya laid out across the northern horizon on a clear day. Coffee and apple pie at the pass-side cafe is a tradition. Descend to Punakha for the night.
- Stay:
- Dhensa Boutique, Punakha
- Meals:
- B/L/D
- Altitude:
- 3100 m
Day 04 Punakha Drubchen · warrior re-enactment
The highlight of the festival's first half — a re-enactment of Bhutan's victory over Tibetan invaders in the 17th century, staged in the courtyard of Punakha Dzong with armoured 'pazaps' (local warriors) charging the dzong courtyard accompanied by trumpets, drums and ceremonial chants. The procession winds from the dzong down to the riverbank to symbolically throw an effigy of the defeated Tibetan general into the Mo Chhu river. The Drubchen is found nowhere else in Bhutan, and the warrior costumes — battle helmets, swords, ancient shields — are passed down through families. Mostly Bhutanese pilgrims attend, with a small number of foreign visitors; photography is welcomed but respectful distance is expected.
- Stay:
- Dhensa Boutique, Punakha
- Meals:
- B/L/D
Day 05 Punakha Tshechu · masked dances
The Drubchen flows directly into the Tshechu, with three days of cham (masked dance) opening today in the same dzong courtyard. Each dance teaches a chapter of Buddhist cosmology — the dance of the Lords of the Cremation Grounds, the dance of the Black Hats, the dance of the Stag and the Hounds — performed by monks in elaborate brocade costumes and hand-carved masks that have been used in the same dzong for centuries. The crowd is a sea of Bhutanese families in their finest gho and kira (the men in long-sleeved knee-length robes, the women in hand-woven ankle-length wrap-dresses). Lunch at the dzong, then continued dances in the afternoon.
- Stay:
- Dhensa Boutique, Punakha
- Meals:
- B/L/D
Day 06 Tshechu finale · Thongdrol unveiling
A pre-dawn start to be in the dzong courtyard for the unveiling of the giant Thongdrol — a silk appliqué of Guru Rinpoche surrounded by his eight manifestations, said to liberate viewers from their sins on first sight. The Thongdrol is unrolled before sunrise; by the time the first light hits the dzong walls, hundreds of pilgrims are already prostrating in front of it. The image is rolled away by mid-morning, and the final cham dances of the festival continue through the day, ending with a blessing dance at sunset. A reflective afternoon — many travellers say this is the most moving day of any Bhutan trip.
- Stay:
- Dhensa Boutique, Punakha
- Meals:
- B/L/D
Day 07 Drive Paro · Departure
Late breakfast and the easy drive back over Dochula Pass to Paro — three hours, recrossing the saddle of 108 chortens for one last view of the eastern Himalaya if the morning is clear. We aim for the airport at least two hours before departure for relaxed check-in. Final khadars at the security gate, and a last 'tashi delek' before you board. Most onward flights connect through Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok or Singapore.
- Stay:
- —
- Meals:
- B
