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Bhutan Stopover Tour 4 days ( 3 nights)
3 nights 4 days Bhutan tour
-
4 Days - Culture Tours
- Easy
4 Days
Overview
Costs
Included
Itinerary
Tour Leader
Trip PhotosExperience Bhutan’s Essence in 4 Days
This whirlwind 3-night, 4-day Bhutan Stopover tour packs a punch. Explore the cultural gems of Thimphu, the revamped capital nestled in a temperate valley, and Paro, a serene region with a charming town center and breathtaking scenery.
Thimphu offers a captivating blend of ancient and modern. Vibrant markets jostle alongside historic monasteries and fortresses, showcasing Bhutan’s unique heritage. Paro boasts a similar charm, with its traditional houses nestled amidst terraced fields.
Hike to the iconic Taktsang Monastery, perched dramatically on a cliffside, or choose an alternative adventure. Explore Chele La Pass, Kila Gompa nunnery, Drakarpo Monastery, or delve deeper into Paro Valley’s cultural gems and villages. We tailor the experience to your interests.
Embark on an exhilarating hike to Taktsang, Bhutan’s revered landmark. Perched dramatically on a cliffside, this sacred Buddhist monastery symbolizes spiritual heritage and is believed to be the meditation cave of Guru Rinpoche, who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century.
The journey begins with a drive to the 2,600m trailhead. As you ascend through pine and oak forests, refreshing natural surroundings and breathtaking Paro Valley glimpses unfold.
After an initial climb, reach a cafeteria for a break with a spectacular Taktsang view. The trail continues with prayer flags, wheels, shrines, and waterfalls adding to the spiritual ambiance. The final ascent gets steeper with stone steps, but the anticipation of reaching Taktsang keeps you motivated.
The reward? An awe-inspiring sight. Taktsang clings to the cliffside, offering panoramic views and defying gravity. Explore the monastery’s temples and shrines, and soak in the serene atmosphere.
The 2-4 hour uphill hike, combined with exploration time, makes it a full-day adventure. Descend back to the base and consider visiting a local farmhouse for an authentic glimpse into Bhutanese life.
Prefer a gentler exploration? Opt for shorter hikes like Drakarpo, Singye Dra, or Ragoe. Love scenic drives? Take a day trip to Chele La Pass, visiting Kila and Dzongdrakha. Yearn for deeper immersion? Delve into Paro Valley’s cultural gems. Discuss your preferences with your guide in Bhutan to craft the perfect itinerary.
Outline Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Paro – Thimphu Tour
Day 2: Thimphu Tour & Paro Tour
Day 3: In Paro (Hike to Takstang)
Day 4: Departure
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- A short and sweet introduction that cover Thimphu and Paro valleys.
- Visit the capital of Bhutan
- Visit Serene Paro Valley
- Hike to the iconic Takstang (tigers’ nest) monastery.
Overview
Trip Type Culture Tours
Activities Included Culture Tours
Accommodation 3 * & 4* Hotels
Meal All meals
Best Seasons This trip can be done through-out the year but best from Feb -April, Sept till Nov.
Route Thimphu-Paro
Best Months March, April, October, November
Good Months February, May, September
Lean Months January, December
Not Recommended Months June, July, August- A short and sweet introduction that cover Thimphu and Paro valleys.
- Visit the capital of Bhutan
- Visit Serene Paro Valley
- Hike to the iconic Takstang (tigers’ nest) monastery.
Cost Information
As the cost is contingent on factors like the number of travelers and the travel date, we recommend contacting us for precise details. However, for a rough estimate, consider the following:
The cost ranges from $450 to $800 per person, exclusive of Sustainable Development Fees (SDF), which are an additional $300 per person. Please note that flights are not included in this estimate. For specific and detailed pricing, feel free to reach out to us.
Included
- Accommodations in listed hotels or similar (best available standard tourist hotels)
- All meals including some evening tea
- Bottled water in the vehicle.
- All transportation by good quality private vehicle.
- Entrance fees to the monuments
- English Speaking guide.
- Bhutan Visa fees
- SDF Sustainable Tourist Dev. Fees
- Travel permits etc
Not included
- Flight cost.
- Travel /Medical Insurance
- Personal expenses such as bars, beverages, optional tips/gratuities.
- All personal gears/clothing
- All other costs not listed in the included section
Detailed Itinerary
Expand AllArrival in Paro drive to Thimphu
Upon completing the immigration and customs procedures, you will be warmly welcomed by Wind Horse guide and driver. They will be waiting to receive you and ensure a smooth and pleasant start to your journey.
The 5Okm drive from Paro airport to Thimphu takes just over 1 hour, offering captivating views of Bhutan’s valleys, farms, and forests—a delightful introduction to the country’s beauty and culture.
Upon arrival in Thimphu visit:
Tashichho Dzong: A majestic fortress-monastery that houses the offices of the government, the throne room of the King, and the seat of the Je-khenpo (head monk). It also hosts various religious and cultural ceremonies
Memorial Chorten: A stupa built in memory of the third king of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, which serves as a center for religious and social gatherings.
Buddha Dordenma: A gigantic bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, perched on a hilltop, offering panoramic views of the valley.
Later take a leisurely walk in Thimphu town and enjoy the city’s charm and beauty as you wander around its delightful streets.
Your sightseeing options will be customized based on your arrival time and interests. If your flight arrives early, we can cover more places, and if it's late, adjustments will be made accordingly. Our guide will listen to your preferences and incorporate visits accordingly. Generally, there are no extra costs, but if any minimal charges apply for activities beyond our standard program, our guide will inform you in advance.
Altitude: 2500m in ThimphuThimphu to Paro
If you prefer, you can begin early after breakfast. If you find yourself awake before the tour starts, you have the option to take a short walk from your hotel to the Memorial Chorten. In the early hours, you’ll witness many people circumambulating and offering prayers before commencing their daily activities. It’s a serene and culturally enriching experience to immerse yourself in the local traditions at this sacred site.
After breakfast, begin tour of Thimphu in which you can visit:
Zorig Chusum (National Institute of Zorig Chusum): An institute where traditional arts and crafts, including painting, sculpture, and woodworking, are taught.
Takin Preserve: A sanctuary dedicated to the unique national animal of Bhutan, the takin, which seems to look like a combination of a goat and a cow.
Weekend Market: Bustling with activity even on weekdays, the Weekend Market draws locals and tourists alike to shop for fresh produce, local snacks, handicrafts, and souvenirs.
Craft Bazaar: A vibrant market offering various handicrafts, textiles, and local products, ideal for souvenir shopping.
Enjoy a scenic drive back from Thimphu to Paro, taking just over an hour. Make stops at any sights you might have missed earlier.
In contrast to the vibrant capital, Paro is a truly picturesque valley that captivates visitors with its serene and idyllic ambiance. Its lush green landscapes, terraced fields, and meandering rivers create a tranquil setting, enhanced by the majestic mountains that surround the valley. Paro’s rich history and deep spiritual significance are evident in the abundance of ancient temples, monasteries, and traditional Bhutanese houses scattered throughout the landscape. The valley exudes a laid-back and peaceful atmosphere, inviting travelers to immerse themselves in its natural beauty and cultural heritage.
Commence your Paro tour with a visit the National Museum of Bhutan, housed in the Ta Dzong, an ancient watchtower, followed by a visit to Paro Rinpung Dzong, a majestic fortress-monastery showcasing the finest examples of Bhutanese architecture. Inside its walls, visitors can explore beautifully adorned halls, intricate paintings, and religious artifacts. The dzong also serves as an administrative center and hosts religious festivals. On foot, walk down across the traditional cantilever bridge to charming township of Paro.
If time allows, visit revered Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan’s oldest and most sacred temple.
Morning hour tour in Thimphu and post lunch in Paro.
Altitude: 2200m
Duration: 1hr driveIn Paro – Taktsang Monastery Hike
Embark on an exhilarating hike to Taktsang, Bhutan’s revered landmark. Perched dramatically on a cliffside, this sacred Buddhist monastery symbolizes spiritual heritage and is believed to be the meditation cave of Guru Rinpoche, who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century.
The journey begins with a drive to the 2,600m trailhead. As you ascend through pine and oak forests, refreshing natural surroundings and breathtaking Paro Valley glimpses unfold.
After an initial climb, reach a cafeteria for a break with a spectacular Taktsang view. The trail continues with prayer flags, wheels, shrines, and waterfalls adding to the spiritual ambiance. The final ascent gets steeper with stone steps, but the anticipation of reaching Taktsang keeps you motivated.
The reward? An awe-inspiring sight. Taktsang clings to the cliffside, offering panoramic views and defying gravity. Explore the monastery’s temples and shrines, and soak in the serene atmosphere.
The 2-4 hour uphill hike, combined with exploration time, makes it a full-day adventure. Descend back to the base and consider visiting a local farmhouse for an authentic glimpse into Bhutanese life.
Prefer a gentler exploration? Opt for shorter hikes like Drakarpo, Singye Dra, or Ragoe. Love scenic drives? Take a day trip to Chele La Pass, visiting Kila and Dzongdrakha. Yearn for deeper immersion? Delve into Paro Valley’s cultural gems. Discuss your preferences with your guide in Bhutan to craft the perfect itinerary.
At the beginning of the trek, you will find riding horses available to take you uphill to the first viewpoint, also known as the Cafeteria. And for those who are not into hiking, alternative tour will be arranged. For those who are serious hikers, you may choose to visit Zangdopelri and Ugyen Tsemo by hiking additional 1-2hrs uphill, located above Takstang and you can follow the old pilgrimage trail and descend from other side.
Altitude: 3200m near Takstang Duration: 4-6hrs hike- whole day affair Departure
After breakfast, we’ll transfer you to the airport for your departure. If your flight is late, we can cover more tour activities. In case of a flight delay, our guides will stay with you until your check-in.
Traveller Review
Andrea
17 -21 April,2019Anand,
Thanks for reaching out! Would love to share about my experience, because it was incredible!
Not knowing much about Bhutan, if anything really, I was hoping to see Tiger’s Nest and left the rest of what I was to do up to Wind Horse. As you know, I spent time in Paro and Thimphu, learning about the culture, history, Buddhism, and general way of life for the current Bhutanese people.
Ugyen (spelling?), was a great tour guide, providing a constant smile and a lot of laughs. He opened my door, tried to carry my backpack, etc. and always attempted to make the trip for me as easy as possible. Not wanting to be “above” him, I made sure to open his door so he knew we were on the same page and I was happy to be tagging along with the two of them for a great experience.
Pema was greatly knowledgeable about everything I asked about (Buddhism, culture, food, lifestyle, government, etc.). He as well provided great laughs and a very enjoyable experience. Shooting archery in the forest was actually one of my favorite parts of the trip outside of Tiger’s Nest as I do seek adventure and was able to hang with my tour guide and driver as buddies of mine just enjoying life.
From the food, to the hotels and tours and everything I did, wouldn’t have changed a thing! I will come back, and be more inclined to see what else is available and check out more of the country side, mountains, villages, etc. Try and get away from modern city living.
I should also say, after about a few hours of the tour, I was able to feel that I was walking around with friends in Pema and Ugyen. They gave me everything I wanted in terms of knowledge and being a tourist in Bhutan, plus, good buddies for the tour.
John Begale
15 - 19, June, 2018Bhutan is not the country media are selling but we enjoyed after all!
Best regards and thank you for wind horse!
Goncalo Ferreira Crespo
26 -01 March, 2018We got back from a 5 day trip to Bhutan with Wind Horse Travels and cannot rave enough about the planning, attention to detail, professionalism and overall experience we had with them. We did not had a long lead time to plan the trip, but the team at Wind Horse was amazingly responsive and brought together our desired itinerary and took care of all the planning, Visa, permits etc. in less than two weeks.
From the moment we arrived in Paro until we left Bhutan, Mr. Kenchi (our guide) and Mr. Ata (our driver) were phenomenal hosts! They will show up every morning eager to help us discover Bhutan and took care of all logistics, food, last- minute requests and whims with a never- ending “Can do” attitude and a smile. They were knowledgeable, accommodating and the pride they took in their culture and country was inspiring! We had lengthy conversations about Bhutan- its religion, people, culture, monarchy and, every single time they indulged our curiosity and were never tired of our questions. They were also extremely accommodating to needs of our elderly parents who were with us on this trip. We had our fair share of Bhutan road adventures with fog, rain and an occasional landslide, but we knew that with Mr. Ata we were in very good hands. Both our hosts in Bhutan were consummate professionals and masters of their trade!
Overall, we will highly recommend Wind Horse to anyone visiting Bhutan. Their planning is seamless and their service really leaves an impression on your mind. Thank you to Mr. Jambay, Mr. Kenchi and Mr. Ata for making it a truly memorable trip for us!
P.S: The rate your overall experience option in the testimonial is not working for us but we will give it the highest possible score!!
Binay
26 - 30, AprilDear Anand,
Thanks for reaching out to me. My first trip to Bhutan was fantastic. In particular, coming from Dhaka, the place was peaceful and civilised (I know I had some issues with public loos – Rebekah teased me a lot on this). Bhutan reminds me of 40-50 years ago rural Japan, though you might have no clue. I think the schedule was very good, well paced, your staff were fantastic. I have no complain. I was happy in ‘breaking records’ of going up and down of Taktsang, ha ha. I wish I could have stayed more but my holiday was very spontaneous and longer trip was not possible this time.
Hope to see you sometime on the next trip.
Jasmine
May17-20, 2017Please excuse this belated note concerning our Paro tour 30Nov-03Dec 2014, as we have been quite busy since our trip to Bhutan. We are writing just to let you know how very much we enjoyed our 3 days in Paro and how well-organized everything was. We managed to pack quite a bit into our time, including visits to several temples and monasteries, hiking to the nunnery near Chele-la and to Tiger’s Nest, and a wonderful visit to our guide’s farm near Paro. Our dinner the last night at a restaurant in Paro was fabulous. Although the Tashi Namgay resort was quite lovely, the restaurant at the hotel was not good and the wi-fi was a problem, so we would not recommend using that hotel again.
Finally, we must give the highest recommendation to our guide, Tashi Gyeltsehn, and his assistant, whose name we have lost. Both were very attentive to our needs, wishes, and comfort. They were very knowledgeable and gracious. We particularly appreciated the visit to Tashi’s farm and meeting his welcoming family, who served us tea and refreshments. Our driver filled in for Tashi when we climbed to Tiger’s Nest and he was very careful with us old folks. We can’t say enough good things about both guides. You our lucky to employ them.
Once again, thank you for all of your planning, which made our entire trip to Bhutan very enjoyable. We have recommended Wind Horse Tours to other doctors for their trip to Bhutan.
Sincerely,
Bob and Linda W
Bob & Linda
Nov 30 - Dec 03, 2014Bhutan was one of the places I visited on my trip around the world. It was not only the most beautiful country, it was the best experience I had. With the most pleasant people and the best service. Your selection of hotels were good although I liked Hotel Druk better. The guide and driver Mr Soman and Mr Soman were outstanding and were largely responsible for providing a world class experience When I return I will be calling Windhorse and will recommend you without reservation to anyone who asks.
Thank you again for a wonderful trip
Nancy L
Sept 28 -Oct 02,2013Dear Ugen, We returned to Hungary from our trip to Bhutan and Nepal a month ago, but I had to catch up with quite a few things, so I am writing now to thank you for organizing this memorable trip to Bhutan. Our guide Kado and driver Pema did not spare any effort to make the trip smooth and in spite of the relatively short time we could complete our program as planned. Kado is very knowledgable about history and Buddhism and shared many interesting facts and information. He organized very well our schedule, even on the day when we had different programs with Maria, he suggested the best solution – early start for Maria to the Tiger Nest to avoid heat and crowds, and then Pema came back in time to drop me for the second day of the festival in Paro. Pema was a very careful driver, always on time and very helpful with photostops and any other request concerning the programme.
Please kindly convey our thanks once again to Kado and Pema, and to everybody in Windhorse, whom we did not meet personally, but who contributed to the success of our trip. The accomodation, food, transportation were always very good and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Bhutan. We were considering this possibility in 2008 but at that time it was not certain that we could cross the border there. May be in the future we could combine a trip including Eastern Bhutan with the Bhuddhist monasteries in Arunachal Pradesh (Tawang valley). I would like to thank you personally once again for organizing our trip and hope that I could return in the future to your beautiful country.
Best regards –
Eugenia.
Dr. Eugenia Farkas
March,20,2010
Dear Ugen, We have been busy and suddenly it was November and we still hadn’t replied. Bhutan was amazing and we had a wonderful time. We would have liked to stay there for a longer period of time, unfortunately it is pretty expensive. However, next time we would probably like to visit some areas in the east part of Bhutan. Sending some pictures from our trip as well.Regards, Lars & Emil
(4 days tour of Bhutan in June, 2009)
Emil Russ S & Lars Erik D
June 11, 2009Trip of a Life Time: 18-21 April 2002 Going to Bhutan was like going back in time, a gentle country and gentle people, where one encountered peace, and tranquility, as mists intrigue settles in at eventide later hiding a happy good morning where the sun rises over the pine clad mountains. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip arranged by Wind Horse Tours, Treks & Expeditions. Feel free to contact us for any comments.
Valerie & Miguel
April 18 -21,2002Facebook Review
Guides
Yonten Phuntsho
Yonten Phuntsho is one of our senior most guide. And well versed on his business. Initially, he conceded an impression of a man of a few words but I was in for surprise with the knowledge of his job, great sense of humour and congenial personality- simply one cannot judge a book by its cover. His unwavering focus, dedication, knowledge and passion runs deep for the love of his works. His aptly quote Barbara Kingsolver “I do my best work if I think about what it is I have to offer”.
From the outset, he knew what he wants to do in his life. Right after finishing his Class 12, he enrolled for guide course for culture initially then extended few more month to complete course on Trekking as well in 2008. After doing free lancing for a while, he joined Wind Horse Tours in 2010.
For most Bhutanese, appeals that mountainous terrains throw in for an out door adventures are native. In the case of Yonten, it was no exception. He easily gave in to the temptation of Mountain biking with its advent. He explored and lead tours in his bike but his allegiance is more inclined to off road biking trips that leads to quaint villages. To explore the unknown and love for nature, these attributes that he cultivated while trekking the alpine highlands and wilderness in remote corner of country was what prompt him to readily agree to embark on audacious Haa to Phuentsholing on mountain bike, overcoming challenges of carrying bike in tough terrains, untamed vegetations and unexplored areas.
Trip Photos
Overview
Trip Type Culture Tours Activities Included Culture Tours Accommodation 3 * & 4* Hotels Meals All meals Route Thimphu-Paro
Max Group Size Private with your Own Group Best Seasons This trip can be done through-out the year but best from Feb -April, Sept till Nov. Best Months March, April, October, November Good Months February, May, September Lean Months January, December Not Recommended Months June, July, AugustRoute Map
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Dear Anand,
Thank you for writing.