Thimphu Festival - 8 days

8 days
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Small Group Tour
Take your place at the famed mask dance performances at the Thimphu Tshechu Festival, whilst discovering the best of Bhutan. Hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery, see the world's biggest Buddha Dordenma statue and explore the Punakha Valley before sitting back to watch the unique and colourful displays of traditional culture performed at the city's most popular eve...
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Thimphu Tshechu Festival - See the colourful masked dance performances and other cultural displays at the city's most popular event
    • Paro - Enjoy a guided tour of the city, including the National Museum and Rinphung Dzong
    • Punakha Valley - Hike up to ChimiLhakhand Temple (the temple of Divine Madman) and camp next to scenic Mo Chu River
    • Picturesque villages of Talo or Nobgang - Explore the ancestral home of the Queen Mothers of Bhutan
    • See Dochula Pass - Himalayan peaks - Masagang, Tsendagang, Terigang, Jejegangphugang, Gangkar Punsum
    • Thimphu - Explore Bhutan’s capital city including, the Memorial Chorten, Kuenselphodrang, a handmade paperfactory and Drubthob Nunnery
    • Handicraft Emporium - Browse through beautiful hand-woven and crafted products in Thimphu
    • Tiger’s Nest Monastery - Hike up to this famous Buddhist monastery, perched on a cliff face

What's this trip about?

    Take your place at the famed mask dance performances at the Thimphu Tshechu Festival, whilst discovering the best of Bhutan. Hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery, see the world's biggest Buddha Dordenma statue and explore the Punakha Valley before sitting back to watch the unique and colourful displays of traditional culture performed at the city's most popular event.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 16 people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityParo
End CityParo

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • Local Immersion & Homestays

Destinations

  • Asia
  • Bhutan

Attractions

  • Paro
  • Tiger's Nest Monastery

Trip includes

    • 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners
    • 6 nights 3-4 star hotels and 1 night camping near the banks of scenic Mo Chu River
    • Airport arrival and departure transfer on day 1 & day 8 (only)
    • Guided sightseeing of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and the Punakha Valley
    • Traditional Bhutanese dinner at a farm house, giving you the opportunity to interact with a local family
    • Escorted by a licensed English-speaking local tour guide
    • All relevant transfers and transportation in private A/C vehicles
    • Entrance fees to all included sightseeing
    • All Bhutan government royalties and taxes
    • Bhutan Visa fee and travel Permit (excludes visa admin fee of USD$40 pp, payable upon arrival)

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day : 1 Paro

7 September 2024. Welcome to Bhutan! Upon arrival to Paro Airport you'll be met and transferred to our hotel. The remainder of today is free for you to independently explore.

Day : 2 Punakha, Chimi Lhakhang Temple & Camp by the Mo Chu River

Paro – Punakha. It's an early start as we travel the road to Punakha, climbing up through pine, oak and rhododendron forest to reach Dochu La Pass (3050m). After a short break we continue onto the spectacular Punakha Valley, where we enjoy a scenic 1.5 - 2 hour walk u...

Day : 3 Punakha Valley

Punakha Valley – Thimphu. After an early breakfast, we drive along the shores of the Mo Chu River and hike (approximately 2 - 2.5 hours) up through rice fields to the Khamsum Yuelley Namgyal Chorten, a stunning temple located on a hill with impressive views of the val...

Day : 4 Masked dances of the Thimphu Tshechu (Festival)

The Tshechu Festival of Thimphu is a 3 day religious event which marks the tenth day of the lunar calendar and honours the birthday of Guru Rimpoche Padmasambhava, an Indian Saint who spread Buddhism in the country in the 8th century. Tshechus are grand occasions wher...

Day : 5 Memorial Chorten & Handicrafts

Thimphu is the political, social and spiritual heart of the nation and although this is Bhutan's most modern city, it has retained the unique character of a Bhutanese town. Today we discover the city's sites with visits to, the Memorial Chorten - a beautiful stupa bui...

Day : 6 National Museum and Kichu Lhakhang

Thimphu - Paro. Today we drive to Paro with sightseeing en route. We'll stop at Chuzom, the confluence of Paro (Pachu) and Thimphu (Wangchu) rivers which provides incredible views of three different types of Stupas – Bhutanese, Tibetan and Nepalese. We continue, to Ta...

Day : 7 Tiger's Nest Monastery

Tiger’s Nest Monastery, officially Taktshang Pelphung Monastery is regarded as one of the most venerated and famous of Bhutan’s monasteries. It is located on the face of a sheer 900m cliff above the floor of Paro Valley. Today, we embark on a scenic hike (approx. 4 -6...

Day : 8 Paro

14 September 2024. Today, our holiday sadly concludes after breakfast. Bidding farewell to your fellow travellers, a departure transfer will take you to Paro airport to meet your onward flight

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Dates & Availability

Price From $2,585
Price per day$323
Last Updated: 3/25/2024

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with On The Go Tours.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Tour Operator

On The Go Tours

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Escaping a cold London winter back in 1998, we followed the sun for a colourful adventure around the world. Discovering amazing history, interesting cultures and the jaw-dropping beauty of our planet, the friends we made along the way made our journey all the more special. Inspired to share our experiences, the seeds were sown and On The Go Tours was born.

Over the years we’ve grown into a small yet global company, with a purposeful local ethos. True to our own travels, authenticity is core to our holidays. We’d love you to experience a country the way it really is, with people who live there and know it inside out. We know this makes the difference between a great holiday and a truly memorable one. Our carefully sought out English-speaking local guides are passionate about sharing their country with you and we believe that they are amongst the best in the business.

We know too that adventure feels better with a chilled beer poolside or a soft pillow at the end of each day and we search out comfortable hotels and boutique properties for your stay. As we love to say - travel with us and adventure in style!

Unbeatable value: Combining authentic local experiences with an excellent range of 3-5 star hotels & boutique properties, our tours represent unbeatable value. Add in airport transfers, passionate tour guides and all transportation and you do get the best of adventure travel and creature comforts too.

Great group size: With an average of 15 and a maximum of 24, our group size really works well on tour, so you’re bound to meet like-minded travellers and make lasting friendships. Our festival tours do have larger group sizes due to their ‘one-off’ nature.

100% Guaranteed: Not only are all our group tour departures 100% guaranteed, we are also fully financially bonded, so you can book our tours with absolute confidence. We’re proud to say that we recently won 2 prestigious British Travel Awards and were runner up for another 3, testament to the quality of our holidays.

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • International flights, Bhutan visa administration fee payable upon arrival USD$40
    • Tipping - an entirely personal gesture

Accommodation

3-4 star,
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
18 years or 16 years with an adult
Additional Information
TFEST
Trip ID
onthegotours-TFEST

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