The best 5 day itinerary for Bhutan
Bhutan’s travel policy for 30 years has been ‘High Value, Low Volume’, founded on the principle of sustainability. The country didn’t open up for tourists until the 1970’s and when it did, a mandatory organized tour was introduced to preserve their well-protected cultural heritage and natural environment.
When the world closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhutan started to rethink its tourism policy. “What does ‘high value, low volume’ truly means?”, “Are we on the right track on the path of sustainability?”, “What can we do to prevent Bhutan from suffering from overtourism?”. These questions were heavily discussed within the Kingdom these last two years.
Thus, on June 24, the National Assembly passed the Tourism Levy Bill of 2022 and these are the changes:
- Visitors are now required to pay a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of USD200 per person per night. This was previously USD65.
- Visitors can still engage a travel agency to plan their visit to Bhutan though its not compulsory
- Visitors are required to pay an entrance fee to visit certain historical or monumental sites
Getting to Bhutan
Paro International Airport is the only airport in Bhutan that welcomes international flights. At the moment, you can get a direct flight to Paro from these following countries: Nepal, India, Thailand, Singapore and Bangladesh. You can get there by either flying Bhutan Airlines or DrukAir, the Royal Bhutan Airline. The latter, DrukAir has more departure options. You can find their flight schedule here.
Day 1: Arrive in Paro and head to Thimphu
When you arrive in Paro and have passed immigration, it’s time to start your adventure by heading to Thimphu. The roads in Bhutan are okay, not the worst and not the best. They are usually paved though, so it shouldn´t be any problems getting to all of these places. The drive takes about 1,5 hours and the scenery is beautiful, so make sure to enjoy the drive.
What to do in Thimphu
National Memorial Chorten – Chorten means ‘Seat of Faith’ and Buddhists often call such monuments the ‘Mind of Buddha. This big landmarks was built in 1976 in memory of the Third King and you can often see the elderly generation in circumambulation at the chorten
Buddha Point – This massive, golden Buddha is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world. It is located on a hill but you can drive all the way up there. The view of Thimphu valley from the Buddha point is amazing and worth soaking in.
Visit the Archery Ground – Archery is the national sport of Bhutan and if you´ve never tried it, this is the place to do it. In Bhutan, archery is a way of socialization, communication, and development of relations between people.
Centenary Farmers’ Market – If you enjoy going to local markets, you should stop by this one. This is the biggest market in Bhutan where locals come to sell their wide range of agriculture products. It´s held on the banks of Wangchhu River every weekend, Friday through Sunday.
Tashichho Dzong (Thimphu Dzong) – The “fortress of the glorious religion” has been the seat of the government since 1952 and houses today the throne room and offices of the king, the secretariat and some ministries
Day 2: Thimphu to Punakha
This journey will take about 2,5 hours.
What to do in Punakha
Dochula Pass – This is a must and it was one of the highlights of our trip. You´ll find the Dochula Pass at an altitude of 3,050 meter and it offers a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the Himalayas mountain range. You´ll find 108 chortens here in honor of the 108 Bhutanese soldiers who sacrified their live in 2003. It´s a place of historical and religious importance.
Chimi Lhakhang – Famously known as the “Fertility Temple”. You’ll find a statue of the The Divine Madman, Drukpa Kinley, with whom the phallic symbol is associated with.
Punakha Dzong – Built in 1637 to serve as the religious and administrative seat of the region. It’s listed as a tentative site in Bhutan’s Tentative List for UNESCO inclusion.
Pho Chu Suspension Bridge – It’s a 160 meters and known as the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan. It also gives you spectacular views of Punakha Dzong and the Pho Chu Valley
Day 3: Punakha to Paro
The drive from Punakha to Paro is quite long, I would say between 3 to 4 hours. Bring some snacks and enjoy the stunning scenery.
What to do in Paro
Paro Dzong (aka Ringpung Dzong) – Explore the Rinpung Dzong, which the locals call the ‘fortress of a heap of jewels’. Built in 1646, the dzong stands on a hill above Paro Township. It´s linked by the traditional cantilever bridge
National Museum (Ta Dzong) – Located on a ridge immediately above Rinpung Dzong is Ta Dzong, originally built as a watchtower. In 1968, Ta Dzong was inaugurated as the first National Museum, and now holds a fascinating collection of art, relics, religious thangka paintings etc
Paro Town – Spend some time to explore the town! It´s a beautiful main street and small local shops to buy souvenirs. I usually don´t buy souvenirs but this was a really special experience so I had to buy something to remind me of the adventure it was to check off this country from my bucket list
Karaoke – I would say that this is a must in Bhutan. We had such great time singing with the locals. They were so friendly and the atmosphere was great!
Day 4: Paro
Taktsang Monastery – Without a doubt, the highlight of our trip. Personally, this is the reason why I wanted to visit this beautiful country. The dramatic, artistically built monument hanging on a cliff. Experience the uphill climb as you ascend more than two thousand feet from the valley floor. It will take your breath away.
Drukgyal Dzong – The ancient ruin of Drukgyal Dzong is considered the most beautiful and famous archaeological site in Bhutan. It´s situated on a ridge in the upper Paro valley and it tells you a tale of how medieval warriors defended Bhutan from the invaders from the north. Built in 1647 to commemorate the victory over the Tibetan invaders. Though largely destroyed by fire in 1951, it’s been left in ruins as an evocative reminder of the great victories it was built to commemorate. It’s listed as a tentative site in Bhutan’s Tentative List for UNESCO inclusion
Kyichu Lhakhang – Also known as Kyerchu Temple or Lho Kyerchu, is the oldest temple in Bhutan. Just like Jambhay Lhakhang in Bumthang, it is one of the 108 temples built by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo to subdue and pin down an ogress that was obstructing the spread of Buddhism. According to legend, all 108 temples were built in a single night.
Day 5: Departure from Paro
Time to catch your flight and go back home or continue your travel to your next destination
