Glimpse of Nepal & Bhutan Tours

Duration8 Days
Route Grade Comfort Travel
Trip Style Classical Tours
Starting City Kathmandu
Ending City Kathmandu

Price fromUS$1975~~US$2150~~

Group Price


1 pax	US$1975
2 - 6 pax	US$1950
7 - 14 pax	US$1925
15 - 20 pax	US$1900

Customize Trip

Kathmandu Valley

-Four UNESCO sites sightseeing in Kathmandu

Thimpu Valley, Bhutan

Thimphu: Largest Sitting Budha, Memorial Chorten, Tashichho Dzong Fortress, Takin, Weekend Market, Rinpung Dzong, Textile Museum and Institute for Zorig, Chusum Hikes.

Punakha Valley, Bhutan

Dochula Pass, Punakha fortress, Fertility Temple, Nunnery, Chimi Lhakhang monastery hike, Punakha Dzong, Simtokha Dzong

Paro Valley, Bhutan

Tiger’s Nest Hike, Rinpung Dzong, hot stone Bath, national museum

Flights, visa & Transfers

Kathmandu - Paro - Kathmandu flights, Bhutan Visa

Private Van transfers

Itinerary in Brief

Day 01: Arrive & Overnight in Kathmandu - 1400m.

Day 02: Pashupatinath temple - Bouddhanath Stupa - Swayambhunath temple - Old Kathmandu. O/N same hotel.

BHUTAN – Happiness is a Place!

Day 03: Fly to Paro, Bhutan – drive to capital, Thimpu, 2320m - 1 Hour Drive.

Day 04: Thimpu & drive to Punakha via Dhochula Pass. O/N in Punakha.

Day 05: Punakha & drive to Paro -2280m - 4hrs drive.

Day 06: Paro Valley & Tiger’s Nest Temple.

Day 07: Fly back to Kathmandu. Free & easy. Day 08: Breakfast & fly back home.

Glimpse of Bhutan Tours is a regular sightseeing & comfort tour. You will spend the first 2 nights and last night in Kathmandu. Similarly middle 4 nights will be in Bhutan. In order to make Bhutan trip affordable, here we offer you a small group tour to Nepal & Bhutan!

Cost Includes

Flights & Transfers

4 airport airport transfers

Kathmandu - Paro - Kathmandu flights

Private Van transfers throughout the trip

Guides & Entry Permits

One Tour Leader for the group in Nepal & Bhutan

Heritage sites entrace fees

Accommodations & Meals

7 nights 3+ sar hotel accommodations

7 breakfasts, 7 lunch & 7 dinner

Itinerary

Day 1:Arrive & Overnight in Kathmandu - 1400m.

As you arrive - we will meet you at the airport with your name on board & drive to hotel in Kathmandu - 10KM - 30min drive. AT 5PM, a short introduction at your hotel. We will brief you about the trip at the hotel and help you to be introduced with the local markets, money exchange and get accustomed with local traffic. Rest of the day free and easy. Overnight at Kathmandu.

Day 2:Pashupatinath temple - Bouddhanath Stupa - Swayambhunath temple - Old Kathmandu. O/N same hotel.

Morning breakfast at the hotel & at 9am drive to Pashupatinath temple - 30min drive. Visit Pashupatinath Temple: Pashupatinath temple is a Hindu shrine and most visited temple in the country. It is a Lord Shiva (Shiva literally means that god which is not: formless) temple. Shiva is also the greatest guru for all the yogis (who traditionally believe in yoga and meditation and live an ascetic life). So we see a lot of colorful Yogis here. At the Bagmati River bank we also get to see the Hindu death rituals. Everyday and every moment, many dead bodies are being burnt in the open air. Tourists basically see them across the holy river (just small steam). Pashupatinath temple is the earliest human settlement in Kathmandu Valley. Pashupatinath literally means lord (Pati/Nath) of all the living beings (Pashu). Yogis normally explain it as the consciousness which guides us every moment and prevailing in all the beings. Some interesting activities will include taking photographs with yogis, observing death rituals (before burns there are some rituals family members do), walk through deer park and temple park on the other side hill and observe the main two storied Pashupatinath temple from view point across the river. We enter from the Southern side and walk through the temple complex and end the tour at the northern gate where our car will pick up. And from here, we drive to Bouddhanath Stupa, 10min drive.

Here we come to the number one tourist attraction in Kathmandu!! Bouddhanath Stupa is the biggest and tallest Buddhist stupa in South Asia. And the best way to observe the magnificent stupa is a coffee break at one of the rooftop restaurants in the temple complex (it's about noon or 1pm and I suppose it's already a break time as we started at 830am in the morning). The Stupa is surrounded by human settlement with tourist shops and restaurants and rooftop restaurants offer great views of the stupa. After the coffee break, circumambulate the stupa clockwise walking and probably spinning the prayer wheels. We will also visit some of the Tibetan monasteries in the temple complex and observe their everyday rituals or stay in meditation for some minutes in silence. One of the rooftop restaurant at Bouddhanath Stupa could be your lunch stop for today. From Bouddhanath temple drive to Swayambhunath - the. Monkey temple - 30min drive.

Visit Swayambhunath - the Monkey temple. As we arrive at the bottom of the temple (Bhagwan Pau = feet of the God), It will be a great experience to walk to the top of the temple hill, as it also offers great views of the Kathmandu Valley on a clear day. And normally Kathmandu is. very clear in winter as Kathmandu is located at 1350 meters altitude. Monkey temple is a Buddha temple, some 20min drive away from the hotel and about 10min walk to the top. It is an ancient Buddha period temple in north-western Kathmandu. We will pay a visit to the main Stupa and other temples in the temple complexes. Four of many stupas are dated from the ancient period. Alongside, also enjoy the panoramic view of Kathmandu Valley and Himalayas in the northern side. The tour will be about 1and half hour to explore the temples and visiting monasteries (where children monks live and study). After the Monkey temple tour, drive back to Kathmandu Durbar Square - 15min drive.

Kathmandu Durbar Square is the medieval Palace square and home to dozens of temples including living goddess Kumari Temple, an Old Nepali style Palace and a classical palace. It has been the main center of cultural and financial activities in Nepal since ancient times. At Kathmandu Durbar Square also called Basantapur Durbar Square we will visit Kasthamandap Temple (temple of wood and recently restored after 2015 earthquake), Maru Ganesh, Kumari Temple, Shiva and Vishnu temple (under renovation after earthquake), Classical Palace, Kalbhairav Statue and Akash Vairab Statue, Hanuman Dhaka Palace courtyards (main palace with Newari wooden architectures), Taleju Temple (distant sight since it very sacred temple and open only one day in a year), a small museum portraying earthquake devastations and other temples. Kathmandu Durbar Square also offers great Coffee places. It will be about 2-3 hours of walking around the Palace square.

From Kathmandu Durbar Square, a new tour experience will start - that is a rickshaw tour to the oldest part of town in Kathmandu from the Hotel through the oldest markets of Ason and IndraChowk. The iconic rickshaw tour (the main means of transport for tourists around Kathmandu Durbar Square and Thamel since the 1960s) will take about 30min and will go through the old market. Ason and Indrachowk are the places where Nepalis find everything they need from Noon to Soon (literally salt to gold).

Day 3:Day 04: Fly to Paro, Bhutan – drive to capital, Thimpu - 1 Hour Drive. Altitude: 2320m/7656ft above sea level

BHUTAN – Happiness is a Place!

• On arrival Meet your local guide at the airport.

• Transfer to the hotel. Freshen up and have lunch at the hotel or nice local restaurant.

• Later visit Memorial Chorten, Largest Sitting Budha, Mini Zoo and the Fortress

• Return to the hotel by late evening. Dinner in the hotel or nice local restaurant.

• Overnight at Thimphu

Thimphu is a bustling town on the banks of the Thimphu Chhu and set gloriously in the hills of the Thimphu valley. It is home to the Bhutanese Royal Family, the Royal Government to several foreign missions and development projects. Bhutan’s only golf course, a nine-hole circuit is also located in Thimphu. Thimphu is the only capital city in the world that has no MacDonald, star bucks, bill boards and traffic lights.

Memorial Chorten in Thimphu Scenic view of Thimphu valley from the view point

Memorial Chorten

Chorten are memorial structures designed to evoke the same perfect symmetry and elegance of the Buddha himself, and it is traditionally good luck to pass them on the left. This particular chorten was constructed in 1974 as a memorial for the third King of the country, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, who is widely regarded as the father of modern Bhutan. People from all walks of life come and worship for the sentient beings.

Kuenschholing View Point(Largest sitting Buddha)

A place from where you can get a good overview of the Thimphu valley is from the Buddha point (Kuensel Phodrang). It is again a short drive from the town. You can pay your obeisance and offer prayers to the Buddha, the largest statue in the country and then walk around and take a glimpse of the valley.

Mini Zoo

Here you can see just one animal - Bhutan’s national - the Takin. This is an extremely rare member of the goat family. Found in herds in the very high altitudes (13,125ft and over). They live on a diet of grass and bamboo. It can weigh as much as 550 pounds. The zoo was emptied in accordance with Buddhist principles, but the Takin came back so the keepers decided to look after them, also in accordance with Buddhist principles!

Tashichho Dzong(Fortress)

The names means - Means Fortress of Glorious Religion. It was built in 1641 and was reconstructed into present structure in the year 1962-1969. It houses the secretariat building, the throne room and the office of the king, and the central monk body. You can be part of the ceremonial national flag recess parade, performed every evening at 5 pm by the Royal Bhutan Police guards in its traditional finest grandeur. Sometimes if luck favours you could see the king coming out of his office on his way to his palace.

Weekend Market in Thimphu & Tashichho Dzong

Day 4:Thimpu & drive to Punakha via Dhochula Pass. O/N in Punakha.

Hike to Tango Monastery

Located at the farthest region north of Thimphu. It is roughly 14 kilometers away from Thimphu town. Following the trail, the walk uphill takes about 40 minutes to reach the monastery. The word Tango literally means ‘horse head’ and is derived from the deity Tandin (Hayagriva) that features the head of a horse. The revered place of Hayagriva was first recognized by Guru Rinpoche in the eighth century. It is now the Buddhist College in Bhutan.

Rinpung Dzong:

Buddhist monastery and fortress - of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school in Paro District, Bhutan. It houses the district Monastic Body and government administrative offices of Paro Dzongkhag

Textile Museum

The museum is divided into six areas of special focus, including Achievements in textile arts, the role of textiles in religion, textiles from indigenous fibres, The Royal Collection, warp pattern weaves, and weft pattern weaves

Institute for Zorig Chusum

Institute for Zorig Chusum operates four- to six-year courses that provide instruction in Bhutan's 13 traditional arts. Students specialise in painting (furniture, thangka s – painted religious pictures, usually on canvas), woodcarving (masks, statues, bowls), embroidery (hangings, boots, clothes) or statue-making (clay).

Weekend Market

Held every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the people crowd the stalls every day, dressed in full colour and gathered to meet and to barter, much like the street markets in London. People from different parts of the country bring their fresh products from vegetables to mushrooms, rice, lentils, fruits, milk products, poultry, and fresh meats to sell to the people living and working in Thimphu.

After Lunch drive to Punakha. Dochula Pass

It is located on the way to Punakha from Thimphu. The pass is a popular location among tourists as it offers a stunning 360 degree panoramic view of Himalayan mountain range. The view is especially scenic on clear, winter days with snow-capped mountains forming a majestic backdrop to the tranquillity of the 108 chortens gracing the mountain pass. Known as the Druk Wangyal Chortens- the construction of these108 chortens was commissioned by the eldest Queen Mother, Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk. The pass is also popular spiritual destination for both locals and tourists because an important temple is located on the crest of Dochula pass.

Rinchengang village

A 20 minutes hike up from the paved road will take you to a clustered village. It is known for its traditional masonry. The village offers the view of a Wangdue Fortress and the river. It is considered to be one of the least developed villages. In order to be self sufficient the village does double cropping in a year.

Day 5:Punakha & drive to Paro -2280m - 4hrs drive.

This beautiful valley is home to many Bhutan’s oldest monasteries and temples. The country’s only airport is in Paro. The valley is also home to Mount Chomolhari(7,300 meters) situated at the northern end of the valley whose glacier water forms the Pachu flowing through the valley. This is also the home to some of the famous Treks such as Jumolhari and Druk Path trek. It is also a destination for bicycling, motorbiking and birdwatching.

National Museum

This means - watch tower, which it served as during the 17th century to guard the region from the Tibetan invasion. It was converted to the National Museum in 1968. It houses a fine collection of Bhutanese art, relics, religious thankas (used to bolster the visualization generated during meditation and were made from Himalayan animal fibers), paintings, animals found in Bhutan, arms and ammunitions and the country’s exquisite stamp collections.

Kichu Lhakhang(Temple)

It is one of the two most sacred and the oldest temples in Bhutan. It was built in 7th century by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. It is believed that he took the responsibility to built 108 temples in the different regions of Tibet, Bhutan and in other Himalayan regions to control evil spirits, disease and droughts out of which two of them are in Bhutan.(Kichu Lhakhang in Paro and Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang).

Simtokha Dzong

Simtokha Dzong also known as Sangak Zabdhon Phodrang is a small dzong. It was built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who unified Bhutan. It is the first of its kind built in Bhutan.

Punakha Dzong

At present, it the administrative centre of Punakha district. The Dzong is located at the confluence of the Pho Chhu (father) and Mo Chhu (mother) rivers in the Punakha–Wangdue valley. The source of the Mo chu river is in the northern hills of Lighsi and Laya in Bhutan, and in Tibet

Farmer against the back drop of Tiger’s Nest Inside the Farm House with the families

Day 6:Paro Valley & Tiger’s Nest Temple.

Tiger’s Nest

This is Bhutan’s most recognizable cultural icon perched 800m/2640ft up a seemingly sheer cliff. Although it was tragically and mysteriously consumed by fire in April 1998 it has now been restored to its former glory. It is believed that in the 8th century, the great tantric master Guru Rimopche/ Padmasambhava (2nd Buddha) flew on the back of a tigress to the site where the monastery now stands. The hike takes maximum one hour to reach the cafeteria and another around one hour to reach the heart of the monastery and slightly less on the way back. Most of the route is through wonderfully cool and sheltered oak forests. There is a tea house half way for a break. After the tea house the path is slightly steeper and more open with one area of exposed steps. It is a route that anybody of reasonable fitness can make but those who suffer from vertigo might prefer to wait at the tea house.

Farm House

Picturesque farm houses dot the valley amongst fields and hillsides. We welcome you to enjoy the hospitality of the Paro farmers. Thrill yourself as the farmers welcome you to their homes with genuine smiles. The two to three-storied Bhutanese farm houses are handsome in appearance, with colourfully decorated outer walls and lintels, and are traditionally built. A visit to a farm house gives an interesting glimpse into the lifestyle of a farming family. You can cook, eat and take hot stone bath in the farm house.

Day 7:Fly back to Kathmandu. O/N in Kathmandu

Breakfast & drive to Airport 3hrs before your flight time. Upon arrival in Kathmandu - drive to Hotel & free & easy day in Kathmandu. O/N at Thamel, Kathmandu.

Instead of flying back to Kathmandu, guests can also request a direct flight from Paro to Bangkok, Singapore, or Delhi paying the flight fare difference.

Day 8:Breakfast & fly back home.

Breakfast at the hotel & drive you to the airport. Guests will have individual airport transfers depending on their flight time.