Window to Bhutan

Overview

This is the ideal introduction to Bhutan. The route moves through the kingdom's three most celebrated western valleys — Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha — and gives a complete first impression of the country's landscape, architecture, culture, and people. In Paro, the journey begins among apple orchards, rice paddies, ancient farmhouses, and the dramatic Rinpung Dzong, before the hike to Taktsang Monastery, perched 900 metres above the valley floor. Thimphu shifts the tone with visits to the Memorial Chorten, the School of Traditional Arts and Crafts, the Takin sanctuary, and the Buddha Dordenma statue. The journey ends in Punakha, the former winter capital, with its 17th-century dzong at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers and a walk through mustard fields to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Divine Madman.