Bhutan Forbidden Land Tour


Main description

On your Bhutan Forbidden Land tour, you discover Dzongs, monasteries and temples with fluttering prayer flags and stupas standing on every strategic points to give protection from evil spirits and negatives forces; learn about Bhutan’s lovely people and their ways of life and, culture; and encounter the country’s historical past and present; meet inspiring hermits, be immersed in the murmuring sounds of monks praying. Tours are designed to give you a first-hand experience on many aspects of Bhutanese life, culture and village farming. On this tour, you enjoy vibrant landscapes and rough rushing rivers, villages; you may see some of the world’s highest snow peaked mountains. For Bhutan Forbidden Land tour group itinerary will include complimentary special permits and will be escorted by spiritual experts cum the tour leader throughout your tour.

Price range [ 7 days] USD1785 for a solo traveler and USD1575 each for a couple and USD1395 per head in a group of three + . The above price excludes all flight tickets but includes surcharge, visa fee, and tourism development fee in the package, which is un-commissionable.

Price inclusions & exclusions

Bhutan tour arrangement is quite unique system. It is a full package tour that includes all meals, transport, accommodation, special entrance permit, and museum entrance fee; but it excludes drinks, laundry, and compulsory insurance.

Walking holidays:

Bhutan being a country in the Himalayas, almost all the temples and villages in Bhutan are built on the cliffs and in-betweens the valleys, mountains, and hills. Therefore, walking may be easy to moderates in some places; but most walk involves strenuous steep climbs. Walking through the forests, villages, on the ridges, breathing fresh Himalayan air is a real value of spiritual pilgrimage tour.

Departure dates

No fixed departure dates, we are open to any dates and arrange accordingly to clients’ request. But we do have always some clients on almost every month for a small group trip. Season months are March, April, May, September, October, and November.

When is the best time to go?

March, April, May, September, October, and November are best seasons. Mid- June to mid- September is wet and rainy season. We have local festival almost every month.

Summary paragraph

The Bhutan Forbidden Land tour is an exceptionally breathtaking journey to have glimpse of Bhutan, you discover Dzongs, temples, monasteries & monks; learn about Bhutan’s lovely people and their ways of life, culture; and encounter the country’s historical past and present. We offer you the highest quality services, care and personal attention that you will cherish for a lifetime.

Itinerary

Arrival to Paro: During the flight, if the weather is clear, one has the opportunity of experiencing some of the world’s most amazing scenery of the high sacred peaks of the Himalayas. At the airport, after collecting your baggage, you will be received at the gate of exit by your guide. He will take you to your hotel and, after refreshment, drive straight to Kyichu temple to receive blessing and good luck for the pilgrimage ahead. The Kyichu Temple is one of the 108 temples built in the 7th century A.D by King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet as a missionary project (to pin down the left foot of ogress).

After lunch visit a tiny Paro town for orientation with the place and people and then walk up to the Paro Dzong from the Traditional wooden Bridge called Nyame Zam, (literal meaning, bridge with no fish). Towards late afternoon, you will be walking together with students to their village home. Welcome dinner in the evening concludes your first exciting day.

Paro-Thimphu (58 km 1:15 hours): This morning a scenic drive to the ruin Drugyel Dzong (‘fortress of the victorious drukpas’) was built in 1649 to celebrate a decisive victory over Tibetan forces and to curtail further invasion. If weather permits you will be seeing the elegant Jomolhari, the Kingdom’s sacred peak (Snow Mountains). Then visit to Ta Dzong, (literal meaning watchtower), built to safeguard the main structure of the dzong below from the Tibetan invaders. It was converted to house the National Museum in 1968. It has 6 galleries and a visit to the museum gives us in a very short period of time an idea of the culture and ecological richness of Bhutan in a very short time. After lunch, drive to Thimphu the capital of Bhutan with an in route stop to visit Simtokha Dzong, the first dzong, built in 1629. Now, it only houses the monks. In the evening, visit the Tashichhodzong and town, to see handicraft emporiums and local shops.

Thimphu Sightseeing: Morning drive to BBS Tower (Sangay Gang) viewpoint and hike to Wangditse temple; the main image there is beautiful Lord Buddha, made of clay. Later visit Folk Heritage Museum, it was established to preserve the remains of yesterday and ensure the survival of the culture of today, so that the future generation can know and appreciate their past, which after all has shaped their present. The National Library, The National Institute for Thirteen Arts, The Traditional Hospital, Dechenphodrang monastic school, and, in the evening, drive to Punakha [Thimphu-Wangdi (77 km: 2:30 hours]

Punakha & Wangdi Sightseeing: In the Morning visit Punakha Dzong the second of Bhutan’s dzongs, built in 1637 by Zhabdrung Rinpoche. Punakha who was the country’s winter capital for more than 300- years. It is still the winter residence of the Central Monk Body. The coronation of the 1st King Ugyen Wangchuk was held here at Punakha dzong on 17 December 1907. The very secret relic called Rangjung Kharsapani, a statue of Avalokitesvara, (which appeared miraculously from the vertebra of Tsangpa Gyare the founder of the Drukpa School), was placed in this dzong. After lunch, we will visit Chimi Lhakhang, a temple dedicated to yogi saint Drukpa Kuenley, popularly known as ‘the divine madman’ (1455-1529). In the evening, visit Wangdi Dzong and Wangdi town.

Punakha – Paro (145 km 3:45hours): Today after breakfast we will drive back to Paro with a brief stop at Dochula Pass to view the snow peak mountain (if the sky is clear). Lunch stop at Thimphu and then souvenir shopping (optional) and in the evening drive to Paro.

Paro Taktshang Hike: Today morning drive to Taktshang base to hike at Taktshang (Tiger’s lair) the most famous and sacred hanging cliff monastery in Bhutan. This place is especially venerated because of its association with Guru Rinpoche, who is said to have flown to Paro Takshang in the form of Guru Dorje Drolo, mounted on a flaming dakini-tigress, in the 747 A.D. He meditated in that very cave for four- months and subdued the negativities and evil forces. This is perfect opportunity for those who wish to connect with Guru Rinpoche on the final day in Bhutan.

Departure:

Farewell transfer to airport for international departure

Things to keep in mind

Local community:

Our main aim is to serve local community through creating awareness and helping to preserve their age-old culture and traditional values.

From time- to- time, we used their farmhouses and restaurants for our guest accommodation and pay them the same urban prices for it.

We employ local guides along with our regular guide to explore the best possible value of the local area.

We often encourage our valued clients to visit villages and taste local cuisine or locally made wine with the villagers.

We encourage our clients to buy local made handicrafts and textiles; not only that we also suggest to the local people to make tourism related products to generate more cash.

Visiting monasteries and temple and making offerings or donations also helps in small ways the private monk communities to sustain their livelihood.

Where ever possible we help the private monasteries and village communities with our knowledge and share experiences in their business ventures and contributes in little ways to start their dream goals.

Environment:

We always keep in mind that our tour or visit to village communities has no environmental effects.

During our visit to communities, we make sure that our clients to use the designated trails used by the local people themselves.

We make sure to visit parks, cultural sites and museums where fees contribute to conservation.

  • When we lead a tour, we remind our clients to respect the laws to protect wildlife, biodiversity and the people
  • We discourage a farmer who does farming and agricultural activities in areas close to forest and wildlife sanctuaries.
  • We advocate the Buddhist philosophy of inter-relatedness of all living things and make sure that local belief that has contributed to a healthy and intact environment.
  • We value the continued living in harmony with nature and want to pass on this rich heritage to its future generations.
  • We remind that to communities that healthy environment is essential for material and spiritual happiness. In the words of his majesty, the King of Bhutan: ‘Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product.’
  • We take tourists to the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature in Thimphu, which is partially sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature and discover for themselves the great lengths to which of the country has gone, and continues to go, to protect its environment.
  • Knowing that main cause of the environment degradation is due to unawareness of the people of the consequences of their everyday action. We advocate on the future sustainability of the precious resources around the community’s habitats.
  • To educate illiterate on environmental issues, we support the establishment of Nature Clubs in schools, and we encourage monastic institutions on basic gardening and caring of their own surroundings.