10 Days Jambay Lhakhang | Druk Asia

10 Days Jambay Lhakhang

Jambay Lhakhang

Jambay Lhakhang
Jambay Lhakhang is one of the oldest temples in the kingdom. It was founded by, Songtsen Gampo, a Tibetan King in the 7th century AD.

Bumthang Valley

Bumthang Valley


Bhutan Trip Itinerary

Festival Date: 4th-6th November 2017

The Story of Jambay Lhakhang

Jambay Lhakhang is one of the oldest temples in the kingdom. It was founded by, Songtsen Gampo, a Tibetan King in the 7th century AD.  The king was destined to build 108 temples known as Thadhul- Yangdhul (temples on and across the border) in a day to subdue the demoness that was residing in the Himalayas. The temple is one of the two of the 108 built in Bhutan. A second is located in Paro, the Kichu lhakhang also built on the same day.

 

Day 1

Arrival in Paro, Bhutan

Welcome to Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon.Touching down at Paro International Airport, you will be greeted by your guide upon exiting the arrival hall. Today, we will take it easy to acclimatise to the altitude. Drive to Thimphu, check in to the hotel and lets have your first taste of Bhutanese cuisine and some light sight-seeing, like the weekend market, in Thimphu if possible.

National Memorial Chorten - Which was built in honor of the late King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk.


Thimphu Dzong - The largest Dzong, is also the seat of the office of the King of Bhutan.

Buddha Point at Kuensel Phodrang, will be open to tourists once it is completed in 2012. The 169 feet bronze statue of Buddha Dordenma , Vajra Throne Buddha symbolising indestructibility will be completed soon. The Buddha statue itself is competed awaiting paintings, but visitors can drive up to the Buddha point and view the tallest statue of Lord Buddha. The view of Thimphu valley from the Buddha point is spectacular and beautiful, especially at night.

Day 2

Thimphu to Punakha

We will head on to Punakha, the ancient capital of Bhutan in the morning. The roads bring visitors through scented pine and cedar forests, festooned with hanging lichen. The Punakha river is one of the biggest rivers in Bhutan. During spring and winter, the color of the river turns jade and is beautiful.

Dochula Pass - at 3,050m, this beautiful pass with its 108 Bhutanese stupas is the memorial site of fallen Bhutanese soldiers in the 1990s.

Chhimi Lhakhang - A 20 minutes walk across terraced fields through the village of Sopsokha from the roadside to the small temple located on a hillock in the centre of the valley below Metshina. Ngawang Chogyel built the temple in 15th century after the ’Divine Madman’ Drukpa Kuenlay built a small chorten 

Day 3

Punakha to Trongsa

Due to the regular road blocks and landslides between Trongsa and Bumthang, Druk Asia will not be conducting tours to Bumthang between Jun - Sep 2018

Pelela pass at 3300m is an important dividing range that separates Western Bhutan from Central and Eastern Bhutan. Crossing this important Pass, one may enjoy the pastoral feeling as you drive deeper into the valley with meadows where sheep and yaks graze. The bamboos that grow plenty on these hillsides are trimmed by yaks. Yaks love the dwarfed bamboos. If you are a bird watcher, look out for the specialty called the Wren Babbler taking refuge underneath those bamboos. In the months of April-June, the hillsides are painted with the rhododendron blooms. Trongsa, the sacred and the temporal heart of the country is the first district that you will come across.

Wangdue Phodrang - One of the major towns and district capital of Western Bhutan. We will pause to view the Wangdue Phodrang Dzong. Dramatically perched on the spur of a hill, built in 1638, this Dzong overlooks the confluence of the Tsang Chu and Dang Chu rivers. The last town before central Bhutan. The district is famous for its fine bamboo work and its slate and stone carving.

Chendebji Chorten  -  also called Chorten Charo Kasho is a Nepalese style like stupa like Swayambhunath or Bodhnath built in the 19th century by a Tibetan Lama. It was built on the remains of an evil spirit that was tormenting the people of that region.

 

Day 4

Bumthang

Due to the regular road blocks and landslides between Trongsa and Bumthang, Druk Asia will not be conducting tours to Bumthang between Jun - Sep 2018

Bumthang is one of the most spectacular valleys in Bhutan and also the heartland of Buddhism in Bhutan. It is an area with a wide variety of fauna and flora. The Guru Rinpoche and his lineage of Tertons (treasure finders) making Bumthang his home have led to more than 40 temples being built in this peaceful valley. Today is the 3rd day of the Jambay Lhakhang Drup and the second day of the Prakhar Tshechu. You can attend both these festivals and cover the following activities if time allows.

 

Day 5

Bumthang, Visit Ura Valley

Due to the regular road blocks and landslides between Trongsa and Bumthang, Druk Asia will not be conducting tours to Bumthang between Jun - Sep 2018

One of the most tranquil and beautiful valley, Ura is a must visit valley in Bumthang. While in Ura visit the Ura Monastery and simply enjoy the meadows and the beautiful landscapes, the buck wheat and barley fields.

The 48 km paved drive to Ura ascends through a beautiful conifer landscape. Farms, cows and sheep pastures line the road. When reaching the Shelthang La Pass (3600 meters / 11800 feet), on clear days, you have a magnificent view of Mount Gangkhar Puensum (7540 meters / 24700 feet), the highest unclimbed mountain in Bhutan. From here, we recommend that you descend into Ura village by foot. The path meanders slowly down through meadows with a clear view of the village the whole way. Ura has nearly forty clustered houses, typical to only a few communities in Bhutan. You will first reach the new temple dedicated to Guru Rinpoche where the annual Ura festival is held in late spring. It has a huge statue of Guru Rinpoche and beautiful frescoes. From here, walk through the small village towards the local secondary school and get a feel of the village atmosphere.

30 minutes further by car from Ura, you will reach Shingkhar village. In this small traditional village at an elevation of 3400 meters (11200 feet), with a population of about 250, it is as if time has been standing still for several hundred years and it is strikingly clean and organized. The courtyard of the Dechen Chholing Goemba is a beautiful place to have lunch after a wander around.

Membartsho (The Burning Lake):

The story has it that Pema Lingpa had a dream that he would find a treasure where a wooden bridge spans across the trapped river-water pool. He later ventured into the river pool carrying a burning butter lamp in his hand saying if he were an apparition of evil the lamp would be snuffed out and if not it would continue to burn on his resurfacing from the water. He dove into the pool and returned with the treasures and the lamp still burning. Since then the lake has been known as Membartsho. It is believed that on a lucky day, if you lie down on the rock and look really closely into the water, you might still see parts of the treasure on the bottom. To this day pilgrims light lamps and release them into the pool.

 

Day 6

Bumthang to Gangtey

Due to the regular road blocks and landslides between Trongsa and Bumthang, Druk Asia will not be conducting tours to Bumthang between Jun - Sep 2018

The Valley of Phobjikha is well known as the winter home of the Black necked crane (Grus Nigricollis). Bhutan is home to around six hundred black necked cranes with Phobjikha being one of the popular places that the birds migrate to in the winter months from the Tibetan plateau. The elegant and shy birds can be observed from early November to end of March. Overlooking the Phobjikha valley is the Gangtey Gonpa. This is an old monastery that dates back to 17th century.

Another significant landmark in Phobjikha is the famous Gangtey Gonpa monastery, built in the 17th century. Today we will do some short hikes around the valley of Phobjikha.

Day 7

Gangtey to Paro

Paro Valley, the beautiful valley is home to many of Bhutan’s old 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. The following are some of the prominent places to visit in Paro.

Paro Dzong also known as Rinpung Dzong, this 15th century massive fortress/monastery, is also the administrative center of the dzonkhag.

Built as a watchtower the Ta Dzong, it was converted into the National Museum in 1968. The museum boasts antique Thangka, textiles, weapons and armour, household objects and rich assortment of natural and historic artifacts.

Day 8

Paro to Haa via Chelela

Drive to Haa through Chele La (3,988m). From the pass you can see Paro valley on one side and then Haa valley on the other. You can also have a picnic at Chele La if you like to. In Haa, some sightseeing and then going to katsho village and visiting the Katso Lhakhang.

The valley of Haa was only opened to Tourist in 2002 and Haa is the least visited valley in Bhutan due to the lack of Tourist infrastructure. This has helped in keeping Haa the way it has always been, with Bhutanese families living their traditional and simple life. There are no tourist standard hotels in Haa valley so we return back to Paro for the night.

Day 9

Paro

A morning drive, north of Paro valley brings us to the ruins of Drukgyal Dzong. Built in 1647 by the great Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, father and unifier of medieval Bhutan, the Dzong was destroyed by an accidental fire and left in ruins as an evocative reminder of the great victories it was built to commemorate. Explore the ramparts and relive the memories of a glorious past.

Beyond Satsam Chorten, we hike up to the Taktsang monastery (Tiger’s nest). The 1.5 hour hike to the cafeteria is also a vantage view whereby you can enjoy the stunning view of the monastery. Prayer flags adorn the cliffs and this is also where Guru Padmasambhava landed on the back of a tigress in the 8th century. After a sumptuous local lunch, we will retrace our steps to visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan.

Day 10

Depart Paro

Today we will bid fond farewell to this beautiful Himalayan country and take an early flight back to Singapore. We hope by now you would have made some friends and also kept many photos and beautiful memories of Bhutan! And we look forward to seeing you again in this beautiful land of endless Enchantments! Thank you for choosing our Bhutan Festival Tours! Tashi Delek!


TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice 2023TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice 2024

✓ What's Included

✓ Suitable Months
  • Festival Date: 18th - 21st September 2024
  • For Travel during Jambay Lhakhang Festival
  • USD 2,650 for 1 person traveler
  • USD 2,560 per person for 2 person travelers
  • USD 2,290 per person for group of 3 and above

See our payment options
✖ What's Excluded

✓ Our Guarantee

Guaranteed Visa approval. We have yet to disappoint a single one of our travellers in terms of Visa issuance.

Authentic, Safe, And Comfortable Accommodations. Your choice of hotels will be confirmed for your inspection before your arrival. We only book you on hotels which we love and would love again.

Expert English-Speaking Guides. Our expert local guides ensure a safe journey all throughout your adventure. We will be happy to change your guide, driver or vehicle on the first two days of arrival in Thimphu if you are not satisfied with our selection. Drop us a note, and our hospitality team will be on the spot to assist you.

We're always ready to assist you. Our world-class member services team is available by phone or email. There's no automated system or call center; you'll communicate with a real person.

Community Partners

Your trip to Bhutan will contribute to one of the following causes Simply complete your trip feedback and Druk Asia will pledge a donation to your chosen charity

Get awesome customization of this tour from our experts

Join more than 18,433+ travelers who leverage on our expertise to build the perfect trip to Bhutan
Our team has more than 15 years of experience serving clients from all over the world.

 

We will never spam you or share your contact information with third parties.
*worth $250

Here is what you can expect from us

  • Let us guarantee your visa or all your money returned
  • Choose your hotel or homestay
  • Customize your activity within a day
  • Add a visit to festival
  • Add more hiking options or reduce hiking
  • Add experiential activities e.g. archery, farm visit and cooking session


AI Nav chatsimple
Whats App