7 Day Thimphu Tshechu | Festival Travel Plan | Druk Asia

7 Day Thimphu Tshechu

Star 4-5 4.7 / 5.0
7 Reviews ( Read Reviews )
Thimphu Festival

Thimphu Festival
Stephen Gollan / Unchartered Backpacker

Thimphu Festival

Thimphu Festival
Stephen Gollan / Unchartered Backpacker

Thimphu Tschechu

Thimphu Tschechu
Stephen Gollan / Unchartered Backpacker


Bhutan Tour Itinerary

Thimphu Tshechu video:

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 acclimatize to the altitude. Drive to Thimphu, check in to the hotel and let’s have your first taste of Bhutanese cuisine.

National Memorial Chorten - Meet the elderly generation in circumambulation.

Folk Heritage Museum - Dedicated to connecting people to the Bhutanese rural past though exhibition of artifacts used in rural households.

Textile Museum - Witnesses the art of traditional weaving.

Institute of Zorig Chusum - Commonly known as the Painting School, or the School of the Thirteen Arts, the Institute offers you a glimpse of novices learning 13 traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan. It is a hands-on trip for you. Enjoy few moments with future artists of the country.

Day 2

Thimphu Tshechu

Tashichhodzong (Thimphu Dzong) – The “fortress of the glorious religion” was initially constructed in 1641 and restored by the Third King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck in the 1960s. Tashichhodzong houses some ministries, His Majesty’s secretariat, and the central monk body.

The Thimphu Tshechu, as all Tshechu festivals, honors Padma Sambhawa, also known as Guru Rimpoche, the precious yogi and saint who is credited with having introduced Tantric Buddhism throughout the Himalayas. The festival's masked dances are performed by monks clad in colorful brocade attire and permeated by chants and reading of Buddhist scripts. The culmination of festival constitutes the unfolding of a huge cloth thanka, a sacred scroll, depicting Padma Smabhawa and imagery from Buddhist pantheon.

Buddha Point – Located at Kuensel Phodrang, 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 3

Thimphu to Punakha

Dochula Pass - The 108 chortens was built by the present Queen Mother of Bhutan Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck to commemorate Bhutan’s victory over Indian militants and to liberate the souls of the souls lost.

Punakha Dzong - Built in 1637, the dzong continues to be the winter home for the clergy, headed by the Chief Abbott, the Je Khenpo. It is a stunning example of Bhutanese architecture, sitting at the fork of two rivers, portraying the image of a medieval city from a distance. The dzong was destroyed by fire and glacial floods over the years but has been carefully restored and is, today, a fine example of Bhutanese craftsmanship.

Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten - Built by the third Queen Mother Ashi Tshering Yangdon wangchuck this Chorten is a splendid example of of the Bhutanese architecture and art and is the only one of its kind in the world. It has been built over eight and a half years and its details have been drawn from religious scripture.
 

Day 4

Punakha to Gangtey

Chhimi Lhakhang – A 20 minutes’ walk across terraced fields through the village of Sopsokha. Ngawang Chogyel built the temple in 15th century after the ’divine Madman’ Drukpa Kuenlay built a small chorten there.

Passing Wangdue (left), one of the major towns and district capital of Western Bhutan. Located south of Punakha, Wangdue is the last town before central Bhutan. The district is famous for its fine bamboo work and its slate and stone carving.

We will pause to view the Wangdue Phodrang Dzong. Built in 1638, Wangdue Dzong is dramatically perched on the spur of a hill and overlooks the confluence of the Tsang Chu and Dang Chu rivers.
 

Day 5

Gangtey to Paro

Drukgyal Dzong – A morning drive, north of Paro valley brings us to the ruins of Drukgyal Dzong. Built in 1647 by the great Zhabdrung 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.

Ta Dzong – Built as a watch tower 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.

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.
 

Day 6

Paro

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

Taktsang Monastery – A one 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.

Duration: 5-7 hours depending on time taken in monasteries
Difficulty: Moderate - Guided with mineral water
 

 

Day 7

Depart from 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! Tashi Delek!


Delve further with our Bhutanese Festivities Packages. Each package offers an exclusive exploration of Bhutan's vibrant cultural events, immersing you in the essence of Bhutanese traditions and heritage.

TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice 2023
✓ What's Included

✓ Suitable Months
  • Festival Date : 13th -15th September 2024
  • For Travel during Festival
  • USD 1,790 for 1 person traveler
  • USD 1,730 per person for 2 person travelers
  • USD 1,550 per person for group with 3 or more

See our payment options
✖ What's Excluded

✓ Our Guarantee

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

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.

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 be on the spot to assist you.

We’re here to help. 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.

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Recent Customer Reviews

Star 4-5 4.7 / 5.0 ( Read Reviews )


94.3 % of Our Travellers Recommend This Travel Plan


 
RH
Roger Higgs
United States, Sep 2015
Star 5

Dear Sonam,

I completed the survey form provided by the guide on my last day and indicated my rating of excellent for both guide and driver. But I do want to expand on that a bit.

My guide, Tshering Dendup, was one of the best, if not the best guide I've ever had and that is comparing to our travels to around 100 countries in the past 15 years. His knowledge of both Buddhism and the history of Bhutan is encyclopedic. In addition he has broad knowledge in a wide variety of subjects, especially the flora and fauna of the country. Beyond that, he was able to note my preferences, eg food, kinds of sites to visit and make adjustments to accommodate me as much as possible without my asking.

I also want to make special compliments to the driver, Mr. Rabgay, who had to drive under extremely

+Read Full Review


DG
Daphne Go
Singapore, Sep 2015
Star 5

Hi Sonam,

Great to hear from you! The trip is great - Ugyen and Chime are fantastic. Ugyen I think is the best guide I've had in all of my travels. Knowledgeable, great attention to detail, and very attentive! He remembers each feedback and takes them seriously. Bhutanese people in general don't have much attention to detail, but both Ugyen and Chime do, so my guess is your training must be fantastic for them to get to that level, even better than that of Western tour directors and drivers. Bhutan is the 89th country I visited and I find it amazing that I found the best guide and driver in this trip.

I will send some pictures once I've sorted them - I brought a good camera for the festival so can share a couple of in-action photos.

We sent in our feedback form as well.

Overall though,

+Read Full Review


TC
Tudor Clee
New Zealand, Sep 2014
Star 3

Hi Sonam

OK - I am back in NZ - great trip.

I didn't have time to complete the form due to the airport issue - the guide and driver were really nice.

Few things: don't worry - not end of the world - I will definitely be recommending you to anyone going to Bhutan. Just suggestions especially if you have people who don't usually do booked tours (North Korea, Turkmenistan and Bhutan are the only countries in the world where a guide is required, though Turkmenistan you can avoid it with a transit visa).

+Read Full Review


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