Bhutan Tour with Day Hikes – 09 Days

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1400m)

Upon your arrival at the Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu, a representative from Marron Treks will receive and transfer you to your hotel. After you are greeted with welcome drinks at the hotel, we will have a quick pre-trip meeting to discuss on the necessary formalities and trip itinerary. You can then check in to your room, freshen up and rest. Or if you are not one of those “lay back” types, you can take a stroll around the vicinity of your hotel and get the feel of this hyperactive capital city of Nepal. On the streets, people seem to be on sheer rush, barely noticing one another, but if you utter “Namaste”, they will definitely reciprocate with a smile! Well, that’s Nepal’s Nepalese for you. Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu; breakfast included.
 

Day 02: Trip preparation and Kathmandu city sightseeing (1400m)

Marron Treks will assist you in Trip Preparation and other formalities. After the completion of all the formalities, hop in to our transport vehicle for a guided tour to the most historical and renowned landmarks in Kathmandu. You will be visiting the most renowned historical/cultural landmarks in Kathmandu. Our guide will take you to the Pasupatinath Temple (the most revered Hindu shrine), Swayambunath (the Monkey Temple) and Kathmandu (Basantapur) Durbar Square. All these sites are enlisted in the UNESCO world’s heritage list. After this informative and interesting tour, we drive back through the busy and noisy streets of Kathmandu to the serene premises of your hotel. Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu; breakfast included.

 

Day 03: Flight from Kathmandu to Paro (2200m)

We take an early morning flight to Paro. While on board you can enjoy the fascinating view of Himalayan Mountains including the sacred peaks of Bhutan like Jomolhari and Jichu Drake. Upon arrival you will be greeted by our guide at the airport and then transferred to your hotel. After lunch, pay a visit in Ta Dzong which is now the national museum of Bhutan. Our next place to visit will be Kichu Lhakhang, the oldest temple in the country and Drugyal Dzong, the Victory Fort of Bhutan which was built in the year 1646. If the day is clear we can still enjoy the view of Mt. Jomolhari, Bhutan’s second highest mountain. Overnight at hotel in Paro; breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
 

Day 04: Hike from Paro to Tiger-Nest Monastery (3210m/1 hr) and back to Paro / Drive from Paro to Thimphu (2350m /1 hr)

Early morning after breakfast we hike to the renowned Taktsang Monastery (Tiger- Nest Monastery/3120m). It is believed that the Spiritual Guru, Rinpoche, used to come to meditate here riding on the back of a tigress. This monastery is located at a steep cliff almost 900 m above Paro Valley. We now head on to The Cafeteria for lunch and resume our exploration a little later. After the exploration is completed we walk down to the valley. In the evening, we drive back to Thimphu. Overnight at hotel in Thimphu; breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
 

Day 05: Sightseeing in Thimphu

After breakfast we move on to visit Memorial Chorten which was built in the memory of the third King of Bhutan. We continue our sightseeing and proceed to the Radio Tower from where we can behold a captivating view of Thimphu valley and Thimphu Dzong. After the tiring mission, we have we take a sojourn and have lunch at a nearby restaurant. We will then visit the Textile Museum and get back to our hotel. In the evening, we can stroll around the nearby places in the vicinity of Thimphu valley. Overnight at hotel in Thimphu; breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 06: Drive from Thimphu to Dochu La Pass (3116m/45min); Hike from Dochu La Pass to Lungchutse Monastery (3456m) & back to Dochu La Pass (3hrs); Drive from Dochu La Pass to Punakha (1310m/2hrs)

Early morning we go for a drive. On the way we stop at Dochu La Pass for our morning tea. Dochu La is at an altitude of 3116m. From here we can enjoy the view of beautiful snow clad mountains. It hosts 108 chortens (stupas) and a temple built by the Queen Mother to commemorate the 2003-2004 flush out of Assamese rebels in the south. From 108 chortens, the trail goes to Lungchutse monastery (3456m). We hike to this monastery. If the weather is clear enough we could enjoy the wonderful view of high Himalayas. Although the trail is little strenuous, the view is worth watching. We can have our pack lunch over there and then gradually descend down to the Pass. From the Pass we drive down through the forests of rhododendron and our trail continues through rice field till we arrive Punakha. Overnight at hotel in Punakha; breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
 

Day 07: Drive from Punakha to Paro (2200m/ 3 - 4 hours)

At the day break, we drive 12 kms to the north of Punakha. From the road point, we will hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, a four storied stupa which is located on a beautiful hillock called Ngezergang. It is embellished with elaborate paintings dedicated to the old sect of Buddhism. This stupa was built by Her Majesty the Queen Mother for the well being of the Kingdom. From here you can behold a captivating view of Punakha Valley and you can spend some time capturing some beautiful footage in your camera. It takes around 30 mins to hike back to Punakha . On return, we visit the Punakha Dzong, stunningly situated in between the male and female rivers named- Pho Chu (father) and Mo Chu (mother) like an anchored ship. In the afternoon, we drive back to Paro and check into our hotel on arrival. Overnight at hotel in Paro; breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 08: Flight from Paro to Kathmandu

We will have breakfast and then proceed to check in for your flight. We bid a fond farewell to Bhutan and fly back to Kathmandu and transfer to Hotel. Take your time to relax and refresh yourself by indulging in shopping or strolling around some of the cultural and historical landmarks of Kathmandu. Thamel is your hot spot for shopping where you can haul all the souvenirs representing Nepal and its culture. May be that in addition to your interesting trip anecdotes, you would also want to take back some stuff for your friends and relatives. In the evening, a farewell dinner with a range of traditional Nepali cuisines, will be hosted by Marron Treks. Enjoy the dinner, pack/prepare yourself for a flight back home and have a beauty sleep. Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu; breakfast and dinner included.
 

Day 09: Final departure

Unless you would want to extend your trip and try out some of our other adventurous packages like Bungy Jumping, Mountain Biking, Jungle Safari, White Water Rafting, Golfing & Paragliding etc., this will be your last day in Nepal. A representative from Marron Treks will escort you to the airport for the final departure to your homeland. Have a safe flight back home. Please let us know about your desire for trip extension so that we can make the necessary arrangements.

  Important  Snippets  

The itinerary prescribed above is the standard template of the trip plan offered by Marron Treks, which can be readily customized to match the guests’ preferences. However, the guests are expected to understand that the execution of the trip plan might be circumvented by an array of uncontrollable factors like bad weather, political turmoil, strikes, blockades and other unforeseen contingencies. Under such abnormal circumstances, the trip plans might undergo slight or sharp alterations, taking into consideration, the best interest of the clients. Wherever the changes are made, Marron Treks cannot be held responsible for the consequences. Nevertheless, we shall endeavor our level best to make sure that the trip is carried out with respect to the original trip specifics.

Bhutan Government owned, ‘Druk Air’, in the only operational airlines flying in and out of Bhutan. Hence, the ‘Druk Air’ tickets will have to be booked at least 2-3 months in advance as they get sold out pretty early.

Accommodation

While you are in Kathmandu, we opt to accommodate you in 3 star or 5 star hotels like Hotel Royal Singhi (3 star), Hotel Manaslu (3 star), Radisson (5 star), Yak & Yeti (5 star) or similar.

During the trek, you will be accommodated in a Tea House/ Lodge or Trekking Inn. Most of these lodges and teahouses cater good services and are equipped with modern amenities. We will endeavor to provide you the best accommodation available along the route so that you get a good night’s rest in a hygienic milieu.

While in Bhutan, you will be accommodated in 3-4 Star lodges and hotels in Paro, Thimphu, Gangtey, Punakha etc as per your requirement.

Meals

We never compromise with the quality of food, as we are concerned about the health of our clients as well as staff members. Generally, we opt for the locally available fresh and nutritious community food, viz. dried meat cooked with hot chilies, Ema Datshi (vegetarian dish made out of cheese and chili) etc, so that you have the opportunity to taste something new and also get a real sense of the native culture and life patterns. Besides, a wide range of Continental, Chinese, Italian and Indian cuisines like Pizza, Spaghetti, French Fries, Soups, Breads etc. are also available at the restaurants for your retreat.

Best Months

The month of January-May & September-December are considered to be best months for Bhutan Tour with Day Hikes.

Our Guides

Guides play the most significant role in trekking. Marron Treks has literate, experienced and helpful trekking guides who are multilingual speakers and are very well versed to the culture, language, location and every single detail pertaining to Bhutan. Hence your trek becomes informative as well as entertaining.

Access to enter Bhutan

Bhutan is well connected to the outside world through Druk Air (Royal Bhutanese Airlines), the national carrier which is the only airline operating flights in and out of the kingdom. The country's only airport is situated at Paro and two flights a week from Kathmandu (Nepal).

Travel Insurance

It is advised that you arrange your travel insurance before leaving your homeland. The main thing is to make sure that your insurance covers you for both medical as well as evacuation costs. Having a travel insurance with you makes you trip safe and hassle free.

Bhutan Visa Requirement

Unlike other countries, Bhutanese Visa can be obtained only after entering the country itself as it does not have any embassy abroad. Hence, after Marron Treks receives your booking confirmation, you need to send us the details below along with the copies of your valid passport and recent PP sized photograph. We will then initiate your visa processing. It takes about 2 weeks for the visa to be granted. The visa application has to be submitted to the Department of Tourism in Bhutan and then finally it is approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But we do not want you to get into the rigmaroles of doing this all by yourself. All you need to do is send us the details below (along with the copies of passport and recent pp sized photograph) and we will take care of the rest in coordination with our agent in Bhutan. You will get the visa upon your arrival at the airport in Bhutan. You are entitled to pay the nominal visa fee of US $20. Visa extension fee for a period not exceeding six months is NU510 (US $ 8.24). Since the tourist visas are issued for the full period of stay in Bhutan, it is very unlikely that you would need a visa extension. Please note that the above conditions apply to all the nationalities except the Indians. The Indian citizens do not require a visa or a passport, but they need to provide some form of identification such as a copy of driving license, citizenship etc. along with five copies of PP sized photographs. Generally, they are issued a permit of 14 days which can be extended as necessary.

Full Name: ……………………………………………………

Permanent Address: ………………………………………………

Place of Birth: ………………………………………………………

Date of Birth: ………………………………………………………

Nationality:…………………………………………………………

Nature of Passport: Diplomatic/Official/Ordinary/UN Laisser-Passer.

Passport Number: …………………………………………………

Date of Issue: …………………………………………………………

Place of Issue: ………………………………………………………

Date of Expiry:………………………………………………………

Occupation/Profession

Period for which visa is required: …………………………………

Point of Entry/Exit into Bhutan: Entry: ………………Exit: ………

Purpose of visiting Bhutan: …………………………………………

Is this first visit to Bhutan? YES /NO. If not, give details of your earlier visit.

For more queries, Visit our  FAQ section or contact us directly at   marketing@marrontreks.com

Starting Price: USD XXXX (On request) on twin sharing accommodation basis.

For other special requirements or bigger group deals, kindly mail us directly at: marketing@marrontreks.com

Cost Includes

• Airport pick up and drop services by private transportation.
• Guided sightseeing tour of Kathmandu city.
• Accommodation in Bhutanese government approved tourist standard hotels or lodges throughout the trip in Bhutan, on full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner) basis.
• Applicable Bhutan airfare as per the itinerary. (Kathmandu - Paro- Kathmandu Airfare = US $ 520 / subject to change.).
• Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu in a three star category hotel on “BB” basis.
• Entrance and monumental fees during the sightseeing in Nepal & Bhutan as prescribed in the itinerary.
• Bhutan visa fees and processing assistance.
• Company’s t-shirt, cap and a day pack (provided as complimentary gears).
• Remuneration to the Bhutanese government certified English speaking local tour guide throughout the tour in Bhutan.
• Bhutanese government’s royalties, taxes and tourist service charges.
• A comprehensive medical kit (will be carried by the guide).
• Personal insurance for crew members.
• Farewell dinner with live Nepalese cultural program.

Cost Excludes

• International airfare (Kathmandu to home country) and departure taxes.
• Personal travel insurance.
• Emergency rescue evacuation (to be covered by the client's travel insurance).
• Nepal entry visa fee – Visa can be obtained upon your arrival at the Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. (Tourist Visa with Multiple Entries for 15 days costs US $ 25 or equivalent foreign currency, Tourist Visa with Multiple Entries for 30 days and 90 days costs US $40 and $ 100 respectively. You will need a valid passport and 2 copies of your recent PP sized photos).
• Other expenses of personal nature (phone calls, laundry, bottled water etc.).
• Bar bills, alcoholic drinks & beverages.
• Lunch and dinner expenses.
• Personal clothing and equipments.
• Tip for tour guides, driver and hotel lobby staff. (Tipping is expected but not mandatory).
• Cost incurred due to the addition of extra days or change in the real course of the itinerary because of bad weather conditions, political turmoil or any other unforeseen contingencies.
• Other expenses not mentioned in the “Cost Includes” section above.

Departure Date

Marron Treks has calibrated fixed departure dates for all the tour packages. We operate group as well as individual/private tours. Please pick the most palpable date for you and book your trip now. If the dates below don’t fit your schedule, kindly contact us directly and let us know about your preference.