Welcome to Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon! Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your local travel guide and driver in Paro International Airport, and then be escorted to Paro Town to start your wonderful journey.

You will firstly visit Rinpung Dzong, also known as Paro Dzong, is reputed as the finest example of Bhutanese dzong. Dzong, always served as the religious, military, administrative and social centers, is a distinctive Bhutan architecture in style with a complex of courtyards, temples, offices and monks’ accommodation surrounded by towering walls. According to Bhutanese tradition, dzong is always built on a hill top with the purpose of observing the attackers. Perching on the side of Paro Valley Wall, Rinpung Dzong was an important bastion for the Kingdom of Bhutan against invasion from the north. At present, it houses the Monastic Body and government offices, and serves as the religious, military, administrative, and social centers of their district.

After appreciating these charming architectures in Rinpung Dzong, visit Bhutan National Museum which is housed in Rinpung Dzong’s watchtower, keeping the rich culture and history of Bhutan. There are many impressive collections displayed in its five galleries, including traditional thangkas, festival masks, religious statues, interesting carvings, etc. Nextly, take a leisure walk through the cantilever bridge to Paro Town to attend an archery game which is Bhutan's official national game, played almost every day on the ground. Lastly, drive about 1.5 hours to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan Kingdom, for accommodation.

Arrival Ideas: 1) you are able to take an international flight from Kathmandu (1 hour), Kolkata (1 hour), New Delhi (2.5 hours), Guwahati (55 minutes), Siliguri (30 minutes), Bangkok (3 hours), Singapore (5 hours) and some other cities in India in peak seasons; 2) so far, all the flights to Paro depart and arrive in the morning.

This morning you will start the day by visiting the National Memorial Chorten (shrine), a monument dedicated to the past 3rd king of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. More than a memorial stupa, it is also one important religious center for Bhutanese daily worship. Then go to visit National Institute for Zorig Chusum, a school where students are taught to make Bhutan’s 13 traditional arts and crafts, like painting, woodcarving, embroidery, statue-making and so on. Next, go to Bhutan Post Office Headquarters, an informative and indulging museum with excellent exhibition of the evolution of Post & Telegraph in Bhutan as well as good details on historical and symbolic interpretation behind stamps. Afterward, drive to Buddha View Point Where a massive bronze statue of Buddha Dordenma sits. The statue is placed on a lotus and below it is a meditation hall housed with 125,000 small statues of Buddha. This Buddha dominates over the valley of Thimphu, and you can hardly tell whether the view from Buddha Dordenma or the view of Buddha Dordenma is more spectacular.

Leaving Thimphu, drive back to Paro to visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest and most beautiful temples. Like the famous Jokhang Temple is Tibet, Kyichu Lhakhang was built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo to halt a giant female ogre from preventing the spread of Bhuddhism across Himalaya and Tibet in 7th century. The temple conceals the statue of Jowo Jampa originally from the 7th century, which is the real treasure of Paro Valley. There are usually elderly pilgrims walking around the temple while spinning the prayer wheels.

Accommodate in Paro Town.

Tip: there are many other interesting museums where you can probe into Bhutan's culture, history and local people's daily life, including Simply Bhutan Museum, National Textile Museum, National Library and Archives of Bhutan, etc. Feel free to tell your travel consultant if you are interested in visiting any one of them.

Start the day with short drive to Paro’s upper valley. If the day is clear, you’ll have an unforgettable view of the “Goddess” – Mt.Chomolhari (23,640 feet).

Afterward, it’s a short drive to Taktsang trail ahead. Take a challenging but necessary 2~3 hours’ trek to Taktsang Monastery, the most famous monastery in Bhutan, also known as “Tiger Nest Monastery, because Guru Rinpoche reportedly flew to the site on the back of a flying tiger late in the 7th century. Between blue pines and a blue sky, the monastery perches miraculously on a cliff nearly 2,700 feet above Paro’s valley floor. Break along the way for tea and snacks in small tea house, and the view of both Taktsang Monastery and Paro Valley is magnificent.

Hike down the mountain, then drive back to Paro for accommodation.

Tips: 1) it takes about 2 ~ 3 hours to trek from the parking lot to Taktsang Monastery, and you could ride a horse for the first hour; 2) photography is strictly forbidden in the monastery, but you can take a nice shot on your road to Taktsang Monastery; 3) travelers have to deposit all belongings (cameras, phones or other electronic equipment and bags) at the entrance.

Your journey in Bhutan comes to an end today! After breakfast, your guide will pick you up from your hotel in time then transfer to the airport to catch your flight to next destination. Before that, you can take a rest at the hotel or go for a walk nearby.

Tips: Please pack your luggage carefully and make sure all your belongs are packed, especially small things like camera charge, power adaptor, mobile phone, phone charger, wallet, towel, etc.