Six Senses Bhutan Luxury Holiday 5 Days

Tashi Delek and welcome to Bhutan. With your flight landing at the only international airport in Bhutan that is located in Paro (2,262m), you can get the immigration official stamp by presenting your visa approval letter (Bhutan E-visa) and your passport. After you clear the Immigration check, you will meet your local guide for the first time near the baggage delivery area. Then head to Six Senses Thimphu (5km, about 1.5h) and check in.

On the way to Thimphu, you can choose to have a quick stop at the Tamchog Lhakhang Iron Bridge which is an over 500-year-old iron chain bridge with colorful fluttering prayer flags. After settling in your hotel, according to your time and interests, you can choose to view the Buddha Dordenma Statue (the largest sitting Shakyamuni statue in the world) from your hotel or take a drive to the Budda Point and hike to the Buddha by foot. It is also optional for a gentle hike to Changangkha Lhakhang to walk off your jetlag.

Meals：    Dinner

Accommodation：Six Senses Thimphu “Palace in the Sky”

Today, you will explore Bhutan’s capital city Thimphu through National Memorial Chorten (a landmark of Thimphu city for Koras), School for Arts and Crafts (Zorig Chusom), Tashichho Dzong (Thimphu Dzong), or Folk Heritage Museum . If it is the weekend you will be happy to walk around the local market in Thimphu. After the rich experience in Thimphu you can relax at you lovely hotel.

National Memorial Chorten is the most visited landmark of Thimphu which was built in 1974 in memory of the Third King, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuk(the Father of Modern Bhutan) by his mother. Due to the idea of Jigme Dorji, this stupa is dedicated to world peace and prosperity. It is a Tibetan-style chorten with amazing paintings and brilliant sculptures, you can see the classical stupa pattern like the pyramidal pillar crowned by a crescent moon and sun. It is also a good place to meet local Bhutanese people circumambulating the Chorten throughout the day in a clockwise direction for praying.

School of Arts and Crafts (Thimphu National Institute for Zorig Chusum), established by the Government of Bhutan in 1971, is an institute that nurtures exemplary craftsmanship in Zorig Chusum (13 Arts and Crafts). In the Institute, thirteen skills are taught to students. These thirteen art forms are Traditional Painting (Lhazo), Sculpturing (Jinzo), Wood Carving (Shagzo), Calligraphy (Yigzo), Papermaking (Dezo), Bronze Casting (Lugzo), Embroidery (Tshemazo), Weaving (Thagzo), Carpentry (Parzo), Masonry (Dozo), Bamboo and cane weaving (Tshazo), Gold/Silver Smithy (Trozo), Black smithy (Garzo).

Tashichho Dzong (Thimphu Dzong) is located on the right side of the Wangchu River in the northern part of Thimphu city. As the "Fortress of the glorious religion", it houses the throne room of His Majesty the King, government offices, and the central monk body. Thimphu Dzong was initially erected in 1641 and rebuilt by King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck in the 1960s. There are two main entrances in the Tashichho Dzong. One leads to the administrative section to the south and the other one (at the north) leads to the monastic quarter where festivals and dances are performed.

Folk Heritage Museum (Phelchey Toenkhyim) was established on July 28th, 2001 with the initiative of Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck (the Queen Mother of Bhutan). It is set inside a three-storied, 19th-century traditional house and provides visitors with a glimpse of the traditional Bhutanese lifestyle, artifacts from rural households, collection of typical household objects, tools, and equipment. The museum also organizes regular demonstrations of rural traditions, skills, habits, and customs as well as hosts educational programs for children.

Meals：Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner

Accommodation：Six Senses Thimphu “Palace in the Sky”

This morning we will drive from Six Senses Thimphu to Six Senses Paro (61km, about 2h). On the way, you will pay a visit to a local farmhouse for lunch with a Bhutanese family and learn more about Bhutan culture. In the afternoon, you are recommending to enjoy a hike to National Museum (Ta Dzong), visit Paro Dzong and try Bhutan Archery in Paro.

National Museum of Bhutan (Ta Dzong) is famed as Bhutan's tallest building (a cylindrical structure), which is 22 meters (72 feet) high and has 6 floors. It was completed in 1649 as a watchtower on the hill above the Rinpung Dzong. It was converted into the National Museum of Bhutan in 1968 with a rich collection of ancient artifacts like pottery, armor, thangkas, masks, stamps, photos, statues, costumes, relics, stone axes, and religious paintings...

Paro Dzong (Rinpung Dzon), the "fortress of the heap of jewels", is built in 1646 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and is located near the crystalline Paro Chu (Paro River). Through a traditional wooden cantilever bridge, we can reach it to get panoramic views of the Paro Valley. As the office of the district administration and monastic body of Bhutan, the annual religious festival Paro Tsechu also takes place in its courtyard.

Meals：Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner

Accommodation：Six Senses Paro “Stone Ruins”

Today we will drive from Six Senses Paro to the start point of the hiking route of the Tiger's Nest Monastery. It takes about 2.5 hours to reach Tiger's Nest by foot (5 hours for a round trip), and you can have a rest at the view terrace which is located at the halfway point of the hiking road. Also, you can choose to ride a horse(self-paying) from the camp base to the Taktsang Cafeteria (lunch spot). Then have a visit to one of the oldest monastery in Bhutan-Kyichu Lhakang before head back to your hotel. In the evening, visit our neighboring Samtenling Monastery for a Buddhist blessing ceremony where you light 108 butter lamps to share your blessings with all sentient beings, a fitting and auspicious way to bring your time in Bhutan to a close.

Tiger's Nest Monastery (Taktsang Goemba, Takhtsang Lakhang, Paro Taktshang), first built in 1692, is the iconic landmark of Bhutan. As a world cultural heritage, it is sited on the side of a cliff at a height of 900m above the Paro valley. It is said that Guru Rinpoche (a Buddhist saint) rode a tigress to the current site of the monastery and meditated in a cave for 3 years 3 months and 3 days. Now it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Bhutan and a sacred religious site for Bhutanese to pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime.

Kyichu Lhakhang is one of the oldest monasteries that marks the beginning of Buddhism in Bhutan. It was built in 659AD by King Songtsen Gompo (Tibetan Emperor) as one of the 108 monasteries he made. In 1971 a Guru Temple was added by Her Majesty Azhi Keshang Choden Wangchuck, the wife of the Third King of Bhutan. You can see the original 7th-century Jowo Sakyamuni Statue (the same era as the one in Lhasa's Jokhang Temple) and Chenrezig with 11 heads and 1000 arms there. There is also a magical orange tree outside the courtyard that is said to bear fruits all year round.

Meals：Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner

Accommodation：Six Senses Paro “Stone Ruins”

Time to say goodbye to Six Senses Paro and your journey in Bhutan, the beautiful Himalayan country. Your local guide will meet you at your hotel and send you to the international airport. Happiness is a place, wish you get happiness and great memories from the Bhutantrip with us. We look forward to seeing you again, Tashi Delek!

Meals：Breakfast     

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