8 Days Tibet Bhutan Essential Tour

When you arrive in Lhasa, our staff will pick you up at Lhasa Airport/ Railway Station and transfer you to the hotel. From the airport, it takes about 1 hour. From the train station, it only takes 20 minutes. Afterward, it's better to relax and take it easy on the first day to get acclimatized to high altitude and alleviate the jet lag. You might go to the local market and wander around the city on your own but try not to overtax yourself.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

After breakfast in the hotel, the tour guide will take you to Drepung Monastery, the biggest Tibetan monastery that housed more than 10,000 monks in the past. Drepung means Rice Heap in the Tibetan language. The entire monastery is large in scale and the white buildings cluster and cover the hillsides. It's the highest-ranking monastery in the Gelug Sect.

In the afternoon you will first visit the Tibet Museum. Here you can see life scenes, exquisite clothing, house architecture, and festival customs, etc. to explore the special and mysterious Tibetan customs. Then you will visit Norbulingka, which is a typical Tibetan-style royal garden, the summer resort of the Dalai Lama.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

• Meals: Breakfast

On your third day, you will be feeling much more acclimatized to Lhasa’s high elevation. It is an excellent idea to spend the day exploring the Potala Palace, which is the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and the meditation cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet. It's best to explore the inside of the Potala in the morning for 2-3 hours. Afterward, you may walk the pilgrimage route around the Potala Palace.

In the afternoon, you will head to the Jokhang Temple, which is well known as the center of Tibetan Buddhism and features Buddhist prayer wheels, reclining deer, and golden sutra streamers, etc. Also, you can see many pilgrims praying in front of the temple and doing kora.

After visiting the Jokhang Temple, you will stroll in the old alleys of Barkhor Street, where you can drink sweet tea, chat with locals and even bargain with the street vendors to understand the real-life in Lhasa.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

• Meals: Breakfast

You will depart for Kathmandu today. Your Tibetan tour guide and driver will drop you off at the Lhasa Gonggar Airport, and your Nepali driver will pick you up at Tribhuvan International Airport to your hotel. For the rest of the day, it's your free time.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu

• Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, your driver will send you off to the airport for the flight to Paro (2,200m). Upon arrival, you will meet your guide and driver at Paro Airport. First, you will see Rinpung Dzong, which is not far away from the airport, about 900 meters. It's the most famous temple in Bhutan and perhaps the best representative of Bhutanese architecture you will see. Then you will visit Ta Dzong, the watchtower of Paro Dzong, now the National Museum.

In the afternoon, you will drive to the capital of Bhutan - Thimphu. The rest of the day is for you to stroll around the city or take a rest in the hotel.

Stay overnight in Thimphu

• Meals:Breakfast, Dinner

In the morning, you will visit Thimphu Valley. There's National Memorial Chorten built to commemorate the King of Bhutan III and a holy place for the people of Bhutan to pray for peace. Afterward, go to the Postal Office of Bhutan and the National Bank of Bhutan. The guide will also take you to visit Bhutan's National Academy of Painting and Folklore Museum, where you can have an intuitive experience of Bhutan's culture and art.

Then, proceed to Trashi Chhoe Dzong, a majestic and grand castle on the west bank of the Wangchu River. This is the office of the current king and the seat of the internal affairs and finance departments. Next, you will pay a visit to Buddha Point, one of the iconic landscapes of Thimphu Valley. Tourists can enjoy the panoramic view of Thimphu Valley here. An ancient prophecy says that once a statue is built in this valley, it will spread peace throughout the world. After that, go north to Takin Zoo, which is exclusively built for Bhutan's national animal - takin. Takin is a creature with a sheep head and cow body that is only living in Bhutan.

Stay overnight in Thimphu

• Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, retrace your drive back to Paro. Today, you will visit Tiger's Nest(Taktsang Monastery), which is the most sacred Buddhist temple in Bhutan and is known as one of the top ten super temples in the world. Approachable only by hiking, this holy attraction is seated on the cliff’s edge. According to the ancient scriptures, in the 8th century, Guru Rinpoche, the father of Bhutan Buddhism, rid a female tiger to the edge of the Taktsang cliff, and once meditated in a cave for three months. Later Guru Rinpoche became the country's paramount religious image. Taktsang is the symbol of Bhutan and the highlight of your Bhutan trip.

In the afternoon, proceed to visit Kyichu Lhakhang, the oldest temple in Bhutan. After visiting today’s attractions, if time permits, the tour guide can also take you to visit the ordinary market in Paro, where you can buy some handicrafts with Bhutanese characteristics.

Stay overnight in Paro

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, your guide and driver will transfer you to Paro International Airport in time for your departure flight to your onward destination.

• Meals: Breakfast