Culture
Tashichho Dzong, Punakha Dzong, and Kila Goemba, a working nunnery on the way down from Chele La.
Seven nights on the standard loop, plus a drive up to Bhutan's highest motorable pass most itineraries leave out.
Five friends with a week in Bhutan get the standard loop plus one extra day most itineraries skip ; a drive up to Chele La Pass, the highest motorable road in the country, with a nunnery hike on the way back down.
This is one of the Bhutan itineraries we've planned for a group of friends before ; seven nights, eight days across Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and Phobjikha, with an added Chele La Pass excursion, built for five adults travelling together. It's shared here to show what a friends' trip through Bhutan could look like. A version built around your own group's size and dates would look a little different ; and that's the point.
Why This Trip
The extra day at the end of this itinerary is what sets it apart ; a two-hour drive uphill to Chele La Pass, at 3,988 metres, with views of Mount Jhomolhari and Jichu Drake on a clear day. Few groups make time for it after the Taktsang hike the day before, which is exactly why it's worth building in.
Kila Goemba, a home to Buddhist nuns reached by a short hike down from the pass, gives the group a quieter final stop before heading back to Paro for one last evening of souvenir shopping.
per person for the first four travellers, plus ₹48,100 per additional adult, based on 5 adults travelling together, breakfast and dinner daily, excluding international airfare
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Day By Day
A transfer to Thimphu, following the Pa Chhu river, with the evening free.
Buddha Dordenma, the National Memorial Chorten, Sangaygang View Point, the Takin Preserve, and Tashichho Dzong.
Dochula Pass's 108 chortens, then Punakha Dzong and a short hike to Chhimi Lhakhang.
A full-day excursion to Phobjikha Valley, home to the endangered black-necked crane, and the Gangtey Goemba monastery.
A stop at the Royal Botanical Park in Lamperi, then Paro's National Museum and Rinpung Dzong, with the evening free for archery or a national dress experience.
The hike up to Taktsang Monastery, followed by Kyichu Lhakhang.
A two-hour drive to Chele La Pass, the highest motorable road in Bhutan, with views of Mount Jhomolhari on a clear day, then a hike down to Kila Goemba, a nunnery set into the cliffs.
A transfer to the airport for the flight home.
What's Included
Tashichho Dzong, Punakha Dzong, and Kila Goemba, a working nunnery on the way down from Chele La.
Chele La Pass's Himalayan views and Phobjikha Valley's wintering cranes.
A shared hike to Taktsang Monastery followed by an extra day at Bhutan's highest motorable pass.
Dochula Pass's 108 chortens and Punakha Dzong's role as the historic seat of government.
Tashichho Dzong, Punakha Dzong, and Kila Goemba, a working nunnery on the way down from Chele La.
Chele La Pass's Himalayan views and Phobjikha Valley's wintering cranes.
A shared hike to Taktsang Monastery followed by an extra day at Bhutan's highest motorable pass.
Dochula Pass's 108 chortens and Punakha Dzong's role as the historic seat of government.
Tashichho Dzong, Punakha Dzong, and Kila Goemba, a working nunnery on the way down from Chele La.
Chele La Pass's Himalayan views and Phobjikha Valley's wintering cranes.
A shared hike to Taktsang Monastery followed by an extra day at Bhutan's highest motorable pass.
Dochula Pass's 108 chortens and Punakha Dzong's role as the historic seat of government.
Where You'll Stay
Seven nights across Thimphu, Punakha/Wangdue and Paro, with breakfast and dinner daily.
Thimphu: Ariya or Tashi-Yid Wong. Punakha: RKPO Green Resort. Paro: Kaachi Grand (Sky Deck) or Jagathang, for the final three nights.
The Fine Print, Handled
Itinerary planning, hotel reservations, private non-AC transfers, a certified guide throughout Bhutan, Sustainable Development Fee handling, visa assistance, and a single point of contact for the whole group.
Customised by group size, hotel category, travel dates, and pace.
Ready When You Are
A crane-filled valley, a monastery on a cliff, and a pass most groups never drive up to ; this route gives five friends an extra day of Bhutan most itineraries leave on the table.
This is one of the itineraries we've built for a group of friends travelling together before, shared here to show what the trip could look like. A version built for your own group ; size, pace, and dates ; would look a little different.
Estimated from ₹83,600 per adult · All inclusive