Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Proceed for sightseeing soon after.

Drukgyel Dzong in upper Paro Valley was built in the 17th Century to commemorate Bhutan’s victory over invading Tibetan forces. In the 1950s, the structure was devastated by a fire but the ruins and boundary walls that still stand give the visitor an idea of the dzong’s former grandeur. On a clear day, the view of the Jumolhari Summit is breathtaking.

Also known as Paro Dzong, the Rinchen Pung Dzong or Rinpung Dzong was built in the 17th century over what is said to be the foundations of a 10th century monastery built by the great Guru Padmasambhava, known in Bhutan as Guru Rinpoche. The imposing high walls of Rinpung Dzong, “Fortress of a Heap of Jewels” in the local tongue, has over the centuries successfully defended Paro from repeated Tibetan invasions. and today, looming high above the town, is one of its most prominent landmarks. While visiting, watch out for dzong’s beautiful murals depicting mandalas as well as the life of Milarepa, the Tibetan master. Rinpung Dzong is the site for spectacular masked dances during the annual Tsechu Festival during which a giant thangka painting depicting Guru Rinpoche is unfurled above the courtyard with great fanfare.

On the hilltop above Rinpung Dzong, stands the Ta Dzong that in the old days served as a watchtower for the former and today houses the National Museum. The museum has a fine collection of thangkas, Buddhist artifacts, exquisite postage stamps, handicraft and weapons.

The 7th Century Pagoda style Kyichu Lhakhang temple is said to have been visited by the Guru Padmasambhava himself and is one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. Built by King Songtsen Gampo, the temple is, according to local lore, among the 108 temples erected in a single day by the king to pin down a giant demoness who had lain down across the Himalayas to prevent the spread of Buddhism across the region. Standing over the heart of the demoness, Kyichu Lhakhang is the most important of the 108. The museum next door is also well worth a visit.

Overnight at Paro.

At an altitude of 2248m above sea level, quiet, laidback and beautiful Thimphu is the capital city of the erstwhile forbidden kingdom of Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon. Surrounded by rolling hills and nestled by the Wang Chu River, Thimphu is perhaps the only capital city in the world without a single traffic light.

Thimphu has had some habitation as well as its own dzong (fortress-monasteries unique to Bhutan) since the 12th century but it remained not much more than a scattering of hamlets until in the 1960s when it was declared the capital city of Bhutan.

Proceed for sightseeing.

The elaborate National Memorial Chorten was erected in memory of the late Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorje Wangchuck, the third king of the Wangchuck dynasty who began the process of opening up Bhutan to the outside world. Locals circumambulate the shrine all day. Don’t miss the paintings and engravings that adorn the chorten.

Located on the west bank of Wang Chuu, the Trashi Chhoe Dzong (also Tashichhodzong or Tashichho Dzong) houses the secretariat, the king’s office and throne room, and is also the site for spectacular masked dances during the annual Tsechu festival. Look out for stunning painted mandalas on the ceilings, images of Buddhist masters and the guardian kings on the north east entrance. The original structure dates back to the 17th century although much reconstruction work has happened in the late 19th and early 20th century to repair damage caused by earthquakes and fire.

Simtokha Dzong is the town’s oldest dzong, dating back to 1627. The dzong also houses one of the country’s leading language and culture institutes.

The Changangkha Lhakhang is one of Thimphu’s oldest temples and is known for its thousand-armed eleven-headed Bodhisattva, its beautiful black and gold prayer wheels and stunning views. Considered the patron temple of the vallay’s children, the temple is usually crowded with parents seeking blessings for their new-borns.

Overnight at Thimphu.

Interact with the nuns at Zilukha Nunnery, originally Drubthob Goemba or Thangtong Dewachen after its founder Thangtong Gyalpo. The nunnery has a chorten well worth investigating, as well as great views of the surroundings from its perch atop Gaden Lam.

The picturesque National Library was established primarily to preserve and showcase Bhutan’s rich wealth of Buddhist texts in Tibetan as well as Bhutanese Dzongkha. Along with centuries old block-printed and handwritten manuscripts are a European language books that make up the library’s small foreign section. Don’t miss the 7 foot tall photography book exhibited in the ground floor, reputed to be one of the world’s largest books.

The Institute for Zorig Chusum is a state-sponsored training school for the 13 traditional arts of Bhutan. Straddling a wide variety of disciplines including traditional thangka paintings, masks, embroidery, sculpture and so on, the institute is known for the breath-taking diemonstrations of skill it sometimes puts together for visitors. A must-visit.

The National Institute of Traditional Medicine is the production center for traditional medicine made from Bhutan’s wealth of medicinal herbs. The institute is also a training center for young future practitioners of the field.

Also worth a visit are the Folk Heritage and Textile Museums both of which give the visitor a detailed insight into traditional life, livelihoods and handicrafts of Nhutan and a way of living that may soon disappear in the face of rapid modernization.

Overnight at Thimphu.

Punakha is the old capital of Bhutan and is located in the warmest of the country’s valleys. Bhutan’s famous red rice is grown in the lush green paddy fields that cover the town’s outskirts.

The Punakha Dzong is widely regarded as Bhutan’s most beautiful with stunning woodcarvings, murals and rows of Jacaranda trees that burst into an explosion of purple in full bloom. The Dzong is also the site for the coronation of Bhutan’s first king, Ugyen Wangchuk.

The Khamshung Valley Temple is among Bhutan’s most elaborate and is known for its gorgeous, highly intricate murals as well as traditional paintings of Buddhist deities and saints. Your guide will be at hand to explain their complex symbolism.

The highly intriguing 15th century Chhimi Lhakhang commemorates the Buddhist saint Drukpa Kinley or the Divine Madman whose teachings inform Bhutanese Buddhism to this day. An unusual spiritual teacher, Drukpa Kinley used cutting irreverence, ribaldry and sexual freedom as tools to teach Buddhist philosophy and help his flock sever their ties with the material world. Bhutan owes its continuing practice of decorating the eaves of residential houses with phallic symbols to the maverick teacher. Along with frescos and murals deoicting the master’s exploits, Chhimi Lhakhang is known for the silver handled wooden phallus in its sanctum sanctotum. It is said that the Guru himself carried it back from Tibet and to this day, childless women pray to the phallus in the hope that some of its virility will rub off on them and their partners.

Overnight at Punakha.

Breakfast will be served at the resort. Later, drive to your resort in Paro and relax.

Overnight at Paro.

A Compass representative will transfer you to the international airport at Paro in time for your flight to Delhi.