Bhutan

Departure by flight to Kathmandu. Night on board

On our flight to Nepal you will be able to see some of the most impressive peaks in the Himalayas: the Dorje Lakpa, Ganesha, Purbi Chhyachu, Langtang mountains…

We will arrive in Kathmandu in the morning. We will transfer to the hotel to check-in. In the afternoon we will have our first contact with the country, we will wander around and photograph the local market.

(Optional: an aerial tour of Everest can be taken).

Day dedicated to visiting the most outstanding monuments of the Nepalese capital. We start the visit at the Palace of the Kumari (living goddess) and in the Durbar Square, declared a World Heritage Site, where the palaces of Kings Malla and Shah, who in the past ruled the city, are housed. We will continue to the Swoyambhunath Stupa (World Heritage Site. We will end our tour in the palace complex of Patan (World Heritage Site), officially known as Lalitpur Metropolitan City, famous for its rich cultural heritage, in particular for its tradition in arts and crafts, among which the metalwork and its statues and stone carvings stand out.

After breakfast we will drive to Bhaktapur, a world heritage city, the capital of medieval times, where we will visit Durbar Square with its fascinating palace, Dattatreya Square, Nyatapola Temple, Bhairab Temple and Pottery Square.

We will continue to Pashupatinath (World Heritage Site), where the huge complex that forms the sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, which serves as the seat of the deity in Nepal, and where cremation rituals can be witnessed.

We will end our route in Boudhanath (World Heritage Site), where the huge mandala makes its spherical Stupa one of the largest in the world, where they say the remains of Kassyapa Buddha rest.

In the morning, at the agreed time, transfer to the airport to fly to Bhutan. Arrival at Paro airport and transfer to Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu.

This afternoon, on our Photo Tour we will visit Tashichho Dzong (Thimphu Dzong), a Buddhist monastery and fortification located on the bank of the Timpu River, which has been the seat of government of Bhutan since 1952 and currently houses the throne room and the offices of the king, the Secretariat and the ministries of the Interior and Economy.

After breakfast we will visitKuensel Phodrang, the largest statue of Buddha Dordenma from where we will photograph the magnificent view of the Thimphu Valley. We will go to Changangkha Lhakhang, where in its small zoo we will meet the national animal: the Takin. We will also visit the National Library, and the Punakha Dzong, where we can admire in its national museum a typical Bhutanese house and its way of life.

We continue towards Punakha. We will stop on the way to photographthe famous Dochula pass (3100m), where its 108 stupas and the views of the eastern Himalayan mountain range stand out.

After lunch we continue the journey to Punakha. In the afternoon photo walk through the Punakha Valley, where we will visit a typical rural house.

Overnight at the hotel in Punakha.

In the morning we will visit Punakha Dzong, former capital of the country and the seat of government until 1955, it was built in 1637 and is one of the most beautiful fortress temples in the country. Afterwards we will walk through the Punakha Valley to photograph its farms and the typical houses of Bhutanese architecture.

In the afternoon visit Chimi Lhakhang, a temple located on a hill, built in 1499, where theoriginal symbolic wooden phallus that Kunley brought from Tibet is located, and which is used to bless pilgrims. These phallus symbols are highly revered in Bhutan, traditionally intended to ward off the evil eye.

Overnight at the hotel in Punakha.

Breakfast, we continue our journey to the village of Gangtey, which is located in central Bhutan, overlooking the large glacial U-shaped valley of swampy land where the Nake Chuu River runs through the Phobjikha Valley.

We visit the important monasteries of Gangtey or Gangtey Gonpa, from the seventeenth century, and that of Pema Lingpa from the end of the fifteenth century. These monasteries are privileged places for their breathtaking views of the Phobjikha Valley.

The Phobjikha Valley is inhabited by nomads and yak herders, and is a great place to photograph the black-necked cranes that come from Tibet.

Overnight at the hotel in Gangtey.

Departure to Paro. We will cross the Dochu pass again, where we will stop for lunch. We will arrive in Paro in the afternoon, and after crossing the typical medieval wooden bridge, we will visit Rinpung Dzong, the national museum “Ta Dzong”, which contains the national treasure, an excellent collection of ancient Thangka paintings, textiles, weapons and all kinds of artifacts.

Overnight at the hotel in Paro.

In the morning we will walk for an hour until we reach the Taktsang Monastery (16th century) and then another 2-hour hike until we reach the “tiger’s nest” (optional, on horseback you pay approximately 20 USD), the most famous and sacred monastery in the Paro Valley. On the way back we will visit the ruins of Drugyel Dzong.

In the afternoon we will visit Kyichu Jowo Lhakhang one of the oldest temples in Bhutan.

Rest of the day to rest. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast and transfer to the airport to take the flight back to Kathmandu,

Arrival and transfer to the hotel in Kathmandu. Accommodation. In the afternoon free time for personal activities.

Breakfast. Free day for photographs, cultural visits, last shopping…

At the scheduled time, transfer to the airport to catch the flight back to the corresponding destination.

End of our Photo Trip to Bhutan, with PhotoTravel