Bhutan Luxury Tour, Nepal and Bhutan Luxury tours

Arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal. A member of the Earthbound Expeditions staff meets you at the airport. Check in to the hotel, where we later give you a briefing about the tour.

Visit the Hindu temple complex at Pashupatinath (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the largest Buddhist stupa at Boudhanath. Visit Swayambhunath, known as the Monkey Temple, which is 2,000 years old. Drive to the Nagarkot viewpoint.

Watch the sunrise and the mountain views from Nagarkot. Continue to the ancient town of Bhaktapur to see its preserved cultural and historical sites. Drive back to Kathmandu.

Fly to Paro with Druk Air. Clear customs and visa control, and meet your guide. Drive to Paro town for lunch. Visit Ta Dzong, an ancient watchtower that now houses the National Museum. Below the museum is Paro Rinpung Dzong, the centre of civil and religious authority in the valley. A short walk takes you to the base of the dzong and across a traditional covered cantilever bridge. A short distance further is one of the many archery grounds, where you may see a match in progress.

Today we drive to Punakha. Leaving Thimphu, the road climbs steeply through pine and cedar forest hung with lichen, up to the Dochula Pass at 3,050 metres. The pass often gives panoramic views of the Himalayan ranges. The road then descends a series of hairpin bends to the fertile Punakha Valley. In the afternoon we visit Punakha Dzong, the winter seat of the Je Khenpo and the ancient capital of Bhutan. It stands between the Mo Chu (female) and Pho Chu (male) rivers. The dzong is open to visitors only in summer, when the Je Khenpo and the monk body are in Thimphu.

After breakfast, drive to Wangdue, one of the main towns and district headquarters of western Bhutan. We make a short stop to see Wangdue Phodrang Dzong, which stands on the spur of a hill at the confluence of the Tsang Chu and Dang Chu rivers. Drive back to Paro.

Drive 16 kilometres north up the Paro Valley to visit the ruins of Drukgyal Dzong. It was built in 1647 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the founder and unifier of medieval Bhutan. The dzong was destroyed by an accidental fire and left in ruins as a reminder of the victories it was built to commemorate. Explore the ramparts; on a clear day there is a view of Mt. Jhomolhari (7,314 metres). Drive to Satsam Chorten to hike to Paro Taktsang (Tiger's Nest), or take a horse ride up towards the monastery. The horse ride to the cafeteria takes around one and a half hours. Afterwards, walk back down to the road. Drive to Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. In the evening, walk through Paro's main shopping area to look for souvenirs.

Drive to the airport for your flight back to Kathmandu. You are met and checked in to a 5-star hotel in Kathmandu. You have the option of sightseeing in Kathmandu Durbar Square or the Thamel area. In the evening you join our team for a Nepali cultural show and dinner.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your departure flight. This is the end of the Nepal and Bhutan luxury tour. Note: if you wish, you can add a few days in India or Tibet to the same trip. We can arrange a luxury tour of India, Nepal and Bhutan, or of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan.