West To East Bhutan Tour
West To East Bhutan Tour
A cultural tour of Bhutan introduces you to Bhutanese heritage through festivals, sacred pilgrimage sites, rural villages and temples. On this West to East Bhutan tour, there are many stops for panoramic views of the valleys and mountain peaks, so you can enjoy the country's unspoilt nature. The journey across the kingdom begins in western Bhutan, in the towns of Paro and Thimphu.
You travel to the cultural heartland of Bumthang and experience the distinct character of each part of the country, where traditional ways of life are well preserved. In just over two weeks, this trip takes you through the western and central valleys, with their unspoilt forests and dense tropical jungle, then to the eastern part of the country and across the border into India.
The variety of plant life in Bhutan's tropical forests is remarkable, and many people regard the country as a paradise for botanists. Throughout the journey, the people are friendly and the views are impressive. You travel to the easternmost part of the kingdom, including the remote village of Trashiyangtse, and leave Bhutan for Assam, a rarely visited area of India. This cultural tour gives you an insight into the people, culture, traditions, religion and ecology of Bhutan.
The West to East Bhutan tour takes you through mountain landscapes and green valleys. You see the architecture of the dzongs, monasteries and traditional Bhutanese houses, and some religious festivals. You also have the opportunity to try Bhutanese food and meet local people.
Please note:
The trip can also be combined with Rajasthan in India (the Taj Mahal, Jaipur and Delhi), with Tibet (Lhasa), Darjeeling or Sikkim, or with a Buddhist circuit tour including Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Kushinagar and Sarnath.
If you would like to attend the festival in Bhutan, you need to travel in mid-November. At midnight you walk to Jambay Lhakhang to watch the dancers perform naked around the fire, which is believed to be the most sacred dance. The participants are masked, and local people sing folk songs and socialise.
A representative of Earthbound Expeditions meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, holding an Earthbound Expeditions sign, and transfers you to your hotel.
After breakfast, your tour begins with a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley, travelling by air-conditioned bus. We visit Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Swayambhunath and Patan Durbar Square. You then continue to Nagarkot, a quiet hill station surrounded by green hills and fresh air.
There are flights to Paro from Bangkok, Delhi, Dhaka and Kathmandu. The flight into Paro is spectacular, and on arrival you will notice the fresh air of this heavily forested country and its panoramic views. In clear weather you can see the Paro valley under a clear sky.
Taktsang Monastery is one of the best-known sites in the Himalaya. It stands on the side of a cliff 900 metres above the floor of the Paro valley and is the landmark of Bhutan. The walk to the top takes some effort, and there are fine views and a peaceful atmosphere at the monastery. The monastery dates from the 1600s. According to tradition, Guru Padmasambhava, who brought Buddhism to Bhutan, arrived here on the back of a flying tiger and meditated here for three months. You explore the monastery and the views from it. We then drive to Thimphu for the night.
The drive to Punakha takes about 3 hours, through pine and cedar forests. You stop at the Dochula Pass for a panoramic view of the Himalayan ranges, surrounded by rhododendrons, junipers, pine forests and birdsong. We continue to Lobesa, where we walk for a short while to reach Chimi Lhakhang temple.
The drive from Trongsa to Bumthang takes about 3 hours. In Bumthang, you check in at your lodge.
The drive to Mongar crosses the Thrumshing La, the highest pass, at 3,800 metres. Mongar is the district headquarters and the first town built on a slope. You visit the prayer wheel and the clock tower, the well-known landmarks of Bumthang.
Trashiyangtse is a culturally diverse district, whose inhabitants include the Tshanglas and the Khengpas. The district has white stupas, green hills and small settlements.
Trashigang is an attractive and welcoming town. It was once on an ancient trade route to Tibet. You visit Trashigang Dzong, which dates from 1659, learn about its history, and visit the old bazaar.
You leave Bhutan and drive to the Indian town of Guwahati, then either continue to Sikkim and Darjeeling or return to Kathmandu for your onward flight.
An Amazing Experience!
November 2010, Tripadvisor
The guides from Earthbound Expeditions were generous, caring, knowledgeable, and professional. I was constantly amazed by their quantity and quality of service during our week-long trek through the Himalayas. I would--without hesitation--recommend them to anyone of any age or ability! -Noah Hittner Wisconsin, USA
Second time around and still fantastic
November 2010, Tripadvisor
This is our second trip to Nepal in a year and once again Rajan has done everything he could to make our trip fantastic. Nepal never runs on time and is one of the most unreliable countries I've been to but the same could never be said about Rajan. From the moment you first email him until the time to say goodbye at the end of the holiday you feel that he is there just for you. It doesn't matter how many clients he has and how many flights are delayed, bags are missing or passports are lost, he can cope with everything. As I said in my first posting, you could do Nepal on your own and rely on planning everything locally but it will never go as you plan. You need someone to step in and rearrange when airports are shut down from fog or roads are cut off from landslides. Rajan is your man! His company will tailor any trip just for you and his prices are incredibly reasonable. Even more so when you see Rajan in action when things go arrray (which they probably will). I love Nepal and I was very, very sad to leave it again. The people are just fantastic. I will be back and I will be booking with Rajan again.
Excellent Nepal trek
October 2010, Tripadvisor
It was a well organised trip and our group was quite small so it didn't feel like we were on a coach party trip into the himalayas. Our guide, Nabin and porters Gukul, Kul and Chiring were extremely friendly and helpful. They took good care of us and gave us good advice on food/altitdue sickness, what hills we were looking at, local plants, culture etc. Still need to be convinced of the positive effect of garlic soup. Its good to support a local business that employs locals and looks after them well. Views of the himalayas were fantastic. I'd recommend Earthbound Expeditions.
Amazing Experience! Rajan is brilliant!!
October 2010, Tripadvisor
Thanks to Rajan & Earthbound for making our stay in Nepal an amazing experience!!! We were travelling as a group of eight, and Rajan organised everything we wanted to do with ease and professionalism. Every detail was tended to, to ensure we had an amazing time. I would definitely recommend Earthbound, and I hope they remain reasonably priced!!!!
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12 days
$3,947 per person
