Bardo Thongdral Gar Cham Festival (13N/14D)

Over Views

Day 01: Arrival I n Guwahati Air Port (Date 13^th October)
After landing from Guwahati Air Port of India. Transfer to Bhutan border at Nganglam Sub-Province, driving with our staffs around 3hours and 27 minutes to enter Bhutan is awesome. Evening at Nganglam town and peep into some local new town. One can also venture to try local restaurant for dinner. Overnight in Nganglam. Altitude ranging from 1000 to 3,500 meters above sea level 

Day 02: Nganglam to Gyelposhing (Date 14^th October)
After our breakfast transfer to Ugyen Gatshel Lhakhang’s Bardo Thongdral Gar Cham Festival to Jurmey Gewog, eastern most Gewog of Bhutan and transfer to your hotel at Gyelposhing. The drive will bypass Kurichu hydro Power plant, Mongar Province’s first and the money plant when it started around 24 years ago. Evening we will relax at our hotel and explore the little Gyelposhing town.

Day 03: Gyelposhing  to Trashigang (Date 15^th October)
Trashigang sightseeing includes visit the Ruin Zhongar Dzong and nearby villages meeting locals and excursion to Mongar Province. En-route we will stop to visit Korila Pass and secret Chorten. Overnight in Trashigang.

Day 04: Trashigang to Mongar  (Date 16^th October)
Checkout from the hotel and make an excursion drive to Trashi Yangtse before proceeding to Mongar. En-route visit famous Gomphukora, duksum to see the iron bridge built by Thong Thong Gylpo in 16th century and beautiful chortenkora. The chorten is said to have built over a live prince buried under the chorten as a offering to the deity and to pin down and demon receding in the area which use to destruct human activities as far as to Arunachal Pradesh, India. Still today, many people from Arunachal Pradesh come to witness the annual ritual preformed at Chortenkora. Evening we will retrace our drive back to Chazam and proceed to Mongar. Overnight in Mongar, altitude 1600m.

Day 05: From Mongar Depart to the Ura Valley (Date 17^th October)

Today’s drive takes us through Thrumshingla, the highest road pass in the country making this the most spectacular drives in the country as we climb up from Lingmithang to Thrumshingla. Just in a distance of 84 km we will gain 3200m altitude showing us different type of vegetations.

Departure on the old road to the Ura valley. Characteristic of the 3,000m high valley are the Yak and sheep pastures, small farmhouses, dense coniferous forests and wide buckwheat fields that shimmer golden yellow in the evening sun. Leave the car at Serthangla Pass (3,200m). From the top of the pass you can enjoy a clear view of the Gangkar Puensum (7,415m), the highest mountain in the world so far unclimbed. Afterwards, in about an hour, you will hike down to the village of Ura and stop at the Ura Mang Gi Temple, built by spiritual master Longchen Rabjama (1308-1363). Inside is his Stone Throne, from which Longchenpa proclaimed his teaching of the three satisfactions.2 nights at the Heritage Homestay (FMA) the owner of the stately home comes from an aristocratic-religious lineage and is a great cook.

Day 06: Ura Yakchoe & Shingkhar Rabdhey - original monastery festivals in Bumthang (Date 18^th October)

In their most beautiful clothes, the inhabitants come to the Ura Yakchoe and Shingkhar Rabdey , even yak nomads from the high valleys can be seen among the visitors. Banned, they watch the dancers, who in magnificent costumes and with elaborate masks tell of the great deeds of Guru Rinpoche. 
Highlights of the Ura Yakchoe Festival are the "Yak Dance",which is only listed here and the blessings of the faithful through a sacred relic. According to legend, an old woman from Ura was asked by a wandering lama for water. When she came back with the cup of water, the lama had disappeared - leaving behind a bag with a statue. Since then, the relic has been owned by the family and will be handed down to women from generation to generation and presented to the villagers at Ura Yakchoe.

Day 07: Jakar Tshechu/ Festival (Date 19^th October)
The Jakar Dzong or “the Dzong of the white bird” is perched on the hillock overlooking Chamkhar town & places surrounding it. The interesting thing about the Dzong is that there is a water tower four stairs down behind the Dzong leading to a water reservoir used for drawing water during battle times in olden days. The three-day festival displays several sacred mask dances. The festival also hosts different types of folk songs and dances. People visit the festival dressed in their finest clothes and the festival is also popular among tourists.

Day 08: Jakar to Phobjikha
Today we will have an early departure for the lengthy drive to Phobjikhakha, valley of black necked cranes. Upon entering the valley we will pay homage to Gangtey Gonpa before checking into the resort. If time permits we will take beautiful walk meeting locals and students. Evening we may enjoy talking tales of Yeti as it is very famous in the black mountain region. Overnight in Farm House in Phobjikha. Altitude 2900m.

Day 09: Phobjikha to Punakha
Check out from the hotel after our breakfast. We will take 2 hours Phobjikha natural trail until Gangtey Gonpa. Further we will proceed to warm valley of Punakha. Enqurote we will stop at Wangdue and visit and retrace our drive back to Paro via, Wangdue, Dochula and Thimphu. On arrival in Paro, we will visit national museum of Bhutan and Paro dzong. Evening we will explore the tiny Paro town. Overnight in Paro. Altitude 2200m.

Day 10: Punakha to Thimphu
Punakha was the capital of Bhutan until the 1950s. Today, the central monk body moves to Punakha in the winter when it gets too cold in Thimphu. With a climate almost tropical in the summer, the valley is blessed with an abundance of fruits and rice. We will visit the magnificent Punakha Dzong which without doubt showcases the finest example of Bhutanese arts and crafts. After the Dzong, we will drive to the capital, Thimphu, over the Dochu La pass (3000m). Overnight in Thimphu, altitude 2400m.v

Day 11: Thimphu sightseeing
After our leisurely breakfast we will start our day visiting handmade paper factory, visit painting school, nearby folk heritage museum and national library. Lunch in the town, after lunch we will drive to north end of Thimphu valley and hike to Tango monastery, which is converted into Buddhist college. Evening we will explore the weekend market (Thursday to Sunday only) and some handicrafts to understand the Bhutanese arts, textiles, painting, religious artifacts and the varieties. Overnight in Thimphu.

Day 12: Thimphu to Paro
Check out from the hotel and visit few interesting places in Thimphu before proceeding to Paro. On arrival in Paro, we will visit national museum of Bhutan and Paro dzong. Evening we will explore the tiny Paro town. Overnight in Paro. Altitude 2200m.

Day 13: Paro sightseeing
Early morning after our delicious breakfast drive to north end of Paro valley and hike to Tiger Nest Temple. The hike to Tiger’s Nest will take most of our day. The temple is one of the most renowned temple in the Buddhist world one of the ten most visit site before we die. This is most revolted temple in the country that literally hangs on a granite cliff overlooking the Paro Valley at 900m above the valley. En-route visit Kichu Lhakhang, one from the 2 oldest Buddhist temple in the country, historic Drukgyal Dzong (Fortress) and Evening at leisure. Overnight in Paro.

Day 14: End of the tour in Kingdom of Happiness