Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival Tour

Arrive in Paro on Bhutan’s national carrier, Druk Air, and enjoy a scenic flight as the plane touches down in the lush green Paro Valley, flying past the world’s highest mountains.

As you step down from the plane, the first gift of Bhutan greets you, enveloping you in cool, clean, and fresh air. You are greeted by cool, clean, and fresh air—the first gift of Bhutan.

After you clear customs and visa formalities, our representatives will meet you and transfer you to Paro for lunch.

Afterwards, drive to Thimphu (1 hour) following Pa Chhu downstream. In Thimphu, drive on to the Buddha Terrace for a stunning view of the valley, and take a drive to visit the Takin Preserve to see the takin, Bhutan’s national animal—a strange-looking beast that some say resembles a bee-stung moose.

View the majestic Tashichhoe Dzong, the seat of the government, before circumambulating the Memorial Chorten—a monument erected in memory of Bhutan’s third king, H.M. Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.

Visit the Centenary Farmers Market, an authentic craft bazaar; the National Institute of Traditional Medicine, which still dispenses traditional herbal medicines to locals; and the Folk Heritage Museum, a 300-year-old traditional house that has been converted into a museum.

Overnight at Hotel (lunch/dinner included)

After breakfast, drive for about 3 hours to Punakha. Climb up the mountain road to Dochula La at 3140 m. In clear weather, the pass commands a wonderful panorama of the Eastern Himalayas.

From the pass, descend through varied forests and finally emerge into the highly cultivated Punakha Valley.

Take a short hike through beautiful rice fields to Chimmi Lhakhang, a temple dedicated to Drukpa Kuenley, who, as a favorite saint of the Bhutanese people, is affectionately known as the Divine Madman.

The temple is on a hillside in the middle of rice fields and has become a pilgrimage site for childless couples.

Enjoy some tea and snacks at the end of the hike while overlooking the fields. In the afternoon, we visit Punakha Dzong. Located at the confluence of the Pho-chu (male river) and Mo-chu (female river), the Punakha Dzong is arguably the most impressive dzong in the country.

Overnight at Hotel (breakfast/lunch/dinner included)

Drive to Wangduephodrang Dzong, which is perched on a spur at the confluence of two rivers. The position of the Dzong is remarkable, as it completely covers the spur and commands an impressive view both up and down the valley.

Then drive up a winding mountain road through oak and rhododendron forests and over a high pass down into the Phobjikha valley, surely one of the loveliest high-altitude valleys in Bhutan.

Phobjikha is one of Bhutan’s few glacial valleys and the chosen winter home of black-necked cranes migrating from the Tibetan plateau.

Enjoy 1½ hours on the Gangtey nature trail from the monastery through the jungle before emerging onto the valley floor.

Overnight at Hotel (breakfast/lunch/dinner included)

Today, we drove 5 hours to Bumthang Valley. The road climbs rapidly through a series of hairpins out of Trongsa, and there are great views back to the Dzong and out across the valley.

After passing through cultivated fields for a while, the trail re-enters the forest and reaches the Yotong La (3400m).

Descending to a low point of 2650m at a village called Chumey, the scenery is once again entirely different as the route enters the wide-open Bumthang valleys.

It takes about an hour to get to the roadside at Chumey, the first of the four valleys in Bumthang.

Overnight at Hotel (breakfast/lunch/dinner included)

In the morning, visit Kurjey Lhakhang, one of the most sacred places in the kingdom, where Bhutan’s patron saint, Guru Rinpoche, meditated, and the 7th-century Jambay Lhakhang.

It dates back to the origins of Buddhism in Bhutan and is one of the kingdom’s oldest temples. After lunch, visit Jakar Dzong and Tamshing Lhakhang, founded in 1501 by Pemalingpa and containing fascinating and ancient Buddhist wall paintings.

Afterwards, enjoy exploring the village of Jakar, Bumthang’s main township. In the evening, stroll around the beautiful landscape of the Bumthang Jakar valley.

After dinner, attend the first day of the Jambay Lhakhang festival. The first day of the festival begins in the evening around 8:30 pm.

The details of the first day of the festival are as follows:

• The Black Hat Dance (Shana) and the Gings, which are emanations of Guru Rinpoche, will be performed. Costume: Dancers, wearing long brocade robes and ornate black hats, perform this dance. The dancers who represent the Ging wear shorter robes with masks. This dance is performed to purify the ground and to chase away evil influences.

• Dance of Offering (Tshogcham): A dancer offers the body of evil spirits to the deities. After the offering is made, the audience goes outside the temple, where an arch of pine bushes has been erected.

• Fire Dance (Mecham): The arch of pine is set on fire. The fire is said to purify the earth of evil spirits. People who pass through the arch have their sins cleansed. A dancer chases away the evil spirits.

• The naked dance will be performed from 12 to 2 a.m., and you can’t take photos. Overnight at the hotel (breakfast/lunch/dinner included)

Overnight at the hotel (breakfast/lunch/dinner included)

Return to experience more of the festivities at Jambay Lhakhang, or enjoy an excursion to Tang Valley, the most remote valley in the Bumthang district. Activities may include a 45-minute walk uphill to Ugyen Chholing Palace, built in the 16th century by the Trongsa Penlop Tshokey Dorji.

The main building in the complex now features a fascinating museum that provides real insight into the lifestyle of a Bhutanese noble family.

Highlights include a book of divination and a dakini dance costume made of bone.

The option also includes visiting the 14th-century Tang Rimochen Lhakhang, where Guru Rinpoche meditated, and Mebar Tsho (Burning Lake), where some of Guru Rinpoche’s treasures were found in the 15th century by the famous treasure discoverer Pema Lingpa. It’s a beneficial location to meditate.

Overnight at Hotel (breakfast/lunch/dinner included)

After breakfast, retrace the same route back towards Gangtey; the road journey today is a bit longer, with 8 hours of driving. Upon arrival at Gangtey, check into the hotel.

Overnight at Hotel (breakfast/lunch/dinner included)

After breakfast, drive back to Paro cross Dochula pass which is about 5 hours drive. PM: Stroll around the streets of Paro.

Overnight at Hotel.(Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner included)

After breakfast drive towards the base camp of Taktsang for the hike up to the Taktsang Monastery-Tiger’s Nest. It’s about two hours hike up the cafeteria.

From this point, enjoy the spectacular view of the monastery, where Guru Padmasambhava landed on the back of a tigress in 8th century. Then visit the Taktsang Monastery and hike back to the road point then drive to Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest and most sacred shrines in Bhutan. Afterwards, back to hotel.

Overnight at Hotel (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner included)

After breakfast, drive to the Paro airport in time to catch the onward flight. Bid farewell to the remote and legendary Dragon Kingdom disappears again behind its guardian mountains. (Breakfast only included)