ESSENTIAL BHUTAN

Day 1 Arrive in Paro

Land in Paro, where you will be met by your private guide and driver outside of the terminal building. Travel by road to the capital city of Thimphu, with a journey time of around 90 minutes, passing traditional Bhutanese farmhouses and rural villages. En route visit Simtokha Dzong, the Palace of the Profound Meaning of Secret Mantras. Built in 1629 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, it is said to be the first Dzong built in Bhutan and is a gateway to the Thimphu Valley. If time allows, visit the Tashichho Dzong, Bhutan's most stately and arguably the most impressive building. Arriving in Thimphu you will check in at the Postcard Dewa, one of the capital's newest boutique properties that sits atop a hill overlooking the valley. It is a place where time stands still and where all 15 rooms have private lookouts over the forest. You can also enjoy hot stone baths, a refreshing swimming pool and delicious meals of fresh trout and the traditional dish of Ema Datshi.

Option: Upgrade your stay in Thimphu to Six Senses, one of the county's newest lodges, which offers a tranquil retreat surrounded by orchards. Here you can enjoy exceptional views of the shimmering night lights of Thimphu, and monasteries perched high in the valley.

Overnight: Postcard Dewa Hotel

Day 2 Exploring Thimphu

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast then meet your guide who will have your bicycles at the ready, as today is a day to explore on two wheels. Visit the Folk Heritage and National Textile Museums, both of which provide fascinating insights into Bhutanese material culture and way of life. The Handicrafts Emporium displays a wide range of beautifully hand-woven textiles and craft products, and it also has a small collection of books on Bhutan, Buddhism and Himalayan culture. Continue to Memorial Chorten, a large Tibetan-style Buddhist Monastery which is a popular landmark in the city with its golden spires and bells. Return to the hotel to drop off the bicycles and perhaps freshen up, then travel the short distance to the fascinating Takin Reserve, home to the curious national animal of Bhutan. A wander around the reserve provides an interesting insight into the mammal's background, before you return to your delightful hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight: Postcard Dewa Hotel

Day 3 Tango Monastery and Cheri Hike

After breakfast, travel by car 40 minutes north of Thimphu for a private hike to a sacred monastery. From here, it is around an hour and a half to hike to Cheri Temple, the highest Buddhist learning centre, where you will see monks of all ages in meditation. The monastery is rich in history and one can often see the extremely rare Goral (wild goat) wandering over the hillsides. This area is also abundant with birdlife as the riverbanks are regular haunts for the yellow-rumped Honeyguide, Rufous-bellied woodpecker and many more. Hike downhill towards a peaceful clearing and your private guide will serve a delicious picnic of local fare, before you continue to Tango Monastery, which is also a Buddhist college. Follow the line of the thick forest and the Thimphu River, past local farms and schools, before reaching your driver who will transfer you back to the lodge

Overnight: Postcard Dewa Hotel

Day 4 Drive to Punakha

Bid farewell to Thimphu and continue by road to Punakha, with a journey time of around three hours. The road from Thimphu winds around lush valleys and forests, and past rushing rivers. Drive over the spectacular Dochu La Pass to the valley and visit the beautiful 108 chorten shrines to hang a prayer flag. En route to Punakha, walk through Metshina village and rice fields to the Divine Madman's Monastery, Chhimi Lhakhang, famously known for its fertility shrine where you can receive a special fertility blessing. Arrive in Bhutan's historic capital of Punakha and check in to the Uma Punakha, an intimate lodge at the western end of the Punakha Valley. The rooms all enjoy tremendous views of the Mo Chhu river and have floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of this position. The valley is one of the most bountiful in Bhutan and the restaurant benefits from abundant fresh produce and dairy products which are used in traditional Bhutanese dishes. Attached to the property is the delightful Como Shambhala retreat - a spa with a great range of treatments, delivered as you admire the views of the surrounding mountains.

Overnight: COMO Uma Punakha

Day 5 Rafting and Hiking around Punakha

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be driven eight miles north of Punakha to hike to the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, which is a fine example of Bhutanese architecture and artistic traditions. It will be around one hour's hike through a pine-forested trail to the Chorten, which was built to remove negative forces and promote peace, stability and harmony. The area around the Chorten offers a beautiful view of the Punakha Valley with exceptional views across the Mo Chhu River and up towards the mountainous peaks of Gasa and beyond. After a local lunch, get kitted out and enjoy rafting on the Pho-chu River, the 'father' river which is perfect if you prefer more rapids and are feeling adventurous. If you prefer something calmer, the Mo Chhu (mother river) is more sedate with gentle flowing waters and beautiful scenery all around. Return to your accommodation at the end of the rafting and enjoy some time to relax.

Overnight: COMO Uma Punakha

Day 6 Punakha

Enjoy a morning at leisure and perhaps a stroll around the rice paddies that border Uma Punakha. This afternoon enjoy a private cookery class to learn the art of cooking traditional Bhutanese dishes and then visit Punakha Dzong, the most beautiful of all Dzongs, which is located on the island of the Pho-Chu and the Mo Chu rivers. Built in 1637, Punakha Dzong now serves as the administrative centre of Punakha district and the central monastic body. At the end of your tour return to your accommodation for drinks on the terrace.

Option. Upgrade your stay in Punakha to Amankora, which was built by a former chief abbot and used as his summer house. The property is a traditional farmhouse building, which overlooks rice paddies and has a delightful pool that is heated all year round.

Overnight: COMO Uma Punakha

Day 7 Travel back to Paro

After breakfast transfer west back to Paro, with a journey time of around four hours and check in to your accommodation. Uma Paro is a charming property with just 20 rooms and nine individual villas, enjoying excellent views of the Paro Valley. The accommodation is contemporary and bathed in light, combining modernity with traditional Bhutanese touches. Cuisine here is often a highlight too, with the restaurant sometimes frequented by Bhutanese royalty. For some pampering, the attached Como Shambhala spa is one of the best in the country. After lunch you will meet your guide and visit the Chele la Pass. Chele la, at an elevation of nearly 4000 meters, is one of the highest drivable passes in Bhutan. The pass provides stunning views of the sacred mountain Jomolhari and Jichu Drake. It is also marked by hundreds of prayer flags fluttering in the wind. If you wish, you can then walk to Kila Goemba, the serene home of Buddhist nuns who have dedicated their life to religious study, prayer and meditation. The Goemba is nestled in a craggy patch on a mountainside below the Chele la pass and perched precariously along the rock face. From the Chele la Pass, the Goemba is about an hour's walk through a magnificent wooded area. You will be returned to Uma Paro after your hike.

Overnight: COMO Uma Paro

Day 8 Hike to Tiger's Nest

Embark on a morning's hike up to one of Bhutan's most revered icons, Taktsang (also known as Tiger's Nest Monastery), perched 3,000 feet above the valley floor. Far from being simply a monument, it is a living, breathing monastery and still home to a small number of monks. Hang a prayer flag to send Buddhist blessings via the winds and then enjoy lunch overlooking Taktsang. Visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest religious sites built in the seventh century and one of 108 built by Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo to subdue a demoness who prevented the spread of Buddhism. Pilgrims turn the many prayer wheels along the walls as they circumnavigate the temple. The fine statues of the Bodhisattvas and the Buddha are national treasures and the floor of the sanctum is inlaid with turquoise and coral gemstones offered by pilgrims. During your visit you will have the opportunity to offer 108 Butter Lamps. This light from the flame symbolizes the wisdom of the awakened mind, and is said to dispel the darkness of delusion and mental obscuration. Return to Uma Paro and enjoy an afternoon of relaxation, perhaps in the spa to soothe your tired limbs.

Overnight: COMO Uma Paro

Day 9 Cycling in the Haa Valley

Head towards the lesser-known Haa Valley, locally known as 'Hidden Land Rice Valley', home to dramatic panoramas of verdant terraces and the backdrop of the Himalayas. The Haa Valley is less developed than the neighbouring city of Paro, so one gets a feel for authentic life in the far west of the country. Once in the Haa Valley, swap four wheels for two and spend the rest of the day exploring the hidden paths that will take you through rural farmland, past villages, and traditional Bhutanese homes. Stop for a picnic in a remote dwelling and perhaps take a stroll to explore the patchwork fields and the blue pine and rhododendron forests. When you are ready, return to Paro by road.

Overnight: COMO Uma Paro

Day 10 Flight Home

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport to check in for your flight home.