After visa formalities and collection of baggage, short drive to visit the impressive Ta Dzong, the ancient watchtower which now houses The National Museum. The National Museum was closed to visitors for almost nine years following damage caused by an earthquake in 2011. The museum underwent a major restoration in 2014 after the structure sustained considerable damage and reopened in 2019 as the nation’s premier museum. The seven-storey building, often called the only encyclopedic museum in Bhutan, houses the country’s history and treasures such as collections of ethnography, philately, numismatics, textiles, bronze and copperware. The museum houses over 3,000 permanent artworks that represent the cultural heritage of over 1,500 years.

In the afternoon, visit the National Memorial Chorten (Tibetan style Stupa), a monument to world peace and a memorial to the Late King (3rd King of Bhutan). It is the focal point for the local worshippers in Thimphu who come to circumambulate the stupa throughout the day, chanting their mantras with their prayer wheels in hand. It is a great spot for “people watching” and is a gathering place for many of the older people who will often spend the whole day at the stupa, chatting with each other, turning the prayer wheels, and always smiling for a photograph.

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Afterward, visit the Institute of Traditional Medicine, where the medicinal herbs abundant in the kingdom are compounded and dispensed. Established in 1978, this institute collects medicinal plants from remote corners of the Bhutanese Himalaya, and then distributes pills, tablets, ointments, and medicinal teas to regional healthcare units around the country. The small museum details some of the 300 herbs, minerals and animal parts that Bhutanese doctors have to choose from. Of particular interest is yartsa goenbub (cordyceps), the high-altitude cure-all ‘Himalayan Viagra’ that is actually a caterpillar that has been mummified by a fungus.

Visit Institute for Zorig Chusum – which is also commonly known as the Painting School. The institute offers courses ranging from 4 to 6 years on the 13 traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan.

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Then, proceed to Gagyel Lhundrup Weaving Centre offers a variety of traditionally hand-woven Bhutanese clothing and other textile products. The weavers weave intricate silk patterns using a backstrap loom, to make Kira’s, the psychedelic and elegant native Bhutanese dress for women. Apart from producing items for sale, the centre is also famous for producing ceremonial textiles for the Bhutanese royals.

Afterward, visit Kaja Farmer’s Market, where Thimphu residents mingle with villagers in an interesting urban and rural blend. People come from outlying rural villages to this market to sell vegetables and exotic fruits, and other items including dried fish, chili peppers, spices, butter and cheese.

Then, visit Tashichho Dzong, located on the banks of the Thimphu River, this is Bhutan’s administrative and religious centre. It houses the throne room of His Majesty the King of Bhutan, government ministries, the nation’s largest monastery and headquarters of His Holiness the Je Khenpo (the chief abbot) and the central monk body. A “dzong” is a Fortress. (The Dzongs are Bhutanese architectural masterpieces built in the past to serve a number of purposes. They served as administrative centres and as houses for the clergy. They were also used as garrisons by the army and people gathered in the dzong courtyards during festivities).

Here, we can spend some time for tea/coffee and photographing the 108 Druk Wangyal Chortens (Stupas), commissioned by a former Queen as a memorial to those who lost their lives during the low-intensity conflict in late 2001 when Bhutan evicted Indian rebels camped in the jungle on the Bhutan-Indian border. The remaining part of the drive to Punakha is mostly a descent along a series of hairpin bends, dropping down to the lowland of Punakha valley.

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Visit the Ta Dzong Museum, dedicated to the Monarchs of Bhutan, which had its cradle in Trongsa, and the history of Trongsa Dzong.

From Trongsa, the road rises rapidly through a series of hairpin bends until you arrive at Yotong La Pass (3,400 m). From here, the road descends towards Chume Valley (the first of the four valleys), where we will visit several centres of “Yathra” weaving.  Yathra is the name for the colorful, hand-woven woolen cloth (often with geometric designs) that is produced in this region. Distinctive patterns and bright, earthy colors enliven the fabric, which is used for a wide variety of purposes and sought after throughout Bhutan.

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Proceed to Kurjey Lhakhang, where the Guru Rinpoche subdued a local demon and left his body imprinted on a rock.

Afterward, visit Zandopelri Lhakhang, The Royal Grandmother Ashi Kesang commissioned this beautiful temple which was inaugurated in 2008.

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Visit Pema Choling Nunnery, where over 150 nuns, mostly teenagers and young women, study, and practice. We will spend time interacting with them and learning about their lives in the stone courtyard in the centre of their dormitories and classrooms.

Phobjikha, a hidden glacial valley on the western slopes of the Black Mountains, is one of the most beautiful valleys in Bhutan, and the largest wintering site for the endangered Black-necked crane. As part of the conservation effort, the Phobjikha Valley has been declared a protected area. Until recently, the Phobjikha Valley’s only electricity came from solar. In 2011, underground cabled electricity is gradually connecting the valley to the national grid. Potatoes are this region’s primary cash crop once exported to India.

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Visit the Crane Information Centre of the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN), which has informative displays of the black-necked cranes and the valley environment.

We then return to the main road and to the next two-hour drive, where the road descends into Wangdue and Punakha valleys.

Walk down to the 15^th-century Iron Chain Bridge, built by Drubthob Thangthong Gyalpo or Lama Chakzampa “Iron Chain Maker” a great Buddhist adept, yogi, physician, blacksmith, architect, and pioneering civil engineer.

*Optional sites for visit for those who do not wish to hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery.

Kyichu Lhakhang (temple), one of the oldest shrines of Bhutan dates back to the 7^th century. According to the legend, Kyichu Lhakhang was one of the 108 temples built in AD 638, by a Tibetan Buddhist king in order to overcome a giant ogress who laid across regions of the Himalayas to prevent the spread of Buddhism.

Rinpung Dzong (the full name of the Paro Dzong), which means “the fortress of the heap of jewels”. Rinpung Dzong now houses the administrative and religious headquarters for the Paro district. A part of Bernardo Bertolucci’s movie, “Little Buddha,” was filmed inside this dzong.

Pena (or Pana) Lhakhang is ignored by most visitors but is said to have been founded by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in the 7^th century, making it one of the oldest temples in Bhutan. The main inner sanctum certainly has an ancient feel, dominated by a statue of Jowo Nampar Nangse (Vairochana in Sanskrit) that is said to have the power to fulfil wishes. The name Vairochana means “He Who Is Like the Sun” or “the Radiating One”. Vairochana represents either the integration of or the origin of the Dhyani Buddhas.

The Siam Society reserves the right to change the programme as necessary.