Nine days,
at a walking pace.
The Extended route with a third night in Thimphu — a day spent walking the capital rather than driving through it.
| Duration | 8 Nights / 9 Days |
|---|---|
| Start & end | Bagdogra / NJP / Hasimara — your choice |
| Places covered | Thimphu, Punakha, Phobjikha, Paro |
| Best for | Travellers who dislike being moved every morning. |
| Documents | Valid passport or Voter ID for Indian nationals; birth certificate or school ID for children |
| Trip type | Cultural and scenic — dzongs, monasteries, Himalayan passes, and the Tiger's Nest hike |
| From | ₹24,999 per person · falls with group size |
The itinerary, with every stop named.
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Days 1–2
Border and the road to Thimphu
5–6 hours each day
As the Extended: through the Dooars, a night at Phuentsholing, permits in the morning and the climb to Thimphu.
Overnight Phuentsholing, then Thimphu
-
Day 3
Thimphu sightseeing
Local
Buddha Dordenma, Memorial Chorten, Tashichho Dzong, the Takin Preserve.
Overnight Thimphu · Breakfast, dinner
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Day 4
Thimphu at walking pace
Local
The weekend craft market if the days fall right. The textile museum. The postal museum, where your own face can be printed on a Bhutanese stamp. An afternoon to shop properly.
Overnight Thimphu · Breakfast, dinner
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Day 5
Thimphu → Punakha
75 km · 3 hours
Dochula, Chimi Lhakhang, Punakha Dzong, the bridge.
Overnight Punakha · Breakfast, dinner
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Day 6
Punakha → Phobjikha
80 km · 3 hours
Over the Pele La to Gangtey.
Overnight Phobjikha · Breakfast, dinner
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Day 7
Phobjikha → Paro
Approx. 7 hours
The long drive west.
Overnight Paro · Breakfast, dinner
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Day 8
Taktsang — Tiger's Nest
Full day
The hike and a free afternoon.
Overnight Paro · Breakfast, dinner
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Day 9
Departure
297 km
The drive to the border and home.
Breakfast
Being honest about this one: The extra day is Thimphu, not a new valley. Worth it if you want to shop and wander; not if you want new ground.
Hotels, named before you pay.
Rooms are 3-star, or 3-star premium on request. These are the properties we book. Look every one of them up before you pay — their own websites and their Google reviews are not ours to edit, which is rather the point.
| Destination | 3 Star | 3 Star Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Phuentsholing | Alem Resort / Gaki / Amo Chhu | Khamsum / Alem Resort / Palm |
| Thimphu | Depsi Resort / Gochukha / Park | View By Tara Pendayling / Migmar / Samye |
| Punakha | Roja / Punakha Stream Resort | Punatangshhu Cottage / Dragon Nest Resort |
| Phobjikha | Hotel Dewachen / ABC Resort / Dhangsa | Gangtey Pinewood Resort / Kichu Resort / Tara Haven |
| Paro | Tshenden Peace Villa / Galing Resort / Pema Yangsel | Udumwara Resort / Gawaling / Shomo Chuki Resort |
Accommodation will be in these or similar properties.
What the price covers
- Hotels — 3-star, or 3-star premium on request
- Private vehicle with driver for the entire route
- Local guide throughout
- All permits, including the Punakha route permit
- Sustainable Development Fee
- Breakfast and dinner every day
Stated plainly, not buried
- Lunch — you eat where you happen to be
- Monument entry fees
- Personal expenses and tips
Lunch is left out on purpose. On a touring day you eat where you happen to be at one o'clock, and building it in means either a fixed restaurant or a padded price.
Four steps, and you know each one before it happens.
Tell us your dates
Dates and group size, by phone or WhatsApp. We reply within the hour.
Read the itinerary
A full day-by-day plan with hotels, photographs, their own websites and their Google reviews. Vehicle details too. One fixed price.
Confirm with 20%
Twenty per cent of the package price confirms the booking. A voucher follows.
Pickup, three days ahead
Your exact pickup point and time, three days before you travel. Then we meet you.
Three things worth reading first.
The permit rules catch people out, the cost of a trip is rarely stated honestly, and the shape of a six-day itinerary explains why we recommend the length we do.
- The Bhutan permit for Indians — which documents work, and why Aadhaar does not
- What a Bhutan trip actually costs — line by line, including the SDF
- The 5 nights 6 days itinerary — day by day, with real drive times
Questions we are asked most
Do Indians need a visa for Bhutan?
What is the SDF and who pays it?
What is included in the price?
Where do you pick us up from?
How do I book, and how much do I pay up front?
When is the best time to visit Bhutan?
Send your dates for the 8 Nights / 9 Days.
A full itinerary and one fixed price come back, usually within the hour. Twenty per cent confirms it.