This Sinchula Trek is from Thimphu (The current capital of Bhutan) to Punakha (The ancient capital of Bhutan). It is a short four-day trek crossing the Sinchula Pass that separates the two important valleys of Western Bhutan. There is a fair amount of interaction with the villages and the people at the beginning and at the end of the trek. In the olden times, this route was used by the lords, the monk body to move back and forth from Punakha to Thimphu and by the local villagers of Kabjisa. The people of Kabjisa keep two houses, one in Thimphu for the summers and the other in Punakha for the winters. Now days, the villagers seldom use this route but choose to travel by bus.
Trekking provides the best opportunity to experience and explore the real heart of Bhutan.
Discover a unique insight into the rural culture of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
Close contact with the people living in the remote areas of Bhutan.
Explore and appreciate the pristine environment of Bhutan.
Enjoy with the wilderness experiences in Bhutan.
Explore the adventure tours of Bhutan.
Enjoy with majestic views of the country’s virgin landscapes and unclimbed mountains.
Explore the routes taken by our ancestral.
Trekking through the beautiful lakes of Bhutan.
Day 01. Arrive to Paro – Transfer to Thimphu.
The flight into Paro on our national carrier, Druk Air, is a befitting introduction to the spectacular beauty of our country. In clear weather, magnificent views of the world’s highest peaks like Gangkar Puensum, give way to the lush green Paro valley as you land. Your Bhutanese escort from Authentic Bhutan Tours- For Your Bhutan Experience! will warmly welcome & greet you on arrival, and then to Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. The drive will take about 1 hour and 30 minutes along a river valley, past small villages and traditional farmhouses, through peaceful countryside.
It’s a small & charming capital city located in the heart of the Himalayas. On reaching Thimphu, we will do a short hike, from Kuensel Phodrang to Depsi (South of Thimphu). Before we start the hike, we will visit to Tallest Buddha Statue in the world. Then we will start the hike. The hiking is more or less very easy and plain walk through the forest of Pine, Rhododendron and Oak trees.
The hike will take about 1-hour 30 mins. We can see Thimphu city, Thimphu River (Wangchhu) and other adjacent towns through this hike. We can also take some fluttering prayer flags (Lungta) and hang them between two to three trees that will bring fortune, happiness and good health to every one in this world including your enemy.
Evening visit Tashi Chho Dzong, seat of the national government and the Central Monastic Body, including the summer residence of the Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot of Bhutan) and stroll around Thimphu town. Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel, Thimphu
Meal Plan: Welcome Dinner Accommodation: Hotel
Day 02. Thimphu stay
Sightseeing in Thimphu, visit to Memorial Chhorten, built in 1974 in the memory of third king late Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, and the temple inside gives good examples of tantric Buddhist and its philosophy. Mothithang minizoo to see the National Animal of Bhutan (Takin), Zulikha Nunnery, the Thangtong Dewachen nunnery was founded in 1976 by Rikey Jadrel and today it houses the sixty nuns engaged in Buddhist study and practices. Folk Heritage Museum, this Folk Heritage Museum is a showcase, the 19-century farmhouse and the living style of the Bhutanese family. National Library, the National Library was established in 1967 to preserve many ancient Dzongkha and Tibetan texts.
Lunch in Thimphu town. After lunch, visit Paper Factory, were Bhutanese Traditional Papers & paper products are made. Weaving Center produces hand-woven textiles on site and has a selection of cloth and ready-made garments for sale.
This is one of the few places where you can watch weavers at work, and then Authentic Bhutanese handicrafts. Evening we will visit Bhutanese Farm House for dinner and Traditional Hot Stone bath. Over night stay at Thimphu Hotel or we can organize even in Bhutanese Farm House.
Day 03. Thimphu- Chamina – Dopshing Pang (Trek Start)
Drive north up the valley towards Dechencholing Palace, following the Thimphu Chhu, crossing the bridge after the army camp and before a beautiful monastery. Follow the unsealed road just above Chamina village. The trek starts here. From this point, if the weather is clear, you can see Phajoding monastery, which is located just above Thimphu. After 2 km, you can see Thinleygang village, Talo Monastery and the motor highway towards the ancient capital of Bhutan, Punakha. The trek from the pass is more or less downhill until you reach the campsite.
Accommodation: Camping Altitude: 3400m. Distance: 12km. Time: 7-8hrs.
Day 04. Dopshing Pang – Chorten Ningpo
The second day of our trek is also down hill through worn trails that are deep that it is almost like going through tunnels at some points. However, this is a perfect day to encounter many lower altitude Rhododendrons and young oaks. One can encounter plenty of birds too. Some of the common birds seen around here are: Grey Backed Shrike, Yellow Billed Blue Magpie, Eurasian Jay, Black Drongo, Common Myna and Green backed Tit and many more.
We also walk through a series of cattle grazing grounds but will encounter cattle herders only in summer when they are moving higher after the plantations. Cross a bridge over the Kabji Chhu (River) and we walk parallel through the villages of Dophukha. People in this village are wealthy and have very fertile farmlands. Their main source of income is from selling the red rice during the weekend markets in Punakha. Another 45 minutes hike from here will take us to our campgrounds near Chorten Nyebu (Meaning the Old Chorten – Stupa).
Accommodation: Camping Altitude: 2700m. Distance: 11km. Time: 7-8hrs.
Day 05. Chorten Ningpo – Punakha
After breakfast, explore the Chorten Nyebu temple. This temple as the name implies is the oldest temple in the region. It is about 350 years old. The main statue in the temple is the future Buddha. The sacredness is considered similar to that of the Jow statue in the Lhasa Jokhang in Tibet. On the 10th Day of the eight month of the Bhutanese calendar, the locals and many more from the lower valleys gather here to undergo a Tsechu – prayer ceremony in the honor of the Buddha and the Guru Rimpochey.
After visiting the temple, we will bid farewell to our trekking staff and then drive to Punakha. On reaching Punakha, visit to Punakha Dzong, the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan. Then lunch will be served at Punakha.
After lunch we will visit to Chhimi Lhakhang, the temple of fertility. Evening at leisure. Dinner and over night stay at Hotel Punakha. Hotel Zangto Pelri or similar standard.
Day 06. Punakha – Paro.
After the breakfast we will drive to Paro. The road will ascend up to the great Dochula Pass. On the way back to Paro offers another chance to view the amazing Himalayan ranges. Stop along the way to take photos wherever you find the best spot for the photography. On Tacho Gang, visit Tachogang Lhakhang, founded by Thangtong Gyalpo who was a wonder-working Tibetain saint and builder of Iron Chain Briddges in Bhutan. You have to cross through the iron chain bride designed traditionally. Lunch will be served at Paro.
After lunch we will visit to Paro National Museum, it holds fascinating collections of art, relics, religious Thangka paintings and Bhutan’s exquisite postage stamps and Paro Dziong, the center of civil and religious authority in this region. Evening stroll around the Paro vally town, the valley of surpassing Beauty. Dinner and over night stay at Paro hotel.
Day 07. Paro Stay.
Toady we will make a hike to Paro Taktshang Monastery, the most famous and scared monastery in Buddhism world. Taksang means “TigerNest” named after Guru Rinpoche reportedly flew to this site riding on the back of a flying tigress late in the 9th century. We have to walk about 2hours up steep from the road end. The trail climbs through beautiful pine forest, many of the trees festooned with Spanish moss, and an occasional grove of fluttering prayer flags. Lunch will be served at Taktshang cafeteria.
On our way back, drive to the village of Drukgyel and visit the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong, built in 1649 to commemorate the victory over Tibetan invasion and Kyichu Lhakhang, it is one of the two most sacred and the oldest temples in Bhutan, built in 7th century by Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo (the 33rd Tibetan king, who is also the manifestation of avoloketeshivara, commonly known to Bhutanese as Chenrize). Evening at leisure, dinner and over night stay at Paro Hotel
Day 08. Paro – Paro International Airport.
After our breakfast, we will drive to Paro International Airport for your onward flight. Our guide and driver will bid you farewell here at the airport. We wish you a very safe and pleasant flight for your onward destinations.
This is a sample itinerary, intended to give you a general idea of the likely trip schedule. Numerous factors such as weather, tour conditions, group options and the physical condition of participants, may dictate itinerary changes either before departure or while on tour. We reserve the right to change this schedule in the interest of our guests, safety, comfort and general well being.
Start planning your tailor-made Dream Holiday to Bhutan – The Land of happiness!
In order to experience the best and rewarding fulfillment clients must plan in advance the different logistics that you have in your minds before actually venturing into the world of trips. You might have wishes and hopes for which you need to plan.
The following information will help you to plan your dream trip to Bhutan.
1. When and how to visit Bhutan?
Choose your traveling date like Arrival/Departure date. You also need to choose entry/depart Bhutan via AIR or LAND.
By Air: Druk Air, the national carriers is the only service operator in the kingdom and operates several flights per week from Bangkok (Thailand), Delhi & Kolkata (India) and Kathmandu (Nepal) to Paro (Bhutan). The Paro International Airport is located about an hour and a half drive from Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan.
Paro airport is daylight restricted, and the flights are totally dependent on the weather. As a result, sometimes flights are delayed. It is therefore a good idea to keep at least 24 hours of transit time for connecting flights out of Paro. You might also want to consider traveling on a non-restricted ticket so that if you miss a connecting flight, you can be rerouted or seated on the first available carrier.
Sometimes flights into Paro are disrupted because of unfavorable weather conditions. If this occurs, the flight will stop for the night at the transit airport. To be prepared, you may want to carry your essential personal items in your carry-on luggage.
By Land: Phuentsholing, a Bhutanese town in the southwest has road access to India. It is located about 170 km from the Indian domestic airport at Bagdogra, West Bengal. Phuentsholing is about 172 km from Thimphu the capital city of Bhutan and is about 6hours drive distance. And S/
2. What are your itineraries?
All the tours can be customized and extended as per our valued client’s requirements. There are sample itineraries for your kind reference and it will give you some general idea of the likely trip scheduled.
Complete the tour request form and submit it to us. Send us correct name list. We will send you the flight reservation status via email.
After confirming your reservation, we need the scanned copy of member’s passport.
Please remit us full payments and send us the copy of remittance paper via email. Visa will not be accepted without full payment.
We will send you the flight ticket copy and Visa Clearance Copy prior to your departure to Bhutan via email. You need to print out and carry along with you.
Start packing and looking forward to have a memorable trip in the LandThunder Dragon, DrukYul.
Hot stone bath (Dhotsho) is a traditional bath of Bhutan, where a tradition of heating up stones and then soaking in the water that is in turn heated by the stones. This is also a curative method and is used throughout the country We Bhutanese belief that this bath has so much of medicinal benefits. Some diseases are curable-like joint pains, hypertension, stomach disorder, arthritis and many other minor diseases. Especially for the old age, where we have lots of body pains, joints pains helps a lot by this Hot Stone Bath (Dhotsho).
I think, the minerals in the rocks have certain chemicals, which can cure certain disease of our body. Hot stone bath has no side effects. It is in its pure natural form. We can organize the hot stone bath during your stay in Bhutan.
The Bhutanese textiles are rich, vibrant, and colorful and are a complex art form as well as an integral part of the Bhutanese culture. This Bhutan weaving experiences will give you an insight about the rich textiles in Bhutan. You can sit one of the handlooms of Bhutan and weave your self practically. We promise that you will really enjoy this with great satisfaction in your life.
We will also see or learn the natural coloring and dyeing. You can bring your own materials like handkerchief to dye and color. So visit Bhutan and experience it practically by yourself.
Folk Performing Arts & Music in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan
We have Cultural Program Performing groups, which they will perform like Traditional folk songs, dances and keeps original tunes and dances alive. Moreover, new choreography for some traditional and regional songs is sometimes developed.
The troupe also performs mask dances that have historical and spiritual significance.
Tiger’s Nest is most visited spot in Bhutan and it is much awaited by every tourist who visits Bhutan to climb to Tiger’s Nest.
It takes about 2 hrs 30mins up steep climb through the forest of pine, oak and Rhododendron. However you can ride the horse and climb till the Taktshang cafeteria.
The above activities can be incorporated easily into your travel itinerary. However some activities need to pay some additional fees. So let us know which activities you would like to experiences so that we will include in your invoice.
Our company will provide the Trekking Equipment like Tents (Sleeping, Dinning, Toilet, Shower Tents), Mattress, Hot-Water bag, Cooking Utensils, Sleeping Bags. But we advise our clients to bring their own sleeping bags, if they can. However our guests have to bring some trekking gears by themselves. Therefore, everything mentioned below on the list are useful, and most of the things are important on trek.
Equipment for all the trekkers
Footwear
camp shoes or thongs
socks – polypropylene
Clothing
jumper or pile jacket
hiking shorts (men) or skirt (opt)
waterproof jacket, poncho or umbrella
hiking pants
T- shirts or blouses
underwear, sun hat
swimwear (opt.)
insulated paints
nylon wind breaker
nylon wind pants
long underwear
woolen hat
gloves
long gaiters
Above 4000 m.
socks, wool, to wear with boots
socks, light cotton, for under wool socks
Photography Equipments
( Optional )
lenses cleaning equipments
film
compass
thermometer
binoculars
books for reading while waiting for plane
Other Equipments
sleeping bag
water bottle
torch
Miscellaneous Items
toilet paper and cigarette lighter
small knife
sun block
towel
laundry soap
medical and frist aid kit
pre-moistened towelettes
sewing kit
sunglasses
sun block for lips
Speak to a specialist
Email: info@authenticbhutantours.com
Cell: 00975-17343434
Get inspired by the trip ideas on our website and in our brochures. Then speak to us for first-hand expert advice and if you’re ready, start planning your trip in detail.
