Himalayan Kingdoms

  • Best price guaranteed
  • No booking fees
  • duration 12 days
  • tour type Small group Request as private
  • age requirement 8-75 yrs
  • max group size 12
  • guiding method Fully guided
  • Tour Code BM-18232
  • Footprint Carbonneutral CO2 emissions resulting from all trips on Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
  • Operated in English
map
  • Starts Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Ends Kathmandu, Nepal
  • +5
HIGHLIGHTS Download trip notes
  • Kathmandu's temples & stupas
  • Paro Dzong & National Museum
  • Thimphu weekend market
  • Dochu La Pass
  • Punakha Dzong
  • Phobjika Valley
  • Taktshang monastery
  • Nepalese & Bhutanese food & culture
  • Beautiful Himalayan scenery
  • Easy hikes
  • Show more
Start and end in Kathmandu, the trip "Himalayan Kingdoms" is a guided cultural, religious and historic sites tour that takes 12 days. You will be traveling through Paro, Gangtey Valley, Taktshang and 4 other destinations in Bhutan and Nepal. "Himalayan Kingdoms" is a small group trip which includes accommodation in hotels, transport, meals and others. Please see the package includes section for further details.

Any visit to Bhutan needs to be combined with at least a little time in either Nepal, India, Thailand or China, and this tour takes in a few days in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal at either side of your time in Bhutan. Bhutan is a unique and fascinating place, and your 8 days in the country allow you to explore several fascinating Dzongs, visit beautiful temples, and enjoy some short walks through spectacular scenery. Throughout the trip you'll learn about Bhutan's cultural and religious heritage and how it permeates everyday life. Travelling in Bhutan is a very different experience to nearby India, Nepal or China, and one never to be forgotten.

The tour starts in Kathmandu with a tour through its busy streets and surroundings seeing stupas, temples and palaces. After a spectacular flight to Bhutan (not included, see Tour Notes), you visit the Paro Dzong (a combination of a monastery, fort and town hall) and national museum and your guide begins his introduction to the country's history and way of life.

From Paro you follow slow winding roads through mixed forests and over the Dochu La Pass to the Punakha Valley. Here you visit the huge and beautifully situated Punakha Dzong and enjoy an easy riverside walk from a hilltop temple through mixed forest and fields of vegetables and chillies. We'll also visit the Phobjika Valley, famous for being the migratory destination of the endangered Black Necked Crane, and Gangtey Dzong.

We then time the tour to visit the capital Thimphu during the huge weekend market. Returning to Paro you climb up to Taktshang monastery (Tiger's Nest), possibly Bhutan's most famous and recognizable site.

When back in Nepal, you visit the ancient centre of Bhaktapur, the important Pasupatinah temple and Boudhnath stupa, and spend a night enjoying beautiful mountain views from the rim of the Kathmandu valley.
ITINERARY Expand All
  • Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu, transfer to your hotel
  • Day 2: Kathmandu tour to Durbar Square & Swayambunath
  • Day 3: Fly to Bhutan, Paro tour
  • Day 4: Cross the Dochu La Pass to the Punakha Valley
  • Day 5: Valley walk, Punakha Dzong, drive to Gangtey
  • Day 6: Phobjikha Valley walk, Gangtey
  • Day 7: Drive to Thimphu via Wangdue Phodrang
  • Day 8: Thimphu tours and weekend market
  • Day 9: Taktshang (Tiger's Nest) walk, Drukgyel Dzong
  • Day 10: Fly to Nepal, visit Bhaktapur ancient centre
  • Day 11: Sunrise mountain views and villages, temples & stupas
  • Day 12: Kathmandu, tour ends with airport transfer
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Accommodation
  • All accommodation in comfortable mid-range hotels
Meals
  • All meals as indicated in the itinerary
Transport
  • All transport in private AC vehicles with a local driver
  • All transfers, including 24-hour airport arrival & departure transfer service
Guide
  • Services of a local guide throughout your time in Bhutan
  • Services of a tour leader in Nepal and specialist city guide for Kathmandu tours
Others
  • Entrance Fees to sites visited
  • Bhutan visa & tourism development fee (TDF)
WHAT'S EXCLUDED
  • International Flights in and out of Nepal
  • Return Flights between Kathmandu and Paro (see Tour Notes)
  • Nepal multi-entry visa fee ($45)
  • Travel Insurance (compulsory)
  • Meals not indicated in the itinerary
  • Drinks, snacks, tips and other personal expenses (e.g. laundry)
  • Any other items not mentioned above
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
This tour has not received any customer reviews yet. However, you can expect a good tour as it is run by a trusted travel specialist who has received 8 reviews for other tours with an average 4.1 rating.
REQUEST A PRIVATE, CUSTOMIZABLE DEPARTURE By design, this is a group tour. You can however request a private, customized version of this tour for yourself or your private group of people. Private departures are usually more expensive, but come with these benefits:
  • Personal Itinerary can be tweaked and customized.
  • Protected Travel within your own bubble.
  • Professional Access our Travel Specialists' insider knowledge.
  • Privacy Enjoy a tour focused solely on you or your travel group.
Request a private and/or personalized departure To design a private tour, we'll ask you some more information in the following steps.
Why Book with Bookmundi
What are customers saying about Bookmundi
Excellent
4.65 Average 674 Reviews
GOOD TO KNOW Download trip notes
CANCELLATION

No additional cancellation fees apply for this Himalayan Kingdoms tour. You can cancel the tour up to 58 days prior departure and avoid paying the full amount, but your deposit paid is non-refundable. No refund applies for cancellations within 57 days of departure.

Payment

For any tour departures within 24 May 2024, full payment is required. For tours that depart later than 24 May 2024, a deposit of 250 USD is required to confirm the tour, and the remaining balance will be charged 57 days before trip departure.

Travel Insurance

Himalayan Kingdoms tour requires that you have adequate and valid travel insurance covering medical and personal accidents, including repatriation costs and emergency evacuation. World Nomads offers travel insurance for independent travelers and intrepid families.

Visa

For this Himalayan Kingdoms tour getting the required visa(s) is the responsibility for each individual traveller, as visa requirements vary depending on your nationality. We recommend to check with your local embassies representing the countries that you are traveling to, as part of this itinerary.

COVID-19 Safety Measures

This trip incorporates the following COVID-19 measures:

  • Tours will be reduced to smaller group sizes to protect against COVID-19.
  • Wearing a mask, hand washing and sanitizing has been implemented per local government advice. Frequent disinfection of regularly touched surfaces is highly encouraged. Hygiene safety measures and distancing will be ensured in our accommodations and also during transportation.
  • Several COVID-19 distancing measures have been adopted on this package tour to keep travellers safe.
  • All travellers 18 years and older will be recommended to be either fully vaccinated atleast 14 days prior to departure or have taken a negative test (rapid antigen or PCR)  within 72 hours of departure.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about this tour.
NEED HELP OR HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS TOUR?
If you have any question about this tour or need help with planning a trip, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We're ready to help.
Welcome!

Sign-in to unlock instant trip discounts. Create wish lists and save up to USD 1,500.

Facebook
G
More login options here.