Himalayan Kingdoms
- Best price guaranteed
- No booking fees
- COVID-19protected
- Walking tour
- Cultural, religious and historic sites
- Family
- Customizable
- 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
- 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
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.
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Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu, transfer to your hotel
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Day 2: Kathmandu tour to Durbar Square & Swayambunath
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Day 3: Fly to Bhutan, Paro tour
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Day 4: Cross the Dochu La Pass to the Punakha Valley
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Day 5: Valley walk, Punakha Dzong, drive to Gangtey
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Day 6: Phobjikha Valley walk, Gangtey
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Day 7: Drive to Thimphu via Wangdue Phodrang
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Day 8: Thimphu tours and weekend market
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Day 9: Taktshang (Tiger's Nest) walk, Drukgyel Dzong
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Day 10: Fly to Nepal, visit Bhaktapur ancient centre
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Day 11: Sunrise mountain views and villages, temples & stupas
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Day 12: Kathmandu, tour ends with airport transfer
- All accommodation in comfortable mid-range hotels
- All meals as indicated in the itinerary
- All transport in private AC vehicles with a local driver
- All transfers, including 24-hour airport arrival & departure transfer service
- Services of a local guide throughout your time in Bhutan
- Services of a tour leader in Nepal and specialist city guide for Kathmandu tours
- Entrance Fees to sites visited
- Bhutan visa & tourism development fee (TDF)
- International Flights in and out of Nepal
- Return Flights between Kathmandu and Paro (see Tour Notes)
- Nepal multi-entry visa fee ($45)
- Travel Insurance (compulsory)
- Meals not indicated in the itinerary
- Drinks, snacks, tips and other personal expenses (e.g. laundry)
- Any other items not mentioned above
- Personal Itinerary can be tweaked and customized.
- Protected Travel within your own bubble.
- Professional Access our Travel Specialists' insider knowledge.
- Privacy Enjoy a tour focused solely on you or your travel group.
- Earn US$ 116+ in travel credits.
- Best price guaranteed.
- No credit card or booking fees.
- 100% financial protection.
- Carbon neutral tours.
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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.
PaymentFor 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 InsuranceHimalayan 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.
VisaFor 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 MeasuresThis 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.