Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan and it is the center of government. The broad Thimphu valley represents mostly urban way of life. Just like any other place in Bhutan. This valley is clothed with beautiful trees from valleys to the hill top and with beautiful buildings built and maintained with traditional Bhutanese architecture.

Thimphu means "sinking” derived from a legend and today one can still see a rock covered with silk and offerings in front of Dechenphu temple. Before the arrival of the great Shabdrung Rinpoche in Bhutan 1616, the valley of Thimphu came to exist after the arrival of the great Boddhisatawa Phajo Drukgum Shipo, who married to a local girl and settled in Thimphu valley. Almost all the historical sites as well as temples in Thimphu are connected to Phajo Drukgum Shipo family. During the festival period, many religious mask dances and dramas are performed based on the visions of various Buddhist saints.

THIMPHU FESTIVAL TOURS Trip Length: 8 Days 7Nights.
Festival dates: 17th September-19th September 2010.

Day 1: Arrive Paro International Airport and will be Receive by Tashi Gongphel Tours Representatives. Check in at Olathang Hotel. After an early tea visit: Kichu Lhakhang (Temple),Paro dzong,Taa Dzong(Watch tower) overnight at hotel Olathang.

Day 2: After breakfast drive to Thimphu and visit the King's Memorial Chorten, Changangkha Monastery,Nunnery temple, National Library, National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Trashicho Dzong, Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory, Textile museum and Folk Heritage Museum.

Day 3: Full day at Thimphu festival.

Day 4: Full day at Thimphu festival.

Day 5: After early breakfast, drive to Punakha via Dochula Pass, where you can see 108 Bhutanese Stupas. If the weather is clear you can see all Himalays Ranges with all snow covered. Further drive to Punakha and visit Punakha Dzong.In the evening short hike to Chimi Lhakhang(Temple).It is a gentle walk through beautiful farm houses and vast plains of rice fields, for about half an hour.

Day 6: After breakfast, drive to Wangdue and visit Wangdue Dzong .Enroute stop for a lunch at Thimphu and drive to Paro.

Day 7: Day Hike or Mule ride to Tigers Nest Monastery.  One of the most venerated places   precariously perched on the side of a cliff 900m above the Paro valley floor. From the road point the hike up to Taktshang, on a well maintained path, is up hills takes around 2-3 hours at an average walking speed. On a sunny day please do remember to carry sunscreen, water, walking stick and a hat.

Day 8: Departure
Most of our Paro hotels are within 15 minutes drive to the airport. Transfer to Paro Airport. Check in two hours prior to flight departure to ensure the best seats on board Druk Air.
(Contact us for detail tour program)

Royal Bhutan Heritage Tour
Locations: Trongsa,Bumthang and Lhuentse
Season: Year–Round
Durations: Varies
The traditional architectural buildings are national heritage sites for the country and significant to the country’s history.The Royal Heritage Tours offers the visitors a unique look at some of Bhutan’s Royal Family palaces. The driving tour takes place in major heritage sites across the country from the scenic mountains of the paro valley to the distant village of lhuentse.
Trongsa-Kuenga Rabten Palace.
The Kuenga Rabten Palace under the Trongsa district formerly served as the winter residence for the second king,Jigme Wangchuk and his junior consort,Ashi Pem dechen.Conscructed in 1928,it has been well preserved on account of its royal connections.
Trongsa-Yurungchholing Palace.
The palace was built by the first king’s grand father-in-law,Trongsa Penlop Ugyen Phuntsho,presently the palace is used as a residence by the penlop’s great grand daughter,Ashi Kelsang.It also houses about 150 monks who are sponsored by them.

Trongsa-Thruepang Palace
It was built by second king Jigme Wangchuk as his palace most likely in 1930’s.The palace was occupied by the senior queen Ashi Phuntsho Chhoden.The third king was born in Thruepang Palace and he spent most of his childhood traveling between the Thruepang,Kuenga Rabten and Wangdichholing palaces.

Trongsa-Samchholing Palace (Draten Geog)
Built by the second king, it was later handed over to Ashi Pem dechen,his junior consort and mother of HRH prince Namgyal wangchuk.About 15 minutes walk away from the road head below, the palace is located on a strategic point. From there, the vista of the conventional hamlets strewn over the region is very breathtaking designs and presently it is undergoing renovation.

Trongsa-Choekhortse Dzong
The dzong holds a special place in history of Bhutan as it was from there that the tradition of placing the Crown prince as the Penlop before being enthroned as the king started .The title chhoeste penlop was derived from the dzong .The first king’father Jigme Namgyal was the Trongsa penlop and he was the one who paved the way for monarchy in Bhutan. Then Ugyen  wangchuk  became the Trongsa penlop and unified  the country. HE was the most powerful penlop.With birth of Bhutanese monarchy in    1907, the position of the Trongsa penlop assumed a special significance .the institution of the Trongsa penlop,therefore ,came to signify the true heritage to the Bhutanese Throne and the investiture ceremony of the Trongsa penlop  became the formal declaration of the status of the Crown Prince.

Bumthang-Wangdichholing palace
The Wangdichholing palace was built in 1857 by Trongsa penlop Jigme Namgyal and was later restored  by his son, the first king Ugyen Wangchuk.It was a the first palace to be built in Bhutan.
Bumthang-Domkhar(Tashichholing Palace)
Now used by the fifth king,it was formerly the summer residence of the second king Jigme Wangchuk,besides the Wangdichholing Palace.It was constructed in 1937 by the second king.

Bumthang _Tang Ugyenchholing Palace.

The 16th century Tang Ugyen Chholing Palace stands ceremoniously on the commanding spur of the remote Tang Valley. It was built by the Trongsa penlop Tshokey Dorji, a descendant of Dorji Lingpa. The palace was once destroyed by an earthquake in 1987 and the present structure constitutes a smudge of more recent feathers of the reconstruction. The palace is now turned into a museum with an entry fee of Nu.100, which goes to the Ugyen Chholing Trust that supports the complex.

Lhuentse-Dungkhar Nagtshang
The picturesque Dungkhar Choeje Nagtsang is the ancestral home of the legendary Pala and Pila brothers,the forefathers of the Wangchuk Dynasty.

Haa Summer Festival Tours: show casing the rich alpine flowers, folklore and culture

Day 1: 9th July, 2011
Proposed programme
Sl.No Time Programme
1 8:00 AM Arrival of the guest and tourists at lhakhang Karpo
2 8:15 AM Offering of Tashi khadar to the tourists by the respected family members at the reception
3 8:30 AM Arrival of the chief guest escorted with chipdrel ceremony(The longest procession ceremony) till DYT hall
4 9:30 AM the inauguration of the festival with the Marchang ceremony
5 9:45 AM Welcome address by DYT Chairman
6 10:00 AM Opening of the festival including the nomads and alpine flower photo exhibition by the Hon’ble chief guest together with the selected youngest tourist in the group1
7 10:15 AM Traditional folk welcome dance, Local Chundu Gongshay and Zhungdra
8 11:00 AM starting of the local sports and games:
• Khuru
• Soksum competition
9 12:00PM Prize distribution for Khuru and Soksum
10 12:30PM Demonstration and experiencing the Haaps cuisine speciality ( Hontey, khuley and Tshe Thub)
9th July: 12:30 pm & 3:30 pm
10th July: 11:45 am
11 1:00 PM Coinciding with lunch, families bring lunch in the
traditional containers to exhibit which will be shared by
the guests. In addition to the above dishes “wild Flowers” and “mushroom” cuisines will be prepared
12 2:00 PM Show casing traditional, cultural skills
( Choeshum, thanka painting, bamboo products, yak’s Products, pala-tongpa, household items and khami
ngashig etc) if possible all 13 arts and crafts4
13 3:00PM Yak Cham and other cultural programs
14 4:00 PM Display of local Shaman costumes and ornaments along
with a preview on how its conducted ( Showing
documents of the shaman festivals on TV in a tent  displaying the attires)
15 5:00PM BREAK5
16 7:00 PM Traditional rituals in preparation for the next day’s archery
tournament ( performing rituals and hiring astrologers to suppress the opponents)
Note:
1. Local Tship (astrologer) will be in a tent providing his fortune telling services
to everyone including tourists throughout the festival.
2. Personalized alpine flower stamps with photo by Bhutan post for everyone.


Day 2: 10th July, 2011
Proposed programme
Sl.No Time Programme
1 9:00 AM Arrival of the participants and tourists for the archery Match
2 9:15 AM Food and Beverages Stall
- Experiencing Haaps breakfast speciality: Akha (dough
Made out of wheat flour), Yaksha kam (dried yak meat) and Ezay( chili paste)
3 9:30 AM Drachen korni (A traditional procession to make a round in an auspicious direction to avoid bad lucks and Supersede the opponents )
4 10:00 AM Start of archery tournament with marching ceremony
5 10:30 AM Traditional archery experience for the guests (in a Separate ground possible one way)
6 11:00 AM Chundu Soelkha Haap’s Ausa- Uesu Yakcham and mask dance
7 11:30 AM Nublang exhibition
8 11:45 AM Demonstration and experiencing the Haaps cuisine speciality ( Hontey, khuley and Tshe Thub)
- Buck wheat flour processing
-Tongpa, Tse thu ( local porridge), Phuelu, Chugo mago
9 12:00 PM Choenda ( final hit) and victory lap celebration with distribution of prizes
10 1:00 PM Lunch for the guests will be served in tradition manner by the family members displaying the varieties of cuisines
11 2:00 PM Haap’s Nomadic life experience in the yak tent
• Demonstration of yak milking, butter and cheese processing etc
• Competition with rice and butter measurement with traditional measuring scale for the guests.
12 2:45 pm Alpine flower exhibition and competition6
• Competition on the identification, significance and naming the scientific terms of the flowers found in Haa Dzongkhag (open to all).
• Best photograph competition on the alpine flowers of Haa Dzongkhag ( open to all)
13 3:30PM Awarding of prizes to the winners
14 4:00 PM Vote of thanks by Dasho Dzongdag
15 4:20 PM BREAK
16 5:30 PM Demonstration and preparation of Ara
17 6:00 PM Ara tshogchang ceremony, ara served in a formal traditional way along the bon fire.
18 6:30 PM Tshang mo if any, followed by songs and cultural dances performed by the villagers
19 7:00 PM Traditional dinner served around bonfire
20 8:00 PM The Haa summer festival concludes with Tashi Labey joined by all the guests

Bhutan tour package on Bhutan adventure,Bhutan Travel,Bhutan Tour,Bhutan tourism,Bhutan trekking,Bhutan tour operators,Bhutan Travel Agents and  for more details contact us at www.bhutanvisitors.com or www.bhutantour.biz