6-Day Bhutan Cultural Tour from West Bengal with Thimphu and Paro

Meet your guide at New Jalpaiguri Railway Station or Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal and set out for Phuentsholing in Bhutan while taking in the breathtaking beauty of sloping tea gardens.

Complete the immigration formalities at Phuentsholing and check in to your hotel.

Spend the evening shopping at the local Phuentsholing market. Since it is a border town in southern Bhutan opposite the Indian town of Jaigaon, cross-border trade has resulted in a thriving local economy.

Experience the uniqueness of Phuentsholing, which is more urban than other Bhutanese towns, having absorbed the neighbouring culture, yet remaining distinctly quieter and more orderly than its neighbours.

Return to the hotel for an overnight stay in Phuentsholing.

Leave for Bhutan's capital city of Thimphu after breakfast and witness numerous picturesque waterfalls, offering a great photography opportunity for nature lovers. Spend the night in Thimphu.

Visit the Memorial Chorten, built in memory of the third King of Bhutan, who reigned from 1952 to 1972, along with the Nunnery temple and a Mini Zoo to see Takin, the national animal of Bhutan.

Explore Thimphu's other landmarks, including the National Institute of Traditional Medicine, a Bhutanese traditional painting school, the Folk Heritage Museum, the majestic Tashichho Dzong, and a traditional paper factory, depending on the time of the week, as some landmarks are closed on weekends. Stay in Thimphu for the night.

Have breakfast and proceed to Paro, extending from the confluence of the Paro Chhu and the Wang Chhu rivers at Chuzom up to Mt. Jomolhari at the Tibetan border to the north. The town is famous for its many sacred sites.

Check in to your hotel and proceed for a sightseeing tour of Paro, including the following places:

• Drukgyel Dzong - ruins of an old fortress in Paro

• Kyichu Lhakhang - a famous monastery in Paro

• Ta Dzong - the National Museum of Bhutan

Visit Paro Valley, one of the most expansive valleys in the kingdom. Witness the fertile rice fields and a beautiful, crystalline river meandering down the valley, then spend the night in Paro.

Eat breakfast and take a day trip to Chele La Pass (12,200 ft), the highest motorable point in Bhutan, to get a breathtaking view of Mt. Jhomolhari (23,996 ft, the second-highest peak in Bhutan) and other Himalayan giants. This is an optional trip.

Visit the Paro handicraft market in the evening or the Taktsang Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tour to Taktsang Monastery is optional, as it requires 2-3 hours of trekking to reach the monastery. Ponies are available for hire.

Head back to Phuentsholing to rest for the night.

Have breakfast and transfer to New Jalpaiguri Railway Station or Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal for your return journey.