Name: Wonders of Bhutan - 7 Days
Brand: On The Go Tours
SKU: N/A
Price: 2965 USD
Availability: LimitedAvailability
Rating: 4.7 (1 reviews)

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Punakha Tours & Trip Packages

Asia

Bhutan

Punakha

Read 121 traveler reviews on tours to Punakha.Compare trips from over 39 companies. Pick your perfect trip with confidence.

Punakha Tour & Trip Reviews | Travelstride

Our guide was an expert in Bhutan's history, culture, geography and spiritual practices. Your guides were superb and became friends.

Myths and Mountains

Myths knew the nuances of travel in this remote country

Bhutan West to East - Spring

Exodus Adventure Travels

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Wilderness Travel

Although the price is high, this is a great holiday and worth the cost.  The 
only thing that could have been better was the weather, as we had two days of 
rain during the trek, but that made us appreciate all the other days of good 
weather more.  The scenery was fantastic, the itinerary was perfect, and we 
were very well taken care of.  We certainly left with a positive view of 
Bhutan.
Really, the whole holiday was inspirational.  Watching the sunrise during the 
trek was beautiful and we were glad the guides woke us up to see it.  We also 
visited Punakha Valley even though we were supposed to miss it as we were 
going to a festival and we were very glad we got to go as it was great.  All 
the dzongs were interesting and the buildings were photo-worthy everywhere we 
looked.


Norbu was very knowledgeable, attentive, and accommodating.  He had clearly 
been a guide for a long time.  Our other guide was also helpful and a very 
nice man, although his English and his knowledge were not quite as good.


It can be very cold on the trek, especially at night, and very hot in the 
valleys.  You are also likely to get sunburnt on the trek, no matter how much 
sunscreen you apply.

Pillows are provided on the trek.

Take cash on the trek for the tips as this will be given to the camp crew at 
the end of the trek before you get to the hotel in Thimpu.  The recommended 
tip in the trip notes didn't include the main guide on our trip.

Take cash -- some people had trouble using cash machines.

Leave some clean clothes in Paro before starting the trek.  You will get them 
in Thimpu after the trek.

You have free time in Kathmandu at the beginning and end of the trip -- there 
is nothing organised before dinner.  It's not difficult to visit sites on 
your own but if you are a woman travelling on your own, try to go with 
someone else.  Sole women often get harassed, probably not as badly as in 
some places, but enough to be a nuisance and, potentially, slightly menacing. 
  People in our group experienced this.  For  myself, on one occasion I was 
walking behind my husband so it wasn't clear that we were together and I was 
followed by a man who wouldn't take no for an answer until my husband turned 
around and threatened him.


One of our best holidays!

Bhutan: Druk Path Trek

If seeing Bhutan and hiking in the Himalayan region is on your bucket list, 
then the Land of the Thunder Dragon tour is for you! This trip was such a 
good mix, that it made me really feel like I got to see a good variety and 
experience Bhutan to the fullest.
We got to trek for five days, seeing beautiful scenery, visit two festivals 
(including a really fun, smaller local one, and a more famous and larger one 
in the city), and visited many cultural sites.
Exodus Travels has an amazing local staff in Bhutan, and the guides were all 
great. Everything was organized down to the last detail, and the trip was 
executed flawlessly.
I can't recommend this trip enough!
On the fourth day of our hike, the clouds cleared and we got to see some of 
the world's tallest unclimbed mountains!


We had two leaders, Norbu and Tshering, and they were both excellent. They 
knew the answer to every question anyone could possibly have about Bhutan! 
They both had outgoing, fun personalities and worked to make sure everyone on 
the trip was happy and having a good time.


Pack warmer clothes than you think you'll need for the hike, and pack modest 
but cooler clothes for the rest of the trip if you're going in September.

We did this trip with some fear and trepidation as we would be trekking at 
altitude for the first time. We were very keen to visit Bhutan before it 
modernises and we also hoped to see the rhododendron in bloom in the 
Himalaya. We had done quite a bit of training for the trek and this paid off 
as we were fit enough for the grade of walk. We loved the country, the 
people, the Buddhist culture and the government philosophy of 'improving 
gross national happiness'. This is evident everywhere and seems very genuine. 
 From the minute you land in Paro you know you are somewhere very special. It 
is quite wonderful to be immersed in their culture for the whole time you are 
there. The trek was not what we expected as we had snow every night and had 
to walk on icy surfaces some days and were perhaps colder than we had 
anticipated. The excellent trip notes had suggested we bring adequate 
sleeping bags and down jackets, so we were always cosy at night. We did 
perhaps miss some of the spectacular views because of the weather and the 
rhododendrons were only just in bud..so if you want to see them you should 
plan your trek in May rather than April. However, we were able to be a part 
of the Paro festival and this was fascinating. Exodus puts together a very 
good and varied itinerary, in comfortable accommodation, with great guides, 
good transportation and excellent food throughout. You are well acclimatised 
to altitude and the trekking is not too hard. We were disappointed to have to 
share campsites with other groups. There are a lot of trekkers on the Druk 
path and if you want solitude on trek you should go on one of the longer 
treks. This is a great introduction to trekking in the mountains and we felt 
extremely well looked after. My gluten free meals were always varied and 
plentiful. The main food is rice and veggies and many differing ways of 
cooking them. Breakfast was always wonderful too. We thoroughly recommend 
this trip and Exodus as a company. Go...you won't be disappointed.
Reaching the highest summit and hanging prayer flags.


Our leader Norbu was absolutely fabulous. He was calm and confidant and 
always with a smile. His knowledge was outstanding. He always helped out if 
anyone was struggling with the trek or altitude.


Take adequate warm clothing and a good sleeping bag.


I cannot wait for my next exodus trip

Bhutan is a country whose culture and environment are still free from the 
negative influences of the modern world. It's a quiet even serene place, free 
from pollution and benefitting from a low population (just some 700,000 
people live in this small kingdom). The five day point-to-point trek was well 
run and enjoyable. It included visits to a couple of fascinating monasteries. 
The highlights have to be attending the spring festival in Paro and the 
half-day trek to the world-famous Tiger's Nest monastery.
Although the spring festival in the Dzong in Paro was amazing, it's the 
unexpected things of most trips which last in my memory. For my trip in 
Bhutan, this was the welcome we got from the monks in the monastery on the 
last day of our trek as we headed down the valley towards Thimphu.


Our guide Norbu and his team looked after us very well. I hope to go back one 
day and see more of this lovely country. Norbu informed me that Exodus is 
thinking about opening a new trek in the high Himalayas in the north-west of 
the country. I couldn't see this trip as an option in 2018 - but will keep a 
look out for it.


Bhutan had been on my bucket list for quite a few years and I was not 
disappointed. While the cost of the trip is prohibitive, the tourist tax 
means that there are still relatively few tourists in Bhutan, meaning it's 
unspoilt. Furthermore, you really don't need much spending money as the 
tourist tax covers pretty much everything from the accommodation and 
transport to meals. The only money you'll need is for drinks and souvenirs. 
This makes the price of the trip more bearable in the overall scheme of 
things.


Go now before others do. We were lucky with the weather on our trek, but 
others are not so lucky - so go prepared with all weather clothing for the 
trek.

The approach by plane into Paro airport is not for the faint-hearted. 
However, it's one of the most fascinating airports in the world, rivalling 
Lukla in Nepal for hairiness. You will be amazed how close the runway is to 
the mountains. The plane makes a sharp left-turn in its final approach to 
landing - so have your camera ready for some aerial shots. The terminal 
building is impressive too with typical Bhutanese painted walls.

What an amazing trip which exceeded my expectations. Bhutan has been on my 
bucket list for many years and I particularly wanted to go on a trip which 
combined the experience of seeing the Paro festival firsthand, a visit to the 
Tiger’s Nest monastery and some trekking and this trip does just that. The 
festival was fantastic and such a wonderful and joyous occasion with the 
locals in their national dress watching in their hundreds the amazing 
storytelling through dance. The final day we were treated to a view of the 
Thangka which was beautiful. It was a real privilege to be able to witness 
this festival and be part of it.

The trek had stunning scenery and was challenging enough I just wish it had 
been a little warmer at night!. Waking up to snow was a little chilly but the 
hot water bottles in our sleeping bags at night helped to take the chill off!
Seeing my first glimpse of the Tiger’s Nest monastery. Wow!


Norbu was an excellent group leader, very knowledgeable and also supportive 
of everyone on the trek.


Thermals, thermals and more thermals! It really was very cold at night. A 
Nalgene water bottle would have been useful as some members of the group had 
theirs filled with hot water at night to use as an extra hot water bottle and 
then used it as drinking water during the day. I don’t normally walk with 
poles but found them really helpful in the snow and ice. Also if it is going 
to be cold buy some yak tracks in Kathmandu to help you stay on your feet.

I enjoyed the hot stone bath in Paro. It was certainly an experience!


This really is an amazing trip. You won’t be disappointed!

Loved it, loved it, loved it! I had wanted to visit Bhutan after seeing a 
film about scientists looking for the Yeti decades ago. Didn't see a yeti but 
found a country that is so special, with a landscape that is so special and 
with people that are so special.

After the dirty madness of landing in Kathmandu the feeling of peace on 
landing at Paro airport for the start of the Bhutan trip was very special. 
Bhutan is a clean, welcoming  country at peace with itself.

The trek, although not demanding, was lovely and gives a snapshot of a 
wonderful countryside.
The visits to various dzongs and stupas was interesting and the final visit 
to a monastery where the monks where involved in some of their rituals for a 
village festival the next day was fascinating.

As a vegetarian and an animal lover this country was the nearest to perfect 
for me. Loved the food and the fact that although there were dogs everywhere 
(they are mostly cared for by the community or the monks) I never saw any in 
distress or starving (as I did in Kathmandu).
The explosion of colour at the monasteries, the prayer flags in the 
mountains, the fact that shop keepers put out food and sacking on the 
pavements for the street dogs, the peace, the tranquility of the mountains 
and the humility and care of the support crew on the trek.


Both Norbu and Ganga were kind, gracious and thoughtful. Norbu's knowledge of 
his country is excellent. The whole support crew both on and off trek were 
kind, considerate and looked for ways to help.


Kathmandu is dirty, loud and unpleasant. I was a woman on her own and would 
not have been happy wandering around after sunset on my own.


The trip is well with the money . I have travelled a lot and trekked in 
various countries around the world (sometimes with Exodus but often 
independently) and I have never been to such a friendly, peaceful country 
before. The values of the country are what we should all aspire to. The 
country and its people are inspirational.