After your early arrival we transfer you to your hotel to freshen up from your journey. 

This afternoon we take you on a Kathmandu Heritage City tour. We visit Kathmandu’s Durbar square, Royal palace Hanuman Dhoka , and the Hindu temples of the royal court including Teleju Temple, Bhagwati Temple the imposing  Kaal Bhairav and Kumari Ghar home to Kumari Devi (living goddess ) If we are lucky we can call her name and she will come to her window and greet us.  We then drive to Sayambhunath Stupa commonly known as the Monkey Temple where if you can, join the locals for the 365 step climb to the summit. For those less energetic we can take you closer to the top where you get a great view of the city of Kathmandu. 

Tonight we take you out to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner

Overnight: Kathmandu

Included Meals: Dinner

This morning we board a flight to Paro (Bhutan), clear customs and immigration. Keep your copy of the visa clearance letter handy. Passport size pictures are no longer required and your visa has been paid.  Meet your Guide and driver outside the terminal building and transfer to Thimphu. Tonight we stroll around the city in the evening. 

Overnight: Thimphu

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Officially known at the Kingdom of Bhutan, the country has never been colonized and until 2008 existed as a Budhist theocracy.  

We start the day with a visit to Trashichhoedzong, the beautiful medieval fortress/monastery which houses most of the Government’s office and King’s Throne room It is also the summer residence of Je Khenpo, the Chief Abbott. 

We visit the National Library which has a vast collection of ancient Buddhist texts and manuscripts. Bhutan is famous for its Buddhist artistic heritage so our next stop is a School for artists known for its traditional thangkha paintings. Here you will see, students at work producing intricate design on cloth. Later we visit Textile and Folk Heritage Museums, a fascinating testimony of the Bhutanese material culture and living traditions. 

After lunch visit Handicrafts Emporium which displays wide assortment of beautifully hand-woven and crafted products where if inspired you can take home a little piece of Bhutan before we drive to Memorial Chorten, the stupa built in the memory of Bhutan’s Third King who is popularly regarded as Father of modern Bhutan. The paintings and statues inside this monument provide a deep insight into Buddhist philosophy. We end the day with a drive to Punakha across Dochula pass 

Overnight:  Punakha.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast visit Punakha Dzong, Built strategically at the junction of Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers in 1637 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to serve as the religious and administrative centre of the region, Punakha Dzong has played an important role in Bhutan’s history. Damaged by four catastrophic fires and an earthquake, the Dzong has now been fully restored. We then drive to Wangdiphodrang visiting Dzong and local market. The district of Wangdiphodrang is also famous for its bamboo products, slate and stone carvings. After lunch drive to Paro with a short stop at Dochula pass. En route visit Simtokha Dzong, the oldest fortress of the Kingdom built in 1627, it now houses the School for Buddhist studies. 

Overnight: Paro.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast take an excursion to Taktsang Monastery, the most famous of Bhutanese monasteries and for many the highlight of their Bhutanese experience. 

It is said that Guru Rinpoche arrived here on the back of a tigress and meditated at this monastery hence it is called “Tiger’s Nest”. The excursion to monastery takes about 5 hours for round trip. 

This afternoon visit Ta Dzong, the National Museum of the Kingdom. Originally built as a watch tower it was converted in 1967 into the National Museum. 

The museum houses a fascinating collection of art, artifacts, thangkha paintings and Bhutan’s exquisite postage stamps. 

We then walk down the trail to visit Rinpung Dzong which has a long and fascinating history and contains no less than fourteen (14) separate shrines and chapels for worship. 

Overnight: Paro

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast drive we head to the airport for flight back to Kathmandu where we are met by our Nepali team who then take us back to our hotel to freshen up before taking us to the UNESCO world heritage Boudhanath Stupa. According to Buddhist ritual if you circumambulate the stupa three times in a clockwise direction you will receive good fortune. We take lunch at a rooftop restaurant with a view the stupa and surrounding Vistas.

After Lunch we make our way to the sacred Hindu site of Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati River.   According to tradition only Hindu’s are allowed inside this holy temple so we head to the Funeral Ghats to witness a traditional cremation ceremony.  

Overnight:  Kathmandu

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We arise for our early morning flight with EBC climbers to Lukla the starting point of the famous Everest Base Camp trek.  Don’t worry you won’t need to don the backpack and hiking boots to see Everest Base Camp, we get to do it in style by helicopter.

We make our way by helicopter shuttle to our first stop the world’s highest hotel where we stop for breakfast on the balcony with Himalayan views and the famous peak itself. 

After breakfast we shuttle again in smaller groups to the top of Kalar Pater for up close photos of the amazing mastiff.  We can’t stay long as at 5,535 metres you start to feel the effects of the altitude if we are there for any more than 5 minutes.  Don’t forget to stop and take in this amazing view so that it remains in your mind’s eye. It is a sight never to be forgotten.

We then make our way back to Lukla for our return flight to Kathmandu where we arrive back in time for Lunch.

This afternoon we head to the Nepal Cooking School a local charity which uses its funds to help care for and educate underprivileged children.  

Overnight:  Kathmandu

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and self-made Dinner

After breakfast we check out of our hotel and make our way to Tribhuvan International airport of our departure. Our unforgettable journey has come to an end and we can only dream of getting home to book our next journey to this amazing region.