Places You will visit in Thimpu
Statue of Buddha Dordenma
The gigantic gold Buddha statue is located on the top of a hill above Thimphu. At over 50 meter high, it is one of the tallest statues of Buddha in the world. This is the best spot to watch sunrise and take picture of the valley.
Memorial Chorten
This was built in honor of the third King of Bhutan which attract locals daily for prayer and meditation. Old monks walk around the monument turning prayer wheels. The site is a good example of how Buddhism works in reality.
Tashichho Dzong
This is a fortress-monastery which is home to the king’s throne room. The architecture of this building is typical of Bhutan. It features whitewashed walls and gold roofs. Every summer, it serves as the site of the popular Thimphu Tshechu festival.
Motithang Takin Preserve
This preserve is the home of takin which is the rare national animal of Bhutan. It is a creature that resembles both a goat and a cow.
National Folk Heritage Museum
The museum provides an insight into the pre-modern lifestyle of rural Bhutanese in a restored farmhouse setting. Each room is filled with traditional farming and household implements.
Institute for Zorig Chusum
Also known as the painting school, this institute is a training center for Bhutan’s 13 arts and crafts. You can see students practicing wood carving, embroidery and thanka painting.
Centenary Farmer’s Market
Located by the riverside, this market is visited by farmers from neighboring villages selling vegetables, spices and locally woven clothes. The market serves as a great place to witness authentic trading culture.
Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Paro Taktsang)
This famous monastery, located atop a cliff 900 meters high in Paro, is a two-hour walk from where one can experience legends, spirituality, and breathtaking views – often the best part of a trip to Thimpu.
Best Time for Thimphu Sightseeing Tour
Season plays a key role in defining your entire experience. See what makes each of these seasons special when you consider a Thimphu Tour Package.
Spring (March to May)
In spring, the weather in the valley is comfortable and pleasant. During this time, rhododendron and flower blossom on the hills. The weather is also very sunny and makes sightseeing convenient. It is one of the best times to organize a tour around Thimphu.
Summer (June to August)
Summer is the time when the valley looks lush green with full growth on the terraced fields. Although rain might occur during this time and sometimes roads can be affected by rainfall, but they are usually in short periods.
Autumn (September to November)
Autumn is often referred to as one of the best seasons to make a Thimphu Bhutan Tour. After monsoon, the skies become clear and the weather remains pleasant. During this time, you can enjoy the most amazing views of mountains.
Winter (December to February)
Winter brings cold morning and cool evening, especially after sunset but winter days provides the clearest day for that scenic mountain view that you want to see. And there will be less people visiting during winter offering quieter and more personal trail.
Each season offers different, so it depends on your decision.
Difficulty and Fitness
The Thimphu Tour Package is an easy trip overall, as there is no need for any trekking experience or extreme physical fitness for the most part of the tour. The days will consist primarily of sightseeing and easy walking unlike trekking for hours in rocky hills.
You will walk around monuments, temples, and dzongs in this tour package; there will be uneven terrain and staircases in some places, but none of this requires much effort. Just general mobility is all that’s needed to make the best out of every place you visit.
The only exception is a walk to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Paro, which is a true climb for about 900 meter in 2 hours each way. It’s not too difficult, but it will be better to be in good shape and able to keep your balance while going back and forth. If you don’t want to climb a bit, you can hire rides that will help avoid difficult section.
Comfy, supportive footwear is useful for both sightseeing and hiking and nothing special needs to be packed or prepared physically.
This travel is good for everyone and any group of tourists regardless their age or physical abilities. But the Tiger’s Nest hiking can be difficult. If you are concerned about the difficulty of stairs, steep trails or long walks, please inform us and we will organize your Thimphu Tour Itinerary in accordance with your needs.
Accommodation for Thimphu Tour Package
Accommodation during the Thimphu Bhutan tour, you will stay at a comfortable hotel for rest of the tour. Rooms consist of twin sharing beds with attached private bathrooms and hot shower available for you. During your stay each hotel will be located conveniently near the center of the city, reducing traveling time between places of interest and your hotel.
In every morning, breakfast is provided for you before beginning your sightseeing tour. For lunch and dinner on, traditional foods of Bhutan are served along with continental foods.
For those who want a little more, upgrading facilities are possible. It is also possible to choose 4-star hotels or boutique hotels that offer more comfort and a unique experience or even ask for a private room instead of sharing one. All you have to do is tell us what you want during booking, and we will customize your package accordingly.
Food and Meals
The Bhutanese cuisines are all about hot and spicy foods. The Ema Datshi, which is a dish made up of hot chilies with melted cheese is the national favorite in Bhutan. You will also find momos and red rice along with simple vegetables dishes throughout your Thimphu Sightseeing Tour.
Breakfast is always provided at your hotel, combined with continental breakfast and local food items such as porridge and eggs. The lunches and dinners on sightseeing days include fixed Bhutanese menus, which include a combination of rice, vegetables, meat curry, and soup.
Vegetarians will have no problem at all with this. Bhutanese food usually has lots of vegetarian meals and vegetables and all the restaurants are prepared for making you a meal without meat at all. In particular, red rice is perfect with any curry from the vegetarian meals list.
If you have any special diet preferences whether they are vegan or gluten-free or something else, please mention that before the tour starts. Our company makes sure that all the meals during the whole Thimphu Tour Package are safe for you. The food in our trip is not only energy in between visits but the culture itself as well.
Permit, Entry Requirement and Documents
Bhutan follow a “high value, low impact” tourism policy which make the entry requirement different than other nation. Here are the requirements that you should have when booking a Thimphu Tour Package.
Passport
Your passport should be valid for at least six months for your date of travel. This requirement must be followed on entry, so check the expiry date before travelling.
Visa Requirements
All visitors need to acquire a visa before entering Bhutan except those from India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. Travelers coming from these countries will get a visa free of charge or on arrival. Other travelers will have to obtain a visa through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator.
Sustainable Development Fee (SDF)
In addition to the visa, a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of $100 per adult per night is required. Half of the fee is charged to children between the ages of 6-11 years, and children below age 6 do not have to pay.
Visa Processing Procedure
There is also a single-use, non-refundable visa processing fee of USD 40. Due to the requirement of a pre-arranged itinerary by Bhutan for visa issuance, it is mandatory that you make the booking first, and then the tour operator submits the visa application on your behalf. The process takes around a week.
Requirement
Please have ready the following documents for your Thimphu Tour Itinerary: a passport in good standing, a passport-sized photograph, a copy of the visa confirmation and proof of payment of the SDF.
But the best thing is that you do not have to worry about any of this because Epic Trek Nepal will take care of everything like permits, visa process, and SDF for you well before you depart.
Transportation for Thimphu Tour Itinerary
The journey in Bhutan is very easy and hassle-free in the Thimphu Sightseeing Tour, as the mode of transport is arranged in advance. In the first place, the private vehicle picks you up from Paro International Airport.
During the tour, traveling will be carried out in a comfortable vehicle which can traverse the rough path of Bhutan easily. Depending on the number of people in your group, the mode of transport may be a private car or a van.
The driver who will operate the vehicle will be an experienced one who knows all about the Bhutan hilly winding roads and difficult conditions. The experience of the driver will be a huge advantage while moving through those roads which are very winding.
The roads of Bhutan are well-kept, but they are small and narrow in the hilly regions. It will be better to enjoy the scenery while moving on the roads of Bhutan, and not to pay attention to time since traveling on the roads of Bhutan is a little time-consuming.
The distance from Paro to Thimphu takes one and a half hours. At the end, you will move along the same road to return to Paro Airport in Bhutan.
Responsible and Cultural Travel
Culture and environment are the most important part in Bhutan, and it is essential to be aware of the same when you go for your Thimphu Tour Package. Here are some ways that will help you travel more responsibly.
Dress appropriately in monasteries. Make sure to cover your shoulder and legs while visiting Dzongs and temples. This may seem like something small, but it means a lot to the local who worship here.
Respect photography policies. There are some certain areas in shrines where you cannot take pictures of certain things specifically sacred thing. Make sure to ask permission from your guide while photographing at these places.
Remember to take off shoes at sacred places. In most of the interiors of temples, you have to remove your shoes while entering the temple.
Do not ignore local traditions. Make sure that you do not make too much noise in the temples. It is also important not to point your feet towards statues and alters while sitting.
Do not throw garbage. Bhutan is one of the cleanest nations in the world. Do not let others and you spoil its good reputation.
If you can buy handicrafts in local markets and from local guides. Not only will you support the development of the tourism industry in the country but also help families earn money.
Listen to your guide at religious sites. He will tell you everything you need to know about walking routes, appropriate behavior etc.
Travel Insurance
Even though travel insurance is not mandatory, we highly recommend purchasing it before your Thimphu Tour package start because insurance is quite beneficial due to mountainous nature and changing altitude that might become some medical problems.
Your insurance must cover medical emergencies, hospitalization and evacuation, since hospitals in Bhutan are very limited, so coverage of evacuation is the most important one.
It is also wise to purchase trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance since the country requires visa application in advance and prepayment of Sustainable Development Fee.
If you are going to walk up to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, make sure your plan cover for walking at high altitude since some general plans do not cover anything higher than a specific level of height.
We would recommend buying your insurance once you have fixed your travel date since that will ensure your cancellation cover even before the travel period starts.
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