Bhoutan : Au pays du Dragon de Foudre 18 jours / 15 nuits

Product Description

SIKKIM-BHUTAN – Land of the Lightning Dragon  Tour in 18 days / 15 nights

Paris -Delhi-Paro-Tongsa-Jakar-Thimphu-Phuntsholing-Kalimpong-Gantok-Pelling-Darjeeling-Bagdogra-Delhi-Paris 

Sikkim is a paradise with its tree ferns, orchids and giant rhododendrons. Bhutan, long closed to foreigners, remains a very preserved country, where traditions and customs, constantly mixed with religion, still punctuate daily life. A journey through two ancient kingdoms nestled in the heart of the Himalayas where monasteries, Dzongs and fortresses have the eternal snow as a backdrop. For nature lovers.

Guaranteed departure from 2 people 

3/4* hotels NL Good comfort

Services: Private vehicle with driver, accommodation, full board, visits, local English- or French-speaking guides depending on the stage

Day 1: Paris – Delhi

Departure from Paris with a regular airline in economy class to the Indian capital. Services and a night on board.

Day 2:  Delhi
Arrival in Delhi. Airport reception and transfer to hotel. Day dedicated to the discovery of Delhi:: the Raj Ghat, place of cremation of Mahatma Gandhi, the Kutub Minar, the Gateway of India. Lunch during the visit. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 3:  Delhi (flight) Paro
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Bhutan.
Lunch either on the plane or in Paro.
Arrival in Paro and check-in at the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 4:  Paro
After breakfast, departure for an excursion to the best valley of Paro. Here, you will visit multiple places including the Taksang Monastery, better known as the Tiger Refuge. The latter is located at an altitude of more than 3,000 m. It is one of the most revered places of pilgrimage in the Himalayan world.
Lunch.
You will also discover the Ta Dzong, an old watchtower, today transformed into a wonderful national museum.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 5:  Paro – Tongsa
After breakfast, departure for Tongsa.
On the way, visit Punhaka, the ancient capital of Bhutan.
Lunch.
Then you will continue your journey towards Tongsa.
At the end of the day, arrival in Tongsa and check-in at the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 6:  Tongsa – Jakar
After breakfast, departure for Jakar, in the heart of the Bumthang region. Arrival in Jakar and check-in at the hotel. Then you will leave for a walking excursion to visit the Dzong, also called “the Dzong of the white bird”.
Lunch.
Then, walk to the Lame Gompa temple, the finest example of palace architecture in Bhutan.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7:  Jakar – Tongsa
After breakfast, return to Tongsa.
Along the way, you will visit the Kure and Jampey temples.
Lunch during the visit.
Arrival in Tongsa at the end of the day, and check-in at the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 8: Tongsa – Thimphu
After breakfast, departure for Thimphu, through forests of giant rhodondendrons and conifers. Along the way, you will admire the mountains with numerous viewpoints of the highest peaks in the country.
Lunch en route.
Arrival at Wandiphodrang, from where you will have a breathtaking view of the Dzong, and walk around the town. Arrival in Thimphu late in the afternoon, which is at an altitude of over 2,500 m. It is the capital of Bhutan and yet this city remains a very peaceful place. Installation at the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 9:  Thimphu
After breakfast, visit the capital. You will discover the national library, the painting school and the traditional medicine hospital. You can also explore the Changangkha district and the temple of the same name.
Lunch.
In the afternoon, visit the Chorten Memorial with its magnificent paintings and sculptures.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 10:  Thimphu – Phuntsholing
After breakfast departure for Phuntsholing. On the way, stop at Kharbandi to visit the monastery from where you can enjoy the magnificent view of the entire plain and the town of Phuntsholing.
Lunch.
At the end of the day, arrive at Phuntsholing, a border town. Installation at the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 11:  Phuntsholing – Kalimpong 
After breakfast, you will go up into the mountains, before entering Sikkim which is located on the eastern foothills of the Himalayan range.
Lunch.
In the afternoon you will reach the market town of Kalimpong. Installation at your hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 12:  Kalimpong – Gangtok
After breakfast, departure for Gangtok. You will travel through hills where rhododendrons and cardamoms grow to reach the city of Gangtok. During this day you will discover unforgettable viewpoints along your route.
Lunch during the visit.
Arrival in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim and check-in at the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 13:  Gangtok – Phodung – Gangtok
After breakfast, visit the Phodung monastery, one of the five largest in Sikkim. On the road, stop at Tashi Point View facing Kanchen Junga (8590m), where the panorama of the Himalayas is superb.
Lunch.
In the afternoon, visit the city, with the Institute of Tibetology which has very interesting old books, sacred objects and superb painted and embroidered tankas.
Finally, walk in the orchid garden which has more than 250 varieties.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 14:  Gangtok – Pelling
After your breakfast you will take the road towards Pelling through the hills and terraced crops. Arrival in Pelling and check-in at your hotel.
Lunch.
You will discover the Pemayangste monastery. This monastery sheltered the sixteenth Karmapa and subsequently the Red Caps sect, after their flight from Tibet in 1959. You can also admire the marvelous Kechopari Lake.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 15  :  Pelling – Darjeeling
After breakfast departure for Darjeeling.
Arrival in Darjeeling at the end of the day and check-in at your hotel.
Lunch en route.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 16:  Darjeeling
After breakfast you can watch the sunrise from Tiger Hill. You will be able to contemplate the Himalayan mountains but dominated by the third highest peak in the world. Then, you will discover the city which was the summer residence of the viceroys of India, when Calcutta was the capital. Today this place is known for its tea plantations: the mall with its stalls, its tea factories and the craft center for Tibetan refugees.
Lunch.
Finally, you will visit the Ghoom monastery where Alexandra David Neel, famous explorer, resided.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 17:  Darjeeling –  Bagdogra (flight)  Delhi (flight) Paris
After breakfast, according to the flight schedule, transfer to Bagdogra airport and flight to Delhi.
Arrival in Delhi. Then flight to Paris for possible return on the 18th day.

NB: please bring your passport and 4 color identity photos for your trip to Sikkim and its region for a special “RAP” permit, which can be issued at the Sikkim office in Delhi.

THE PRICE INCLUDES

– The international flight Paris / Delhi / Paris, in economy class and on a regular airline ( subject to availability at the time of booking)
– Airport tax, fuel surcharge, to date
– Assistance at the airport,
– the flight international from Delhi to Paro in Bhutan
– domestic flight Bagdogra to Delhi
– Tour as described in the program, in a private non-air-conditioned vehicle with driver
– Accommodation in a double room
– Full board in Bhutan
– Entrance fees to sites and monuments visited as mentioned in the program
– assistance of local English or French speaking guide (for the Bhutan part)
– local English or French speaking guides depending on the stage (for the Sikkim part)
– All government and hotel taxes to date.
– Tourist taxes in Bhutan
– Bhutanese visa
– Repatriation assistance offered by Routes Lointains

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

– The costs of obtaining the Indian visa required by us: 150 euros per person
– Single supplements: on request
– Photo and video permits on the sites,
– Drinks and personal expenses
– Usual tips (luggage transportation , driver…)
– Comprehensive cancellation/baggage/repatriation insurance (120 €/person)

-A French-speaking guide from Delhi to Delhi, on request

Considered or similar hotels 2/3* NL – Lodge

Delhi  : Ashok Country Resort or similar
Paro  : Tandling Resort or similar
Tongsa  : Viewpoint Resort or similar
Jakar  : Mountain Lodge or similar
Thimphu  : Peaceful Resort or similar
Phuntshong:  Tandling Resort or similar
Kalimpong  : Himalayan Hotel or similar
Gangtok  : Orange Village Resort or similar
Pelling  : Norbugang Resort or similar
Darjeeling  : Cedar Inn or similar

Good to know :

Best climatic period
The ideal time for trekking and traveling across the country is autumn , from late September until late November, when the skies are generally clear. Although the climate is better in the fall, it is good to always have an umbrella on hand. No matter where you go, there are likely to be periods of rain. Autumn therefore constitutes the peak of the tourist season.

Winter is a good time  to travel to western Bhutan, birdwatch in the southern subtropical jungle, and go rafting. The days are generally sunny and cool. However, it gets quite cold when the sun goes down and you will need warm clothes. From December to February, there is often snow in the higher reaches and occasional snow in Thimphu. The road from Thimphu to Bumthang and the east may be closed due to snow for several days at a time. It is best not to plan to visit these areas at this time.

Spring  , from March to May is considered the second best time to visit Bhutan. Although there are more clouds and rain than in autumn, rhododendrons, magnolias and other wild flowers and birds abound. You will sometimes be able to see the high peaks, but the landscapes are less impressive than in autumn. Spring is also the time for Tsechu Paro.

Summer , from June to August , is the rainy season (monsoon).

Visa formality
Passport and visa required. No individual tourism. The visa for Bhutan is prepared by us.