Your adventure starts from the moment you breathe in the fresh air as you descend the stairs of the plane, your hassle-free smooth check-out at Immigrations and finally seeing your smiling tour guide and driver at the Airport gate.  

Depending on the time of your flight, either have your lunch in Paro town or a quick coffee and snacks before driving on to Thimphu for an hour. From the town drive on to your Amankora Lodge where your personal butler will make sure you are comfortably checked in and well rested. The Aman Lodge in Thimphu is located on the outskirts amid pine trees and remains a secluded retreat with easy access to the city. 

In the evening interact with local artisans focusing on talks and dialogues on Bhutanese fashion, weaving and textile design. 

Thimphu is the capital city and offers a combination of the ancient and the modern cultural experience to visitors. Today is a full day of exploring the valley and soaking in the various experiences that Thimphu has to offer from historical structures, Painting School, Art Galleries and learn more about Bhutanese civic design and architecture, traditional and contemporary arts. 

For a brief respite, the 1 ½ hour Wangdi Tse Dzong Hike is a leisurely leg stretching exercise with spectacular bird’s eye view of the Valley. 

You can either enjoy a picnic lunch or enjoy a meal at one of the local restaurants. 

Make sure to visit the Bhutan Postal Museum and make your personalized stamps with your photos and use them to send postcards to your family and friends around the world. A quick tour of the Centenary Farmers Market will enthuse your culinary senses and you can even pick a few local organic ingredients and have the chef at Aman Lodge cook for you.  

If you are up for it, you can go for a quick stroll in town and enjoy a local brew at a pub with some live musical performances by local bands. 

After a leisurely breakfast, drive to Punakha and Wangdue valleys. Enroute stop over for a painting session of the Dochulaa Pass (3150 meters) and enjoy the spectacular views of the snow capped Himalayan Mountains. The 108 small stupas built over a small hill is also a beautiful sight with pilgrims circumambulating around it.   

The road from the Pass winds down to the warm and fertile valleys and after a brief rest visit the Fertility Temple / Chime Lhakhang. It is a pleasant 30 minutes walk through mustard and paddy fields. Standing on a picturesque hilltop the Lhakhang is famous for its fertility wish grants to couples. Inside the walls of the Lhakhang are beautiful frescoes depicting the colorful life of Lama Drukpa Kuenley, the Divine Madman regarded for his crazy methods of teaching which included blessing women in the form of copulation!

Check into your luxurious Lodge overlooking paddy fields and orange orchards. Reached by crossing a suspension bridge over the Mo Chhu (Female river) the Lodge is a traditional Bhutanese Farmhouse built by a former Chief Abbot of Bhutan. 

Since Punakha is a sub-tropical valley you can enjoy the warm evening by their outdoors swimming pool.

After an early breakfast drive for a few minutes up north and walk for about an hour to Khamsum Yulley Namgyel Chorten stupa. The walk is beautiful through the pine trees and from the Stupa the view of the meandering river across scattered villages, the massive Punakha Dzong in the far distance and the paddy fields are a visual delight. 

Next visit the Punakha Dzong meaning the Fortress of Great Bliss, built in 1673 to commemorate the final victory against numerous Tibetan invasions. Located on a piece of land between two rivers Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu (literally meaning male and female rivers), the Dzong is massive, huge and magnificent in all its architectural grandeur. Although ravaged by flood, fire and earthquakes many times, the Dzong was always rebuilt with its original pattern and design.

Enjoy your picnic lunch by the banks of the Mo Chhu. 

You can either choose to relax at your Lodge or enjoy an excursion of Nobgang village which is about a half and hour’s drive from the main town. You can walk through the village, watch the villagers as they go about their daily farm-life and visit a traditional farmhouse, enjoy a cup of salted butter tea and interact with the local family.

After breakfast, drive for about 2 hours to the serene and beautiful valleys of Gangtey and Phobjika. Gangtey, Phobjika and the surrounding villages are one of the most beautiful glacial valleys of Bhutan and a favorite with tourists. The valleys are also home to the endangered and graceful Black Necked Cranes in the winter and you can see them in the marshes in the middle of the valley. In the summer the cranes fly to Tibet.

You can enjoy a hands-on experience of making Tsa Tsa – miniature stupa made of clay believed to pacify obstacles and ward off negative energy. You should place these Tsa Tsa’s near the Chorten/stupa at Lawala Pass, which is a short drive from your Lodge. At the Pass, you will again participate in Buddhist Fumigation Ceremony called Riwo Sangchoe. 

Enjoy a relaxed evening at your Lodge with scenic views of the valley floor and the countryside.

Gangtey, Phobjika and surrounding valleys are remote, peaceful and beautiful and while there are not many tourist attractions or sights per se, however the valleys offer numerous hikes in and around the valley. You can visit the Gangtey Goemba Monastery and if interested also get a horoscope reading from the Astrologer. A must do is the short one and half hour Gangtey Nature Trail hike through the pine trees. 

You can enjoy a picnic lunch in one of the many beautiful spots overlooking the valley. 

You can go for some more short hikes, walk through the villages and visit some traditional farmhouses and interact with the villagers. 

In the evening you can enjoy a stone painting session with a master artist either at your Lodge or at his workplace.

Today you will travel further into the central valley of Bumthang. The drive is scenic via the Pelela Pass at 3,420 meters and across quaint little highland villages of Sephu, Rukubjee, Chendebjee, Tangsibjee and many other small rural settlements along the way.

At the Trongsa viewpoint, enjoy the view of the majestic Trongsa Dzong/fortress of the vanguard of Warriors and the neighboring valleys. Located above the Dzong is the Watch Tower that has been converted to a Museum dedicated to the Dragon Kings of Bhutan. 

From Trongsa it is another 2 hours to Bumthang via the Yotongla Pass at 3,400 meters. Enroute stop over at the Yathra Weaving center in Chumey village where you can watch men and women weavers at their loom weaving yak and sheep wool products.

The Aman Lodge in Bumthang is located in town opposite to the Wangdichholing Palace. Enjoy a relaxed evening after the long drive.

Bumthang is one of the most beautiful valley also known as mini-Switzerland due to its similar landscape and countryside. 

After a typical Bumthang breakfast, walk at a leisurely pace to the four temples of Jambay Lhakhang/temple, Kurjey Lhakhang, Tamzhing Lhakhang and Kenchosum Lhakhang. All the monasteries are ancient and with their unique history and beauty. In any one of the temples a Buddhist name-giving ceremony will be arranged for you to be christened with your own Bhutanese name. 

After lunch visit the Jakar Dzong/fortress of the White Bird and the Swiss factory/farmhouse where you can taste and or buy local beer, honey wine, Swiss cheese, clover honey, apple cider, apple brandy and other products.

After driving across many valleys to reach Bumthang, you will definitely enjoy the 25 minutes domestic flight back to Paro. The Aman Lodge at Paro offers an atmospheric end to this Amankora Journey and a time to reflect on your experiences of the past few days. 

In the evening, drive for about 15 minutes to the Kyichu Lhakhang one of the oldest temple built in the 7th Century and has been visited and blessed by numerous renowned Buddhist saints over the centuries. The temple enjoys a peaceful and serene location away from the main town and though the structure is simple but abounds in many tantric and mythical wonderful stories that will take you back to the times of demons and saints and their battles. You can light the auspicious 108 butter lamps at the temple with a simple blessing ceremony for Happiness, Peace and Prosperity. 

Evenings are perfect for a walk, hike or cycle through the sleepy rural village till you reach the main Paro town. The small town is lined with cafes, eateries and handicraft shops that provides a perfect glimpse into the unique culture and traditions of Bhutan. You might even want to hangout at a pub and enjoy some local brew.

After a sumptuous breakfast, visit the Rinpung Dzong (Palace of Heaped Jewels) and the National Museum located above the Dzong. If you are up for a short hike then the leisurely trail from the Museum to Zuri Dzong is a moderate one and half hour hike with birds eye view of the Paro valley and its colorful houses and paddy fields.    

You can enjoy your evening tea with local snacks at a traditional farmhouse replete with farm animals, paddy fields and vegetable/fruit garden. Interact with the local family and exchange stories. 

Wear the traditional costumes and experience a game of traditional archery and darts with your guide and driver. 

Call in early for the night and rest well for your much anticipated hike to the Tiger’s Nest. 

Enjoy a hearty breakfast for your hike to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery locally known as Taktsang Goemba. The hike to and excursion of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery is a full day activity normally taking about 3-4 hours uphill with the option of riding a pony till midway.

You can enjoy your BBQ lunch at the base of the Monastery. 

Experience a traditional hot-stone bath at the Taktsang Boutique Resort & Spa located below the base of the Monastery, and a one-hour holistic massage at your Lodge and enjoy a peaceful farewell dinner and evening at your Lodge.

Depending on the time of your flight your tour guide and driver will drop you to the Airport, or if it’s an afternoon flight you can continue exploring the valley and its popular attractions.