The Best Of The Himalayas: Bhutan, Nepal And Tibet
Explore Thimphu, Punakha, Paro, Kathmandu, Lhasa
Enjoy personalized tour and luxury hotels in Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet on this ultimate private tour of the Himalayas.
Begin in Thimphu, Bhutan's capital. Enjoy extensive tours of Thimphu's many cultural attractions and important Buddhist highlights. Meet local people, learn about local traditions, explore a vibrant market and visit several small museums specializing in textiles, folk heritage and traditional Bhutanese arts and crafts. If desired, enjoy a private walk to rural villages and monasteries. Upon request we can also organize special experiences, such as a private Bhutanese cooking class at a local house, a meeting with a Bhutanese astrologer, or a private meditation session with monks.
Then drive through the mountains, the 108 stupas Dochu La, to Punakha, pass the old winter capital in a subtropical valley where rhododendron and magnolia bloom and orange and banana trees blossom. Relax in your luxurious farm-like lodge, between rice terraces, chili and cabbage fields and traditional Bhutanese farms. Enjoy a peaceful walk through the rural farms, get a monk's blessing, choose to go hiking for a beautiful panoramic view of the valley, and visit the beautiful Punakha Dzong.
Then visit Paro, a resort between the Himalayas. Visit the National Museum, browse stores for Himalayan crafts and Buddhist items, and head to Tiger's Nest, a breathtaking monastery clinging to a cliff that is one of Bhutan's main icons. Other activities can be included based on your interests such as a private archery class, yoga, cycling excursion or traditional Bhutanese spa treatments.
Fly to Kathmandu, the endlessly fascinating capital of Nepal. During private travel with your expert guide and driver, walk through the lively back streets of Old Kathmandu to see craftsmen, traditional markets and active Buddhist and Hindu temples.
Discover the cultural highlights in UNESCO's many monumental areas around the city and in the surrounding Kathmandu Valley. Tour the beautiful courtyards, palaces and historical monuments of Kathmandu Durbar Square. Circulate the mammoth white stupa in Boudhanath, the main Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet, with numerous pilgrims and worshipers, and maybe duck in one of the smaller temple buildings to light a candle or turn a huge prayer wheel among the believers. Venture to the hilltop Swayambhunath, another important and photographic Buddhist temple with an iconic white stupa, flickering prayer flags and panoramic views over Kathmandu and the foothills of the Himalayas.
Take note of the ceremonies in Pashupatinath, a vast Hindu temple complex which is the oldest and most honored Hindu site in Kathmandu. Other highlights are seeing Kumari Devi-a living goddess and relaxing in the Garden of Dreams, a relaxing green oasis. One morning, if you like, enjoy a fixed flight to see Mount Everest and other snow-covered high-healaya peaks, an unforgettable experience.
In the Kathmandu Valley, tour the extensive palace districts in the former royal capitals of Patan and Bhaktapur. See beautiful traditional brick buildings with finely carved wooden windows. Visit the Patan Museum, a former palace and one of the best museums of traditional Nepalese art in the country. View fine metal crafts like vocal bins, brassware and gold-glazed religious icons, produced in Patan's small workshops. Browse for woodwork and ceramics made by artisans in Bhaktapur. Find the perfect scarf made of the most beautiful Nepalese pashmina (cashmere). Learn more about the iconography in Buddhist Thangka paintings, and perhaps select one to go home. You have plenty of time to shop for these and other typical Nepalese products, such as handmade paper and prayer wheels during your tour. Also try local foods such as juju dhau, the unique “King Yogurt” of Bhaktapur.
Ultimately travel to Lhasa, Tibet, the 'roof of the world' and explore this heavenly Tibetan city (height: 11,450 feet), penetrated into Buddhist spirituality and filled with temples, monasteries and palaces built by craftsmen who seek good karma. Enjoy flexible guided tours with your own guide and driver when visiting the city's most compelling sights. Walk along Barkhor, a wide pedestrian street around Tibet's holiest building, the Jokhang Temple, filled with antique murals and statues – and air thick with burning incense. Visit Potala Palace, a complex built on the slopes of Mount Marpori by the fifth Dalai Lama in the late 17th century and with several palaces and 1,000 rooms. Other sights include the cave-like Palha Lupuk Temple and a choice of 15th-century monasteries outside the city. If desired, enjoy a private trek to the Drak Yerpa caves.
Martin Wynn
