If you are interested in tracing the origins of Bhutanese history and culture, you shouldn't miss visiting the valleys in the middle of Bhutan. This area played an important role in the early history of the kingdoms of Bhutan and the development of Buddhism. It is also the best place for you to experience authentic Bhutanese lifestyles and to meet the friendly and happy locals.
On this 12-day Bhutan tour, you would journey to the center from the popular west of Bhutan. Explore Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, and also Bumthang Valley to have a fuller understanding and authentic experiences of the history, culture, religious beliefs, lifestyle, and wildlife.
Tour Highlights
Unlock the splendid history and culture of Bhutan in its beautiful fortresses.

Discover the holy remains of the masters of Tibetan Buddhism in old temples hidden in the valleys.

Hike to 'Tiger Temple', one of the top 10 monasteries in the world.

Visit the Swiss Farm in the valley. Step into local people's lives deep in the Himalayas.

Discover sacred 'Burning Lake' where a well-known Bhutanese legend adds a sense of mystery.

Enjoy a hike in the Phobjikha Valley. Go pass the peaceful village, forests, and meadows

Encounter the wildlife living in the paradise of the Himalayas.

Witness unique Bhutanese craftsmanship in traditional workshops.





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I have never hear of this company…
I have never hear of this company before , and after reading all these reviews ,I decided to give it a try . The professionalism and communicative skill received by one of the agent , Sharon of Asia Highlights , convince me that She was the right travel agent for my trip in Asia . Very quickly she communicated with me and got all the detail of my desire vacation . Sharon made me a great itinerary with great experiences that I am dreaming to experience and I am looking forward to it . Thanks Sharon for been so great and crafting me a dream vacation with great suggestions. More
orge alvarez,
May 2023
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Coco Yang worked tirelessly to…
From the moment I landed in Bangkok, Ms Noi Ying was there to welcome me and get me settled into my hotel. We enjoyed several days together touring Bangkok and Kanchanaburi. In Chiang Mai, Mr Ekachai took my son snd I on an amazing trip to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary and to visit a community Lanna home, gardens and a hands-on cooking class preparing an authentic Thai meal. Lisa arranged a last-minute speedboat tour of 5 breathtaking islands in Phuket. From start to finish, the guides exceeded my expectations!! Thank you, Asia Highlight!! Debbie Woods More
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May 2023
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Sharon from Asia highlights has been…
Sharon from Asia highlights has been amazing. She offered her amazing ideas to other tours I wanted. We have planned the perfect 9 day itinerary to Thailand. She worked in my budget and was very flexible when I had to change my flights. Thank you sharon. Can’t wait for the trip. More
Heather Stern Wilensky,
Apr 2023
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Ms. Ning first review 4-2023
Ms. Albee Ning has been doing a great job accommodating my requests and itinerary changes. Remember the first itinerary is a rough draft and you may modify it to suit your tastes. Remember you can not do it all and see everything in 3 weeks. If the flight wasn't so long I would visit Southeast Asia more often. I will update my review in a few months. We don't leave for 9 more months. Asia Highlights is working well for me so far! More
Chiefray,
Apr 2023
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Perfect Trip To Thailand…
We had so much fun in Bangkok with Tanni and Tom as they kept laughing at all of our silly jokes. Paul, our guide and Chiang Mai was really thoughtful, fun and full of great information about the temples and sights. Thanks so much! Brian and Michelle More
Scott Orchard,
Mar 2023
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I highly recommend Asia Highlights
I highly recommend Asia Highlights. I worked with Alisa and she is fantastic! I was planning my honeymoon trip, and I changed the destination multiple times. Each time, Alisa provided me an updated itinerary with activities that matched my interests. Whether I had a small change to an activity, a question about one of the arrangements, or a change or destination, Alisa was helpful, thoughtful, and knowledgeable, providing me with updated options in an extremely timely manner. In the end, despite the fact that I changed my mind on location multiple times, I ended up booking a 17 day trip to Thailand for this upcoming November. I am extremely excited to experience everything that Alisa planned for us. I recommend Asia Highlights to everyone and look forward to using them again on any other trips to Asia in the future. Thank you Alisa and Asia Highlights! More
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Mar 2023
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Three weeks encompassing Vietnam
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Feb 2023
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Over the last 5 years we've used Asia…
Over the last 5 years we've used Asia highlights twice. And both times we've had fantastic vacations. Would not want to do it any different when we travel to Asia from now on. Sharon was fantastic. She was a wonderful agent who helped us nail down our trip and make everything go as smooth as possible. More
Todd Atwell,
Feb 2023
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Family Trip to Thailand
Our trip to Thailand comprised three generations of the family , ten people and an age range of 4 to 70 so a potentially difficult brief.Our itinerary over two weeks involved four locations, and a number of different trips and tours.From out arrival at an extremely busy Bangkok airport Asia Highlights were terrific.In each location we were met by a smiling , knowledgeable and professional guide who simply made everything easy and stress free for everyone.Our transportation was clean and comfortable . Transport was always ready for us at the agreed time and the drivers were excellent.There were so many highlights enjoyed by all the age groups. The floating houses , railway market and elephant sanctuary were particular favourites.We had one minor glitch with the accommodation in Phuket which was immediately dealt with by Tip. I think we would have struggled to resolve the problem by ourselves. So, thank you Asia Highlights , Cathy, Tip and tour guides Tanny, Sam and Lisa. It was a memorable holiday and we will be back. More
Roger Pyle,
Feb 2023
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Trip of a lifetime from Asia Highlights!
I recommend highly Asia Highlights as a travel company. Our travel consultant Albee took the time to connect with us during the planning process to make sure we were comfortable with our itinerary. When we arrived, we were met by our guide and all the details were attended to. They picked great hotels and tours. I often describe our trip as the trip of a lifetime! Would definitely use them again when we come back to Asia More
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Feb 2023
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Asia Highlights and Albee - highly recommended
Asia Highlights is very reliable agency and Albee is an amazing representative of the company. From the moment when we contacted her until our departure, the whole support we received was 6* level. She prepared our trip offer within few hours and afterwards she was extremely flexible to adjust as per our needs. In the period between the offer and the trip, Albee was always available for all our questions and supported us on the best possible way. During the trip she was again flexible to add new activities/transfers and this went on the smoothest possible way. Thank you, Albee and Asia Highlights. Definitely we will approach you again for our next Asian trip More
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Feb 2023
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Trent,
Jan 2023
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We had an awesome experience with Asia Highlights
We started our trip in Bangkok, where Mr. Prassert our tour guide, met us. He was on time and the van was clean and well-maintained. Mr. Prassert was our guide for the 4 days we spent in Bangkok. He was helpful, kind, and willing to accommodate our pee and coffee breaks. The driver was safe and punctual. Next, we went to Chiang Mai.Gemma exceeded every expectation we had for our tour of Chiang Mai! She had a great attitude that made exploring the city fun and exciting, as well as an abundance of knowledge and experience. She was always spot on with figuring out logistics and coming up with unique ideas that suited our interests and schedules. Gemma was incredibly generous with her time and even walked us to security at the airport to make sure we could carry all of our luggage. That’s just one example of how far out of her way she went to make our trip easier and more enjoyable. Gemma was sincerely interested in making every minute of our trip count. We’re very grateful to have met her and feel like we have found a friend in Gemma! Our driver in Chiang Mai was also great and very accommodating to our changes in schedules. More
Lois Paskow,
Dec 2022
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Thailand & Cambodia 2022
Albee went above and beyond to make our trip perfect. She rearranged flights due to a mistake of mine. She made sure we were still picked up and escorted to the airport. I felt comfortable and safe with all our reps. She did an excellent job and I highly recommend her booking your next trip. Thank you, Albee. More
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Dec 2022
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Perfect vacation thanks to Albee we…
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Dec 2022
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2023 Chiang Mai CAD Yipeng Festival
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Dec 2022
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Bella has been an outstanding customer service rep
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Nov 2022
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I was ever so grateful to have a point…
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Nov 2022
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Memorable Experience!!!
I booked tickets to the Chiang Mai Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Nov 2022. Bella was extremely responsive and helpful!! More
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Nov 2022
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Personalized
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Nov 2022
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Suggested Route
Suggested Itinerary for Inspiration
Your preferences design the real journey. We're ready to create a wonderful Bhutan tour for you.
Meet your private Bhutanese guide at the airport in Paro. Then get you will drive to Thimphu. On the way, you will stop at Ta Chog Lhakhang. It is a private monastery owned by the descendant of a famous Tibetan bridge engineer. you will see a typical iron chain bridge here.

Visit Buddha Dordenma. It is a massive golden statue of Shakyamuni on top of a hill and 125,000 smaller Buddha statues have been placed within it. Afterward, visit a landmark of Thimphu, the Memorial Chorten. For many Bhutanese, this large Tibetan-style chorten (a stupa preserving Buddhist relics) is a place where they perform their daily worship.
Visit the most important political dzong, Tashichho Dzong, in the afternoon. It is the headquarters of the central government, just like the White House in America, Downing Street in Britain, and Zhongnanhai in China.
Finally, you will visit Bhutan Post Office Headquarters, where you can make stamps with your own photos and put them on postcards for your family and friends.

Drive from Thimphu to Punakha in the morning. Enjoy a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the Himalayans at Dochula Pass. The 108 chortens gracing the mountain pass are very impressive.
In the afternoon, explore the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan — Punakha Dzong. It is also the most important dzong in Bhutanese history and is known as 'palace of great 'happiness' or 'palace of bliss'.
Stop at a suspension bridge viewpoint, and walk across the bridge to enjoy the scenery before driving back to your hotel.

Continue driving toward the east to Trongsa in the morning. Visit Trongsa Dzong after arriving. It is an important Bhutan fortress. The first and the second king of Bhutan were enthroned there. It also played an important role in trade between east and west Bhutan. There are 23 buildings in this fortress. You would be able to study their exquisite decoration.
Visit the Royal Heritage Museum to appreciate its collections of Buddhist artwork and the personal effects of kings, such as a coat of the first king's and a pair of the fourth king's football shoes.

Drive from Trongsa to Jakar, the central town of Bumthang. You would visit Jakar Dzong after arriving. It is a beautiful fortress on a hill's slopes. Enjoy the great view of the valley from the fortress.
Then, visit Wangdichholing Palace. Listen to stories of the first king of Bhutan, who was born there. It is the first palace in Bhutan that was not built in its fortress style.

Have a day tour to Tang Valley. On the way, you would visit the mysterious Mebar Tsho ('Burning Lake'). The stories about this place include Bhutan's top sage Pema Lingpa's revelations and his miraculous lamp that stayed alight in its waters. Many prayer flags and prayer stones testify to this place's sacred celebrity status.
Continue our drive along country roads, and enjoy idyllic scenery on the way to Ogyen Choling Palace. In the museum in this palace, you will get to know about the lifestyle of the nobility of Bhutan from the exhibits. It also evidences historical trade activities between Bhutan and Tibet.

On day 7, you would explore another peaceful valley — Ura. On a 1½-hour drive, see the stunning scenery of Chokhor Valley and Chhume Valley with a snow-capped mountain backdrop.
Walk around Ura village. Visit the old temple and the Swiss Farm in the village. Enjoy a talk with the local people to get some insights about how they make their living there.

Say goodbye to Bumthang and drive west. On the way, you would visit a traditional workshop for weaving yathra (a kind of blanket with Bhutanese patterns) in Chumey Valley.

Start your exploration with a visit to Black-Necked Crane Information Center. Learn something about the cranes and the environment of the valley. You can use a telescope to observe the birds.
Then visit Gangtey Goemba. Appreciate this great monastery on the top of a hill and enjoy a beautiful view of the valley. Listen to the stories about the famous terton ('Buddhist scripture discoverer') Pema Lingpa and the living Buddha of this monastery.
Enjoy a short hike (about 1½ hours) on Gangtey Nature Trail with forest and valley views along the way.

Drive from Gangtey to Paro in the morning. Visit the National Museum (Ta Dzong Fortress) after arriving. Enjoy a fascinating collection of arts, relics, religious thangka paintings, household items, arms, handicrafts, stuffed animals, and Bhutan's famous stamps.
Then visit beautiful Paro Dzong (Rinpung Dzong) located on the slopes of a mountain.

Take an excursion to the unbelievable Taktsang Goemba — 'Tiger's Lair Monastery' (this takes approximately 5 hours with a round-trip walk). Located on the side of a cliff above Paro Valley, Taktsang is one of the most famous monasteries in Bhutan. It is famous for its 13 taktsang or 'tiger lairs' — caves in which Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche, a tantric Buddhist master) meditated. It is worth hiking all the way there to explore one of the top 10 monasteries in the world.

We'd transfer you to Paro Airport for your flight back home or to your next destination.
Ideas for Making This Trip Uniquely Yours
Special experiences can be added to brighten a honeymoon trip, a family vacation, a birthday, or satisfy personal interests.
![]() Traditional Bhutanese Archery
For families |
![]() White Water Rafting in Punakha
For adventurers |
Hand-Picked Hotels
We select hotels with style and local features. Let us know your preferences and we'll find your ideal hotel.
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![]() Hotel surrounded by the forest
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![]() Hotel with traditional decorations
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Our Service Includes:
- Private transfers and English-speaking tour guides.
- Attractions tickets as detailed in the itinerary
- Hotel accommodation mentioned in the itinerary
- Meals mentioned in the itinerary
- Governmental taxes
Tour code: ah-bt-3
Start planning your tailor-made tour now. Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day.
Why Travel with Asia Highlights (98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+)
- Unique experiences tailored to your interests: Enjoy a premium trip that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions.
- Hassle-free travel and peace of mind: Every aspect of your trip will be carefully planned and organized by your 1:1 travel consultant.
- Experienced and knowledgeable guides: Your guides will be local and love to work for travelers' smiles.
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