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.  

As your first day, take it slow and rest well at the Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary. Begin your wellness sojourn at the Sanctuary by first meeting with a traditional doctor and get a complete program to achieve a healthy balance between body, mind and spirit. You can enjoy any massage of your choice from their professional spa therapist followed by a visit to the steam and sauna rooms and a dip in their indoor pool. With their own vegetable and herb gardens, the 4-course lunch and 6-course dinner of the Sanctuary are every guests favorite part of the day.

Today is a full day of exploring the valley and soaking in the various experiences that Paro has to offer from the history of the majestic Rinpung Dzong and the Museum overlooking the valley, to the 7th century Kyichu Lhakhang / temple and a beautiful car ride or bicycle ride to the Drugyal Dzong (Fortress of Victory) located north of the valley. The 1 ½ hour Zuri Dzong Hike is a leisurely leg stretching exercise with spectacular bird’s eye view of the Valley. 

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.

Today is a full and special day at the Sanctuary focused only on your personal well-being and health. Benefit from the various unlimited services like the differently themed massages, herbal compressions, traditional hot stone bath, Jacuzzi, beauty treatments, etc. 

You can combine all well-being treatments with other hands-on activities like pottery classes in their art studio, cooking a local dish with the Chef, traditional Bhutanese sports like archery and darts or just relax at the pool and open terrace overlooking the magnificent valley.

Thimphu is the capital city and offers a combination of the ancient and the modern cultural experience to visitors. With a 1-hour drive from the Sanctuary to Thimphu, today is a full day of exploring the capital and soaking in the various experiences that Thimphu has to offer from the lively Memorial Chorten and the spectacular gigantic Buddha Statue overlooking the valley, to the special visit to Tashi Chho Dzong / Fortress of Glorious Religion. 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 The Sanctuary cook for you. 

Start your day with a well-being activity and 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.

Located on a steep cliff high above the Paro valley at an altitude of 3,120 meters above the sea level, the Tiger’s Nest is an architectural and engineering feat baffling visitors with its spiritual ambience and extraordinary history.

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

After a tiring hike, the Sanctuary is the place to be to relax and be pampered with all their unlimited well-being services and facilities.

Start your day with a well-being activity and enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the terrace as you look back at the past few days. You can continue to enjoy the various facilities and pampering at The Sanctuary or drive for about 3 hours to Haa valley for another cultural extravaganza. 

Haa is one of the least developed and remote valley in western Bhutan often underrated and left out from the usual tourist itinerary. As the drive heads down from the Chelela Pass, you will notice the air suddenly begins to feel fresher and clearer and the scattered settlements will indeed evoke a medieval Bhutan of a valley suspended in time and space. Located at an altitude of 2,670 meters above the sea level, Haa is unmistakably a quite and peaceful high altitude paradise of Bhutan least visited by tourists. 

Haa means esoteric hiddenness and people in some parts of this valley still perform Bon rituals (an ancient religion worshipping the spirits of nature, including sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, lakes and sacrificing animals to appease the deities). With a sumptuous picnic basket from The Sanctuary to be enjoyed at a scenic picnic spot, some of the optional sightseeing in the valley is a visit to the Haa Dzong, a fishery where you will see Bhutan’s popular brown trout and a stroll through the small town of traditional houses.

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 indulge yourself with some more well-being activities and services