Are you planning to visit Bhutan in November? Do not miss attending the Black-Necked crane festival that is celebrated in Phobjikha valley in Bhutan. Phobjikha is the winter home of black-necked cranes which migrate from the arid plains of Tibet in the north to pass the winter months in a milder climate. Arrival Date in Paro: 07 November 2021 Departure Date from Paro: 14 November 2021 Black-Necked Crane Festival Date: 11th November 2021 Location: Gangtey Gompa Explore the rich culture of Bhutan and attend the unique Black-Necked Crane Festival, which includes the opportunity to visit Black-Necked Crane settlements, stroll around handicraft and game stalls and enjoy folk-songs and masked dance in the honor of the Black-Necked Cranes. Bhutan Black-Necked Crane Annual Festival Tour (8 Days) is a refreshing tour itinerary that takes you to the major cities of Bhutan such as Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, and…
Are you planning to visit Bhutan in November? Do not miss attending the Black-Necked crane festival that is celebrated in Phobjikha valley in Bhutan. Phobjikha is the winter home of black-necked cranes which migrate from the arid plains of Tibet in the north to pass the winter months in a milder climate.
Explore the rich culture of Bhutan and attend the unique Black-Necked Crane Festival, which includes the opportunity to visit Black-Necked Crane settlements, stroll around handicraft and game stalls and enjoy folk-songs and masked dance in the honor of the Black-Necked Cranes.
Bhutan Black-Necked Crane Annual Festival Tour (8 Days) is a refreshing tour itinerary that takes you to the major cities of Bhutan such as Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, and Gangtey/Phobjikha. We take part in the celebration of the Black-Necked Crane annual festival in Phobjjijkha together with the locals which let us experience the rich culture of Bhutan.
We start our trip with sightseeing in Thimphu followed by Punakha and Wangdipodrang. Then proceed to the black-necked crane festival in Phobjikha. The festival takes place in the courtyard of the Gangtey Monastery. This festival is started to organize to aware people of the endangered black-necked cranes. The festival is celebrated in a fun way with a lot of folk songs singing with mask dances. Bhutan Black-Necked Crane Annual Festival Tour (8 Days) also includes a hike around Gangtey, a visit to Punakha Dzong, and finally, we go for the beautiful hike up to the popular Tiger’s Nest near Paro valley.
You can also extend Bhutan Black-Necked Crane Annual Festival Tour (8 Days) itinerary following the festival to the Trongsa and sacred sites of the Bumthang valley. You will be required to allow about 10-12 days to include both itineraries. Our 10 Days itinerary package including Bumthang valley can be helpful to understand the itinerary and plan it accordingly. Ask our experts to customize the trip according to your travel plan and styles.
Fly to Paro international airport, complete immigration and customs formalities, and meet our guide at the arrival gate and transfer to your designated hotel in Thimphu. One hour drive from Paro to Thimphu.
Note: You will be required to bring the e-visa clearance copy sent by the tour company before arrival. The original visa would be stamped upon arrival at the Paro airport. No photograph is required anymore. For early arrivals, we try to cover the sights which cannot be added later.
In the morning, we will visit the Memorial Chorten (Built in the memory of the third King who reigned from 1952-972), the nunnery temple, and the mini Zoo to see Takin, the national animal of Bhutan.
After lunch, you will visit other landmarks of Thimphu including the Bhutanese traditional painting school, National Institute of traditional medicine, Heritage museum, the Taschichho Dzong, and the traditional paper factory. If you are traveling during the weekend, you will also visit the Thimphu Weekend Market if time permits.
Overnight at the hotel in Thimphu
After a good breakfast, we start a scenic drive to Punakha with a stop for tea at Dochula Pass (3100m), where on a clear day; you will see breathtaking views of the Himalayas. We again drive downhill through rhododendron and hemlock forests. Then we pass through rice fields along river backs and reach Punakha. Before reaching Punakha, we stop by Chimi (Chime) Lhakhang Monastery also known as the temple of fertility.
Then we drive to Punakha Dzong, built between 1637-1638, which is the second oldest and second-largest Dzong in Bhutan, located between Pho Chu and Mo Chu rivers.
Overnight at the hotel in Punakha.
After breakfast, we visit Wangdipodrang and its nearby village including Mushroom town. We then drive through dense Oak and Rhododendron forest to Gangtey, also known as Phobjikha, a beautiful village surround by amazing snow-capped mountains. For Gangtey, we enjoy views of the Black mountain ranges as well as the beautiful Phobjikha valley, the winter habitat of the black-necked cranes. During November, we see Black-Necked Cranes migrating from Tibetan plateaus to escape arid winter conditions. We explore Phobjikha village before the sun is down.
Overnight at the hotel in Phobjikha/Gangtey.
Today on 11 November 2021 is the importation day of this trip as we get to enjoy the most popular Black-Necked Crane Festival which is celebrated in the premises of Gangtey Monastery, beautifully perched atop a small hill. Locals gather at the monastery and enjoy the arrival of endangered black-necked cranes. It is an entertaining festival with folk songs and mask dance. In the afternoon, we hike the beautiful Gangtey nature trail for a little over an hour and reach Khewa Lhakhang Temple. On the way, we pass Semchubara Village and descend to the Chorten before reaching Khewa Lhakhang. After exploring a beautiful temple, we drive back to our hotel.
Overnight at the hotel in Gangtey.
After a good breakfast in the morning, we drive back to Paro. The total distance is about 170 Kilometer and takes about four to five hours with some stops on the way. Get fresh and take your leisure time in the evening.
Overnight at the hotel in Paro
After breakfast, take an excursion to Tiger’s Nest, also known as Taktsang Monastery, the most sacred Bhutanese monastery perched on the cliff over Paro Valley. It is said that Guru Rinpoche arrived here on the back of a tigress and meditated at this monastery hence it is called “Tiger’s Nest”. The hike up to the monastery takes about five hours for a round trip.
In the late afternoon, visit Ta Dzong and the National Museum of the Kingdom.
In the evening, we take you to the farmhouse to enjoy the cultural dinner where you can also try for a hot stone bath (Stone bath costs around 25 USD). We then drive back to the hotel.
Overnight at the hotel in Paro
Depending on your flight time, our guide will come to your hotel to transfer you to the airport. You shall be ready at the hotel two hours before the flight time. We wish you a safe flight and look forward to welcoming you into Bhutan soon in the future.
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Payment: 30% of the total tour cost is required as an advance deposit to confirm the tour with HimalayanWindows (HW). The remaining balance can be paid 3 days before the departure date. Payment can be made through Wire Transfer or Credit Card. We process your credit card payment securely and no extra fee is charged.
Cancellation: For cancellation more than 30 days before the Tour Start Date, No Cancellation fee is charged. For cancellation from 29 calendar days up to and including 4 calendar days before the Tour Start Date, a charge of 30% of the total invoice amount is charged. For a cancellation occurring within 3 days of the date of travel or No Show shall be charged 100% of the total invoice amount. Learn more about Terms and Conditions.
Accommodation: Accommodation is in twin rooms in cities unless a special request is made for a single supplement with an additional fee. Accommodation is in twin or dormitory at lodges on the trek especially in a peak season, it is difficult to find single/twin rooms in the mountains. Our main focus is to provide clean and safe rooms to our valued guests.
Meals: Basically, every package we offer includes breakfast; lunch, and dinner are provided based on the cost we offer on the tour. In Bhutan, every package is on a full board plan that includes Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. During the trek, we provide all meals where you will need to pay extra for drinking water and snacks.
Nepal Visa: Every traveler from any country who wanted to visit Nepal needs to obtain a Nepal Visa. Nepal visa can be obtained on arrival and some countries need a visa before traveling to Nepal. Make sure your passport is valid at least 6 months from the Tour Start Date. Make sure to obtain a multi-entries Nepal Visa if you are planning cross-country tours.
Bhutan Visa Clearance: Every traveler from any country who wanted to visit Bhutan needs to obtain a Bhutan Visa Clearance before the travel to Bhutan. We obtain your Bhutan visa; you need to send your color scanned clear passport copy. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the Tour Start Date. Before flying to Bhutan, a Visa Clearance will be sent to you from your tour operator, you have to print the clearance paper and show it at the Druk Air/Bhutan Airlines counter during the Check-in. The original visa would be stamped into your passport upon arrival at the Paro airport. Learn more about Bhutan travel info.
Tibet Group Visa (TGV): Every traveler from any country who wanted to visit Tibet from Nepal needs to obtain a Tibet Group Visa (TGV) in Kathmandu through the help of a tour operator. Make sure to land in Kathmandu 3-4 working days before the travel date t process for TGV. If you are traveling from China, no TGV is required, a Chinese Visa & Permit are needed, though. Learn more about the Tibet entry procedure.
Nepal & Bhutan: Nepal and Bhutan share the climate from high mountains to the low land sub-tropical plains and jungles. Both countries have similar weather and are ideal to visit at the same time of the year. March to April (spring) & October to December (autumn and early winter) are the best time to visit as the air is clean and fresh with sunny skies. January and February are colder and June, July, and August (summer) are monsoon seasons.
Tibet: The best time to visit Tibet is from April to October as the weather is warmer, fresh, and sunny skies. November to March are usually very cold, but still possible to visit if the route is not blocked by the snow, especially in the regions like Namtso, Everest Base Camp, Mount Kailash, etc.
HimalayanWindows advises bringing proper Travel Insurance to all the travelers who are interested in traveling in the Himalayas. Travel Insurance is a policy that helps cover medical problems, emergency evacuation, theft, loss of belongings, last-hour tour/ticket cancellation, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Bhutan tour Where is Bhutan? Bhutan is a small, landlocked country situated in the eastern Himalayas between China and India. Its landscape ranges from Subtropical plains and forests in the south to subalpine forests and the snowy Himalayas in the North. Bhutan is a principally Buddhist country and it is recognized as the last stronghold of Mahayana Buddhism. Do I need to use a tour… Read More »
Namaste from HimalayanWindows! HimalayanWindows is a company operated by travel professionals involved in the travel industry for more than a decade. We operate package tours for Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan. HimalayanWindows believes that Our Motto is to satisfy every customer in all aspects. We would like to introduce ourselves as a tour and trekking operator in Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan. Moreover, we are also a direct tour operator for Tibet… Read More »
