Bhutan Stopover Tour 4 days ( 3 nights)

3 nights 4 days Bhutan tour

4 Days
Culture Tours
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Discover the Essence of Bhutan in a Compact Journey

Experience the highlights of Bhutan on a 3-night, 4-day Bhutan Stopover Tour. This short yet enriching itinerary takes you through the cultural heart of the western valleys — Thimphu and Paro — where timeless traditions, sacred monasteries, and vibrant local life blend with stunning Himalayan landscapes. Perfect for travelers with limited time, this tour offers a curated experience of Bhutan’s natural and cultural treasures.

Highlights of the Bhutan Stopover Tour

Thimphu: Bhutan’s lively capital at 7,500 ft, known for bustling markets, sacred monasteries, and impressive fortresses.

Paro: A serene valley of terraced fields and traditional homes, home to the legendary Taktsang (Tiger’s Nest) Monastery, perched dramatically on a cliffside.

Flexible Alternatives: For guests who prefer not to hike to Taktsang, enjoy a scenic drive to Chele La Pass with visits to Kila Gompa Nunnery and Dzongdrakha Cave Temples. Your guide can suggest additional customized options based on your interests.

Bhutan Stopover Tour Outline Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Paro – Drive to Thimphu
Scenic transfer to the capital with introductory sightseeing in Thimphu, including markets, monasteries, and key cultural sites.
Day 2: Thimphu Sightseeing – Drive to Paro
Explore Thimphu’s highlights in the morning, then return to Paro for afternoon visits to local landmarks and scenic viewpoints.
Day 3: Paro – Hike to Taktsang Monastery
Embark on the iconic hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery, or choose flexible sightseeing alternatives suggested by your guide, including shorter hikes or scenic drives.
Day 4: Departure from Paro
Transfer to the airport for departure. Depending on your flight schedule, additional visits may be arranged en route.

Accommodations: This Bhutan Stopover Tour features comfortable 3-4 star hotels. Prefer a luxury upgrade? With over 25 years of experience and strong partnerships with Bhutanese hotels, Wind Horse Tours offers exclusive rates and options you won’t find elsewhere.

                A short and sweet introduction that cover Thimphu and Paro valleys.
Visit the capital of Bhutan
Visit Serene Paro Valley
Hike to the iconic Takstang (tigers’ nest) monastery.

            

Overview

Trip Type Culture Tours

Activities Included

Accommodation 3 * & 4* Hotels

Meal All meals

Best Seasons This trip can be done through-out the year but best from Feb -April, Oct till Nov.

Route Thimphu-Paro

Best Months March, April, October, November

Good Months February, May, September

Lean Months January, December

Not Recommended Months June, July, August

                            A short and sweet introduction that cover Thimphu and Paro valleys.
Visit the capital of Bhutan
Visit Serene Paro Valley
Hike to the iconic Takstang (tigers’ nest) monastery.

                        

Cost Information

As the cost is contingent on factors like the number of travelers and the travel date, we recommend contacting us for precise details. However, for a rough estimate, consider the following:

The cost ranges from $450 to $800 per person, exclusive of Sustainable Development Fees (SDF), which are an additional $300 per person. Please note that flights are not included in this estimate. For specific and detailed pricing, feel free to reach out to us.

Included

Accommodations in listed hotels or similar (best available standard tourist hotels)
All meals including some evening tea
Bottled water in the vehicle.
All transportation by good quality private vehicle.
Entrance fees to the monuments
English Speaking guide.
Bhutan Visa fees
SDF Sustainable Tourist Dev. Fees
Travel permits etc

Not included

Flight cost.
Travel /Medical Insurance
Personal expenses such as bars, beverages, optional tips/gratuities.
All personal gears/clothing
All other costs not listed in the included section

Detailed Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1:

Arrival in Paro drive to Thimphu

After completing immigration and customs formalities, you will be warmly welcomed by your Wind Horse guide and driver, who will ensure a smooth start to your journey. The 50 km drive from Paro airport to Thimphu takes just over an hour and offers a delightful first glimpse of Bhutan, with scenic valleys, terraced farms, and forested hills unfolding along the way.

Depending on your arrival time, you may visit some of Thimphu’s key landmarks:

Tashichho Dzong – An impressive fortress-monastery that houses the throne room, government offices, and the seat of the Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot). It is also the venue for important religious and cultural ceremonies.
Buddha Dordenma – A towering bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, overlooking the valley and offering panoramic views of Thimphu.
Later, enjoy a leisurely stroll through Thimphu, experiencing the capital’s unique blend of tradition and modernity. Time permitting, visit the Craft Bazaar and Centennial Farmers’ Market to explore local arts, crafts, and produce.

Sightseeing will be adjusted according to your arrival time and personal interests. If you arrive early, additional visits may be As your stay in Bhutan is short, the day is designed to showcase as much as possible, yet remains flexible, allowing you to set the pace and focus on the sights that interest you most

The Seva

Bhutan Peaceful Residency & Spa

MEALS:

Altitude: 2500m in Thimphu

Day 2:

Thimphu & Paro Valley Tour

Begin the day, if you wish, with an early morning walk to the Memorial Chorten, a sacred stupa where locals gather at dawn to circumambulate and offer prayers. It’s a serene and authentic way to experience Bhutanese spiritual life before breakfast.

After breakfast, enjoy a guided tour of Thimphu, which may include:

National Institute of Zorig Chusum – A renowned school for traditional arts and crafts, where students master painting, sculpture, woodcarving, and more.
Takin Preserve – A sanctuary dedicated to the takin, Bhutan’s rare and unusual national animal.
You may also have time to visit other sights according to your interests, such as the Folk Heritage Museum, National Library, Zilukha Nunnery, or Textile Museum.

In the afternoon, take a scenic one-hour drive back to Paro, with the option to stop at any sights missed earlier. The Paro Valley provides a striking contrast to the capital, with peaceful landscapes of terraced fields, rivers, and traditional farmhouses framed by snowcapped peaks, capturing the timeless beauty of rural Bhutan.
Sightseeing in Paro may include:

National Museum of Bhutan (Ta Dzong) – Once a watchtower, now a museum preserving Bhutan’s cultural treasures and artifacts.
Paro Rinpung Dzong – A stunning fortress-monastery combining religious importance with exquisite Bhutanese architecture.
Cantilever Bridge & Paro Town – Cross a traditional wooden bridge before exploring the charming town and the market
Kyichu Lhakhang – Time permitting, visit one of Bhutan’s oldest and most sacred temples, dating back to the 7th century.

As your stay in Bhutan is short, the day is designed to showcase as much as possible, yet remains flexible, allowing you to set the pace and focus on the sights that interest you most

Tashi Namgay Resort

MEALS:

Altitude: 2200m

Duration: 1hr drive

Day 3:

In Paro – Taktsang Monastery Hike

Today is devoted to one of Bhutan’s most iconic experiences — the hike to Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest), perched dramatically on a cliff at 3,120 m (10,240 ft). This sacred site is a symbol of Bhutan’s spiritual heritage and an unforgettable highlight of any visit.

The adventure begins with a short drive to the trailhead (2,600 m / 8,530 ft). The path winds through pine and oak forests, with colorful prayer flags fluttering in the breeze and sweeping views of the Paro Valley below.

After about an hour’s ascent (up to two hours at a leisurely pace), you reach the first viewpoint and cafeteria, where you can rest, enjoy refreshments, and admire the distant view of the monastery clinging to the cliffs. Horses are available for hire up to this point for those who prefer an easier climb.
Continuing on, the trail leads to the second viewpoint in about 45 minutes, offering a breathtaking perspective of the monastery directly across a deep ravine.
From here, stone steps descend toward a waterfall and prayer wheel before climbing again to reach the monastery itself — a journey of about 40 minutes.

The monastery complex includes several temples and meditation sites, the most sacred being the cave where Guru Rinpoche is believed to have meditated.

For those seeking a longer and more challenging hike, there are additional monasteries and meditation caves in the surrounding cliffs that can be reached by extending the walk beyond the main Taktsang complex.

After returning from the hike, you will be transferred to your hotel. Depending on time and energy, additional light activities can be arranged in or around Paro.

Alternative options for non-hikers: For those who may not wish to hike, we can arrange a scenic drive to Chele La Pass, Bhutan’s highest motorable pass, with visits to the peaceful Kila Gompa Nunnery and the cliffside Dzongdrakha Cave Temples. These alternatives provide equally enriching cultural and scenic experiences.

Tashi Namgay Resort

MEALS:

Altitude: 3200m near Takstang

Duration: 4-6hrs hike- whole day affair

Day 4:

Departure

After breakfast, transfer to Paro International Airport for your onward journey. If your flight departs later in the day, your guide can arrange additional sightseeing or a relaxed stroll through Paro town to make the most of your remaining time in Bhutan. In case of flight delays, your guide will remain with you until departure to ensure a smooth and comfortable conclusion to your trip.

MEALS:

Traveller Review

Stopover – 5 days Tour for Andrea & Family

Dear Anand,

Thank you for writing.

My husband and I enjoyed our trip so much. Both our guide and driver (I’m afraid I can’t really spell their names) were amazing. Both of them did everything in their power to have us comfortable and happy. They were both very knowledgable also and answered all our questions and talked to us about all the places we visited. We were very happy also to have some time for ourselves just to enjoy the moment, and they were very respectful of that.

All in all, we really enjoyed everything. Our highlight: definitively Tiger’s nest!

Thank you so much for all the professionalism and effectiveness of Wind horse. We are certainly recommending this trip to our friends and family.

Andrea

Andrea (, Mexico )

17 -21 April,2019

Bhutan Tour for John Begale

Anand,
Thanks for reaching out! Would love to share about my experience, because it was incredible!
Not knowing much about Bhutan, if anything really, I was hoping to see Tiger’s Nest and left the rest of what I was to do up to Wind Horse. As you know, I spent time in Paro and Thimphu, learning about the culture, history, Buddhism, and general way of life for the current Bhutanese people.
Ugyen (spelling?), was a great tour guide, providing a constant smile and a lot of laughs. He opened my door, tried to carry my backpack, etc. and always attempted to make the trip for me as easy as possible. Not wanting to be “above” him, I made sure to open his door so he knew we were on the same page and I was happy to be tagging along with the two of them for a great experience.
Pema was greatly knowledgeable about everything I asked about (Buddhism, culture, food, lifestyle, government, etc.). He as well provided great laughs and a very enjoyable experience. Shooting archery in the forest was actually one of my favorite parts of the trip outside of Tiger’s Nest as I do seek adventure and was able to hang with my tour guide and driver as buddies of mine just enjoying life.
From the food, to the hotels and tours and everything I did, wouldn’t have changed a thing! I will come back, and be more inclined to see what else is available and check out more of the country side, mountains, villages, etc. Try and get away from modern city living.
I should also say, after about a few hours of the tour, I was able to feel that I was walking around with friends in Pema and Ugyen. They gave me everything I wanted in terms of knowledge and being a tourist in Bhutan, plus, good buddies for the tour.

John Begale (Chicago , USA )

15 - 19, June, 2018

Stopover Bhutan Tour – Feb 2018

Our trip in Bhutan was ok. Tenzin the guide and Doha the driver were 5 stars, really profissional and very very very kind. They made it!
Bhutan is not the country media are selling but we enjoyed after all!
Best regards and thank you for wind horse!

Goncalo Ferreira Crespo (, Portugal )

26 -01 March, 2018

Highly Recommend!

We got back from a 5 day trip to Bhutan with Wind Horse Travels and cannot rave enough about the planning, attention to detail, professionalism and overall experience we had with them. We did not had a long lead time to plan the trip, but the team at Wind Horse was amazingly responsive and brought together our desired itinerary and took care of all the planning, Visa, permits etc. in less than two weeks.
From the moment we arrived in Paro until we left Bhutan, Mr. Kenchi (our guide) and Mr. Ata (our driver) were phenomenal hosts! They will show up every morning eager to help us discover Bhutan and took care of all logistics, food, last- minute requests and whims with a never- ending “Can do” attitude and a smile. They were knowledgeable, accommodating and the pride they took in their culture and country was inspiring! We had lengthy conversations about Bhutan- its religion, people, culture, monarchy and, every single time they indulged our curiosity and were never tired of our questions. They were also extremely accommodating to needs of our elderly parents who were with us on this trip. We had our fair share of Bhutan road adventures with fog, rain and an occasional landslide, but we knew that with Mr. Ata we were in very good hands. Both our hosts in Bhutan were consummate professionals and masters of their trade!
Overall, we will highly recommend Wind Horse to anyone visiting Bhutan. Their planning is seamless and their service really leaves an impression on your mind. Thank you to Mr. Jambay, Mr. Kenchi and Mr. Ata for making it a truly memorable trip for us!

P.S: The rate your overall experience option in the testimonial is not working for us but we will give it the highest possible score!!

Binay (Bay Area, United States)

26 - 30, April

Bhutan Tour for Jasmine

Dear Anand,
Thanks for reaching out to me. My first trip to Bhutan was fantastic. In particular, coming from Dhaka, the place was peaceful and civilised (I know I had some issues with public loos – Rebekah teased me a lot on this). Bhutan reminds me of 40-50 years ago rural Japan, though you might have no clue. I think the schedule was very good, well paced, your staff were fantastic. I have no complain. I was happy in ‘breaking records’ of going up and down of Taktsang, ha ha. I wish I could have stayed more but my holiday was very spontaneous and longer trip was not possible this time.

Hope to see you sometime on the next trip.

Warm regards,

Jasmine (, Japan )

May17-20, 2017

We can’t say enough good things about both guides.

Dear Wind Horse Tours,
Please excuse this belated note concerning our Paro tour 30Nov-03Dec 2014, as we have been quite busy since our trip to Bhutan. We are writing just to let you know how very much we enjoyed our 3 days in Paro and how well-organized everything was. We managed to pack quite a bit into our time, including visits to several temples and monasteries, hiking to the nunnery near Chele-la and to Tiger’s Nest, and a wonderful visit to our guide’s farm near Paro. Our dinner the last night at a restaurant in Paro was fabulous. Although the Tashi Namgay resort was quite lovely, the restaurant at the hotel was not good and the wi-fi was a problem, so we would not recommend using that hotel again.

Finally, we must give the highest recommendation to our guide, Tashi Gyeltsehn, and his assistant, whose name we have lost. Both were very attentive to our needs, wishes, and comfort. They were very knowledgeable and gracious. We particularly appreciated the visit to Tashi’s farm and meeting his welcoming family, who served us tea and refreshments. Our driver filled in for Tashi when we climbed to Tiger’s Nest and he was very careful with us old folks. We can’t say enough good things about both guides. You our lucky to employ them.
Once again, thank you for all of your planning, which made our entire trip to Bhutan very enjoyable. We have recommended Wind Horse Tours to other doctors for their trip to Bhutan.

Sincerely,
Bob and Linda W

We can’t say enough good things about both guides.

Bob & Linda (, USA)

Nov 30 - Dec 03, 2014

It was not only the most beautiful country, it was the best experience I had

TID 644 Bhutan Tour from 28 Sept – 02 Oct 2013
Bhutan was one of the places I visited on my trip around the world. It was not only the most beautiful country, it was the best experience I had. With the most pleasant people and the best service. Your selection of hotels were good although I liked Hotel Druk better. The guide and driver Mr Soman and Mr Soman were outstanding and were largely responsible for providing a world class experience When I return I will be calling Windhorse and will recommend you without reservation to anyone who asks.

Thank you again for a wonderful trip

It was not only the most beautiful country, it was the best experience I had

Nancy L (, Tennessee, USA. )

Sept 28 -Oct 02,2013

I am writing now to thank you for organising this memorable trip to Bhutan.

Paro Festival Trip, March 2010 –
Dear Ugen, We returned to Hungary from our trip to Bhutan and Nepal a month ago, but I had to catch up with quite a few things, so I am writing now to thank you for organizing this memorable trip to Bhutan. Our guide Kado and driver Pema did not spare any effort to make the trip smooth and in spite of the relatively short time we could complete our program as planned. Kado is very knowledgable about history and Buddhism and shared many interesting facts and information. He organized very well our schedule, even on the day when we had different programs with Maria, he suggested the best solution – early start for Maria to the Tiger Nest to avoid heat and crowds, and then Pema came back in time to drop me for the second day of the festival in Paro. Pema was a very careful driver, always on time and very helpful with photostops and any other request concerning the programme.

Please kindly convey our thanks once again to Kado and Pema, and to everybody in Windhorse, whom we did not meet personally, but who contributed to the success of our trip. The accomodation, food, transportation were always very good and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Bhutan. We were considering this possibility in 2008 but at that time it was not certain that we could cross the border there. May be in the future we could combine a trip including Eastern Bhutan with the Bhuddhist monasteries in Arunachal Pradesh (Tawang valley). I would like to thank you personally once again for organizing our trip and hope that I could return in the future to your beautiful country.

Best regards –
Eugenia.

I am writing now to thank you for organising this memorable trip to Bhutan.

Dr. Eugenia Farkas (, Szeged, Hungary )

March,20,2010

Bhutan was amazing and we had a wonderful time.

Dear Ugen, We have been busy and suddenly it was November and we still hadn’t replied. Bhutan was amazing and we had a wonderful time. We would have liked to stay there for a longer period of time, unfortunately it is pretty expensive. However, next time we would probably like to visit some areas in the east part of Bhutan. Sending some pictures from our trip as well.

Regards, Lars & Emil
(4 days tour of Bhutan in June, 2009)

Emil Russ S & Lars Erik D (, Stavanger, Norway)

June 11, 2009

Going to Bhutan was like going back in time, a gentle country and gentle people

Trip of a Life Time: 18-21 April 2002 Going to Bhutan was like going back in time, a gentle country and gentle people, where one encountered peace, and tranquility, as mists intrigue settles in at eventide later hiding a happy good morning where the sun rises over the pine clad mountains. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip arranged by Wind Horse Tours, Treks & Expeditions. Feel free to contact us for any comments.

Valerie & Miguel (, Spain)

April 18 -21,2002

Guides

Yonten Phuntsho is one of our senior most guide. And well versed on his business. Initially, he conceded an impression of a man of a few words but I was in for surprise with the knowledge of his job, great sense of humour and congenial personality- simply one cannot judge a book by its cover. His unwavering focus, dedication, knowledge and passion runs deep for the love of his works. His aptly quote Barbara Kingsolver “I do my best work if I think about what it is I have to offer”.

From the outset, he knew what he wants to do in his life. Right after finishing his Class 12, he enrolled for guide course for culture initially then extended few more month to complete course on Trekking as well in 2008. After doing free lancing for a while, he joined Wind Horse Tours in 2010.

For most Bhutanese, appeals that mountainous terrains throw in for an out door adventures are native. In the case of Yonten, it was no exception. He easily gave in to the temptation of Mountain biking with its advent. He explored and lead tours in his bike but his allegiance is more inclined to off road biking trips that leads to quaint villages. To explore the unknown and love for nature, these attributes that he cultivated while trekking the alpine highlands and wilderness in remote corner of country was what prompt him to readily agree to embark on audacious Haa to Phuentsholing on mountain bike, overcoming challenges of carrying bike in tough terrains, untamed vegetations and unexplored areas.