Our Bhutan sightseeing tour begins with a scenic flight to the dragon kingdom Paro. This flight offers magnificent views of the Himalayas. The flight to Paro is one of the most magnificent mountain flights in the world, with a steadily changing panorama of some of the high mountains on earth including Chomolhari and Jitchu Drake peak. Further, landing in the Paro Valley is a perfect entry into the world of Bhutan.
We can feel its pure air and a sense of serenity. Besides that, we can witness the fields of green and brown covering most of the valley floor. Here, we can also see hamlets and isolated farms dot the landscape. It is a beautiful valley and is home to many of Bhutan’s oldest monasteries and temples. The houses of Paro valley are treated to be the most beautiful in the country. After some refreshments, we will stroll around Paro.
We will enjoy sightseeing in Paro. Our sightseeing tour starts with a visit to Paro Dzong.
Paro Dzong is the Fortress of a Heap of Jewels. So, the full name of Paro Dzong is Rinpung Dzong. We will see the painting of the great saint Milarepa, considered the master of meditation by the Bhutanese and believed to have attained enlightenment in a lifetime. It is one of the finest models of traditional Bhutanese architecture. This structure is a large dzong- a Buddhist monastery and fortress. A short distance of walking will lead us through several numbers of archery grounds where we might get lucky to catch an archery match in action.
Archery is the national sport of Bhutan.
Paro Dzong is also listed as a tentative site in Bhutan’s Tentative List for UNESCO formation. Further, resting beyond Paro Dzong is its watch tower renovated in 1968 to house the National Museum. It is an unusual round building, built in the shape of a conch shell. Also, its displays include an inspiring combination of ancient and modern Thanks (Buddhist paintings) as well as fearsome festival masks. Besides that, we will also visit the Kyichu Monastery, via the Drugyel Dzong ruins.
Kyichu The monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Bhutan. It was built in the 7th century by the Tibetan King Songsten Gampo. After exploring these astounding sites of Paro, we will head back to the hotel. But, on our way back, we will cross Nyamai-Zam. It is a traditional wooden covered bridge that spans the Paro River. We will spend our night in Paro.