Spring brings the celebratory mood into the eastern Bhutan, the annual Gomphu Kora festival is held in the Gomphu kora Monastery in the valley 23km away from Trashigang District. Brimmed with people from all over the eastern Bhutan and also from Arunachal Pradesh of India, the festival is believed to have let future soul- mates run into each other while circumnutating the site. The significance of the festival site is that Guru Padmasambhava is believed to have meditated in the cave for months, leaving his body imprints and subdued a demon named Mongkhapa who fled from Tibet and hid in the rock at Gomphukora.
Welcome reception by our representatives at the Guwahati airport.
Drive for about 3 hours from Guwahati (capital of Indian state Assam) to Bhutan’s border in Samdrup Jongkhar and after immigration formalities, transfer to the hotel in Samdrup Jongkhar.
Overnight at Samdrup Jongkhar.
All day drive ascending to the Himalayas covering a distance of 180 km for 6-7 hours. After a few hours’ drives, we will stop to get a blessing from Hindu hermit for the safety of our journey. Get opportunities to visit many religious Bhutanese Buddhist temples, such as Zangdo Pelri Lhakhang, with detailed mural painting.
Stop at Khaling village to visit National Handloom Development Project, which maintains rich tradition of local weaving. Also, visit the National Institute for the Visually Impaired. One of the accomplishments of this progressive institution is the development of the Bhutanese version of Braille’s script. Along the way, you’ll also pass by Karma Thegsum Dechenling Goemba, a huge monastic school and Sherubtse College, first Bhutanese university campus established in 1978. Also, we visit the temple in nearby Kanglung village.
Overnight at Trashigang.
Early Breakfast
Drive to Gomphu Kora, the venue for the festival. Attend the festivals and interact with hundreds of local attendees from all over the eastern Bhutan and also from neighboring Arunachal Pradesh, India.
After the festival Drive back to Trashigang.
Overnight at Trashigang.
Drive back to the Festival site, and attend the second day in otherwise desolate but packed with people site. The mere visit to the site is believed to bring indefinite merit and generate well-being to the people as the site is believed to be blessed immensely by Guru Padmasambhava.
Drive back to Trashigang after the festival.
Overnight at Trashigang.
Drive to calm and peaceful Trashiyangtse Valley. The drive offers occasional views of Snowy Mountain in clear weather. Catch a view of impressive building of the old Trashi Yangtse dzong which is home to to about 300 monks.
The Dzong used to protect former trade route with Tibet and was established by the saint Pema Lingpa of the 15th century. The temples with valuable statues are worth of exploring. Also near the Trashi Yangtse is the famous Chorten Kora, the largest stupa in Bhutan built like Swayambhunath Stupa in Katmandu, Nepal. The Chorten Kora is the venue of two colorful local festivals held at the beginning of every year. Trashi Yangtse is also home to the National Institute for Zorig Chusum, the school where the young people practice the art crafts of their forefathers time to keep Bhutan’s traditional arts alive.
Drive back to Trashigang in the evening.
Overnight at Trashigang.
Drive to Mongar for about 3 hours from Trashigang. Take a detour for about 2 hours towards Dramtse Gompa, which is one of the most significant monasteries of eastern Bhutan. The monastery is the exact place from where the famous Nga Chham (Drums of Dramtse) originated. The dance is a usual feature in many other festivals and it was included to the UNESCO list of oral and intangible heritage. The monastery was founded in 16th century by descendants of the saint Pema Lingpa. The monastery houses a number of interesting chapels with important statues of the saints and protector deities. Take a short hike from Dramtse to Baging la via Shergang village. Visit Mongar Dzong (fortress) in the afternoon, built in 1930 it still retains authentic Bhutanese architecture.
Overnight at Mongar.
Drive to Lhuntse district, which is one of the most rural and isolated districts in Bhutan. Kurtoe region of Lhuntse is the ancestral home of Bhutan’s royal family. On the way make a detour to Takila, the place where the gigantic statue of Guru Rinpoche was recently built. Inside the statue, there are a number of intricately decorated chapels which are one of the bests in Bhutan. Further, continue the visit to Khoma village to see most elaborate traditional textiles in Bhutan. The village is interesting and beautiful so spend some more time in a local house and tasting local delicacies for lunch. Then continue the tour to Lhuntse and visit a Dzong, which is one of the most spectacular of as such in Bhutan.
Drive back to Mongar in the evening.
After lunch, visit Rangjung village – tranquil Agrarian village. Especially Radi and Rangjung not only steal the limelight as a top-notch agrarian village but also as two of Bhutan’s most renowned natural dyed raw silk textiles weaving villages.
Overnight at Trashigang.
Drive to Samdrup Jongkhar in the morning, savoring the kaleidoscope of changing vegetation as we drive downhill. Also, stop at beautiful villages along the way.
Either rest in the hotel or take a stroll in the market for souvenirs shopping in the evening at Samdrup Jongkhar.
Overnight at Samdrup Jongkhar.
Transfer to Guwahati on time for the flight.
daily tariff:USD 250 Per person per night
surcharges:
Solo Traveller: USD 40 per night
Dual Traveller: USD 30 per person per night
Three travellers and above: surcharges not applicable
Visa fees: One time payment of USD 40 per person.
daily tariff:USD 200 Per person per night
surcharges:
Solo Traveller: USD 40 per night
Dual Traveller: USD 30 per person per night
Three travellers and above: surcharges not applicable
Visa fees: One time payment of USD 40 per person.
A minimum of 3 star accommodation (4 & 5 star may require an additional premium).
All meals
A licensed Bhutanese tour guide for the extent of your stay
All internal transport (excluding internal flights)
Camping equipment and haulage for trekking tours
