Bangladesh, Bhutan & Nepal: Unexplored South Asia Tour

Friday 27th June – Dhaka, Bangladesh – Barishal

Morning

• Arrival at your convenience in the city of Dhaka. Bangladesh’s capital city is well connected from Europe, Middle East and Asia.
• You can also arrive from our Unseen Bangladesh Extension, taking you to the Sundarbans National Park.
• Pre-tour meeting will be held in the lobby of Hotel Park Hyatt at 12:00pm to meet your fellow travellers, and Pioneer Adventure Travel guide. Bring your luggage with you as we board our private transportation and begin the tour straight away. As our itinerary is fully packed, we recommend having a good night of sleep before joining the tour!

Afternoon

• Visit Lalbagh Fort. Built in 1678, it is the most recognized symbols of Mughal rule in Bengal. The fort was built as the official residence of the governor and the complex also includes the tomb of Pari Bibi and a mosque. It’s bright green lawns, fountains and water channels makes this unique landmark stick out in Dhaka.
• Visit Curzon Hall, a British Raj-era building and home of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Dhaka. The building was originally intended to be a town hall and is named after Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India who laid its foundation stone in 1904.
• Board a light-boat near the terminal port and sail down the river towards the ship breaking yards on the opposite side of the river. Here, large passenger and fishing ships are not only broken down and recycled, but also repaired and brought back to life. We’ll land here and explore the dock.
• Return to the river terminal which is one of the most crowded places in the city. After exploring the busy port, we’ll board our overnight ferry to Barishal, located in the southern region of Bangladesh.
• Dinner & drinks will be served in your first-class cabin as the riverine nightlife passes your window.
• Overnight on ferry

Saturday 28th June – Barishal

Morning

• A breakfast pack will be given to you when our ferry arrives at approximately 6:00am
• Begin making our way by private transport to Kuriana (1 hour drive), the largest floating market in Bangladesh.
• You’ll board our private boat an embark through the many tiny rivers and canals hidden through remote rural villages arriving at Baukathi. It is a very popular floating vegetable market where may traditional handmade wooden boats are filled with farmers selling their freshly grown vegetables to the city vegetable vendors.
• We’ll board our boat and head towards a huge timber market that operates on the banks of the river.

Afternoon

• Head to Kuriana Bazar – here we’ll have lunch sampling special local dishes and snacks of the southern region.
• We’ll board our boat once more and set sail to Chakhar Ser-A-Bangla Fazlul Haq Museum dedicated to Abul Kasem Fazlul Huq. He was the first and longest serving Prime Minister of Bengal, presenting the Lahore Resolution and leading the United Front to win the 1954 East Bengali election. In Pakistan he is remembered as one of the country’s founding statesmen. In Bangladesh he is revered as one of the most important Bengali statesmen of the 20th century.
• Our van will pick us up and take us to our hotel in Barishal to check-in and freshen up.
• We’ll then walk to Trish Godaun to experience a local spot of recreation along the Kirtankhola River. You’ll also have the chance to walk through the marketplace and experience the livelihood of the countryside.
• Dinner in the city and overnight in guesthouse at Barishal.

Sunday 29th June – Barishal – Dhaka

• Breakfast at hotel and early departure back to Dhaka (5 hour drive). During our journey, we’ll cross the mighty Ganges River.

Afternoon

• Lunch on arrival back in the capital at the busy Karan Bazar where we can sample various Bangladeshi curries, pride of a culture! Prepare yourself for a rush of colours, fragrances, noises and people, along with formidable photo ops!
• We’ll continue making our way through the tiny alleys of old Dhaka until we reach Star Mosque. Built in the first half of the 19th century, this cute mosque has ornate designs and is decorated with motifs of blue stars.
• We’ll then visit the Armenian Church. Armenians were sent by the Persians to the Bengal region for both political and economic exploitations. Armenian merchants traded in jute and leather and profitability in these businesses convinced some to move permanently to Bangladesh. These days the Armenian presence in Bangladesh is basically nothing but this church remains.
• Stop by the Pink Palace (or Ahsan Manzil). Built in 1872 and now a museum, it was previously the official residential palace and seat of the Nawab of Dhaka, the head of largest Muslim zamindar in British Bengal and Assam.
• We will then head to the Parliament building of Dhaka, one of the most impressive buildings in the whole country. We cannot enter but it’s just as spectacular from the outside.
• Now’s your chance to experience Dhakaya Beriany – a long list of incredibly delicious and food that Dhaka has to offer.
• Dinner, drinks and overnight in Dhaka.

Monday 30th June – Dhaka – Paro, Bhutan – Thimphu 

Morning

• Head to the airport to board Druk Air flight KB301 departing Dhaka, Bangladesh at 9:10am and arriving into Paro at 10:40am. Paro is Bhutan’s only international airport. Flight not included in tour cost and can be booked online.
• Group B members: meet up with group at Paro International Airport, if you are arriving later in the day a driver will collect you from the airport and bring you to the group. Other Druk Air flights are scheduled this day from Bangkok, Delhi and Bagdogra.
• The airport in itself is a sight on its own. Nicknamed the world’s trickiest airport, Paro’s airport was built on Bhutan’s only flat land long enough to accommodate a runway. Still, it is surrounded by mountains and requires pilots to be extremely skillful to land and take off here. Only a handful of pilots around the world are qualified to operate in this airport!
• Once at the airport, we’ll meet our local guides for the tour
• Our first stop will be Ta Dzong – built in 1649, an ancient watch tower which now houses the National Museum of Bhutan. This unusual building is in a conch shape with 2.5m thick wall.
• Visit Rinpung Dzong – built in 1646, the literally meaning is “The Heap of Jewels”. The Dzong presently functions as the administrative centre of Paro district.

Afternoon

• Local lunch in Paro and then we’ll begin our 55km drive to Thimphu, across multiple river valleys, and on our way stopping at Tamchog Monastery built by Thangthong Gyalpo in the 15th century.
• We`ll also stop at Tamchhog Lhakhang, the place of worship for the legendary iron bridge builder. Thang Thong Gyalpo was a Tibetan who came to Bhutan in 1433 looking for Iron Ore. He built a total of 108 bridges across Tibet and Bhutan, out of which 8 were built in Bhutan. His only surviving bridge is in Duksum.
• Arrival in Thimphu, where we will check into our hotel.
• We will then head out for a wander through the streets of the capital, with its busy markets, surrounded by the locals, all wearing the compulsory national outfit.
• Greeting dinner and hit the town to visit the different bars and clubs of Bhutan (yes, they exist!)
• Overnight in Thimphu at Hotel Lhayul

Tuesday 1st July – Thimphu – Punakha – Thimphu

Morning

• After breakfast, we’ll be exploring outside of the current capital to head to the ancient capital of Bhutan, Punakha (2 hours driving).
• On the way we’ll take a break at Dochu La Pass. Dochula is at 3050 metres above sea level and offers panoramic views of the Eastern Himalaya ranges. It is also renowned for its meditation caves, where practitioners isolate themselves, trying to achieve enlightenment.
• On the way to Punakha, you’ll notice how climate and vegetation changes as we are progressively getting to lower altitudes.
• We’ll do a quick visit to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Lam Pelri – here you can find 39 different colourful species of Rhododendrons.
• Special visit to the Sopsokha village to visit Chimi Lhakhang, the “Temple of Fertility” built in the 15th century by the ‘Divine Madman’ Lama Drukpa Kuenley. He travelled throughout Bhutan and Tibet as a “Neljorpa” (Yogi) using songs, humour and outrageous behaviour to dramatize his teachings of salvation through sex.

Afternoon

• We’ll have a local lunch in the area
• Visit the Punakha Dzong, “Palace of Great Happiness”. Built in 1637, it is strategically placed at the confluence of two rivers, the Po Chu and the Mo Chu.
• Walk along the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan – a little over 160 metres long, this bridge connects the two sides of the Po Chu River. Whilst boosting your adrenaline this bridge offers stunning views over the river. A few decades ago, the bridge was made for the Lamas of Punakha Dzong to cross into the nearby villages.
• In the evening, we’ll head back to Thimphu with dinner and overnight at Hotel Lhayul.

Wednesday 2nd July – Thimphu – Paro

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and begin our city tour of Thimphu, we’ll start the day by stopping at the Memorial Chorten built in honour of the Third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. We can photograph the monument from the outside.
• Visit the huge statue of Buddha Dordenma. It is so big it is possible to enter it to visit three stories filled with chapels and 125,000 smaller statues of Buddha. From the square in front of the statue, you’ll get a tremendous view of the whole of the Thimphu Valley.
• Stop by the Takin Preserve Centre – an odd-looking animal believed to be a mix of a goat and cow which have baffled zoologists for years. The Bhutanese believe that this animal was created by the Devine Madman.
• We’ll visit to the top of Sangaygang viewpoint, this is also where the Bhutan Broadcasting Service Tower is located at an elevation of 2685m.
• A quick visit to the Dupthob nunnery – one of the few surviving nunneries in Bhutan.
• Special visit to the Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory to see how once bark is collected off trees, how the locals produce paper using environmentally safe practices.

Afternoon

• Lunch of traditional Bhutanese food at a local restaurant
• After lunch, we`ll head to the farmers market and handicraft market for some people watching and to pick up any souvenirs.
• We’ll drop by Changlimithang stadium, the national football stadium of Bhutan, and watch archery matches. If there’s no matches today we’ll check out the archery by local hobbyists in Paro.
• Visit Tashichho Dzong, seat of the National Government and Central Monastic Body.
• Begin our drive back to Paro
• Check-in and dinner on arrival
• Overnight in Shomo Chuki Resort

Thursday 3rd July – Tiger’s Nest Monastery

Morning

• We’ve kept the most physical part for the end! After breakfast, we’ll take a 2-hour trek up to Bhutan’s most famous site, the Tiger’s Nest Monastery.
• By its local name, Taktshang monastery, the building clings to the cliff, 900 metres above the valley’s bottom. Guru Rinpoche, revered all throughout Bhutan, is said to have flown to the site riding on a tigress and subsequently meditated here for three months. It is one of Bhutan’s most holy sites and draws pilgrims not only from Bhutan but also from neighbouring Buddhist countries.
• The first half of the hike has an elevation of 600 meters and can be done by horse for $20USD for those interested. There’s a cafe halfway up with refreshments and a toilet. The remaining half is only 300 meters in elevation. As a total the hike will take around 6 hours to give everyone a chance to reach the top and bottom safely.
• If you wish, you may hoist prayer flags near the Tiger’s Nest and offer prayers inside the monastery (best to buy a prayer flag at the market on the previous day in case the monastery does not have one).

Afternoon

• Lunch in Paro, and then we’ll head to Drugyel Dzong, built in 1647 by the great Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. It served as a defence post against the Tibetan invasion during the ancient days. This Dzong was destroyed by an accidental fire and has been renovated.
• Explore Kichu Lhakhang, built in 659CE by the Tibetan King Srongsen Gampo. He built 108 Temples in a single day to pin the Ogress to the earth
  forever and at the same time, convert the Tibetan people to Buddhism. Six of these Temples lie in Bhutan; most prominent of them are Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang and Kichu Lhakhang in Paro. This Temple is said to hold the left foot of the Ogress and Jambay Lhakhang pins the left knee.
• In the evening, we’ll stroll around town observing the finest examples of Bhutanese architecture.
• Dinner and overnight at Shomo Chuki Resort.

Friday 4th July – Paro – Kathmandu, Nepal

Morning

• Early breakfast at hotel
• Group A members: tour concludes and you will be dropped off at Paro Airport according to your departure flight schedule.  Druk Air have flights scheduled to Delhi, Bagdogra, Kathmandu, and Kolkata this day.
• Group B & C members: Head to Paro Airport to board our Druk Air flight no. KB400 departing at 7:10am arriving 8:10am in Kathmandu. Flight not included in tour cost and can be booked online.
• On arrival we’ll check early into our hotel depending on room availability – and to store our luggage safely.
• It wouldn’t be a Pioneer Adventure Travel trip if we didn’t stop first by the Narayanhity Palace. This palace was the home of the Nepalese royal family until in 2007 the Maoist leader and new Prime Minister Prachanda gave King Gyanendra 15 days to leave. In 2001, 9 members of the royal family were killed including the King, Queen and Prince in what’s known as the Nepalese royal massacre. A huge mystery is behind the incident and still divides the Nepalese people today. It was essentially what brought the monarchy crumbling down. The palace was turned into a ‘People’s Palace’ and is now a museum where we can check out throne room, banquet halls, royal baths, bedrooms and the massacre site.

Afternoon

• Lunch in Kathmandu
• Visit the Pashupatinath Temple, famous for its superb architecture, two–tiered golden roof and sliver doors. Built in 1696 and dedicated to Lord Shiva, Pashupatinath is the most sacred of Nepal’s Hindu temples and a famous pilgrimage site. Here weddings, cremations and all celebrations of life are held.
• We’ll then make a special visit to Boudhanath, nothing less than one of the world’s largest stupas, and a site of great veneration for Buddhists. You’re welcomed to circumambulate the stupa, spinning the prayer wheels and soaking in the spiritual atmosphere.
• Return back to the hotel to freshen up.
• Dinner of traditional Nepali food in Kathmandu, as we’ll have a feast of local specialities!
• We’ll use the evening to explore Kathmandu’s unsuspectingly busy nightlife and try out the local drinks.
• Overnight in Kathmandu

Saturday 5th July – Kathmandu – Nargarkot

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and begin this morning by visiting  Swayambhunath, also known as the Monkey Temple. It’s located on top of the hill offering great views of the Kathmandu Valley. As we ascend the steps to reach the stupa, we’ll no doubt encounter mischievous monkeys. Hence the name.
• We’ll then head to Patan, an artistic and architectural jewel founded in 250AD, and previously known as Lalitpur. Sometimes it is known as the “Town with a Thousand Golden Roofs.” Here we shall visit the Durbar Square which is being reconstructed since a devastating earthquake.
• Patan is known to have some of the most incredible temples of Nepal,
• The wildest temple we’ll visit today, certainly, is the Hirayana Mahabihar Temple, also known as the Golden Temple. What so special about it? Well believers feed rats, the local inhabitants of the temple here!

Afternoon

• Lunch in Patan and begin our scenic drive to Nagarkot – located approximately 1.5 hours’ drive from Kathmandu.
• On our way we’ll stop to visit a local ethnic village called the Tamang.
• Arrival in Nagarkot for lunch time and check-in into our hotel to freshen up.
• Nagarkot is renowned for its stunning panoramic views of the Himalayan Mountain range, including the mighty Mt. Everest. From our vantage point, you’ll be surrounded by the beauty of the snow-capped peaks, and we’ll catch the sunset. This is as idyllic as it gets!
• We’ll take a stroll through the Bazaar and to a view point where you can enjoy the sunset view.
• Dinner and later hit the town with the locals for drinks!
• Overnight in Nagarkot

Sunday 6th July – Nargarkot – Namobuddha – Kathmandu

Morning

• For those early rises you can catch the sunrise from our hotel
• After breakfast, we’ll drive to Namobuddha (2 hour)
• Namobuddha is renowned for an ancient Buddhist monastery situated at an elevation of 1750 meters. It holds great spiritual significance and is considered a sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists across the globe. The monastery is nestled amidst picturesque surroundings and offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Himalayan Mountain range.

Afternoon

• Lunch in Namobuddha and continue making our way back to Kathmandu (2 hours)
• On our journey back we’ll stop at Bhaktapur Durbar Square – a UNESCO site it showcases the grandeur of the Newar Kingdom with its palaces, temples, and intricately carved woodwork. The square’s stunning structures, including the 55 Window Palace, Nyatapola Temple, and the Golden Gate, provide insights into the country’s history and artistic traditions.
• Arrive and check-into our Kathmandu hotel.
• Head out for dinner, drinks and overnight in Kathmandu

Monday 7th July – Kathmandu

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and begin our walking tour of Ason, known as the Old Market area, here we’ll pass through traditional shops, street vendors, and local markets where you can find a wide variety of goods, ranging from spices and vegetables to handicrafts and souvenirs. It’s a solid spot to experience the lively atmosphere of everyday life in Kathmandu and interact with local vendors.
• Continue onwards to Kathmandu Durbar Square area. This UNESCO site is located in the heart of the city and is home to numerous temples, palaces, and courtyards that reflect the rich architectural and cultural heritage of Nepal. As you explore the square, you’ll come across historical structures such as the Hanuman Dhoka Palace, Taleju Temple, and the famous Kumari Ghar (House of the Living Goddess).
• We’ll walk back to our hotel arriving around midday where the tour concludes and airport transfers can be arranged for this day only.