Bhutan Cultural & Festivals: Tshechu Masked Dances of the Dragon Kingdom

Today you immerse yourself in a vibrant tshechu, the colourful religious festival that is the beating heart of Bhutanese culture (exact dates and location are set by the lunar calendar, and we time your tour to attend). You take your reserved place in a dzong courtyard packed with Bhutanese families dressed in their finest hand-woven gho and kira, and watch masked monks in brilliant brocade whirl through the sacred cham dances that dramatise Buddhist teachings and banish evil, to the sound of horns, cymbals and drums. Mischievous atsara clowns tease the crowd between dances, and the atmosphere is joyful and deeply devout. You share a picnic lunch amid the festivities and soak up the colour, music and community spirit. The devotion and joy are extraordinary. Return to your hotel this evening, moved by an unforgettable day. Rest well.

This morning you visit Paro's imposing Rinpung Dzong, the 'fortress on a heap of jewels', crossing its beautiful traditional covered wooden bridge and stepping into courtyards alive with monks; during festival season the dzong itself may host dances. You climb briefly to the ancient watchtower above, home to the National Museum, with its wonderful collection of thangkas, festival masks, textiles and artefacts that deepen your understanding of what you have seen. You then drive over the hills to Thimphu, the gentle capital, arriving in time to explore. You visit the National Memorial Chorten, circled all day by pilgrims spinning prayer wheels, and settle into your hotel. This evening you might wander Thimphu's relaxed streets and sample its cafes. As the mountain dusk falls over the capital, you reflect on the festival. Rest well, ready to explore Thimphu tomorrow.

Today you explore Thimphu, the world's only capital without a traffic light. You climb to the vast golden Buddha Dordenma, one of the largest seated Buddhas anywhere, gazing serenely over the valley, and visit the majestic Tashichho Dzong, seat of the throne and central monk body, glowing gold in the afternoon light. You meet the curious takin, Bhutan's national animal, at its forest preserve, and browse the fascinating textile museum celebrating the kingdom's extraordinary weaving, the folk-heritage house, and the charming postal museum where you can print a stamp of your own face. If it is a weekend, you wander the lively market piled with red rice, chillies and fresh cheese, and may catch a boisterous archery match. The character and warmth are delightful. Return to your hotel to savour the relaxed capital. Rest well, ready for the Dochula Pass tomorrow.

Today you journey to the warm, fertile valley of Punakha, climbing first to the beautiful Dochula Pass at over 3,000 metres, where 108 white memorial chortens rise in tiers on a hilltop strung with prayer flags. On a clear morning a breathtaking wall of snow-capped Himalayan peaks fills the horizon; you pause for butter tea and photographs. Descending through forests of rhododendron and fern, you reach the Punakha valley, far warmer and greener than the capital. You walk through rice paddies to the charming Chimi Lhakhang, the hillside fertility temple of the beloved 'Divine Madman', passing a village famous for its playful painted murals, and receive a traditional blessing. You then settle into your riverside hotel as the valley glows in the late light. This evening, savour a warming Bhutanese dinner by the river. Rest well amid the beauty of Punakha.

Today you explore the beautiful Punakha valley, the ancient winter seat of Bhutan's kings. You visit the magnificent Punakha Dzong, widely held to be the loveliest fortress-monastery in the country, set gracefully where the father and mother rivers meet; you cross a traditional wooden bridge to its whitewashed walls and step into vast courtyards where a great bodhi tree grows and jacaranda blooms lilac in spring, past exquisite painted galleries and a golden assembly hall. You then walk out to one of the longest suspension bridges in Bhutan, swaying high above the clear river amid a river of fluttering prayer flags. In the afternoon you might take a gentle hike up to the hilltop Khamsum Yulley temple, with wide valley views, or stroll the terraced fields. Return to your riverside hotel at dusk. Rest well beside the beautiful Mo Chhu.

This morning you make the scenic drive back west to Paro, recrossing the Dochula Pass with another chance at the great Himalayan panorama, and continuing through Thimphu to the broad Paro valley, arriving by early afternoon. Paro is one of the most beautiful valleys in Bhutan, a wide sweep of emerald rice fields, traditional farmhouses and the winding river, watched over by its great dzong. You settle into your hotel and enjoy a gentle afternoon, perhaps a stroll among the fields, a visit to a traditional farmhouse for butter tea, or a soak in a restorative hot-stone bath, a beloved Bhutanese ritual. Your guide helps you prepare for tomorrow's climb to the Tiger's Nest. As the light fades over the valley, you savour the calm. This evening, enjoy a relaxed dinner. Rest well, gathering your strength for the pilgrimage ahead.

Today you make the iconic pilgrimage to Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest, the most sacred and famous site in Bhutan. You set out early and climb a beautiful forest trail of blue pine hung with fluttering prayer flags, gaining height steadily (a pony can be arranged for part of the ascent). At a teahouse viewpoint the golden-roofed temples appear across a deep chasm, clinging impossibly to a sheer granite cliff 900 metres above the valley, where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated. The final stretch descends past a waterfall and climbs stone steps into the monastery itself, its shrines fragrant with butter lamps and profoundly peaceful. The setting is breathtaking and deeply moving. You descend in the afternoon, tired and elated, and this evening celebrate with a farewell dinner, perhaps reflecting on the festival, the dzongs and the mountains you have seen. Rest well after an unforgettable day.

After a relaxed final breakfast in the beautiful Paro valley, you gather your impressions of an extraordinary journey. There may be time for a last stroll along Paro's charming main street for handicrafts and gifts, or a final quiet moment at Kyichu Lhakhang, before you are transferred to Paro airport for your onward departure, taking off amid the peaks on another spectacular flight. You leave having lived Bhutan's culture from the inside, the whirling masked dances of the tshechu, the great dzongs of Thimphu, Punakha and Paro, the giant Buddha and busy markets, the Himalayan pass and the cliff-clinging Tiger's Nest, all warmed by the kingdom's gentle spirit of Gross National Happiness. The colour, devotion and profound calm of Bhutan stay with you long after you land. You depart already dreaming of a return to the Dragon Kingdom.