Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, proceed for full day
sightseeing tour of Thimphu.
Kuensel Phodrang – The statue was cast in bronze in
China and transported by sea and road to this site once
occupied by the palace of Druk Desi, a secular ruler of Bhutan
in the eighteenth-century. At its completion, the statue will
contain 125,000 gilded Buddha statues and a wealth of other
statuary.
Takin Reserve & Mini Zoo - Add to Wish List Hidden in a
fold of the forest-draped hills high above Thimphu, a herd of
takin make their home in the Mothithang Takin Preserve.
Formerly a small zoo, the king decreed that the animals should
be freed rather than kept in captivity. However, instead of
wandering deeper into the hills, the tame takin took to the
streets of Thimphu, where they became a traffic hazard as they
foraged for food.
Anim Dratshang (Nunnery) - On a hillside above
Thimphu's Tashichho Dzong, just off Gaden Lam, stands
Thangtong Dewachen Dupthop Nunnery. Home to around 60 nuns,
the modest structure was built in 1976 by the 16th incarnation
of Thangtong Gyelpo, the famed fifteenth-century "Iron Bridge
Monk" who forged chain-link bridges that still span several of
Bhutan's fast-flowing rivers. The road to the nunnery offers
magnificent views of Tashichho Dzong, while the small complex
houses a covered chorten and an unusual pillar topped with two
carved deer (symbolic of the Deer Park at Sarnath, where
Buddha first taught after his enlightenment) and a wheel of
law.
Folk Heritage Museum - The Folk Heritage Museum,
located on the outskirts of Thimphu, recreates a traditional
Bhutanese family home inside a beautiful 19th century rammed
earth and timber building. Here, the family's prized
possessions are on display: shiny wooden bowls line the
kitchen shelves, richly patterned fabrics hang alongside aged
leopard fur bags in the room next door, and gold glints from
thangkas hung in the family's altar room.
Royal Textile Academy & Museum - Intricately patterned
wild silk kiras from Lhuentse hang alongside rough nettle
fiber cloth from Zhemgang in Bhutan's excellent Royal Textile
Academy. The museum, housed in an impressive modern building,
celebrates the country's vibrant and varied tradition of hand
weaving.
Handicrafts Market – An interesting market with local
items and bargain price handicraft goods.
Tashichho Dzong - Standing proudly on the western bank
of the Wang Chhu a few kilometers north of central Thimphu,
Tashichho Dzong looks every inch the seat of government. While
the National Assembly no longer convenes inside the fortress's
whitewashed walls, today the dzong still houses the throne
room and the king's offices as well as the ministries of home
affairs and finance.
Overnight stay in Thimphu.
brightness_3 Night
Stay:
Thimphu
local_dining Meals:
Breakfast
