Paro Tshechu
Three mornings of mask dance, and the kingdom holding still around them.
Why we created this journey
Every journey we design starts with a question rather than an itinerary. What is the one thing about this part of Bhutan that someone should understand before they leave? The places and the days follow from that question, not the other way around.
We do not build journeys by stringing together famous sights. We build them by thinking about who the traveller is, what they will notice, and what they will carry home with them. That takes longer. We think it is worth it.
Moments you may remember
- Watching first light reach the valley before anyone else is awake
- A conversation that runs longer than the meal
- An afternoon with nowhere particular to be
- The sound of a river you did not know you needed to hear
- A handwritten postcard arriving after you have returned home
This journey may suit you if
- You prefer a few places experienced well over many places ticked off
- You are more interested in how people live than in how many temples you visit
- You value time and space in your travels
- You do not want to change hotels every night
- You are comfortable at a slower pace and find that pace more rewarding
From USD 350 per person per day, fully inclusive of accommodation, private vehicle and licensed guide, all meals, permits, SDF, and 24-hour support. Customised to fit you.
Highlights of this journey
- Tiger's Nest at first light, two days before the crowds arrive for the festival
- Rinpung Dzong on the opening morning of the Tshechu — private position arranged
- The Thongdrel, a sacred silk appliqué many storeys tall, unveiled at dawn on the fourth day
- Mask dances performed by monks trained since childhood in a tradition three hundred years unbroken
- A farmhouse lunch below the Tiger's Nest trail on your last full day in Paro
- Paro valley at the exact moment the kingdom is most alive
Sample itineraries
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Day 1 Arrive Paro. The valley before the festival.
Land at Paro on the morning Drukair flight. Our team meets you at the gate. We drive slowly into the valley — windows down if the weather allows — stopping at Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, before check-in. Quiet afternoon at the hotel. Dinner in the valley.
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Day 2 Tiger's Nest. First light, no crowd.
We start early. The hike to Taktsang — Tiger's Nest — takes three hours at a measured pace and the monastery perched above the 900-metre cliff earns every step. We reach the top by mid-morning, before the festival visitors arrive from other valleys. Lunch at a farmhouse below the trail. Long quiet afternoon at the hotel. Sleep well — the first festival morning starts early.
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Day 3 First morning of the Tshechu. Rinpung Dzong.
We arrive at Rinpung Dzong before the gates open. The dzong sits on a promontory above the valley and the light at this time of year comes in long and low across the courtyard. We have a position with clear sight lines to the main dance arena. The opening dances include the Black Hat Dance — monks in wide-brimmed hats moving in formations that are part ceremony, part cosmology. Lunch in Paro town. Afternoon rest. Dinner at the hotel.
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Day 4 Second morning of the Tshechu. The dance of the sword.
Another early start. Today the courtyard fills before the dances begin — local families in kira and gho, monks arranging offerings, children running between everyone's legs. The dances today include the Peling Ging and Tshokling, and the Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche. We stay through midday, then leave before the afternoon crowd thickens. Long lunch, quiet afternoon, dinner together and time to talk about what you saw.
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Day 5 The Thongdrel. Before dawn at the dzong.
The most important morning of the Tshechu. The Thongdrel — a sacred silk appliqué many storeys tall, stitched by monks over years — is unfurled from the dzong wall at first light and displayed only until the sun reaches it. We arrive in the dark and wait. When it opens, the crowd goes quiet. It is always unexpected, even when you know it is coming. We stay until the sun arrives, then return to the hotel for breakfast and a very slow morning.
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Day 6 Paro valley. The unhurried close.
A day with no schedule. The festival is done; the valley is returning to itself. Options: a walk to the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong at the far end of the valley, where the mountains to Tibet are visible on a clear day; a visit to the National Museum in the watchtower above Rinpung Dzong; or nothing at all. We arrange whichever you want and leave the rest open. Dinner at the hotel.
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Day 7 Paro. Last full day.
A half-day with your hands. We have arranged a mandala painting session with a thangka teacher in his studio in Paro town — two hours learning the geometry that underlies Bhutanese sacred art. Lunch in town, then free afternoon. Dinner together, unhurried.
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Day 8 Depart Paro.
Breakfast at the hotel. Our team drives you to Paro International Airport for your morning flight. We send a postcard from Thimphu after you leave — it arrives in about three weeks.
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Day 1 Arrive Paro. The valley before the festival.
Land at Paro on the morning Drukair flight. Our team meets you at the gate. We drive slowly into the valley, stopping at Kyichu Lhakhang before check-in. Quiet afternoon at the hotel. Dinner in the valley.
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Day 2 Tiger's Nest. First light, no crowd.
We start early. Three hours up to Taktsang, arriving before the festival visitors from other valleys. Lunch at a farmhouse below the trail. Long quiet afternoon at the hotel.
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Day 3 First morning of the Tshechu. Rinpung Dzong.
We arrive at Rinpung Dzong before the gates open. Good position in the courtyard. The opening dances — Black Hat, Dramitse Nga Cham — in long morning light. Lunch in Paro. Afternoon rest.
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Day 4 Second morning of the Tshechu.
Another early start. The dzong fills before the dances. Peling Ging and the Dance of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche. We leave by midday. Long lunch and a quiet afternoon.
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Day 5 The Thongdrel. Before dawn at the dzong.
We arrive in the dark and wait for the Thongdrel — the sacred silk appliqué many storeys tall — to be unfurled at first light. It is always unexpected, even when you know it is coming. Breakfast back at the hotel and a slow morning after.
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Day 6 Paro valley. The unhurried close.
A day with no schedule. Walk to Drukgyel Dzong ruins, visit the National Museum, or do nothing at all. We arrange whichever you want and leave the rest open.
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Day 7 Paro. Last full day.
A mandala painting session with a thangka teacher in his Paro studio. Lunch in town, then a free afternoon. Dinner together.
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Day 8 Depart Paro.
Breakfast at the hotel. Our team drives you to the airport for your morning flight. We send a postcard from Thimphu after you leave.
What is included
All accommodation, on the basis described per day
Private vehicle and licensed driver throughout
Licensed Bhutanese guide throughout
All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
All permits and entry fees, including festival entry
Sustainable Development Fee (SDF)
24-hour in-country support
What is not included
International flights to Paro
Visa fee (USD 40)
Travel insurance
Personal expenses, tipping, drinks at meals
Optional experiences (browse and add to your wishlist)
What your journey gives back.
Bhutan is a carbon negative kingdom, where more than 70 percent of the land is covered in forests and the rivers remain clean and alive. The Sustainable Development Fee supports free healthcare, free education, and the protection of this extraordinary place.
This is not a tax. It is a shared commitment to preserve Bhutan for every generation that follows.
By visiting, you are not a tourist. You are a co-guardian of this kingdom.
Ready when you are.
Tell us roughly when you would like to come and how many you are. Our team in Thimphu will reply personally within 24 hours.
Plan this journey with our team