Walking in Bhutan (Talo Festival)

The trip starts today in the Nepali capital Kathmandu. There are no planned included activities today and you can arrive at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM). You should allow at least 45 minutes to reach our hotel in central Kathmandu as traffic congestion in city can be bad. Your time in Kathmandu is unaccompanied and you will meet your Bhutanese Leader on arrival in Paro on day two of the holiday. A Nepali representative will meet with everyone today at 6pm to brief you on the essentials for your stay in Kathmandu and timings for the journey to the airport tomorrow morning. Should you miss this meeting, please refer to the hotel noticeboard for further information.

Depending on the arrival time of your flight, should you wish to explore, our hotel is located a short walk from the lively Thamel area. Home to a multitude of outdoor gear, souvenir shops, great bookshops and a huge variety of restaurants, it's a fun place to wander. Alternatively, if you'd like to explore further afield you could head to either the Boudhanath or Swayambunath temples (ask the hotel to arrange a taxi for you) where you can mingle among the many Buddhist pilgrims. Stay: Hotel Ambassador (Comfortable)

We fly to Paro in Bhutan this morning on what must be one of the world's most spectacular mountain flights. If you sit on the left-hand side of the plane you'll be treated to breathtaking views of five of the eight 8000m plus peaks of the Himalaya including Everest, Lhotse and Kanchenjunga. Beautifully set amidst the wooded valleys of Western Bhutan, Paro lies along the banks of Paro Chu River, overlooking terraced farmland, and is home to some of the largest and oldest of Bhutan's majestic dzongs - fabulous buildings that serve as the political, religious and military centres of their regions.

On arrival we will be met by our Bhutanese tour leader and transfer the short distance to our hotel for some lunch. All of the meals in Bhutan are included in the price of the holiday and each day we'll have the chance to sample a variety of traditional specialities including various dishes made with cheese such as the staple dish of ema datshi, chillies and cheese.

In the afternoon we head out on our first walk of the trip, a gentle ramble on the eastern side of the valley from the Ta Dzong, (the National Museum of Bhutan) to Zuri Dzong. We'll visit the museum before setting out. It houses over 3,000 works of Bhutanese art, covering more than 1,500 years of Bhutan's cultural heritage. Zuri Dzong, a former fortress, now a temple complex, dates back to the 14th century and houses temples to the local protective deities. It is home to hermits and scholars specializing in indigenous medicine. Our walk ends at the cantilever bridge across the River Paro Chu.

In the evening we'll pay a visit to the 7th century Kyichu Lhakhang temple where we can offer butter lamps dedicated to the souls of departed loves ones and for the benefit of all sentient beings, a preactice followed by all Bhutanese before embarking on a journey.

Today's three kilometre leisurely walk is over flat terrain and is expected to take around two hours. Stay: Janka Resort (Comfortable) (B/L/D)

Departing Paro this morning we turn east, taking the mountain roads that head through the beautiful landscapes of the Black Mountains and across the high Dochu La Pass (3,100m). Our journey takes us across a landscape blanketed in rice terraces and scattered villages and, as we climb up towards the heights of Dochu La, the road becomes festooned with colourful prayer flags. On a clear day this meandering highway offers some breathtaking views across the Bhutan Himalayas towards the towering peak of Gangkhar Punsum (7,541m), the highest mountain in the country. Descending from the pass the landscape changes; from forests of pine and oak, through rhododendron, alder and cypress, to turn more tropical as we approach the valley floor. The first part of today's hike takes us from the terraces at Thinleygang, where we enjoy a picnic lunch, to just below the Wolokha nunnery in the Punakha Valley. We walk on the so-called Divine Madman's trail, named after Lama Drukpa Kuenley, a revered and decidedly controversial saint who is believed to have subdued the demoness of the Dochu La. Drukpa Kuenley's teachings went against the normal Buddhist conventions. He believed that the rigid doctrines of the day were isolating the priests from the ordinary people, so he set out to break down these barriers by deliberate provocation by, in his own words, using '...fair and foul words for mantras'. The trail leads through a tropical forest of chirping birds, diverse plants and trees with scenic views of the valley and the river. In days gone by this trail was used by the Central Monastic Body while migrating to their summer and winter residences in Thimphu and Punakha respectively. The trail passes through Chandana, a typical Bhutanese village where legend has it that a house was hit by an arrow fired by the Mad Monk that came flying all the way from Tibet. After enjoying a short break at the end of the trail, we visit the 15th century Chimi Lhakhang temple , dedicated to Drukpa Kuenley. The walk across the fields to the temple starts at the village of Sopsokha where you'll see brightly painted phallus's adorning the side of the houses. Chimi Lhakhang is also known as the fertility temple; women who are having trouble conceiving come here to pray and receive the resident lama's blessings, which he punctuates by tapping the women on the head with a wooden phallus! After our walks we'll take a short transfer to the Talo Monastery, set on a plateau overlooking the Pubakha Valley. Today the monastery will host a festival dedicated to the traditional mask and atsara dances which are performed by monks. We'll spend a couple of hours here, soaking up the celebratory atmosphere and watching the dances before returning to our hotel for the evening. Today's five-and-half kilometre hike on the Divine Madman trail is expected to take around two-and-half to three hours with a total ascent of 557 metres. The two kilometre walk to Chimi Lhakhang will take around and hour with a total ascent and descent of 20 metres. ACCOMODATION NOTE: Due to the increased demand for accommodation during the festivall period, hotels will not confirm single occupancy of twin/double rooms room and there are very few actual single rooms. We therefore cannot guarantee single rooms for those booking the single room option and hence do not advertise the single room option as being available for these two nights. Stay: Zhingkham Resort (Comfortable) (B/L/D)

This morning we take a short drive to the village of Hebisa and set out for the beautiful Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Stupa, a jewel-like structure that can be seen poking through the trees beyond the river. It is dedicated to the current king and was built by his mother. There are several levels to this pagoda-like structure, each of which is densely packed with protector deities. The trail to the stupa is gradual and takes us past rice paddies and fields of chillies where we will see farmers at work. Returning to Punakha we visit the impressive Punakha Dzong. Built on a sandbank at the confluence of the Phochu and Mochu rivers, the dzong was once the seat of the Bhutanese government, but today it's the winter retreat of the Chief Abbot of Bhutan. A superb example of Bhutanese monastic architecture, the dzong presents us with a collection of tiered halls, inner courtyards and golden spires that have managed to survive numerous fires, floods and earthquakes over the intervening centuries. The remainder of the afternoon is free to relax or wander further in the town. Today's three kilometre walk is expected to take around two hours with a total ascent and descent of 240 metres. Stay: Zhingkham Resort (Comfortable) (B/L/D)

Today we depart for the beautiful glacial valley of Phobjikha. The drive is stunning; as we ascend towards the Pele Pass, the vegetation changes, from the cacti growing in the warm valley of Punakha to the mixed conifer and rhododendron forest of Phobjikha. The valley is home to Bhutan's black-necked cranes, now an endangered species. Conservation efforts by Bhutan and the World Wildlife Fund have been able to create a safe haven for these stunningly beautiful birds, which flock to the region's marshy wetlands in winter for roosting (mid-October to early March). Shortly after the pass we reach the village of Longtey, the starting point for today's hike, which takes us through open pasture of shrub bamboo and then across the Pele La and into the Phobjika Valley. We descend steeply through areas of shrub bamboo past the Khumbu Gompa, a small meditation complex, to meet our vehicle in the village of Khumbu. Its a short drive from here to our guesthouse. Today's seven kilometre walk is expected to take three-and-a-half hours with a total ascent of 523 metres and descent of 406 metres. Stay: Dewachen Hotel - Phobjika (Comfortable) (B/L/D)

We visit Gangtey Monastery this morning before setting out from its long mani-wall (a wall built up from mantra-painted mani stones, a Buddhist offering) along a route known as the Gangtey Nature Trail hike. Heading down to a village of clustered Bhutanese houses among fields of potato and turnip, we'll then pass through forests of pine and dwarf bamboo before walking along a ridge into the Phobjikha Valley. We plan to call in at a farmhouse on the way and meet some of the local people going about their everyday lives. The medium of education in Bhutan is English and many people here are able to speak more than just a smattering. After lunch we plan to visit the Phobjika Crane Information Centre to learn more about these birds, which are so loved by the local people, that a black-necked crane festival is held every year in November at Gangtey Monastery. There's an option to enjoy a further hike this afternoon from the village of Kingathang, that will take us on a route back to our hotel. Alternatively you can simply relax among these peaceful and beautiful surroundings. This morning's three kilometre easy walk is expected to take around one-and-a-half hours with a total descent of 140 metres. The optional four kilometre afternoon hike is expected to take around one-and-a-half hours with an ascent of 150 metres. Stay: Dewachen Hotel - Phobjika (Comfortable) (B/L/D)

This morning, we embark on the Lawala Ridgeline hike beginning at the institute for higher learning. Passing by the dormitories of the monks and assembly halls (one of them newly being built), we start off and climb immediately through sparse pinewood and then treeless meadow, passing by a few hermitages along the way. We may see some of the hermits as well as the occasional herders who use the trail. The path is faint in some places and it is steady climb. Views of the gentle glacial valley of Phobjikha unfold behind us. We climb a little higher before eventually meeting our vehicle at the Lawala Pass and continuing our drive to Wangdi.

For those who wish, there's an option of a second hike today en route to Wangdi between the villages of Samtengang and Chungsakha. Anyone looking for a more relaxing afternoon can continue with the bus on to Wangdi.

This morning's four-and-a-half kilometre walk is expected to take two-and-a-half hours with a total ascent of 530 metres. the optional afternoon hike is approximately five kilometres and expected to take around two hours with a total ascent of 100 metres. Stay: Kichu Resort (Comfortable) (B/L/D)

An early-morning departure takes us back across Dochu La from where we disembark for a hike to Lungchuzekha Monastery. It takes approximately two hours to reach the small monastery after which we descend via the villages of Trashigang and Hongtsho, another three or so hours of wonderful hiking. Our vehicles meet us where the trail crosses the road and we continue on to Thimphu. The Bhutanese capital occupies the wooded western banks of the Wang Chhu. Time allowing, we will walk along Thimpu's bustling streets, soaking up the rich atmosphere of this most unique of capitals, one that doesn't possess even a single traffic light.

Today's walk is expected to take five-and-a-half hours with a total ascent of 530 metres and descent of 100 metres. Stay: Hotel River View (Comfortable) (B/L/D)

We leave Thimpu behind and head back towards Paro and our final hike of the trip, the trek up to the fabulous Taktsang Monastery. One of the most revered spiritual sites in the country, it is precariously located on a cliff face some 900 metres above the Paro Valley. The name translates as 'Tiger's Nest' and local legend recounts how Guru Rinpoche, who founded the Drukpa Sect and brought Buddhism to Bhutan, flew here on the back of a tiger and founded the monastery on the site of a cave where he spent a few months deep in meditation. The hike up to the monastery follows a path that cuts through oak and pine forests. After about an hour, we reach a small teahouse with wonderful views of the monastery; a great place to take a rest. After another hour we emerge by a chorten with amazing views of the monastery and surrounding area. The final stretch climbs down, and then back up 700 steps, crossing a gorge laced with prayer flags, to arrive at this incredible destination. We can take a look inside the monastery but we are not permitted to enter the actual cave where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated.

Upon returning to Paro, there should be time to relax at the hotel or do some last-minute exploring in the town.

Today's 13 kilometre hike is expected to take five-and-a-half hours with a total ascent and descent of 600 metres. Stay: Janka Resort (Comfortable) (B/L/D)

Today we fly back to Nepal with the chance to enjoy the amazing views of the high Himalaya once again. We plan to head out with a local guide on a walking tour around Old Kathmandu, taking in Durbar Square and its collection of ornate palaces, courtyards and temples and we'll also wander in the Asan Bazaar area.

The rest of the day has been left free for further sightseeing and perhaps some shopping. You might like to spend it visiting the almost perfectly preserved Newari town of Bhaktapur in the eastern corner of the Kathmandu Valley. Also known as Bhadgaun or the City of the Devotees, Bhaktapur evokes the feel of a medieval village, a snapshot of a time when the city lay along the prosperous trade routes between Tibet, China and India. The ancient centre of the town is a dazzling collection of temples, palaces and monasteries that have earned it a place on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Wandering through the streets of the city you can see artisans going about their crafts much as they have for generations. Potters throw clay on traditional wooden wheels, jewellers and artists go about their daily business. Another alternative for this afternoon is a trip up to the nearby the hilltop temple of Swayambunath, the captivating 'Monkey Temple', whose all-seeing Buddha eyes gaze out across the Kathmandu Valley. The temple is aptly named and the cheeky monkeys that inhabit its ancient walls are not averse to trying to relieve passers by of food, bags and cameras, so be warned. Stay: Hotel Ambassador (Comfortable) (B)

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Kathmandu. There are no activities planned for today, so you are free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM). (B)