| Duration: | 10 Day(s) - 9 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Village Tour |
Day 1: Arrive in Paro, Paro to Thimphu
Day 2: Thimphu
Introduction of Gross National Happiness/talk on GNH
Day 3: Thimphu to Punakha
Day 4: Punakha to Phobjikha
Interaction with local people and schoolchildren
Day 5: Phobjikha to Bumthang
Day 6: Bumthang
Hot stone bath
Farmhouse Visit
Day 7: Bumthang to Punakha
Day 8: Punakha to Paro
Day 9: Paro
Hike to Tiger’s Nest
Day 10: Departure
What is Gross National Happiness?
Gross national happiness (GNH) is a measure of economic and moral progress that the king of the Himalayan country of Bhutan introduced in the 1970s as an alternative to gross domestic product. Rather than focusing strictly on quantitative economic measures, gross national happiness takes into account an evolving mix of quality-of-life factors.
King Jigme Singye Wangchuck told the Financial Times in a 1972 interview that “gross national happiness is more important than the gross national product.” It is not clear how seriously King Jigme had thought through this new metric, but Bhutanese scholars have since picked up the idea and run with it. The GNH has evolved into a somewhat scientific measure of the once-isolated kingdom's economic and moral development.
Hiking to the Tiger's Nest in this Tour:
Tiger's Nest monastery called Taktsang Phalphug in Bhutanese is the major highlight of every trip to Bhutan. If you miss it, it’s like you didn’t visit the country at all. On the other hand, for many travelers this iconic monastery perched on the steep cliff above Paro Valley is also a source of concerns since you need to undertake the hike – presumably a difficult one – to reach up there.
The hike to Tiger's Nest is a moderate to difficult one but you'll be able to do it if you have at least an average level of fitness. The hike takes between 3 to 5 hours depending on your pace. ... The hike is about 6 km (4 miles) in length round trip.
The only way to reach the Tiger Nest Monastery is by foot or on the back of a horse. It´s only a short 25-minute car ride from Paro to reach the parking lot where you will start your hike up to The Tiger`s Nest Monastery.
