Compare Adventures in Wales by Wilderness Travel vs Bhutan City Tours with Bumdra Trek and Homestay by Himalayan Glacier Adventure
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 12 days | 7 days |
| Price From | $ 4,995 | $ 2,870 |
| Price Per Day | $ 416 | $ 410 |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Standard |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
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| Description |
A famed cultural and literary heritage and a gorgeous landscape happily converge in Wales. We’ve created a fantastic hiking adventure that journeys into the verdant Wye Valley, along the wild sandstone bluffs of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, and up to craggy Mt. Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales and England. As we explore from the castle-topped ridges of the Brecon Beacons to the lakes and mountains of Snowdonia, we’ll hear the unique Welsh language, one of Europe’s oldest living tongues, meet local scholars, visit Dylan Thomas’s home, and enjoy wonderful meals bursting with local flavor and tradition. Overnights are in historic coaching inns and a country house nestled between rugged mountains and the Irish Sea. |
Bhutan City Tours with Bumdra Trek and Homestay is a trip which combines sightseeing tours in Paro, Punakha and Thimphu with one-day homestay experience and a short Bumdra Trek. The 7-day trip begins with sightseeing of popular landmarks in Paro and Punakha. In Punakha we experience the rich Bhutanese culture first-hand through a homestay. This will open us up to a different lifestyle. Then we travel to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan and tour several beautiful landmarks including various dzongs (fortresses), traditional painting school and others. The final portion of the trip is the Bumdra trek which will familiarize us with the beautiful Bhutanese landscape. During the trek we also visit the Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest) which is probably the most popular landmark in Bhutan. |
Days 1-2: Wye Valley / Tintern Abbey / Brecon Beacons National Park
Accommodation: The Bear Hotel
A hike across the Anglo-Welsh border brings us to the tranquil Wye Valley, a source of inspiration to artists and writers, Wordsworth and Coleridge among them. Our hike ends at the ruins of magnificent 12th century Tintern Abbey, where a historian leads us through the haunting halls. Another hike brings us to the delightful booklover’s mecca of Hay-on-Wye, where we stop in for a local craft beer or afternoon cream tea
Days 3-5: Laugharne / Pembrokeshire Coastal Path
Accommodation: Warpool Court and The Erskine Arms
At Laugharne, we visit the home of the poet Dylan Thomas with a historian (with a poet’s heart) as our guide, and from St. David’s at the westernmost tip of Wales, we hike the dramatic Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, keeping watch for seals basking on the rocks below.
Days 6-9: Snowdonia National Park / Capel Curig / Snowdon / Caernarfon Castle
Accommodation: The Erskine Arms and Plas Dinas Country House
We hike from Capel Curig to the lush Conwy Valley, where Hillary’s team trained for the 1953 Everest Expedition. At mighty Snowdon (3,560'), with its wild cirques and glacier-carved tarns, a classic rail car brings us to the summit, and we enjoy Snowdon’s breathtaking scenery on our hike down. After exploring 13th century Caernarfon Castle, our final hike begins on a beach on the Isle of Anglesey (a honeymoon walking spot for Prince William and Kate) and ends at tiny Llanddwyn Island, home to the ruins of a 13th century church dedicated to the patron saint of Welsh lovers. Depart on Day 9.
Day 1: Arrival and sightseeing in Paro
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel (Hotel Tashi Namgay Resort)
Maximum Altitude: 2,250m/7,382ft
After we land at the international airport in Paro, a Himalayan Glacier representative will pick us up from the airport and drop us off at our hotel. We then freshen up at the hotel and have lunch. Afterwards, we visit Rinpung Dzong followed by Kichu Lhakhang, the oldest temple in the country. From here we will go to the Drugyal Dzong (Bhutan Victory Fort), which was built in 1646 to commemorate Bhutan’s victory over Tibetan invaders during the 1600s. On a clear day we can see Mount Chomolhari, Bhutan’s second-highest mountain, at 7,314 meters. Overnight in Paro.
Day 2: Paro to Punakha
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Driving: 4 hrs
Maximum Altitude: 3,100m/10,171ft
We drive to Punakha via Dochu La Pass. From the pass, we see amazing views of the Himalayas on a clear day. Next, we drive downhill through rhododendron, fir and hemlock forests. On the way, we visit Chimi Lhakhang, a fertility temple dedicated to the Divine Madman or Lama Drukpa Kuenley. After reaching Punakha, we visit the Punakha Dzong built in the local architectural style. While here we also enjoy a collection of Buddhist items. After the tour, we also visit the suspension bridge nearby which is in fact the longest bridge in Bhutan. Today we stay at a home of a local resident. This will let us experience the everyday lives of the Bhutanese people. Overnight homestay in Punakha.
Day 3: Punakha to Thimphu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Driving: 3 hrs
Maximum Altitude: 2,320m/7,612ft
We begin our scenic drive to Thimphu after breakfast and pass through Dochu La pass and forests. After reaching Thimphu, we visit the ‘Bhutan Post Office Headquarters’ which showcases Bhutan’s postal history and houses a museum. We can even make our own personalized stamp! Next, we tour the Kuensel Phodrang (Buddha Point) which has the tallest Buddha statue in the world at 51 m. The sheer beauty of the statue and the location is magnificent. We can spend some time here in quiet solitude before returning to our hotel. Overnight in Thimphu.
Day 4: Sightseeing in Thimphu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel (Hotel Migmar)
Maximum Altitude: 2,320m/7,612ft
We tour a lot of Thimphu’s landmarks today beginning with the Memorial Chorten. Today we also visit the nunnery temple for Buddhist monks, the mini-zoo to see Takin, the national animal of Bhutan. We also tour the Changangkha Monastery and the Thimphu Dzong. After lunch, we visit the National Institute of Traditional Medicine, a Bhutanese traditional painting school, a folk-heritage museum, Tashichho Dzong and the traditional paper factory. However, some of the landmarks are closed on the weekends (Saturdays and Sundays). Therefore, if we are in Thimphu during the weekends, we explore the Weekend Market instead. Overnight in Thimphu.
Day 5: Drive to Sang Choekor Buddhist University then hike to Bumdra
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Camping
Hiking: 4 hrs
Maximum Altitude: 3,500m/11,484ft
We drive to Sang Choekor Buddhist University via Paro. We meet our ponies here before ascending for around two hours on a forested ridge which will bring us to a clearing. From here, we get good views of both Paro and Do Chhu valleys below. We continue on our trail and reach Chhoe Tse Lhakhang (temple) which boasts commanding views of the snow-capped Himalayas. Next, we climb through ruins, prayer flags and a forest before reaching a meadow dotted with sacred chortens and prayer flags. We set our camp on a location just under the Bumdra Monastery (Cave of a Thousand Prayers) and enjoy unhindered views of the Himalayan range. Overnight camp in Bumdra.
Day 6: Hike Bumdra to Paro via Tigers Nest Monastery
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel (Hotel Tashi Namgay Resort)
Hiking: 6 hrs
Maximum Altitude: 3,180m/10,434ft
After breakfast we start our trek on a winding trail that takes us to an ancient pine and rhododendron forest. As we are descending for some time, we see begin to see the golden roofs of the monasteries below. Our path snakes across the mountainside between these monasteries before reaching the gardens of Zangto Pelri (Heaven on Earth). From here we can peer over the edge, straight down onto the ornate rooftops of Taktsang Monastery perched against the cliff-face far below. We descend on a steep trail to a waterfall then ascend to the most venerated Bhutanese monastery, the Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest). After touring the monastery, we descend to Paro Valley floor. Overnight hotel in Paro.
Day 7: Final departure
Meals: Breakfast
Our ‘Bhutan City Tours with Bumdra Trek and Homestay’ ends today. A Himalayan Glacier representative will drop us off at the airport after breakfast for our early morning flight out of Bhutan as Druk Air generally departs in the early morning to avoid adverse weather conditions.
