7-Day Bhutan Spiritual Tour: Monastic Stay & Meditation

Meditate with monks and hike to Bhutan's holiest sites

A 7-day spiritual tour in Paro, Bhutan centered on stays at Gangtey Shedra monastery where you join morning and evening prayers, take guided meditation courses from authentic Buddhist masters, and visit sacred sites including Taktshang Monastery and Punakha Dzong. The itinerary weaves meditation practice with hikes through valleys and visits to temples where great masters have meditated, ending with the trek to Taktshang perched on a cliff face.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Paro to Thimphu sightseeing

• Visit Tashichho Dzong and flag lowering
• See giant Buddha statue viewpoint
• Visit local chorten and meet Bhutanese

Day 2: Thimphu to Phobjikha via Dochu-la

• Drive via Dochu-la pass and view chortens
• Hoist prayer flags and incense offering
• Hike Gangtey Valley nature trail
• Visit Gangtey Goenpa monastery
• Attend evening prayer and dinner with monks

Day 3: Monastic stay at Gangtey Shedra

• Participate in morning prayer
• Attend evening meditation class
• Join evening prayer
• Learn astrology and Buddhist rituals
• Picnic with monks and attend Dharma talk
• Meet abbot and serve meal to monks
• Receive spiritual cleansing by Trulku

Day 4: Gangtey to Punakha visit

• Visit ancient Punakha Dzong fortress-monastery
• Walk to Chimi Lhakhang temple
• Hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten

Day 5: Punakha to Paro visit

• Visit Dra Karpo monastery and circumambulate

Day 6: Paro Taktsang hike and temples

• Hike to Taktshang Monastery (Tiger’s Lair)
• Visit Kichu Lhakhang temple
• Visit holy meditation site in Paro

Day 7: Departure from Bhutan

• Drive to airport and bid farewell

The experience

What draws people to Bhutan's spiritual landscape is the chance to step inside an active monastic life rather than observe it from a distance. This tour anchors two nights at Gangtey Shedra, a working monastery in the Phobjikha Valley, where you wake at 5:30 am for morning prayers with the monks and attend evening meditation sessions led by the monastery's Buddhist masters. Between those formal practices, you can participate in smoke offerings, butter lamp ceremonies, learn Bhutanese astrology, or join the monks for a meal. A translator is present for teachings, though some masters work primarily in Dzongkha. The monastery designed this program specifically to give visitors a lived sense of Buddhist practice, not as tourists passing through, but as temporary members of the community.

The route moves through Bhutan's spiritual geography over six days of travel and ritual. You start in Thimphu, visiting Tashichho Dzong (the seat of government and monastic authority) and the Buddha Statue overlooking the valley, then drive south through Dochu La pass at 3,088 meters where 108 chortens and prayer flags mark the ridge. The Gangtey Valley hike takes roughly 90 minutes through pine forest and bamboo, opening onto views of the Phobjikha Valley. In winter months, endangered black-necked cranes winter here. From the monastery you travel to Punakha Dzong, a 17th-century fortress-monastery at the confluence of two rivers, with an optional walk to Chimi Lhakhang and a hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten. The final days return you through Dra Karpo, a split-rock monastery where Guru Padmasambhava is believed to have subdued demons, before the trek to Taktshang Monastery: the tiger's lair perched on a cliff face where Guru Rinpoche arrived flying on a tigress in the 8th century. You also visit Kichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest temples.

Private transportation is included throughout, along with all accommodation, the Bhutan visa, entry fees to sites, and the government Sustainable Development Fee (USD 100 per person per night). An English-speaking guide leads the tour. The itinerary suits all fitness levels, though the Taktshang hike takes 4 to 6 hours and involves steep terrain. Airfare and travel insurance are separate. Alcohol and laundry are not included.

What’s included

• Private transportation throughout the tour.
• accommodation at certified properties and monastic stays as per the itinerary.
• Bhutan visa.
• entry fees to all sites and monasteries.
• government Sustainable Development Fee.
• all internal taxes and charges.
• English-speaking guide.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 82 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Bhutan Best InBound Tour

Is this one for you?This tour is built around active participation in monastic life rather than observation, so it suits travelers seeking meditation practice and Buddhist teaching over sightseeing. The fixed monastic schedule (early morning and evening prayers, scheduled meditation sessions) anchors the days, leaving space for optional rituals and learning but not for flexibility in timing or a self-guided pace.

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Top questions

What happens during the monastic stay at Gangtey Shedra?

Gangtey Shedra offers morning prayers from 5:30 to 6:15 am and evening meditation sessions from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, with evening prayers afterward. You can also participate in smoke offerings, butter lamp offerings, wine offerings, learn Bhutanese astrology, hoist prayer flags, attend dharma talks, meet privately with the abbot, make meal donations to serve the monks, or receive spiritual cleansing from a Trulku. A Buddhist master supervises the program with an English translator present.

How long is the hike to Taktshang Monastery?

The trek to Taktshang takes 4 to 6 hours. The monastery sits on a cliff face in the Paro valley and is one of Bhutan's holiest sites, founded in the 8th century when Guru Rinpoche is believed to have arrived flying on a tigress.

What is included in the tour price?

Private transportation, all accommodation as listed in the itinerary, the Bhutan visa, entry fees to all sites, the government Sustainable Development Fee (USD 100 per person per night), and all internal taxes and charges are included. Airfare, travel insurance, laundry, alcohol, and beverages are not.

Does the Gangtey Valley hike suit someone who is not an experienced hiker?

The Gangtey Valley hike is described as the most beautiful and shortest existing nature trail in Bhutan, taking about 90 minutes through pine forest and bamboo. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, though the later Taktshang trek is more demanding.

What is Dochu La pass and why does the itinerary stop there?

Dochu La is a mountain pass at 3,088 meters (10,130 feet) on the road from Thimphu to Phobjikha. It is decorated with 108 chortens, a mani wall, and prayer flags. On clear days, seven Himalayan peaks are visible from the pass, including Gangkar Puensum, Bhutan's highest peak at 7,497 meters. You stop to take in the views and can hoist prayer flags and make incense smoke offerings.