Bhutan and Thailand Combo

DAY 1 Arrive in Bangkok

Arriving in the afternoon, collect your luggage and follow the signs to your airport hotel, around a 10-minute walk. Have a meal and an early night, ready for your onward travel in the morning.

DAY 2 Fly from Bangkok to Paro, Bhutan

Head back to the airport for a very early flight this morning to Paro - the main access point for the extraordinary kingdom of Bhutan, with a flying time of around three hours. You'll be welcomed on arrival by your driver and transferred by private car to Thimphu, a delightful journey alongside meandering rivers and through rural landscapes dotted with farmhouses. It will take around an hour-and-a-half to reach the outskirts of the country's capital, a bustling town where government buildings rub shoulders with ancient temples and produce-laden market stalls.

After checking into your hotel, stretch your legs and take in the sights and sounds around the town, perhaps visiting one of the intriguing museums, such as the National Textile Museum, exhibiting the country's iconic intricately woven fabrics, or the Folk Heritage Museum showing the workings of traditional rural life.

DAY 3 Onwards to the Punakha Valley

This morning you're free to see a little more of Thimphu, where you may like to buy some prayer flags for your travels later today. You'll then be collected by your driver/guide to set off up the mountainside, zigzagging along the tracks to the stunning Dochula Pass, at 10,000ft and offering magnificent views towards the Himalayan peaks on a clear day. Visit the 108 pristine chortens, or shrines, that commemorate the local soldiers killed in battle in 2003 and pin your prayer flag alongside the hundreds already there, fluttering gently in the sunshine.

Your route then takes you down the mountain to the Punakha Valley, the huge change in altitude and climate clearly visible in the changing vegetation and crops.

Call at Chimmi Lhakhang, a fertility temple dating from the 15th century and blessed by the adored patron saint of Bhutan, Drukpa Kunley, to see the unashamedly candid symbols, prayer flags and intricately carved prayer wheels. On arrival in Punakha, check into your hotel for the next two nights.

DAY 4 Return to Paro

After breakfast this morning you'll be driven back over the gorgeous Dochula Pass, with another chance to take in the incredible mountain views, before winding your way along the Wang Chu and Paro Chu valleys towards the charming Paro Town, stretching along the valley floor alongside the river. After checking into your hotel for the next three nights, you can take a wander around the ancient ruins nearby, visit the holy monuments or make your way along the town's main street with its distinctive, decorative facades.

DAY 5 Return to Thailand

An early morning transfer to the airport at Paro will deliver you in good time for your flight out of Bhutan and back to Bangkok, arriving around lunchtime. After checking into your city centre hotel you'll have the afternoon at leisure, perhaps for some retail therapy or to sample some delicious Thai food at one of the city's vibrant night markets.