Tourist Attractions in Paro Valley

The beautiful Paro valley hosts the only International airport and is a very popular tourist destination in Bhutan. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains and in the far north, you can see Mt. Jomolhari. The famous Tiger’s Nest monastery or Taktsang, which is a world Heritage site, is located in Paro. It is of a great religious significance and is revered by the Buddhists all over the world. The traditional buildings that dot the valley add beauty to the valley. A very good place for day hikes and short treks like Bumdra.

Rinpung Dzong means, “The Fortress on a heap of Jewels”. This Dzong houses the district Monastic Body and government administrative offices of Paro district.  It is included in Bhutan’s Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage site.  The Fortress also serves as the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyupa school of Buddhism. The annual Paro festival is held at the Dzong in early spring and one of the most attractive events in the country.  The Dzong was initially built as temple in 15^th century by Buddhist lama, Drung Drung Gya. It later expanded and turned into fortress during the time of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the 17th century.

This six storied structure was built as a watch tower in 1649 to protect Rinpung Dzong below. It was turned into national museum in 1968 upon the command of His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. The six storied museum suffered major damages by earthquake in 2011 and restored in 2019. The museum showcases the art work in traditional costumes, artifacts, armor, weaponry etc. which were used in daily life during ancient times.

The Drugyel Dzong lies in the upper part of Paro valley and was a strong base of defense in ancient times. It was built in 1649 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to co-memorate a victory over Tibetan forces. It was destroyed by fire in 1951 and has been restored to formal glory. Now it is in the list of UNESCO World heritage site.

Paro Taktsang or the Tiger’s Nest temple is an iconic monastery perched high up on a cliff. This temple is Bhutan’s highly revered pilgrimage site for the local people and the Buddhists around the world. It was built in 1692 by Gyaltse Tenzin Rabgay around the cave where Guru Rinpoche is believed to have meditated. It takes approximately 2 hours walk to reach the monastery and there is a cafeteria on the way. The visitors also have the option to ride a pony till the view point for just US $ 10 per pony. One can enjoy the beautiful view of Paro valley from the monastery. It certainly is one of the best places to visit in Bhutan.

Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro is one of the 108 temples built in a single day in 657 by the Tibetan King, Srongtsen Gampo. These temples were built to subdue a demoness that lay across the Himalayan region and to spread Buddhist dharma. This temple is a highly revered pilgrimage site for the local people. The other prominent temple is Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang.

The beautiful Cheli La pass connects the Paro and Haa valley and is situated at an elevation of 3810 m. It is 35 km drive Paro town and the road passes through Pine forest. In the fine weather, one can see Mt. Jomolhari, Mt. Jichu Drake and other mountains bordering Tibet.

This Monastery was built in the 14th century by Thang Tong Gyalpo also known as the Iron bridge builder. His only surviving bridge is in Dungsam, Eastern Bhutan. Located across the river on the Thimphu – Paro highway, one must cross the bridge to get to the monastery. The bridge is one of the few remaining of the many that Thang Tong Gyalpo built in his time. The swaying of the old iron bridge for most visitors can be quite an experience before getting to the monastery.

This Lhakhang is a sacred temple built in the form of a chorten in Jangsa. Located on the edge of a hill, the temple was built by Thang Tong Gyalpo in the 14th century.  The Buddhist iconography depicted in the Chorten is considered a unique repository of the Drukpa Kagyu School. While one story goes that the temple was built to subdue an evil serpent force. Another story says that the temple was built on the head of a demoness.

This nunnery is  located on the cliffs below Cheli la pass at about 3,500 m. There are around seven small temples and several retreat huts built into a dizzying sheer cliffside. There are around 30 to 70 nuns live in self-imposed isolation. The hike from the main road takes almost an hour, through steep slopes and forest. There is also a trail leading down from Cheli la pass down the slopes to this nunnery. The drive till the Kila Gompa from Paro is around 27 Km and takes around one hour.

Dzongdrakha literally means the ‘Temple on a cliff’ is located at an elevation of 2227 meters. It was built in the 16th century on a cliff face in the village of Bondey. Dzongdrakha Goemba is often referred as the mini Tiger’s nest monastery. It is 10 minutes drive from Paro town to the Bonday village and few minutes walk to the temple.  This is one of the many sites where Guru Rinpoche has meditated.

The Bumdra trek is an overnight trek that is highly recommended in Paro valley. It provides a great view of the Paro valley. Hikers can soak in the gorgeous sunsets over the mountains of Haa. It also provides for an interesting cliff-face pilgrimage site and look at all the chapels above Taktsang. And not to forget the spectacular view it offers of the Tiger’s Nest Monastery. For the adventurous, the trail can also double as an excursion to a sky burial site. It is the most beautiful and highly recommended hike in Paro valley.