Dumtse Lhakhang

Paro Dzongkhag

　　Just north of town, by the road leading to the National Museum, is Dumtse Lhakhang, an unusual chorten-like temple that was built in 1433 (some sources say 1421) by the iron-bridge builder Thangtong Gyalpo to subdue a demoness. Look for a mural of Thangtong to the right by the entrance....

National Museum

Paro Dzongkhag

　　Perched above Paro Dzong is its ta dzong (watchtower), built in 1649 to protect the undefended dzong and renovated in 1968 to house the National Museum. The unusual round building is said to be in the shape of a conch shell, with 2.5m-thick walls. The ta dzong suffered damage in...

Chumphu Ney

Paro Dzongkhag

　　For a fabulous trip into the dreamlike miracle world of Bhutan's sacred geography, budget a day for a hike up to one of Bhutan’s most famous ney (sacred sites). The focal point of the walk is a venerated ‘floating’ statue of tantric goddess Dorje Phagmo (Vajravarahi), who is said to...

Changlimithang Archery Ground

Paro Dzongkhag

　　Most days of the week you'll find arrows flying at the city's most important archery ground, just down from Changlimithang Stadium. Teams compete to hit targets over a distance of 145m, while their competitors pass comment on misses, and sing and dance to celebrate shots on target. Traditional bamboo or...

Space 34

Paro Dzongkhag

　　A lively basement club (entry Nu 300 to 350), with live music and thumping electro beats courtesy of local DJs. It's downstairs in the same building as Lungta Handicraft. ...

Sephub Gyeltsen Tsongkhang

Paro Dzongkhag

　　This is one of Thimphu's best cloth and clothing stores, with ready-made ghos (traditional dress for men) costing from Nu 2000 and kiras (traditional dress for women) costing from Nu 850, and all the needed accessories. It's also a great place to buy regional woven fabrics from across Bhutan. ...

Termalinca Resort & Spa

Paro Dzongkhag

　　Perched beside a peaceful stretch of the Wang Chhu, about 7km south of Thimphu, Termalinca packs a lot of comfort into its stone and timber buildings. Scattered around stone courtyards and beautifully tended gardens are multiple restaurants, a gym, spa rooms with a hot stone bath, and enormous wood-panelled rooms...

National Institute of Traditional Medicine

Paro Dzongkhag

　　Established in 1978, this institute collects medicinal plants from remote corners of the Bhutanese Himalaya, and distributes pills, ointments and medicinal teas to regional health-care units around the country. As well as a fully functioning herbal medicine hospital, there's a small museum here covering some of the 300 herbs, minerals...

Mojo Park

Paro Dzongkhag

　　Thimphu's premier live-music venue and bar, strong on blues, rock and reggae, and friendly to boot. Beers on tap include Amber Ale and Dragon Stout from the Ser Bhum brewery, and Red Rice lager and wheat beer from the Namgyal Artisanal Brewery. Check the Facebook page for upcoming gigs: most...

Dzongdrakha Goemba

Paro Dzongkhag

　　The visually splendid but little-visited cliffside retreat of Dzongdrakha Goemba is one of several local sites where Guru Rinpoche did battle with local demons and it's well worth a short detour off the Paro–Cheli La road. A string of four chapels and a large chorten perch on the cliff face....

Paro Dzong

Paro Dzongkhag

　　Paro Dzong ranks as a high point of Bhutanese architecture. The massive buttressed walls that tower over the town are visible throughout the valley, especially when floodlit at night. It was formerly the meeting hall for the National Assembly and now, like most dzongs, houses both the monastic body and...

Kyichu Lhakhang

Paro Dzongkhag

　　Kyichu Lhakhang is one of Bhutan's oldest and most beautiful temples. The main chapel has roots as far back as the 7th century, with additional buildings and a golden roof added in 1839 by the penlop (governor) of Paro and the 25th Je Khenpo. Elderly pilgrims constantly shuffle around the...

Trongsa Dzong

Paro Dzongkhag

　　This commanding dzong, high above the roaring Mangde Chhu, is perhaps the most spectacularly sited dzong in Bhutan, with a sheer drop to the south that often just disappears into cloud and mist. The rambling assemblage of buildings that comprises the dzong trails down the ridge and is connected by...

Taktshang Goemba

Paro Dzongkhag

　　The 'Tiger's Nest Monastery' is one of the Himalaya's most incredible sights, miraculously perched on the side of a sheer cliff 900m above the floor of the Paro valley. Visiting is the goal of most visitors to Bhutan and while getting there involves a bit of uphill legwork, it's well...

Punakha Dzong

Paro Dzongkhag

　　Punakha Dzong is arguably the most beautiful dzong in the country, especially in spring when the lilac-coloured jacaranda trees bring a lush sensuality to the dzong's characteristically towering whitewashed walls. This dzong was the second to be built in Bhutan and it served as the capital and seat of government...

National Institute for Zorig Chusum

Thimphu

　　This institute, commonly known as 'the painting school', operates four- to six-year courses that provide instruction in Bhutan's 13 traditional arts. Students specialise in painting (of both furniture and thangkas – painted religious pictures, usually on canvas), woodcarving (masks, statues, bowls), embroidery (hangings, boots, clothes) or statue-making (clay). Students are...

National Memorial Chorten

Thimphu

　　This large chorten is one of the most visible landmarks in Thimphu, and for many Bhutanese it is the focus of daily worship. The Tibetan-style stupa was built in 1974 as a memorial to the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1928–72). Early morning is a great time to visit, as...

Tango Goemba

Thimphu

　　Tango is the residence of Gyalse Rinpoche, recognised as the seventh reincarnation of Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye, founder of Taktshang Goemba. The original monastery was founded in the 12th century but it was the 'divine madman', Lama Drukpa Kunley, who built the present building in the 15th century. Notable for its...

Weekend Market

Thimphu

　　Thimphu's Weekend Market fills a maze-like pavilion on the west bank of the Wang Chhu, just north of Changlimithang Stadium. Vendors from throughout the region start arriving on Thursday and remain until Sunday night, filling the market halls and surrounding streets with produce. The incense area is one of the...

Simtokha Dzong

Thimphu

　　About 5km south of Thimphu on the old road to Paro and Phuentsholing, the handsomely proportioned Simtokha Dzong was built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. The site is said to mark the spot where a demon vanished into a rocky outcrop, hence the name Simtokha, from simmo (demoness) and...

National Textile Museum

Thimphu

　　Thimphu's best museum is part of the Royal Textile Academy. It features a stunning display of ancient and modern textiles, and explores the rich traditions of Bhutan's national arts of thagzo (weaving) and tshemzo (embroidery). The ground floor focuses on royal ghos, including the wedding clothes worn by the fourth...

Changangkha Lhakhang

Thimphu

　　This traditional Bhutanese temple perched like a fortress on a ridge above central Thimphu hums with pilgrim activity. It was established in the 12th century on a site chosen by Lama Phajo Drukgom Shigpo, originally from Ralung in Tibet. Parents come here to get auspicious names for their newborns or...

Trashi Chho Dzong

Thimphu

　　This splendid dzong, north of the city on the west bank of the Wang Chhu, dominates the valley, looking out over a cascade of terraced fields. It's Thimphu's grandest building by far, and served as the official seat of the Druk Desi, the head of the secular government that shared...