Paro Tourism | Places to Visit | Things To Do

If you are visiting Bhutan, then Paro should be on the top of the list. A dream land for adventure seekers and nature lovers. Paro, name shared by its district also, is an exquisite historic town, situated on the banks of the river Paro Chuu, and is the foremost attraction site for tourists. This, along with two other towns namely, Punakha and Jaka, forms a Golden Triangle.

Paro has its country’s only International airport as the capital is just one hour from here. Its undisturbed serene beauty, greenery of the rice fields and sacred monasteries captivate everyone’s heart. The buildings of this town are built in traditional Bhutanese style, of which, some are now paving way to the modern ones. Surprisingly, small though it is, this town has many tourist spots.

Taktsang Monastery or Tiger’s Nest is the most famous attraction of Bhutan and one of the holiest places for Buddhists. It is supposed to be the spot where Padma Sambhava meditated. It sits on a granite cliff of 800 metres and it is just a 20 minutes ride from the town. It’s a famous place for trekking and hiking, and usually takes 3-4 hours to reach the peak. The alluring sight of the valley from the top is surely not to be missed.

Rinpung Dzong (The Castle of the Jewels), a monastery and fortress, is an exemplary of Bhutanese style of monastery, art and architecture. The ‘Festival of Masks' is held here. The National Museum of Bhutan, an old watch tower, is another such finest place that reflects Bhutanese culture, history and art and it is a conch shell shaped building. We find a potpourri of stamps, Thangka paintings, traditional arms, slate carvings, jewellery. Kyichu Lhakhang has religious significance and Drukgyel Dzong, which was built to defend its country against foreign invasion is though now a ruin, is well worth seeing it and used for hiking.