Paro

Tiger's Nest · Paro Dzong · Paro Valley

Paro is Bhutan’s most iconic valley: a wide, fertile plain flanked by forested hills and watched over by ancient dzongs and monasteries. It is home to Bhutan’s only international airport, which means almost every visitor’s first glimpse of the kingdom is the breathtaking descent over the Himalayan ridgelines into this sacred valley.

The valley’s crown jewel is Taktsang Monastery, the Tiger’s Nest, clinging impossibly to a sheer cliff face 900 metres above the valley floor. The hike to the monastery is one of the most rewarding in the Himalayas, winding through blue pine forest and rhododendron groves before arriving at a viewpoint that feels like the edge of the world. The monastery itself was built in 1692 around a cave where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated for three months, having flown there on the back of a tigress.

Beyond Tiger’s Nest, Paro offers the 17th-century Rinpung Dzong, a fortress-monastery that dominates the valley with its whitewashed towers and golden roofs, the National Museum housed in a Ta Dzong watchtower above, and dozens of quiet temples scattered through the surrounding hills. The Drukgyel Dzong ruins at the valley’s head offer dramatic views toward the Himalayan peaks on clear mornings.

Paro comes alive in spring (March–May) when the Paro Tshechu festival fills the dzong courtyard with masked cham dances, vibrant silk costumes, and thousands of pilgrims from across Bhutan. It is one of the most spectacular cultural events in Asia.