Journal
The stories behind the sites
Short reads on Bhutan's major sites: the history, what to look for, and tips before you go. Every article lists its sources, checked October 2026. Spot a mistake? Each page has a box to tell us.
Thimphu
- Tashichho DzongThe fortress at the north end of Thimphu. It holds the throne room and the King's office, and in summer the country's central monk body.
- Buddha DordenmaA giant bronze Buddha on the hill above southern Thimphu, finished in 2015, with 125,000 smaller Buddhas inside.
- National Memorial ChortenThe white stupa in the middle of Thimphu, built in 1974 in memory of the Third King. People walk round it from dawn to dusk.
- Changangkha LhakhangA 13th-century temple on a ridge above Thimphu, where parents bring newborn babies to be blessed and named.
- Simtokha DzongBegun in 1629, one of the first dzongs Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal built. It guards the road into the Thimphu valley.
- Centenary Farmers MarketThimphu's big market by the river, opened in 2008. Chillies, red rice, dried cheese and everything else Bhutan cooks with.
- Royal Textile AcademyBhutan's museum and school of weaving, launched in 2013 under the Queen Mother. Go before you buy any cloth.
- Motithang Takin PreserveA forest enclosure above Thimphu where you can see the takin, Bhutan's odd and much-loved national animal.
- Folk Heritage MuseumA farmhouse over 150 years old, now a museum of how rural Bhutanese families lived, cooked and stored their grain.
- National Institute for Zorig ChusumThe school of Bhutan's thirteen traditional arts, founded in 1971. Watch students paint, carve and embroider.
- Dochula Pass and the 108 chortensA pass at about 3,100 m between Thimphu and Punakha, crowned with 108 white chortens built for peace.
Paro
- Tiger's Nest (Paro Taktsang)Temples on a cliff 900 m above the Paro valley, around the cave where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated.
- Rinpung Dzong (Paro Dzong)Paro's fortress on a heap of jewels, built from 1644 to 1646 above a covered wooden bridge.
- National Museum of Bhutan (Ta Dzong)Bhutan's national museum, in a round watchtower built in 1649 above Paro Dzong.
- Kyichu LhakhangOne of the two oldest temples in Bhutan, said to have been founded in 659 by the Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo.
- Tachog Lhakhang and the iron bridgeA temple of the iron bridge builder Thangtong Gyalpo's line on the Paro river, reached by an iron chain bridge.
- Chele La passA road pass at about 3,990 m between Paro and Haa, often called the highest in Bhutan.
Punakha
- Punakha DzongBhutan's most beautiful dzong, built in 1637 where two rivers meet, and the seat of government until 1955.
- Khamsum Yulley Namgyal ChortenA temple on a ridge above the Punakha valley, reached by a lovely walk through rice fields.
- Chimi LhakhangThe temple of the Divine Madman, where couples come to be blessed for children.
Wangdue Phodrang
- Wangdue Phodrang DzongA dzong of 1638 on a ridge above two rivers. It burned in 2012 and was rebuilt by hand, reopening in 2022.
- Gangtey GoenpaA monastery founded in 1613 on a knoll above the Phobjikha valley, home of the Gangtey Trulku.
- Phobjikha and the black-necked cranesThe wide Phobjikha valley, winter home of the black-necked cranes, and the centre where you learn about them.
Bumthang
- Jakar DzongThe dzong on the hill above Jakar, Bumthang's main town, which began where a white bird landed.
- Jambay LhakhangWith Kyichu in Paro, the oldest temple in Bhutan, by tradition founded in 659.
- Kurjey LhakhangThree temples in a row where Guru Rinpoche is said to have left the print of his body in a rock.
- Tamshing LhakhangBuilt in 1501 by the saint Pema Lingpa, with some of the oldest wall paintings in Bhutan.
- Mebar Tsho, the Burning LakeA deep pool in a river gorge in the Tang valley, where a saint is said to have found treasure with a burning lamp.
- Ogyen CholingAn old manor at the top of the Tang valley, now a museum of how a noble Bhutanese household lived.
- Ura villageThe highest of Bumthang's four valleys, with old houses packed close round a temple.
Haa
Phuntsholing
- The Bhutan Gate, PhuntsholingThe painted gateway on Bhutan's busiest land border, between Phuntsholing and Jaigaon in India.
- Zangdopelri Lhakhang, PhuntsholingA temple in the middle of Phuntsholing, shaped like Guru Rinpoche's palace in paradise.
- Kharbandi GoenpaA monastery on the hill above Phuntsholing, founded in 1967 by the Royal Grandmother, with wide views over the plains of India.