Jomolhari Trek

Rinpung Dzong, meaning "fortress on the heap of jewels," was constructed in 1644 under the directive of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. Renowned as one of Bhutan’s most impressive dzongs, it exemplifies traditional Bhutanese architecture. Its inward-sloping walls create a formidable structure that stands high over the town, visible from vantage points throughout the valley as a striking white monolith.

Built in 1646, Rinpung Dzong has long been one of Bhutan's strongest and most significant fortresses, often used to protect the Paro Valley from Tibetan invasions. It withstood the 1897 earthquake, but after catching fire in 1907, it was rebuilt in 1908. Historically, it served as the National Assembly's first meeting hall, and today it houses a monastic school and government administrative offices.

Just west of the dzong, down the hill, is the Nyamai Zam, a traditional cantilever timber bridge crossing the Pachu River. An earlier version of the bridge was once dismantled to safeguard the dzong. Visitors can cross this bridge to reach the parking area near Ugyen Pelri Palace, with access to the main Paro market. The Paro Tshechu festival, highly popular with tourists, is also celebrated here.

Drukgyal Dzong, also known as Drukgyel, is a historic fortress and Buddhist monastery located in the upper Paro District of Bhutan. Built in 1649 by Tenzin Drukdra at the request of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, it commemorates Bhutan’s victory over a Tibetan invasion. Named "The fortress of the victorious Drukpas," Drukgyal Dzong symbolized the Bhutanese identity, as "Drukpa" refers to the people of Bhutan. Nearby lies a local temple with a central image of Tara, worshipped by the people of Phangdo.

In the early 1950s, a fire severely damaged Drukgyal Dzong, reducing it to ruins, but much of the stone and rammed-earth walls remain, showcasing its historical defensive function. In 2016, to celebrate the birth of Bhutan’s Gyalsey (Crown Prince) and commemorate the arrival of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1616 and Guru Rinpoche's birth year, Prime Minister Lyonchen Tshering Tobgay announced plans to restore the dzong.

Though missing many wooden elements, the remaining structure clearly reflects its original design, allowing visitors to appreciate its medieval fortress architecture. Drukgyal Dzong is also on Bhutan’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage inclusion.

Kyichu Lhakhang, built in the 7th century by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo, is among the oldest and most beautiful temples in Bhutan. Located a few kilometers from Paro town, it was established in 659 AD to pin down the left foot of a giant ogress believed to be obstructing the spread of Buddhism in the region.

Originally, Kyichu Lhakhang consisted only of the main shrine, the Jowo Lhakhang, which houses one of the valley’s most revered artifacts—a 7th-century statue of Jowo Sakyamuni. In 1839, additional structures and a golden roof were added by the Paro Penlop and the 25th Je Khenpo.

According to legend, Guru Padmasambhava visited the temple in the 8th century and hid numerous spiritual treasures there, further enhancing its sacred significance.

Paro Taktsang Goemba, or the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, is perhaps Bhutan’s most famous monastery, dramatically perched on a cliffside, 3,000 feet above Paro Valley. Nestled among a forest of blue pine and rhododendrons, the monastery is steeped in legend. It is said that Guru Rinpoche (Guru Padmasambhava) arrived here on the back of a tigress, a manifestation of his consort Yeshe Tsogyal, to subdue the demon Singye Samdrup. Following this, he meditated in a cave at the site for three years.

Guru Padmasambhava, revered as the figure who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan, is considered the country’s spiritual protector. Paro Taktsang is the most famous of the thirteen “tiger lair” caves where he meditated. Each year, a festival called Tsechu, held in March or April, celebrates Padmasambhava’s life and legacy in Paro Valley.

The main temple, or Lhakhang, was constructed in 1692 by Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye, the Governor (Penlop) of Paro, around the cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated.

Paro Taktsang Goemba, or the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, is perhaps Bhutan’s most famous monastery, dramatically perched on a cliffside, 3,000 feet above Paro Valley. Nestled among a forest of blue pine and rhododendrons, the monastery is steeped in legend. It is said that Guru Rinpoche (Guru Padmasambhava) arrived here on the back of a tigress, a manifestation of his consort Yeshe Tsogyal, to subdue the demon Singye Samdrup. Following this, he meditated in a cave at the site for three years.

Guru Padmasambhava, revered as the figure who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan, is considered the country’s spiritual protector. Paro Taktsang is the most famous of the thirteen “tiger lair” caves where he meditated. Each year, a festival called Tsechu, held in March or April, celebrates Padmasambhava’s life and legacy in Paro Valley.

The main temple, or Lhakhang, was constructed in 1692 by Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye, the Governor (Penlop) of Paro, around the cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated.

The Wolakha Nunnery, also known as Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery, is a newly constructed traditional nunnery located on a 1,550-meter hilltop in Punakha, Bhutan, directly opposite the historic Chimi Lhakhang. Though consecrated in 2010, the site, called Omalatsekha, has deep spiritual roots, having been visited by notable Buddhist masters, including Guru Rinpoche and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. In the 1990s, Bhutan’s 69th Je Khenpo, Geshey Gendün Rinchen, predicted that a monastery would rise at this sacred location.

Yab Dasho Ugyen Dorji and Yum Thuiji Zam, the maternal grandparents of Bhutan’s King, petitioned for a large-scale nunnery in this area. With the King’s approval, groundbreaking began on September 11, 2008, and by October 2010, the central statue, an eleven-faced Avalokiteshvara, was completed and consecrated by the 70th Je Khenpo, Trulku Jigme Chhoeda.

The nunnery, located on the southeastern spur of the mountain that also houses Talo Monastery and Nalanda Buddhist Institute, overlooks the Punakha Valley. The architectural layout includes a central rectangular lhakhang (temple) with perpendicular walls, adorned with a red khemar band and topped with a multi-tiered jabzhi roof. Nearby is a white-washed stupa, modeled after Kathmandu's Bodnath Stupa, ringed with niches depicting 84 mahasiddhis, 16 arhats, and prominent figures of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage. Surrounding these structures are dormitories and facilities supporting about 170 resident nuns, fostering both spiritual practice and traditional education in Bhutan’s monastic landscape.

Located in Punakha District, Bhutan, Nalanda Buddhist Institute (NBI) is a revered monastic school that dates back to 1757, when the 9th Je Khenpo, Gyalwang Shakya Rinchen Rinpoche, founded it as "Second Nalanda" after India's original Nalanda University. The institute was established to fulfill Bhutanese people's desire to experience the holiness of Nalanda without traveling to India, an arduous journey at the time. Inspired by a vision of eight vultures symbolizing the scholars of Nalanda, Shakya Rinchen chose this site for the monastery.

After falling dormant following Shakya Rinchen's death, NBI was revitalized in 1991 as a shedra, or Buddhist learning center. By 2014, it had grown to host six teachers and 125 students aged 8 to 28. Students study Buddhist philosophy, rituals, and English, with a dedicated translation class for interpreting texts in Dzongkha, Chokey, and English.

The institute houses two temples with statues of the eight Indian scholars, including Nāgārjuna and Vasubandhu, and clay figures crafted by Shakya Rinchen. The central altar features a teaching statue of Shakya Rinchen in Sambhogakaya form, dressed with the six ornaments of pāramitā. NBI’s three-year retreat center, computer lab, and plans for self-sufficiency through solar energy and agriculture further support its mission.

The sacred "Heaven Viewing Rock," where Shakya Rinchen saw a vision of Tusita Heaven, holds special significance, and the current tulku, Gyalwang Tenpi Ningchey Rinpoche, continues the spiritual legacy of his predecessor.

Punakha Dzong, often hailed as Bhutan's most beautiful fortress, is especially enchanting in spring when the blooming lilac jacaranda trees enhance its whitewashed walls. Built in 1637, it served as Bhutan's capital until the 1950s and remains the winter residence of the monastic body. Known for its historical and religious significance, this dzong is where Bhutan’s kings are crowned.

Legend says Guru Rinpoche predicted the dzong’s location at the “trunk” of an elephant-shaped hill at the confluence of the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu rivers. Initially, a smaller structure, Dzong Chung, housed a Buddha statue here in 1326. Expanded in the 17th century by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, Punakha Dzong is named Pungthang Dechen Phodrang, meaning Palace of Great Happiness.

The dzong spans 180 meters in length and 72 meters in width, featuring a six-story central tower (utse) crowned by a gold dome. With three courtyards, it is unique among Bhutan’s dzongs, containing sacred relics, including the Rangjung Kharsapani, a revered image of Chenresig central to the annual dromchoe festival.

Visitors enter via the Bazam bridge, rebuilt in 2008. Defensive features include steep wooden stairs designed to retract and a massive wooden door closed each night. Noteworthy areas include the kunrey (assembly hall) with exquisite murals and gold statues of Buddha, Guru Rinpoche, and the Zhabdrung. To the north, Dzong Chung offers blessings from a Sakyamuni statue, while nearby lie a royal palace and a cremation ground. Punakha Dzong remains a vibrant symbol of Bhutan's spiritual and cultural heritage.

Talo Monastery, officially named Talo Sangngak Choling, sits on the western slopes of the Punakha Valley at an elevation of 2,430 meters, offering spectacular views. Its founding date is debated, with some sources attributing it to the late 17th century, while others suggest it was formally established by Jigme Senge, Bhutan's 18th Druk Desi, in the 18th century. Another theory posits that Ngawang Rabgay, a hermit, built the original structure, later formalized by Jigme Drakpa.

The monastery gained prominence under Jigme Drakpa II (1791–1830), who, as the third “mind incarnation” of the Zhabdrung, established Talo as the primary seat for Zhabdrung incarnations. He brought the Tibetan deity Pehar as its guardian spirit and introduced an annual tshechu festival with sacred mask dances and songs that still draw devotees.

A brief conflict arose when the 24th Druk Desi, Umze Yeshe Gyaltshen, gifted the monastery to Jigme Drakpa, upsetting the Trongsa penlop, who felt it rightfully belonged to Tshultrim Drakpa, a native of Trongsa. This led to a short-lived war, after which Jigme Drakpa retained control, while Tshultrim Drakpa was made royal regent.

Architecturally, Talo Monastery’s three-story lhakhang (temple) is surrounded by prayer wheels and features whitewashed walls, a red khemar band, and a multi-tiered jabzhi roof with a gilded finial. The lhakhang serves as the monastery’s focal point, encircled by residential buildings in a U-shape, creating a courtyard. A small chorten overlooks the valley from the terraces below.

Since 2000, Talo Monastery has operated a shedra (Buddhist institute), further enhancing its role as a center of spiritual and educational significance in Bhutan.

Changangkha Lhakhang, a compact and historic temple complex, sits on a ridge extending toward central Thimphu from the eastern hills. Founded in the 13th or 14th century by Nyima, son of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo—who introduced the Drukpa Kagyu Buddhist tradition to Bhutan—it is likely the oldest temple in Thimphu, predating Bhutan’s unification in the 17th century.

Parents often visit the temple to seek blessings for young children from the deity Genyen Domtsangpa, protector of children born in Thimphu’s national hospital. The temple’s main object of reverence is a large bronze statue of Avalokiteśvara in Mahakarunika form, believed by some to be "self-arisen," while others attribute its creation to a Newa artisan.

The complex is arranged along the ridge, with the main temple facing a courtyard with a protective deity’s shrine, known as the Gönkhang, which houses images of Genyen Domtsangpa and other protector deities. The surrounding walls enclose a circumambulatory path featuring prayer wheels and slate carvings of Kagyu lineage Buddhas and lamas.

The main temple's interior is divided, with one section open to public viewing and the other reserved for sacred images and relics. Only Bhutanese men may enter the Gönkhang, as it contains Bhutan’s oldest surviving murals. Behind the temple, paths lead to terraces with stupas, offering panoramic views over Thimphu in three directions.

The Great Buddha Dordenma is a monumental statue of Shakyamuni Buddha located in the mountains overlooking Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital. Built to celebrate the 60th birthday of the Fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the statue also honors Bhutan’s monarchical centennial. Constructed at a height of 177 feet (54 meters), it is one of the world’s largest Buddha statues, containing over 125,000 smaller gilded Buddha statues inside—100,000 measuring 8 inches and 25,000 measuring 12 inches—all made of bronze and gilded in gold.

Situated on the historic site of Kuensel Phodrang, the palace of the 13th Druk Desi, Sherab Wangchuk, the statue overlooks the southern approach to Thimphu. Construction began in 2006 and concluded in September 2015, costing over $47 million, funded largely by Singaporean businessman Rinchen Peter Teo. In total, the project exceeded $100 million.

The Great Buddha Dordenma fulfills two ancient prophecies. In the 20th century, yogi Sonam Zangpo predicted that a large statue would be built in this area to bring blessings and peace to the world, while Guru Rinpoche's ancient terma also referenced such a statue in the region.

Surrounding the statue is the Kuensel Phodrang Nature Park, opened in 2011, which preserves 943 acres of forest and includes outdoor gymnasiums introduced in 2015, offering a tranquil setting for both reflection and recreation.