Outside Paro Dzong, to the northeast of the entrance, is this stone-paved area where masked dancers perform the main dances of the Paro tsechu. A thondrol – a huge thangka of Guru Rinpoche of more than 18 sq metres, is unfurled shortly after dawn on the final day of the tsechu – you can see the huge rail upon which it is hung.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
28.93 MILES
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…
13.58 MILES
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…
5.92 MILES
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…
3.25 MILES
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…
12.85 MILES
This traditional Bhutanese temple perched like a fortress on a ridge above central Thimphu hums with pilgrim activity. It was established in the 12th…
13.41 MILES
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…
0.15 MILES
Paro Dzong ranks as a high point of Bhutanese architecture. The massive buttressed walls that tower over the town are visible throughout the valley,…
15 MILES
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…
Nearby attractions
0.15 MILES
Paro Dzong ranks as a high point of Bhutanese architecture. The massive buttressed walls that tower over the town are visible throughout the valley,…
0.15 MILES
This charming temple on the hillside above Paro actually predates Paro Dzong. Don't miss the meditation cave of Pha Drun Drung, the founder of the dzong…
0.16 MILES
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…
0.26 MILES
Below Paro Dzong, this traditional wooden covered bridge is a reconstruction of an older bridge, which was washed away in a flood in 1969. Earlier…
0.33 MILES
Zuri Dzong was built in 1352 as a fort and the five-storey main building is still well protected by double walls and a bridge. There are some particularly…
0.4 MILES
The secluded wooded compound of the Ugyen Pelri Palace, built by the Paro penlop Tshering Penjor in the early 1900s, is now a residence of the Queen…
0.53 MILES
On the road at the foot of the Paro Dzong, beside the Ugyen Pelri Palace, are five square chortens that were built in memory of the first king of Bhutan,…