Travel Tips

Bhutan Travel Guide: Dzongs, Chortens and Monasteries

Locations in this article:  Orlando, FL

Bhutan Travel - a Dzong in ThimpuMahayana Buddhism is woven through Bhutanese culture, but the challenge for a traveler is figuring out how to see the country without suffering “Dzong fatigue.” Susan Tick outlines some of the more memorable temples, fortresses and monasteries from her journey to Bhutan.

Most homes in Bhutan contain altars—and, in many cases, entire rooms—dedicated to daily prayer services. Taking time to visit key religious buildings, and hopefully a home or two, is the only way to to understand this deeply devout nation.

This is where a discussion of history includes the story of Guru Rinpoche, a Buddhist saint who in the 8th century flew into Bhutan on the back of a tigress, beat back the evil spirits, and converted the people to Buddhism. Guru Rinpoche is considered to be the Second Buddha, and his image is as common the Buddha’s.

Bhutan - Chortens Along a Riverbank Between Thimpu & the airportFirst, heading from the airport to Thimpu at the point where the Paro and Thimphu Rivers meet and where guards check entry papers, look for the four chortens (sacred monuments) on the riverbank. Each is done in a different style: Nepalese, Tibetan, Ladakhi, and Bhutanese.

It’s worth noting that the road from the airport to the capital is the only one you will travel on in Bhutan that comes close to being a highway. The old road was replaced a couple of years ago to provide easier and more impressive travel for those coming to attend the coronation of King number five. It is the only significant stretch of modern, straight road in the country.

For more on Bhutan travel, don’t miss the Discovering the Himalayan Mountains: Bhutan Travel Guide.

In Thimpu, the Memorial Chorten is worth a stop. It is here you’ll see Bhutanese of all ages spin prayer wheels and walk repeatedly around the chorten, always clockwise, in devotion.

Bhutanese mother and children in the fieldsTake time to go inside the Tashichho Dzong in Thimpu. Guides may suggest just a drive-by since there are more beautiful ones in other cities, but this former fort tells a great deal about local culture as it’s both the seat of Bhutan’s government and an enormous house of worship. Here government workers, all dressed in traditional garb head to their offices and meetings, freely crossing paths in the massive courtyard with the magenta robe monks.

If you suffer from car sickness, traveling beyond Thimpu will be a major challenge. The lone road across the middle of Bhutan is only two extremely narrow lanes wide and it is a seemingly endless series of switchback turns that can leave even the most stalwart white-knuckled. Be grateful only Bhutanese are allowed to drive these roads as they are daunting to even those who know them well.

For more on travel in the area, visit our India & Central Asia travel section.

Dochula Pass Prayer FlagsBetween Thimpu and Punaka is the Dochula Pass, where visitors stop to see the local chortens and hang a prayer flag. Thousands who have traveled this route have tied them to the trees and the memory of the colorful fabric draped through the forested area is one you will carry with you.

Make sure to climb the steep stairs to the newly built goemba (monastery) to see the paintings covering the walls.

Our driver, hired through the Aman Hotels, was a master of the road who didn’t break a sweat when one wheel seemed to dangle off the edge of the road. The government is attempting to improve the quality of the roads, eking out extra width by carving into the mountainside where possible, but that job is slow and further ties up traffic. At one point, we had our hotel call ahead to find out what time they would be dynamiting the mountainside so we could plan our travels accordingly. I suggest taking Dramamine and make sure you bring your favorite music, as Bhutanese radio is limited.

Listen to one Bhutan traveler’s tale on Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio here: Navigating Disney World & Exploring Bhutan.

Gangtey Goemba - BhutanIt should take about four hours to get to Gangtey, a beautiful little village that is just now getting electricity. The Gangtey Goemba sits at the edge of the hill top, visible to all those who farm the fields that surround the community.

This goemba is a gem, decorated with beautiful tradition colors and lovingly restored by local craftsmen with the help of foreign donations. Like others, this goemba is a center of community life, filled with young monks in magenta robes, and offers stunning views of the surrounding valley. Adjacent to it is the  Nyingmapa monastery, which is based on one of the four major schools of Tibetan Bhuddism. Children from poor families in the area are sent there for education but unlike in other countries, these kids have the option of ultimately choosing not to remain monks.

You have to backtrack a bit to get to Punakha, the winter home of the government, which is about two and a half hours away. Here, the Punakha Dzong is the most elaborate in the Kingdom, built alongside the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu Rivers. There are several huge courtyard that ultimately lead to a massive prayer hall. It contains three huge wood and clay statues of Bhutan’s three holiest saints: Guru Tinpoche, Shakaymuni and Shabrung, the man credited with unifying Bhutan.

For more travel information on Bhutan, don’t miss Discovering the Himalayan Mountains: Bhutan Travel Guide

Gangtey Woodworkers Carving New Panels for the Gangtey Goemba - BhutanEverywhere you look there is something spectacular to see: carvings and statues and brilliantly colored symbols and designs. Try to time this visit with Punakha Domchoe, an elaborate festival held each spring that features monks elaborately dressed as warriors in a re-enactment of the battles the Bhutanese had with the Tibetans.

Travel books don’t mention it it, but it’s well worth a visit to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal, a four-story chorten commissioned by the Queen Mother and built in 1999. It’s a 10-minute drive from most hotels to the drop-off point and then an easy half-hour hike through mostly rice fields. Work is done primarily as it has been for generations. You’ll see mothers working with young children on their laps and older kids racing down paths to play or buy something at a tiny nearby market. Built to keep evil away from the country and the King, it’s filled floor-to-ceiling with with masks and drawings of beasts that are the stuff of nightmares! Pretty strange, especially in a country known for tranquility.

Explore the world’s cultures in our Cultural Travel section.

Tiger's Nest Bhutan - Taktsang DzongSome folks visit the Tiger’s Nest, aka the Taktsang Dzong, as soon as they land in Paro; I’m glad we left it for the last day. That gave time to get used to Bhutan’s altitude and also to experience enough to make the pilgrimage up to the most revered shrine in the country really special.

Head out early as there’s no avoiding the sun. The hike is not easy, but if you go at your own pace and wear hiking boots or tennis shoes with decent cleats, it is doable. You can ride a donkey or pony the first half of the way. Don’t take the shortcuts suggested by the guide unless you are a decent hiker—it may be shorter, but it’s a tougher climb. The climb is about 3,500 feet; the toughest part is a narrow stretch near the top of the cliff where there are steps to climb,  nothing to hang on to, and nothing to catch you if you fall.

Keep going if you can, just don’t look down. The beauty, both physical and spiritual, that awaits is worth the effort.

Text and photos by Susan Tick for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related links on PeterGreenberg.com: