Cliff monastery
On the rock face.
Original: Nina R from Africa Derivative work: UnpetitproleX — CC BY 2.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0
Bhutan's emblem and most famous sight, a monastery hanging on the edge of a sheer cliff some 900 metres above the Paro valley. Tradition says Guru Rinpoche, who spread Buddhism in the Himalaya, flew to this cave on the back of a tigress in the 8th century and meditated here, hence the name. The monastery was built around the cave in 1692, a group of white temples with golden and red roofs clinging to the rock, linked by carved steps and bridges over a small waterfall. Part of it burned in 1998 and was rebuilt in the same form. Getting there is an adventure: a mountain trail climbing through pine forest and prayer flags for about two to three hours, with a café and a superb viewpoint halfway, then hundreds of steps down and up before the monastery. Horses can carry you on the first part. The ticket is about BTN 1,000, per visitor guides; a licensed guide is required, and bags and cameras are left at the entrance. Start the climb early in the morning. Dzongs and temples are places of worship and state: wear long sleeves and long trousers or skirts, remove hats, walk clockwise and take no photos inside the halls. Most visitors to Bhutan pay a Sustainable Development Fee of USD 100 per person per night, fixed until August 2027, and a licensed guide is required at dzongs and major temples.
On the rock face.
A viewpoint.
Prayer flags.
Cliff in the upper Paro valley, about 10 km north of Paro
About two to three hours up and an hour and a half down, so allow a full day and start early.