Paro

Site of a floating statue. From Kuenga High School in Doteng (8 km north from Paro town), it's a three-hour gentle walk to the monastery, following the river valley, but the final thirty minutes is on a very steep incline. There is a small sacred lake just above the monastery. The monastery is dedicated to the dakini Dorji Phagmo (Vajravarahi).

A monastic complex perched on a cliff. Guru Rinpoche spent two months here after completing a retreat at nearby Taktsang, and during his stay placed many treasures (terma) into the cliff. The area also has several hand and foot prints embedded in the rock.

This dzong (fortress) was built in the 16th century to commemorate a victory over the invading Tibetan forces. The fortress today lies in ruins, the elements and a fire in the 1950s having taken a toll on the site. Drukyel dzong is about 15 km from Paro.

Located behind Paro Dzong. This small and insignificant looking temple is home to a magnificent statue of Sakyamuni Buddha that was carried all the way from Lhasa, and also houses the protector deity of Paro. Legend has it that the statue of Sakyamuni was destined for Paro Dzong and merely placed in the temple for overnight safekeeping. However, when the time came to move the statue, it proved impossible to lift. As a result, it became a permanent feature of the lhakhang.

This is one of the 108 monasteries that are said to have been miraculously constructed by King Songten Gampo in one night.

In a former watch tower, itself a museum piece, the museum displays artifacts from Bhutan's history as well as examples of indigenous flora and fauna.

Constructed in 1646.

Precariously perched on the edge of a 1,200-m cliff, this monastery creates an impressive sight, and is the unofficial symbol of Bhutan. It is about a 2-to-3-hour, totally uphill hike from the parking lot to the monastery, though there is a cafe on ridge across from the Taktsang (about 90 minutes into the walk) that provides a welcome opportunity to take a rest and purchase refreshments and snacks. Taktsang was established as a sacred place for meditation by Guru Rinpoche, who visited the site on his second visit to Bhutan in 747 CE, though the first monastery was not constructed until 1694. In 1998, a tragic fire destroyed most of the original buildings, but these have since been painstakingly restored to their former glory. An entry fee of Nu1,000 is levied on all foreign nationals. The ticket office is in the parking lot at the foot of the mountain. It is open until 1PM, and entry will be denied if a ticket from this office is not produced at the monastery gate.