By air
Paro International (PBH), ~6 km
Nepal & Bhutan · Bhutan
Paro, Bhutan
Tiger's Nest, clinging to a cliff
Getting there
Best time to visit
March to May and September to November — clear and mild
Don't miss
Paro Taktsang
Rinpung Dzong
The National Museum
Chele La
Things to do
The hike to Tiger's Nest
Paro Dzong
The Chele La pass
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Nina R; derivative work: UnpetitproleX · CC BY 2.0
What to pack
Layers, hiking shoes, modest dress for the dzongs
A quieter corner
Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest temples
Questions travellers ask
When is Paro at its clearest?
March to May or September to November, when it's clear and mild.
How far is Paro's airport from town?
Paro International (PBH) is about 6 km away.
What do I need for the Tiger's Nest hike?
Hiking shoes and layers, plus modest dress for the dzongs.
Is there an older temple worth seeing in Paro?
Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest temples.
About Paro
- Mountains
Where it is
Paro is a town in a broad valley of western Bhutan, at about 2,200 m on the Paro Chhu river, home to the country's only international airport and, on a cliff above the valley, the monastery of Taktsang.
History
Tradition holds that the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo founded Kyichu Lhakhang in the 7th century and that Guru Rinpoche flew to the cliffs of Taktsang on the back of a tigress in the 8th century to meditate. The Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal built Rinpung Dzong in the 17th century to defend the valley, and the Taktsang monastery, built in 1692, was restored after a fire in 1998.
People
Paro's people are Ngalop who speak Dzongkha, Bhutan's national language, and farm red rice, apples and potatoes in the valley, living in painted farmhouses. The Paro Tshechu each spring ends with the unfurling of a giant thangka at dawn.
Known for
- Paro Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest
- Rinpung Dzong and the Paro Tshechu
- Kyichu Lhakhang
- The National Museum of Bhutan
- The drive over Chele La
Did you know?
Paro's airport, hemmed in by mountains, is so demanding that only a small number of specially trained pilots are certified to land there.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.