Western Bhutan · 1,250 m
Punakha
Warm, low, and the site of the finest dzong in the country.
Punakha sits low enough that oranges and rice grow, and it was the winter capital until 1955. Punakha Dzong stands on the spit where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu meet, the male and female rivers, reached by a covered wooden bridge.
The walk to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten crosses the valley floor and climbs through rice terraces. Chimi Lhakhang, the fertility temple, is a short walk from the road.
9 trips visit Punakha
Trekking Tours
Bumthang Owl Trek
A short, high walk through blue pine and rhododendron above the Bumthang valleys, named for the owls you…
Cultural Tours
Glimpse of Bhutan
The short introduction to Bhutan: Thimphu, the drive over Dochula to Punakha, and the climb to Taktsang on…
Festival Tours
Paro Tshechu
Two full days at the Paro festival, with the western valleys and Taktsang around them.
Special Interest Tours
Village Homestay
A cultural trip with three nights in a farmhouse rather than a hotel: cooking, farm work and a…
Cultural Tours
Central Bhutan Tour
West to east as far as Bumthang, the religious heart of the country, returning through Phobjikha, where the…
Festival Tours
Thimphu Tshechu
The largest festival in the country, held in the capital over three days, with Paro and Punakha around…
Cultural Tours
Eastern Bhutan Tour
The full east-west traverse, as far as Trashigang and Trashi Yangtse, the part of Bhutan almost nobody sees.
Trekking Tours
Jhomolhari - Laya Gasa Trek
The classic long route: up to Jangothang, north along the Tibetan border through Lingshi and Laya, and out…
Festival Tours
Thangbi Mani Festival
A festival in Chhoekhor, Bumthang, whose closing ceremony is a fire blessing: people jump through the flames to…