Top Things to Do in Paro Bhutan | Best Paro Experience 2024
14 September 2022 Last updated at 11:22
Owning the solo international airport of Bhutan, Paro is usually the start to unveil your mysterious Bhutan trip. In addition to tourist distribution center, it is a not-be-missed destination offering quite a lot attractions to visit and things to do. No matter when you plan a Bhutan tour, you can enjoy a unique travel experience.
Here we list the top 7 things to do in Paro, involving hiking, history-learning, cultural exploration, natural savory, festival experience, etc., to help you plan a more terrific Paro itinerary or make a theme tour focusing on different featured experience. Feel free to contact us if you are interested in one or two or more of them, and we are pleasant to customize a unique experience according to your interest and needs.
Paro Top 7 Things to Do
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Hike to Taktsang Monastery (Tiger's Nest)
Taktsang Monastery, is well known as Tiger's Nest as well, is one of Bhutan's most venerated site of pilgrimage in Bhutan. Hanging on the sheer cliffside about 900 meters above the floor o Paro Valley, Taktsang Monastery can't be reached easily. The car can only stop in the parking lot of Taktsang Monastery, and you need to hike 2 ~ 3 hours to get to the monastery from the parking lot. It is a spiritually and visually rewarding hiking experience. During your trip, you can breathe the fresh air and appreciate the primitive scenery. Just immerse yourself in the beauty of prayer flags, waterfalls, gorgeous forests, etc.
The hiking to Taktsang Monastery is quite enjoyable but might be challenging for children and seniors. Don't worry. It is available to ride a horse for 1 hour first to cut down the hiking time and save your energy.
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Learn Bhutan's History and Culture in National Museum
Bhutan is a small kingdom hidden at the foot of Himalayan Ranges. Its history and culture are seldom known by outsiders but are well-recorded in the museum. If you want to learn Bhutan better, don't skip Bhutan National Museum which is housed in Rinpung Dong's old round watchtower.
There are five galleries in National Museum, displaying a large number of collections from which you can get a great insight to Bhutan's historical and cultural treasures. In the first gallery, you are able to see many different festival marks once used in religious dance. All of them tell the legendary history of Bhutan. It is also available to the qualities different animals symbolized in Bhutanese philosophy in the first gallery. In the second gallery, there are many exquisite thangkas showing Bhutan's masters and saints. The third gallery is full of statues of Bhutan's worshipped gods. The fourth gallery allows you to see many rare animals' statues. In the fifth gallery, there is a small model of Tiger's Nest.
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Drive to the Highest Motorable Pass for Nature Savory
In fact, the average altitude of Bhutan's tourist destinations is not high, but it's also possible to explore high altitude scenery in Paro. In Chele La Pass (alt: 3988 meter), you can have a quite special adventure. It is located between Paro Valley and Haa Valley. The most highlight of Chele La Pass is that it offers an awe-inspiring view of sky-kissing snow-capped mountains in distant. On your drive to the pass, there is a large variety of beautiful wild flowers on each side of road, especially Bhutan's national flower – Himalayan blue poppy, allowing travelers to take perfect photos. In addition to flower-watching, you can also enjoy spotting several species of birds, including Magpie, Kalij pheasant, Nut cracker, etc. and some unusual ones like Blood Pheasant and Nut Cracker.
Tips: 1) After the impressive sightseeing from Chele La Pass, you can drive back to Paro or extend an adventure to Haa Valley; 2) The wind might be strong on the pass, so make sure you take enough warm clothes.
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Throw Yourself into the Happy Atmosphere of Tsechu Festival
Bhutan people are bound up in various festivals which express their Buddhist culture and legendary victories. During the celebration of the rich, vibrant and happy festivals, the locals dress on their finest clothes and join in many interesting activities. Tshechu Festival is the most important festival held in different time and in many districts of Bhutan, and Paro Tshechu Festival is one of the biggest Tshechu Festivals.
Paro Tshechu Festival takes place in the 10th day of the second month in Bhutanese calendar and last for 5 days. In the 5 days, you can watch interesting religious dances performed by masked robed dancers in the courtyard of Rinpung Dzong. You are welcomed to follow the local people to join in the last dance called Tashi Lebey. On the last day of Tshechu comes the highlight that a large thangkha of Guru Rinpoche is unfurled. It is believed that watching the dances and view the unfurling of the Thangkha will accumulate merits and wash sins. Contact us to customize a Paro Tshechu Festival or take our popular 7 Days Thimphu Festival Tour.
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Join in Paro Sunday Market to Experience Local Life
Paro Sunday Market is a well-preserved outdoor market take place in on each Sunday in the center of Paro Town. The farmers around Paro will get together to sell local products, including agricultural products, handicrafts, farming tools, traditional clothing, prayer wheel, interesting Bhutanese stamps, snacks, fruits, etc. Between 6:30am and 10:30am, this market becomes busiest and most lively.
Though Paro Sunday Market can be compared with Thimphu Weekend Market in scape, it features in thicker traditional feelings. You can see the local people wandering around the stalls to select goods and bargain with the vendors. It will be a good place as well if you want to purchase some Bhutanese style souvenirs for your family or friends.
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Explore Buddhism by Retracing the Steps of Master Padmasambhava
If you are a Buddhist or have interest in Buddhism, Master Padmasambhava won't be unfamiliar to you. Pamasambhava, also called Guru RiNpoche, is a legendary Indian Buddhist mystic who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan. He is also one of the most important historical and religious figures in Bhutan. Till day, you can worship his notable statues and find his footsteps in many places.
In the legend, Guru Rinpoche flaw to the site of Taktsang Monastery on a tiger to subjugate a demoness. Then he had mediated there for three months before returning to Tibet. Dzongdrakha Temple is also a memorial site for Guru Rinpoche because he once did battle with local demons here. He also visited Dragkarpo which becomes a popular kora place among locals now. If you travel Paro during Paro Tshechu Festival, you can admire many wonderful religious dances tell the story of Guru Rinpoche.
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Take In-depth Trekking from Paro
Dzongs and monasteries are one aspect of Bhutan, but the majority of the country is forests with a scattering high grazing lands. Trek is the best way to step into the authentic Bhutan and admire its rural culture through contact with people in remote villages.
There are several challenging but worth-trying trek routes starting from Paro, including the top classic ones – Durk Path Trek, Jhomolhari Trek, Jhomolhari Trek 2, Laya-Gasa Trek and Snowman Trek. The 4 ~ 6 days' Druk Path Trek is recommended for beginners, which takes you to the beautiful mountain trails. Snowman Trek, taking around 25 days, is one of the hardest treks in the world, even more difficult than Everest summiting. Other three trek routes enjoys medium difficult and are recommended for most serious trekkers. No matter which one you choose, you are able to get a wilderness experience through various vegetation zones, forested hillsides.
How to Plan Your Bhutan Tour
A Bhutan trip usually starts from Paro where the Bhutan’s only international airport is located in, then travel eastward to Thimphu and Punakha, which is the most classic itinerary in Bhutan, taking 5~6 days to finish. Never miss the icon of Bhutan - Tiger’s Nest (the symbol of Bhutan) in Paro. If your time is quite limited, you can skip Punakha. If you want an in-depth Bhutan tour, we suggest you extend your trip to Phobjikha, Gangtey, Trongsa and Bumthang in central Bhutan, which costs you about 9~10 days. You can also spend more time in Bhutan to explore more features of Bhutan, such as trekking, birding, Tshechu festival, etc. It is strongly recommended to travel Bhutan with Nepal. Check Nepal Bhutan tours to find a suitable tour or contact us to customize your own unique experience.
☞ 5 Days Bhutan Classic Tour (Paro & Thimphu & Punakha)
☞ 9 Days Bhutan In-depth Natural and Cultural Tour
☞ 12 Days Nepal Bhutan Leisure Vacation Tour Package
Travel with Us
Traveling with Himalayas Discovery, you are assured to use our high-quality travel services, including vehicles, professional tour guide and experienced driver, well-organized itinerary, assistance of visa and permits application and other travel related services. We will settle all arrangements in advance to make sure you always enjoy a worry-free journey.
Our dear guests visiting Bhutan
Paro Travel Guide
Bhutan Travel Guide
Recommended Bhutan Tour Packages
Following are some other recommended Bhutan tour packages that you may be interested in. All of our Bhutan can be customized to meet your personal requirements. You can also contact us to customize a trip if you want.
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9 Days Bhutan In-depth Natural and Cultural Tour
Paro / Thimphu / Punakha / Phobjikha / Trongsa / Bumthang / Wangue Phodrang / Paro
