Top 5 Punakha Tourist Places: Best Punakha Sightseeing Attractions 2024
14 September 2022 Last updated at 12:13
In the happiness kingdom of Bhutan, Punakha is the ancient capital with irreplaceable significance and charm. On the one hand, the valley where Punakha is located has beautiful rural natural scenery with forests, rivers, villages, rice fields, etc. On the other hand, previous royal history leaves majestic Punakha Dzong many sacred religious sites. Grand Tshechu Festival held in Punakha every February or March is also a cultural highlight presenting unique local customs and culture.
When you drive from Paro or Thimphu to Punakha, you can always view stunning sights along the way, especially paddy farmland in spring. After getting to Puankha, 1 day’s short visit is most suitable to catch the essence of this old capital. Visiting beautiful Punakha Dzong by riverside and taking a nice hike trip to Chimi Lhakhang are two most recommended things to do in Punakha. If time permits, you can stay longer in Punakha to see more scenic spots, like the unique Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, Punakha Suspension Bridge, Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery, etc.
Punakha Top 5 Attractions to Vist
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Punakha Dzong - The Most Beautiful Dzong in Bhutan
Type: Religious & Historical Sites, Landmark
Recommended Length of Visit: about 2 ~ 3 hours
Dzong is a unique architecture common seen in Bhutan, which is a protective fortress, a monastery and a castle integrating politics, religion and law, designed by Ngawang Namgyal, 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche and unifier of Bhutan in 17th century.
Among all the 20 distinctive Dzongs in each Dzongkha district of Bhutan, Punakha Dzong is the most famous and beautiful one, as well as the second oldest and second largest Dzong in Bhutan. Built at the junction of Po Chhu and Mo Chhu (two major rivers of Bhutan) by Ngawang Namgyal, Punakha Dzong as the seat of government and witnessed many significant national events, like the first king of Bhutan ascended to the throne, the first national assembly of Bhutan and the romantic wedding of current 5th King of Bhutan were held here. Now, it is still “the Winter Palace” for central monk body and a top must-visit attraction of Punakha, which not only has impressive architectural beauty, but also houses lots of precious Buddhist scriptures, portraits of sacred Buddhist masters, different sizes of religious paintings and the remains of Ngawang Namgyal preserved. Purple jacaranda blooms outside the white walls during April and May is the most gorgeous moment you shouldn’t miss.
How to Get There: It takes about 3 hours from Paro, air gateway city of Bhutan and 2 hours from capital Thimphu by car.
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Chimi Lhakhang Temple - Supernatural Fertility Temple
Type: Religious Site
Recommended Length of Visit: about 2 hours (1 hour trek uphill through rice fields)
Chimi Lhakhang is a small Buddhist temple built on hummock, riverside of Puna Tsang Chhu, south suburb of Punakha. Originally, it was constructed by cousin of Druk Kunley to memorize this “Crazy Wisdom” or “Divine Madman”, who tamed demons and spread Buddhism in unconventional ways. Currently, it becomes a magic “Fertility Temple” where local women often visit and pray to have children. Inside the courtyard and a tiny Buddhist hall, you can see massive images, paintings and items of penis, which the Bhutanese believe can bless themselves from Druk Kunley’s legend. Before arrival, you may hike nearly 1 hour to pass through an open lovely paddy filed and village.
How to Get There: It is located about 8 km, 15 minutes’ drive from Punakha Dzong; nearly 65 km, 1 hour and 45 minutes’ driving from capital Thimphu and 40 km, 1 hour from Dochula Pass.
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Punakha Suspension Bridge - The Second Longest Suspension Bridge in Bhuatn
Type: Points of Interest, Landmark, Bridge
Recommended Length of Visit: about 10 minutes
Constructed by Thangtong Gyalpo, a great “Iron Bridge Maker” who has built 58 chain suspension bridges in Tibet and Bhutan to connect nearby villages during floods, Punakha Suspension Bridge is the one of the oldest and longest such bridges in Bhutan and the world. With a length of 160 meters (520 feet), this hanging bridge is a symbolic architectural site links Punakha Dzong and Wangkha and other villages. When walking on it, you can see many pray flags draped all along both sides, quiet villages on the other end and Tsang Chu River (also called Po Chhu) flowing through. Relax! It’s really stable and interesting when you cross the bridge, and you can take panoramic views from the middle point.
How to Get There: The suspension bridge is just half a mile from Punakha Dzong. If you want to walk across the bridge, you have to go north from Punakha Dzong on Trashigang-Semtokha Highway along the Puna Tsang Chu River.
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Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten - Bhutan’s Sole Stupa Deifying All Buddhas
Type: Religious Site, Points of Interests, Landmark
Recommended Length of Visit: about half a day
Standing on a ridge of north Punakha Valley, Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten is the only stupa honoring all kinds of Dharmapala (guardian deities) in Bhutan and an excellent architectural and artistic example. In 1990s, Queen Mother Tshering Yangdon decided to build a stupa to exorcise evil spirits and protect Bhutan’s peace and kindness. It took 8.5 years to complete the stupa. Two highlights of Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten are various Buddhist statues worshipped on each floor, and design inspiration from sutra instead of technical books. You need to pass an iron suspension bridge, via rice field and twisting road, spend half-a-day hiking to visit it. Stunning views of Punakha Valley can surprise you when overlooking from the top of the stupa.
How to Get There: about 10km/30mins's driving from Punakha Dzong.
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Sangchhen Dorji Lhuendrup Nunnery - Royal Buddhist College of Bhutan
Type: Religious Site, Points of Interests, Landmark, School
Recommended Length of Visit: 1 ~ 2 hours
It is a Buddhist academy built by the 4th King of Bhutan to celebrate the 60th birthday of the 3rd Queen Mother. A 14-feet-tall bronze statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is consecrated inside the school, together with other sculptures of Padmasambhava, Sakyamuni, Green Tara, Amitayus and other Buddhas. Female monks here learn Buddhist doctrine and many local life skills like painting, embroidery, tailoring and other folk customs classes. During your short trip, you can see some reverent young nuns and wonderful sights of Punakha Valley.
How to Get There: It lies about 10 km, 20 minutes’ drive from Punakha Dzong in the north.
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
Punakha Travel Guide
Bhutan Travel Guide
Most Recommended Bhutan Tour Packages
Following are 3 most recommended Bhutan tour packages that you may be interested in. All tour packages are customizable 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
