Things to do in Paro
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Paro
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring: rhododendrons bloom, hiking is excellent and Paro Tshechu anchors the season.
Autumn: clearest skies, best Jomolhari views, harvest fields and crisp air.
Winter: cold, dry and sunny, with empty trails and the lowest hotel rates.
Monsoon: heavy rain, cloud, landslide risk and leeches. The worst window for a first trip.
What's on
- Paro Tshechu 29 March-2 April
Five days of masked dances at Rinpung Dzong, ending with the dawn thongdrel unfurling.
- Dzongdrakha Tshechu Spring, same season as Paro Tshechu
A smaller local festival at Dzongdrakha Goenpa.
- Thimphu Tshechu September/October
A major festival in the capital, about an hour from Paro.
- Jomolhari Mountain Festival mid-October
A two day community festival of the yak herding Brokpa people at the mountain base.
Best things to do in Paro
Paro Taktsang
Bhutan's defining cliff monastery and a 5 to 6 hour hike that rewards an early, acclimatised start.
Rinpung Dzong
A working fortress monastery from 1646 where a guide turns courtyards, murals and monk life legible.
Kyichu Lhakhang
One of Bhutan's oldest temples, a quiet 30 to 45 minute stop with prayer wheels and orange trees.
National Museum of Bhutan
The watchtower museum overview that helps you read every dzong and temple that follows on the trip.
Drukgyel Dzong
A restored victory fortress with, on clear autumn and winter mornings, a framed view to Mount Jomolhari.
Dzongdrakha Goenpa
Four shrines on a cliff ledge, the quiet mini Tiger's Nest reached by a short forest walk.
Jangtsa Dumtseg Lhakhang
A rare chorten shaped temple whose three unlit floors pack the most painted art per minute in Paro.
Tachog Lhakhang
A small temple reached across a swaying iron chain bridge, an easy stop on every Thimphu transfer.
Where to stay in Paro
Paro Town and the valley floor north of it (Lango / Satsam road)
first trip, all-round base
Walk or five minutes to main street restaurants, the dzong and museum, and the road north to the sights.
Hillside above town / Uma valley side
wellness and honeymoon trips
Quieter and greener with valley views, at the cost of a drive for every town dinner.
Neyphu Valley (Shaba)
silence and a self-contained retreat
A side valley of temples and farmland, serene and away from town, with your driver covering every trip.
Farmhouse and farmstay villages in the valley
one or two nights inside a longer stay
Family cooking and a hot stone bath on site, with simpler bathrooms, heating and Wi-Fi than hotels.
Think twice about
- Bonday and the main highway near the airport flight path
Truck and dawn aircraft noise funnelled by the valley, for no saving that justifies it.
- Isolated properties up unlit side roads
Not unsafe, but you can be stranded at night with no taxi rank or ride hailing if your driver is not on call.
Best restaurants in Paro
Bukhari
Bhutan's most celebrated hotel restaurant, seasonal tasting dishes in a circular forest pavilion.
Latest Recipe
Paro's highest rated restaurant, all day Indian and international dining in a riverside setting.
Sonam Trophel Restaurant
The town's essential Bhutanese table, home style ema datshi and momos with the owner steering heat.
My Kind of Place
A small cafe restaurant with excellent bread, buckwheat momos and a short well cooked menu.
Authentic Pizza
Thin hot takeaway pies, including a genuinely fiery Bhutan chilli pizza, for a datshi free night.
Tshering Farmhouse
A home cooked farmhouse dinner on floor cushions with the family, usually paired with the hot stone bath.
Taktsang Cafeteria
A midway trail buffet worth it for the monastery view and coffee, not for the food itself.
Best bars in Paro
Namgay Artisanal Brewery
Bhutan's craft beer pioneer, where the tasting flight overlooking the airport beats the paid tour.
Best coffee in Paro
Mountain Cafe
The traveller hub cafe for pizza, pasta, pastries and proper coffee after the Tiger's Nest.
Champaca Cafe
A book lined cafe for chai, momos, lentil soup and cakes, made for a slow rainy hour.
Brioche Cafe
A European style bakery cafe, the best light breakfast in town when the hotel buffet defeats you.
Outdoor things to do in Paro
Chele La Pass
Bhutan's highest road pass at 3,988 m, best paired with the forest walk down to Kila Goenpa nunnery.
Haa Valley
A full day over Chele La into Bhutan's least visited valley of farmhouses and twin temples.
Bumdra Trek
A one night camp above the Tiger's Nest, descending past the monastery before the day hikers arrive.
Druk Path Trek
The classic 4 to 6 day first Himalayan trek, with alpine lakes and passes over 4,000 m.
Chumphu Ney
A pilgrim day hike through forest to a temple famous for its statue said to float.
Zuri Dzong
A gentle walk of about 90 minutes to a small 1352 fortress with the best panorama over the valley.
Chele La Pass
Guided valley riding for any cyclist, or the long supported descent from Chele La for confident riders.
Tshering Farmhouse
A farmhouse hot stone bath after the Tiger's Nest, with river stones heating herb water behind a screen.
Best hotels in Paro
Amankora Paro Lodge
The benchmark Aman lodge in pine forest, with wood stoves, soaking tubs and polished service.
Six Senses Paro
A contemporary lodge wrapped around a stone ruin, with the biggest views and deepest spa in Paro.
COMO Uma Paro
The connoisseur luxury pick, with Shambhala spa, archery field, bikes and Bhutan's best hotel restaurant.
Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary
A wellness inclusive resort where the rate carries doctors, treatments, yoga and all food.
Zhiwaling Heritage
Bhutanese owned luxury built like a dzong by local craftsmen, closest of its tier to the trailhead.
Le Meridien Paro, Riverfront
The reliable international five star on the river in town, smartest value in shoulder season.
Tenzinling Luxury Villa Tents
Proper glamping in heated villa tents with real bathrooms, valley views and a loyal following.
Tenzinling Resort
A mid range workhorse whose kitchen travellers rate the best of similar class hotels in Bhutan.
Is Paro expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | BTN 19,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | BTN 30,900 a person |
| Splurge | BTN 76,100 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Paro Taktsang: weeks ahead
- Chele La Pass: a few days ahead
- Haa Valley: a few days ahead
- Bumdra Trek: weeks ahead
- Druk Path Trek: weeks ahead
- Chumphu Ney: a few days ahead
- Chele La Pass: a few days ahead
- Tshering Farmhouse: a few days ahead
- Sort visa and the Sustainable Development Fee first, then flights, then named hotels.
- Around Paro Tshechu, book flights and named hotels 3 to 6 months ahead.
- Name your hotels in the package instead of accepting an unspecified 3 star in Paro.
- Do the Tiger's Nest on your last full day, after acclimatising. Never on day one.
Is Paro safe?
- Altitude is the main risk. Ascend gently, hydrate and descend if symptoms progress.
- Do not swim in the Pa Chhu. It is cold, fast and sacred in stretches.
- Cover shoulders and knees for dzongs and temples. No hats or photos inside temples.
- Cash rules outside luxury hotels and larger shops. Carry small ngultrum notes.
Paro travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The old USD 250 per day all inclusive tariff ended in 2022. Always ask for an itemised quote.
- Pad the day itineraries built from the airport viewpoint and commission handicraft stops.
- Taktsang Cafeteria lunch and the Namgay brewery tour are filler. Take the brewery tasting flight instead.
- Get your guide's independent advice before buying thangkas, masks or antique textiles.
Getting around Paro: public transport and more
- Your operator vehicle and driver are the transport system. There is no self drive hire or ride hailing for visitors.
- Paro Town to the Taktsang trailhead takes 25 to 35 minutes. Chele La is over an hour of switchbacks.
- Agree taxi fares before boarding. The Gangtey Palace hill climb is the known overcharge spot.
- Build a buffer before onward flights. Paro flights are daylight only and weather dependent.
Who Paro suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Paro your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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