Three Days in Paro and Thimphu, Bhutan

Three days in Bhutan can feel like nothing at all, or like a small lifetime, depending on how you use them. Many short trips are spent racing between viewpoints and dzongs with a camera, ticking off sights. We would like to suggest another way: three days in Paro and Thimphu, planned around a rhythm rather than a list.

Before you begin

A short trip like this makes most sense for travellers who arrive by air at Paro, or Indian travellers coming by road via Phuentsholing who have already spent time on the way. Rules for permits, guides and fees differ by nationality and have changed in recent years, so confirm them before you book. The plan below assumes you have a guide and driver, as most visitors do, and that you are reasonably fit.

Paro sits at around 2,200 metres and Thimphu a little higher, so your body needs time. That is the first reason not to cram.

Day one: arrive, then do very little

Land at Paro and resist the urge to climb anything. Check in, drink water, and take a gentle walk. Rinpung Dzong is a good first stop: cross the covered wooden bridge, wander the courtyards, and watch monks moving between prayers. If the National Museum in the watchtower above is open, spend an hour there to get a sense of Bhutanese art, masks and history.

In the late afternoon, ask your guide to stop at Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in the country, traditionally dated to the seventh century. Elderly residents circle it spinning prayer wheels, and the orange trees in the courtyard are said to bear fruit year-round. It is a calm, unshowy place, and an ideal introduction to Bhutanese faith in daily life.

Dinner should be simple. Try ema datshi, chillies in cheese sauce, with red rice, and ask for it mild if you are not used to heat. Go to bed early.

Day two: Thimphu, at walking pace

Drive to Thimphu in the morning, stopping at Chuzom, where three chortens mark the meeting of two rivers, and at the iron-chain bridge of Tachog Lhakhang if your guide recommends it.

In Thimphu, start at the Memorial Chorten. Instead of photographing it and leaving, walk around it once with the elderly residents who come every morning. Then explore the city on foot. Watch the policeman directing traffic at the main junction, browse a craft shop for textiles and handmade paper, and stop at a cafe.

In the afternoon, choose one or two of the following rather than all of them: the National Institute for Zorig Chusum, where students learn the traditional arts; the takin preserve, home of the national animal; the Folk Heritage Museum, set in a traditional farmhouse; or the Buddha Dordenma statue on its hilltop. End the day at Tashichho Dzong if visiting hours allow, when evening light falls on its whitewashed walls.

If you are in town on a weekend, the Centenary Farmers’ Market by the river is a lively place to see what Bhutanese households actually eat: dried yak cheese, mountains of chillies, mushrooms and seasonal greens.

Day three: Tiger’s Nest, slowly

Return to Paro early, or stay overnight in Paro after day two if your guide suggests it. The climb to Taktsang, Tiger’s Nest, is the reason many people come to Bhutan, and it deserves a full day.

Start as early as you can. The trail climbs several hundred metres through blue pine forest, with prayer flags overhead. Horses are often available for part of the way up, though not for the descent. About halfway there is a cafeteria with a view of the monastery across the gorge, a good place to rest. From there the path continues to a viewpoint, then down a set of steps past a waterfall and up again to the monastery entrance.

Inside, you will need to leave your camera and phone at the gate. Take your time in the shrines. Then walk down slowly, stopping to look back.

In the evening, if you can arrange it, try a traditional hot stone bath in a farmhouse. River stones are heated in a fire and dropped into a wooden tub of water infused with herbs. It is the perfect end to a day on the trail.

What you will have skipped

You will not have seen Punakha, Dochula, Phobjikha or Bumthang. That is fine. They are reasons to come back. On three days, depth beats distance, and a good guide will understand that.

If you have a fourth day

Should you find yourself with an extra day, resist adding another valley. Instead, drive up to Chele La, the high pass above Paro, on a clear morning for views over forests and, if you are lucky, distant snow peaks. Or simply spend a slow day in Paro town, browsing craft shops, drinking tea and walking among the rice fields along the river. Rest days are underrated in Bhutan, and they make the memories of the busier days sharper.

Tips for a short trip

Pack layers, as mornings and evenings are cold even when afternoons are warm.
Carry a refillable water bottle and snacks for the Tiger’s Nest climb.
Dress modestly for dzongs and temples, with covered shoulders and knees.
Ask before photographing people, and do not photograph inside temple halls.
Keep some cash in ngultrum or Indian rupees in smaller notes; check current rules on Indian currency, which have changed in the past.
Confirm opening times of dzongs, which may close for government work or festivals.

Where to eat and stay

Your operator will usually suggest hotels, and many visitors are on packages that include meals. Even so, ask to eat out at least once in Thimphu, where small local restaurants serve momos, phaksha paa (pork with radish and chilli) and kewa datshi (potatoes in cheese). In Paro, a farmhouse stay gives you a far better sense of rural life than a large hotel.

Why three slow days work

The pleasure of Bhutan is in its pace: monks chanting, wind in prayer flags, the long drive along a river. Rushing defeats the point. Choose fewer places, linger in them, and talk to people. You will come home with fewer photographs and better memories, and probably a plan to return.