Tiger's Nest Monastery
Bhutan's most iconic sight, clinging to a cliff 900m above the Paro valley.
Paro Taktsang, universally known as the Tiger's Nest, clings to a sheer cliff face roughly 900m above the Paro valley floor, and is Bhutan's single most recognisable image. Legend holds that Guru Rinpoche, who brought Buddhism to Bhutan, flew here on the back of a tigress and meditated in a cave on the site — the monastery that now surrounds that cave dates mainly from 1692.
Reaching it requires a genuine hike: roughly 2-3 hours up a steep forested trail (a mule can carry you partway, but not the final stretch), rewarded by a monastery complex that seems to grow directly out of the rock. It is, without close competition, the most demanding and most memorable single site on a typical Bhutan itinerary.
Highlights
Built into a cliff face 900m above the Paro valley
A 2-3 hour uphill hike each way — Bhutan's most physically demanding sight
Said to be where Guru Rinpoche meditated after flying here on a tigress
The defining image of Bhutan on almost every travel itinerary
Practical Info
Address
Paro Valley, Western Bhutan
Opening Hours
8:00am–1:00pm and 2:00pm–5:00pm, typical
Price
budget
Included in Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee-covered itineraries; check with your guide