Travel to Paro

an attractive but relatively inhabited valley

Paro is located in western Bhutan.

This relatively broad valley is home to the main international airport for Bhutan and is adjacent to the Thimphu Valley, where the capital is located.

Although this might sound less than attractive, in reality Paro is rather pleasant and contains some of the best known sights in the country, notably the impressive Rinpung Dzong, the national museum and the famously photogenic Tiger’s Nest Monastery.

Almost all trips therefore tend to include at least two nights in this area, often towards the end of the itinerary in order to provide for acclimatisation to altitude before undertaking the hike up to Tiger’s Nest.

The valley also provides access to some epic hiking and mountain biking trails, mostly in the mountains to the north.

There is no doubt that Paro feels more touristy than the valleys further east, so careful planning, lodge selection and traffic avoidance is important.

The best time of year to visit Paro is Sep-May, avoiding the warm and wet Jun-Aug monsoon season.

If you want to include a lot of outdoor activity such as high altitude treks and mountain biking, then it is best to head for the two shoulder seasons of Mar-May (Spring) and Sep-Nov (Autumn).

If you are looking for a trip with a more general focus, of scenery and culture, then you can also consider the Dec-Feb (winter) season, when the clear skies and very low rainfalls often deliver the best mountain views.

At 2200 metres (7200’), Paro is one of the mid-elevation valleys and experiences a relatively mild climate, occasionally with freezing temperatures at night during the Dec-Feb winter season.

For a more detailed overview of seasonality, please refer to the country page.

Getting around

The Paro Valley is the location of the main international airport for Bhutan (PBH), notably with direct flight connections from various locations in India.

All of the other main locations in Bhutan are usually reached by means of a private guided overland safari.

Although almost all trips start at the airport, we usually start by heading west, taking in as many of the Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang valleys, before returning to stay in the Paro Valley last. The two main reasons for doing this are that it is best to spend the last night close to the airport and, more importantly, it is best to do the famous hike up to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery after you have spent some time in the country acclimatising to the altitude.

Note that if you do travel all the way out to Bumthang, it is possible to take an internal flight back to Paro.

Where to stay

Accommodation in the Paro area falls into three distinct categories.

The first option is to stay at one of three upmarket properties, all of which are well-located and stylish, providing very high levels of conventional comforts.

The second option is to stay at one of the simpler and more intimate options, where you can experience local hospitality and gain a greater taste of the country.

The third option is to stay at one of the larger and more commercial properties, which tend to be disappointingly short on local character and are often more focused on budget tours and business travel, but do often have the significant advantage of being cheaper.

location of the international airport