On your arrival at Paro International Airport, you'll be received by our guide and the driver and then escort you on your first adventure in this beautiful Kingdom. The National Museum of Bhutan is located in Paro just above the Rinpung Dzong (administrative headquarter of the Paro district). It is housed in an ancient watchtower called Paro Ta Dzong (Ta Dzong means “watchtower fortress”) built in 1649. It displays hundreds of ancient Bhutanese artifacts and artworks including traditional costumes, armour, weaponry and handcrafted implements for daily life. The collection at the National Museum preserves a snapshot of the rich cultural traditions of the country. This unique ancient watchtower was converted into the National Museum in 1968.

Paro Rinpung Dzong (Rinpung Dzong means “fortress of the heap of jewels”) was built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in 1646 and established as the administrative and monastic centre of the western region. Today, the Dzong serves as the office of the governor of Paro district and head of the district monk body in Paro. A great annual festival known as Paro Tsechu is held in Rinpung Dzong from the eleventh to the fifteenth day of the second month of the traditional Bhutanese lunar calendar (usually in March or April of the Gregorian calendar). On this occasion, holy images are taken in a procession followed by a series of traditional mask dances conveying religious stories which are performed by monks for five days. After visiting the Dzong, take a short walk to the traditional wooden cantilever bridge called Nemeyzampa, where your driver will be waiting for you. The roofed wooden cantilever bridge is built in a traditional style and this type of bridge is called Bazam.

If time permits, we’ll visit the 7th-century Kyichu Lhakhang. One of the oldest temples in Bhutan, a seventh-century Kyichu Lhakhang (Lhakhang means “temple”) is located just a few minutes drive from the main town of Paro. It is believed to have been built overnight in 659 A.D. by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in his mission to subdue the spirit of a giant demoness causing harm to the propagation of Buddhism in the Himalayan region. To subdue this demoness, the King ventured to build 108 temples across the affected region. Bhutan is blessed with four of these 108 temples, one is Jampa Lhakhang located in the district of Bumthang in central Bhutan and the other two, Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo in Haa valley.