mountain pass
Dochula Pass
A 3,100 m pass on the Thimphu-Punakha road crowned by 108 memorial chortens. On clear days the roadside terrace unveils a panorama of Bhutan's snowcapped eastern Himalaya.
17 km · about 20 min drive
AsiaBhutanPunakha
Punākha
Punakha, Bhutan · Asia
About Punākha
Punākha is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Pajo, 29km from Phobjikha Valley.
Punākha is in Punakha, Bhutan, with about 22,000 people. The nearest town is Pajo, about 6 km away.
The Punakha Dzong, also known as Pungthang Dewa Chhenbi Phodrang (meaning "the palace of great happiness or bliss"), is the administrative centre of Punakha District in Punakha, Bhutan. Constructed by Ngawang Namgyal, 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche, in 1637–38, it is the second oldest and second-largest dzong in Bhutan andRead more
one of its most majestic structures. The dzong houses the sacred relics of the southern Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, including the Rangjung Kharsapani and the sacred remains of Ngawang Namgyal and the tertön Pema Lingpa.
Punakha Dzong was the administrative center and the seat of the Government of Bhutan until 1955, when the capital was moved to Thimphu. It has been the venue for coronation of all the kings of Bhutan since 1907. It is on Bhutan's Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage Site inclusion.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Punākha?
Within an hour or so of Punākha: Dochula Pass (17 km), Phobjikha Valley (29 km), Tiger's Nest (Paro Taktsang) (52 km), Tiger's Nest Viewpoint (52 km).
Are there any good drives near Punākha?
The nearest famous roads are Dochula Pass, Chele La and Nathu La.
Where is Punākha?
Punākha is in Punakha, Bhutan, about 6 km from Pajo.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 21,500
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Bhutan
- Region
- Punakha
- Timezone
- Asia/Thimphu
- Coordinates
- 27.5914, 89.8774
Tags
Worth the detour from Punākha
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
national park
Phobjikha Valley
A wide U-shaped glacial valley at around 3,000 m where several hundred black-necked cranes winter from late October to March, circling Gangteng Monastery on arrival and departure.
29 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Tiger's Nest (Paro Taktsang)
A sacred Buddhist monastery clinging to a sheer cliff face 900 meters above the Paro Valley floor.
52 km · about 60 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Tiger's Nest Viewpoint
A viewpoint on the trail to Paro Taktsang, looking across a forested gorge at the monastery clinging impossibly to a 3,000-foot cliff face.
52 km · about 60 min drive
mountain pass
Chele La
Bhutan's highest motorable road at 3,988 m, a narrow asphalt climb through hemlock and rhododendron forest between the Paro and Haa valleys, with prayer flags in their thousands at the top.
58 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Punākha
4 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- 17 kmDochula PassA 3,100 m pass on the Thimphu-Punakha road crowned by 108 memorial chortens. On clear days the roadside terrace unveils a panorama of Bhutan's snowcapped eastern Himalaya.
- 52 kmTiger's Nest ViewpointA viewpoint on the trail to Paro Taktsang, looking across a forested gorge at the monastery clinging impossibly to a 3,000-foot cliff face.
- 58 kmChele LaBhutan's highest motorable road at 3,988 m, a narrow asphalt climb through hemlock and rhododendron forest between the Paro and Haa valleys, with prayer flags in their thousands at the top.
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