Things to do in Punakha Valley in Bhutan – the hidden gem of the Himalayas

On our recent 7 days Bhutan trip itinerary, we stayed in Punakha for one night, apart from staying in Thimphu for 2 nights, Paro for 2 nights and Jaigaon for 1 night. To be honest with you, I had not heard much about Punakha Valley in Bhutan before my trip to Bhutan. Although I had heard a lot about Thimphu and Paro. Even the initial itinerary that our travel guide had shared with us contained just a day trip to Punakha from Thimphu. But it looked too tight an itinerary to take with kids. So, I asked him to include one night in Punakha. And what a discovery Punakha turned out to be!!

Now I am so glad that we stayed overnight at Punakha. And a little remorseful that I should have actually stayed 2 nights at Punakha at the minimum. For, little did I know that our one day at Punakha will be the highlight of our complete Bhutan trip. Not the day we trekked Tiger’s Nest. Nor the day we explored the town of Thimphu. But it was the beautiful valley of Punakha that stole my heart. And there are so many things to do in Punakha Valley, that one day still didn’t prove to be sufficient.

Anyways, read on to know about the things to do in Punakha Valley through our lenses. And decide for yourself how many days in Punakha you will like to spend on your trip to Bhutan. (I strongly suggest minimum 2 days)

Our trip from Thimphu to Punakha Valley

On the fourth day of our Bhutan trip, post breakfast, around 9:30 am we checked out from our hotel in Bhutan. And started on our journey to discover Punakha Valley. The day also included various things to do in Punakha Valley. With our tummies satisfied with delicious but light breakfast , we loaded all our luggage in our vehicle. And thus started our trip from Thimphu to Punakha.

Our first stop on the way was around 1 hour after the journey started, at Dochula Pass.

Dochula Pass

The second highest pass in Bhutan, Dochula Pass, was the highest point that we navigated during our Bhutan trip. I will soon dedicate another post to it. For there’s a lot to do and see here. Including the beautiful Chorten or Temple, the 108 stupas made in the memory of Bhutanese Soldiers who lay their life safeguarding Bhutan as well as India against some rebels who were planning to re-enter India via Dochula Pass. And a cute restaurant with magnificent view of the snow covered peaks all around. The place also has restroom facilities here. You can easily spend 1-2 hours here before proceeding further on the journey.

PS: If you don’t have time while on your way to Punakha, and you want to rather reach there and enjoy the other things to do in Punakha, you will get to visit Dochula Pass again when you return back from Punakha. So you can always stop here for more at that time.

For me, the highlight of the Dochula pass was it’s surroundings. The crisp mountain air, the rhododendrons that had just started blooming on the trees up in the mountains, peaking from behind the white stupas, the colorful prayer flags lending peace to the environment, and the beautiful mountains themselves. It seemed like a magical land up here, with clouds floating below our feet!! We stayed here for a little over half an hour and then continued our onwards journey to the valley of Punakha.

Thimphu to Punakha – the glimpse of breathtaking valleys and beautiful mountains

As we continued our journey from Thimphu to Punakha, it felt like a destination in itself. For, every corner that we turned, every climb up the mountain that we did, every decent that happened post it brought scenes that made us gasp and make sounds like “wow!!” , “is it real!!” , “Oh my God!!”. I will say, when you count things to do in Punakha, don’t forget to add multiple pitstops on the way. To admire the beauty of the majestic Himalayas with all those twists and turns. Sometimes it will surprise you with a beautiful small village located in the lap of the mountains. While at other times it will be a random waterfall which will captivate you. So, keep enough time to stop as you go and admire the unparalleled natural beauty this part of the world is bestowed with.

Finally, we arrived at the Punakha Valley itself. And as we descended into the valley, we got closer and closer to the two rivers of this valley – the Mo Chu (Mother river, which is believed to be the female river) and the Pho Chu (Father river, believed to be the male river). The scenes of the valley blooming around these rivers were out of this world.

A cute stop for lunch in Punakha Valley

Unlike most other places, a lunch also counts as one of the things to do in Punakha Valley 🙂 If you are wondering why, simply look at the views of the valley that we enjoyed while having lunch on our way to Punakha town, in the Punakha Valley :

And I must add, as beautiful were the views from the small hotel that we had our lunch at, that cute was the restaurant itself. The food here was simple. We had white rice, dal and some mixed veg curries. Along with some fruit juices. But the breathtaking views through the full glass windows more than made up for the food.

After lunch we strolled around a bit. The street from the restaurant to the main road was dotted with several small shops and boutiques. And they were loaded with pretty local handicrafts and paintings along side many other items to buy. We walked around, browsed a little and then proceeded further.

The Punakha Dzong

Next among the things to do in Punakha Valley is definitely a stop at Punakha Dzong. And just before the dzong, a viewpoint that gives breathtaking views of the Punakha Dzong from across the two rivers on whose conjunction the dzong is built. The Punakha fort is the second largest fort in Bhutan. And it also serves as the winter resident of the monks of Bhutan. Since Punakha is relatively warmer than Thimphu and Paro. I invite you to take an armchair tour inside the Punakha Dzong in this post with us. Till then, lets do with some pictures of the Punakha Dzong that will help you relate with what I am talking about :

Punakha Suspension Bridge

Not very far from the Punakha Dzong lies the Punakha Suspension Bridge. An iron suspension bridge that connects the town of Punakha to the Dzong. A small trekking path of a little more than 500 meters leads you to the bridge. And it takes around 5-7 minutes to cross the suspension bridge. There are a few small shops selling ice cream and refreshments on the other side of the bridge. You can enjoy some, or, simply sit and relax for sometime. Before walking back the same bridge and reaching back to your vehicle. This was our first time walking on a suspension bridge (Not counting our suspension bridge experience in Disneyland Paris 😛 ). And it was quiet an experience that I will like to elaborately share in another post.

For now, let me say that it is a must do amongst the things to do in Punakha Valley. We all loved the thrill of walking on the swinging bridge across the river below, suspended 1000 feet about the river.

A random place on way to the Punakha Suspension Bridge

Like I said, stopping at random view points is going to be the thing amongst things to do in Punakha. As we started from the suspension bridge parking towards our resort, we were greeted by one of the most beautiful scenes of the day. A green field with beautiful horses and cows grazing here, basking in the sun which was not slowly going down the west corner. We couldn’t help stop the vehicle and run in the field. Patted a few horses, walked with them for a few moments, took some very memorable shots and hopped back into our vehicle. From here, we proceeded to our hotel – Zhingkham Resort Punakha.

Arriving at the final destination – Zhingkham Resort in Punakha

Luckily, our resort, Zhingkham Resort in Punakha was located atop a hill. Actually, it turned out to be the secret sauce of our delicious day at Punakha. As we left the main road, we started a journey uphill through really narrow, steep and winding roads that required a very skilled driver. With hairpin bends that we have rarely seen through our trips earlier in Himalayas like Shimla, Manali or Palampur. Our driver and guide were not very happy with the hotel’s location since they had to return back to the town after dropping us. But as we arrived at the resort – we were all “wow-stuck” if that is a word!!

From above, the restaurant, rooms, and every room’s balcony had an excellent uninterrupted view of the Punakha Valley. Needless to say, for the most part of the rest of our stay in Punakha, all we did is stare at this view. And it only seemed to get more grand as the day passed and evening lights started twinkling in the valley, with the Punakha Dzong shining above rest all. It’s only competitor being the full moon shining equally strongly above the hills!! And thats how a stay at Zhingham Resort in Punakha became one of my own things to do in Punakha Valley.

And thus came our one day at Punakha to an end. If you ask me, honestly there are so many other things to do in Punakha Valley. Which we couldn’t do because of lack of time. Thats where I specifically recommend you add one more day to your Punakha Valley trip. Here’s a list for you.

Other things to do in Punakha Valley and places to visit near Punakha

River Rafting in Punakha

Punakha is the most famous place for river rafting in Bhutan. In fact, we could see people rafting in the river as we were on way to our resort. And also when we were proceeding towards the dzong. The cost of river rafting at the time of this writing varies from 2000 Nu to 10000 Nu depending on how much time you want to spend rafting and how good are your bargaining skills to strike a deal. We couldn’t go river rafting in Punakha due to lack of time. But, I can imagine what a great experience it must be.

The Fertility Temple in Punakha

Chimi Lkakhang or the Fertility Temple of Punakha is the most famous temple of Punakha. As the name suggests, this temple is renowned to bless childless couples with children. Although the Chimi Lkakhang Temple was originally within our itinerary, but we couldn’t cover it as we spent good amount of time on other sites. But if we had one more day at hand, we would have visited this temple as well.

Jigme Dorji National Park

A renowned national park in Bhutan, Jigme Dorji National Park is known for it’s diverse flora and fauna. It can be visited over a day trip from Punakha. Named after the third king of Bhutan, it is also the second largest National Park of Bhutan. The national park also contains many important and famous trekking paths of Bhutan as well as several hiking trails. But of course for trekking you will need to add several days to your itinerary. The Jigme Dorji National Park also offers jeep safari to witness the wild animals in this national park.

Haa Valley

Around 2 hours from Punakha lies yet another beautiful Himalayan valley which is totally unexplored. You can do a day trip to Haa Valley from Punakha. Did you know that the Haa Valley is located just 13 miles from the India – China border at Doklam. In the summers this valley gets live with the colorful Haa Festival. So, if you will like to witness it, you can plan your trip accordingly.

Bumthang valley

Yet another mesmerising valley in Bhutan, Bumthang Valley is home to several old and beautiful monasteries and temples. It is also considered one of the most sacred places to visit in Bhutan. You can drive to Bumthang valley on a day trip from Punakha.

General tips on visiting Punakha

• Plan a minimum 2 nights stay in Punakha to thoroughly cover the most important places to see and things to do in Punakha valley.
• If you want to trek from Punakha, add more days as per your trekking plan.
• To visit some of the nearby valleys from Punakha over day trips, you will need to add as many days in Punakha as the number of day trips you plan.
• Punakha is a little warmer than Thimphu and Paro. When we visited here in the first week of April, a light jacket was sufficient when outdoors in the evening. During the day, we didn’t require any woollen or heavy cloths.
• When visiting the temples and Dzongs in Punakha, like most of the other places in Bhutan, you will need to wear full sleeve dresses and also long length trousers or skirts to cover your legs
• Do a pre-booking of your hotel when visiting Punakha since the resorts here are limited. Here’s a list of hotels in Punakha that you can browse.
• You can get Indian food everywhere in Punakha.
• It is a small town and medical facilities are limited. When visiting with kids, carry all essential medicines with you.
• While traveling to and from Punakha, on day trips etc. you might feel motion sickness because of the altitude as well as the winding roads. So, carry medicines accordingly.
• The market in Punakha is not very big and I found most of the stuff cheaper in Thimphu and Paro.

 

Before you leave, do checkout this comprehensive guide to plan a trip to Bhutan which will help you plan your own trip to Bhutan hassle free.

Here are some other resources from our Bhutan trip that you might enjoy reading –

Buddha Point Thimphu

obtaining Bhutan Permit for Indian citizen

Hiking the Tiger’s Nest with kids

Places to see in Thimphu in one day

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