Drukgyel Dzong in Paro, Bhutan

Explore the ruins of Drukgyel Dzong

Quick Information

See Map
Best time to visit
May - Nov
Ideal Duration
5-6 Days
Visa
On Arrival
Starting from
Rs. 10,000
  • Hills
  • Temple
  • Adventure

About Drukgyel Dzong in Paro

Drukgyel Dzong stands in the upper part of Paro district as a reminiscence of a glorious past and a tragic present, much like most constructions of the medieval age.

The other dzongs that one can see in Bhutan are fully or partially functional, with monastic bodies and government departments operating from within the complex – but not Drukgyel Dzong of Paro. The skeletons of an old fortress and monastery were all that this place was, before the State and the Royalty decided to start a complete renovation project of the Drukgyel Dzong in Paro, Bhutan in 2016. This is mainly to fix the damage done by the big fire in 1951 caused by a butter lamp, which destroyed it to a large extent. Before that, it was used as an administrative centre. The year 2016 was chosen to mark two great events in the history of Bhutan – the arrival of Ngawang Namgyel to Bhutan in 1616 AD and also the birth year of Guru Rinpoche.

For this reason, the interiors of Drukgyel Dzong in Bhutan might be closed to the public for a while. However, even in their diminished and ruinous forms, the fortress-monastery resonate a sort of poignant beauty that match perfectly with its role played in the past of Bhutan. Though there is no way to know it for sure, Drukgyel Dzong history says that it was probably built by Tenzin Drukdra in around 1659 at the behest of Ngawang Namgyal, who later went on to unify all the fiefdoms of Bhutan and set up the sovereignty.

The fortress was built to commemorate the victory over the Tibetan forces from the north. The position where it stands used to be a very strategic one when it came to warfare with the powerful Northern Province. A special feature of Drukgyel Dzong is the false entrance-looking door, which only leads the enemy forces to an enclosed courtyard and trapped them inside. The Tremo La trail from Tibet enters the Paro Valley via this point, and once the invasions ceased and peace prevailed, this point was used for trade relations with Tibet. On the way up to the dzong, one can see a small chapel and a chorten, along with remains of old towers and walled tunnels – all crumbling under the weight of time, overgrown with weedy greens, but still standing tall enough to prove how well they served for the defence of Bhutan.

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Paro Packages Reviews

Read on to find out why our customers love us!

Pooja's 10 days trip to Paro

Bhutan was fantastic. Our travel agent handled everything smoothly, which made planning super easy. Our guide was really insightful and friendly, making each day interesting. The places we stayed were comfortable and well-chosen too. Overall, it was a well-organized trip that I'd definitely recommend.

Pooja Desai Goa

Swathi's 5 days trip to Paro

Overall good experience. Especially both the guide and driver inside Bhutan were very co operative and sweet

Swathi Pm Mangalore

Jijos's 7 days trip to Paro

The hotels provided was all 3 stars. We also had an experienced driver and a wonderful guide. But could have included more places to visit in the tour package

Jijos James Bengaluru

Vignesh's 9 days trip to Paro

Our family had the most incredible experience in visiting Bhutan and I thank Bhutan Green Zone Destination Tours for planning this trip. From start to finish, their service was top-notch, and we couldn’t have asked for a better tour operator to help us navigate this beautiful country. Special mention our driver who was skilled, friendly, and made every journey through Bhutan feel safe and comfortable. Our guide, brought Bhutan's rich culture to life with his deep knowledge and explanation, making our trip unforgettable.

Vignesh Mn Bangalore

Soumyaprabhu's 7 days trip to Paro

We booked our 7-day Bhutan trip with Green Zone Destination through Travel Triangle. Mr. Gyam Sir from Green Zone curated a wonderful itinerary which covered all the important places and suiting our needs. The hotels were very comfortable and accessible to the main market as we wanted. Gyam Sir not only was there in planning this itinerary but was also always was in touch and made sure we were comfortable during our entire trip which was a great gesture from his side. We are very thankful to him for that. Our guide who was with us throughout the trip, Mr. Jigme Tenzin Sir was a very knowledgable and a friendly person. His vast knowledge helped us in knowing about the Bhutanese culture and tradition. He was extremely helpful during our hike to the Tiger Nest understanding our pace and motivating us to complete our hike successfully. He also took care of an elderly person who was travelling with us at every place and we are very grateful to him for that. Mr. Roshan, our driver was also very punctual and experienced and we were comfortably reaching our destination right on time covering all places. The entire trip and the team of Green Zone Destination was fantastic and we would highly recommend to travel to Bhutan with them. We booked our 7-day Bhutan trip with Green Zone Destination through Travel Triangle. Mr. Gyam Sir from Green Zone curated a wonderful itinerary which covered all the important places and suiting our needs. The hotels were very comfortable and accessible to the main market as we wanted. Gyam Sir not only was there in planning this itinerary but was also always was in touch and made sure we were comfortable during our entire trip which was a great gesture from his side. We are very thankful to him for that. Our guide who was with us throughout the trip, Mr. Jigme Tenzin Sir was a very knowledgable and a friendly person. His vast knowledge helped us in knowing about the Bhutanese culture and tradition. He was extremely helpful during our hike to the Tiger Nest understanding our pace and motivating us to complete our hike successfully. He also took care of an elderly person who was travelling with us at every place and we are very grateful to him for that. Mr. Roshan, our driver was also very punctual and experienced and we were comfortably reaching our destination right on time covering all places. The entire trip and the team of Green Zone Destination was fantastic and we would highly recommend to travel to Bhutan with them.

Soumyaprabhu M Bangalore

Rahul's 7 days trip to Paro

Thank you so much for planning the perfect trip for our family, everything was well arranged and we loved Bhutan❤️ Can’t wait to visit again in future! Thank you!

Rahul Singh Bangalore

Smitaet's 5 days trip to Paro

It was one of the best trip so far. Loved the smooth seamless journey starting from the pick up, hotels, the trip itself and the drop. The guide and driver of bhutan went over the board ro make us feel comfortable and know their rich culture .

Smitaet Delhi

Deepthi's 8 days trip to Paro

The trip was planned very end to end without any hassles. But the guide was rigid. He was not ready to work before 9 and beyond 5. He was discouraging us from visiting places. Also he was skipping many places in the itenary. The driver was a good guy. The beauty of Bhuthan and the culture of that place

Deepthi Darshan Bengaluru

Yasmin's 10 days trip to Paro

Very cooperative and helpful Harry and Narendra Phobjikha

Yasmin D Kolkata

Rajurkarmrunal's 9 days trip to Paro

Bhutan trip booked with GBS Bhutan was excellent. We got good deal and had wonderful experience from TT and GBS. Thank you for making our trip memorable.

Rajurkarmrunal Pune

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FAQ's of Paro

Read on to find out why our customers love us!

 

Because of the burden of time and the fire in 1951, Drukgyel Dzong has suffered considerable damage, and the government is carrying out reconstruction projects inside. For this reason, the place is closed for a while, but a visit to the premises is very much worth the trip. The trek up to the monastery is beautiful too.

 

Drukgyel Dzong was originally constructed as a line of defence against the Tibetan armies. For this reason, its walls, towers and other constructions resemble that of a fortress to withhold attacks and sieges.

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Tourism in Paro

Rated 4.40/5 ( based on 2014 reviews )

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