Bhutan

★ 4.7

A monastery clinging to a cliff face, a fortress at the meeting of two rivers, and a valley where black-necked cranes winter.

Popular Places

Paro Valley

A monastery complex clinging to a sheer cliff face 900m above the valley floor, reached only on foot or by mule along a winding forest trail.

Hotels from ~$50-300/night

Punakha

Bhutan's most beautiful fortress-monastery, set at the confluence of two rivers and framed by purple jacaranda blooms each spring.

Hotels from ~$50-300/night

Thimphu

A whitewashed stupa at the heart of the capital, encircled daily by elderly locals spinning prayer wheels and murmuring mantras.

Hotels from ~$50-300/night

Wangdue Phodrang

A glacial valley that hosts rare black-necked cranes every winter, ringed by the Gangteng Monastery and gentle hiking trails.

Hotels from ~$50-300/night