Destination
Trongsa
The dzong at the centre of Bhutan
- 2,200 m
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
The valley
About Trongsa
Trongsa stands where the old trail between east and west Bhutan had to pass, and for centuries whoever held its dzong controlled the country. The royal family’s rise began here, and by tradition each crown prince still serves as governor of Trongsa before he becomes king.
You see the dzong long before you reach it. It appears across the gorge of the Mangde Chhu, white walls stepping down a spur, and then the road winds in and out of side valleys for the better part of an hour before it arrives. Inside is a maze of courtyards, passages and temples on different levels.
Most people visit on the way between Phobjikha and Bumthang, stopping for the dzong and the tower museum above it. A night here breaks the long drive and lets you see the dzong in the early light.
See and do
What to see
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Trongsa Dzong
Built in 1644 and added to ever since, the largest dzong in the country and the ancestral seat of the royal family.
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Ta Dzong
The watchtower above the dzong, now a museum of the monarchy and of Buddhist art.
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Chendebji Chorten
A large white stupa beside the road on the way in from the west, built in the 18th century.
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The viewpoint
A stop on the road from Pele La where the dzong first comes into view across the gorge.
Go there
Trips that visit Trongsa
Cultural tour
Heart of the Himalayas
Punakha, Phobjikha, Trongsa and 1 more
Nine days from Paro to Bumthang by road, through Punakha, Phobjikha and Trongsa, with a short flight back.
Cultural tour
Bhutan Grand Cultural Tour
Bumthang, Trongsa, Phobjikha and 1 more
Ten days from Paro to Bumthang, with three nights in central Bhutan and a day in the Tang valley.
Festival tour
Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival Tour
Bumthang, Trongsa, Phobjikha and 1 more
Ten days to central Bhutan for the late-autumn festival at Jambay Lhakhang, known for its fire blessing and midnight dance.
Cultural tour
Kingdom in Full
Haa, Bumthang, Trongsa and 2 more
Eleven days and seven valleys, from Haa in the far west to Bumthang in the centre, with every major dzong on the way.
Cultural tour
Bhutan from East to West
Trashigang and the east, Bumthang, Trongsa and 1 more
Seventeen days across the whole country, out to Trashigang and the weaving villages of the east and back to Paro.
Festivals
Festivals in Trongsa
Trongsa Tshechu
A midwinter festival in the dzong the kings came from
Goenpai Drupchen
Three days for the protector, at Trongsa
Lhamoi Dromchhen
Three days for the protecting goddess, at Trongsa
Nabji Lhakhang Drup
A village festival round a pillar of peace
Zhemgang Tshechu
The festival of the Kheng country
Where it is
Trongsa on the map of Bhutan
Next door: Bumthang Sarpang Wangdue Phodrang Zhemgang
Choose a district to read about it.