based on 3,398 reviewsParo Taktsang སྤ་རོ་སྟག་ཚང་། is perched on a cliff over 900 m high in the Paro Valley, at an altitude of 3,120 m. The temple was built in 1692, experienced a major fire in 1998, and was subsequently restored.
Visitors generally need to be accompanied by a guide to enter and tour the interior of the temple. Because the temple is built on a high mountain cliff, the journey is quite strenuous, and hiking up usually takes about 2 hours. Horses are available for transport (reference price $20–$30); you can consult your guide if needed. However, even if you ride a horse up, it is very bumpy, and on some sections, you may even need to lie flat on the horse's back to avoid falling off, while you will still need to hike down on your own.
Paro Valley is covered with dense vegetation, the air is pure and fresh, and the scenery is beautiful, with prayer flags fluttering from time to time. You will pass two observation decks on the way up the mountain. From here, you can see a group of white buildings on the misty mountain cliff in the distance, like a fairyland; that is Paro Taktsang སྤ་རོ་སྟག་ཚང་།. If you look closely, there are also a few buildings on the higher mountain peak, which are places for monks to practice in seclusion.
After resting for a while, continue hiking and arrive at the observation deck, which is a great spot for photos. You cannot ride a horse beyond this point; you will need to walk the rest of the way along the stairs.
A waterfall hangs in front of the gate of Paro Taktsang སྤ་རོ་སྟག་ཚང་།, with water flowing over layers of rocks into a deep pool. When following a guide to enter the temple for a tour, you need to take off your shoes, and all photography equipment (including mobile phones) cannot be used.