The Tiger’s Nest Monastery (aka Paro Taktsang) outside of Paro, Bhutan is a magical and mysterious place that you have to see to believe.
It’s a sacred Buddhist site cut high into the beautiful Bhutanese cliffs, where time slows down and tradition remains paramount.
The temple complex was originally built in 1692, and is said to be the one-time home of prominent Himalayan Buddhist, Padmasambhava. Apparently, he stayed here and meditated for three years straight, which I thought was crazy until I actually saw the place – Now, I get it, it’s pretty remarkable.
The ancient monastery gets its name from the legend that Padmasambhava arrived to this location on the back of a flying Tigress during the 8th century.
Believe them or not, the Buddhist religion has some of the coolest legends I’ve heard – those guys have stories for days!
In 1998, a massive fire destroyed most of the main complex and has only just recently been completely restored (2005).
On the day we set out to climb up to the Tiger’s Nest, our crew wanted to beat the crowds, so we started early and hiked fast.
We left our hotel at 7AM and made the short drive through the Paro Valley to the mountain’s base.
Thanks to our early arrival, we had the trail virtually to ourselves, as tourist buses just started rolling in and getting organized.
We dashed into the woods, over the streams and past the smaller temples. The climb was mostly uphill, but the views along the way only pushed us harder.
It took us almost exactly one hour to reach our destination, and walking up to that first viewpoint was absolutely breathtaking…
The Tiger’s Nest is one of those places where no matter how many photos you’ve seen, nothing prepares you for witnessing its beauty first-hand.
White, red and gold, layered colors, organized perfectly along the jagged cliff-face. An incredibly peaceful energy filled the air, and besides our heavy breathing, it was perfectly quiet.
We took our time at each viewpoint and then made the steep stair-climb down and up to enter the monastery (no photos allowed).
Along with the main Tiger’s nest complex seen in all the photos, there are many smaller temples above and around the main site that are beautiful and remote as well.
Inside the Tiger’s Nest complex was quiet, peaceful, and incredibly surreal. The views of the Paro Valley below were amazing and the religious scenes inside were captivating.
If I was ever able to sit in one place quietly for hours at a time… this would be it. I would say it has to be the best place in the world to read a good book.
Or maybe the perfect place to begin our super-secret ninja training! Apparently, we just missed the open League of Shadows try-outs today.
All-in-all, the Tiger’s nest was one of the most amazing structures I’ve ever seen. The trek up was quick and the views down were stunning. To be honest, the experience reminded me a lot of my experience at Machu Picchu, Peru a few years ago.
There is an indescribable energy at both that is so unique and special. I know I’ve said it before, but If you ever have the chance, I highly recommend coming to Bhutan.
Here is a quick clip from our trek to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Paro, Bhutan…
Watch the full video of our Journey into the Kingdom of Bhutan.
See more Bhutan Photos.
This trip was made possible by the amazing guides at Yeoong Tours & Travels. Thank you!
16 Responses
Very Nice Article !
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You guys do look like real ninjas hahaha! I love your shots, too bad they don’t allow taking pictures of the monastery. I’ll include this in my list and would hike as early as 7am like what you guys did. Thanks for sharing!
These are some lovely photos. I love the Buddhist culture history and traditions. There is something so peaceful about them. I would love to see the Tigers nest with my own eyes.
Hihi cute ninjas 😀
Omg this place is awesome so beautiful
The reconstruction looks amazing … once I save enough to cover the high cost of traveling there, Bhutan will definitely happen for me!
Simply amazing! Nice pictures too. :0
When you made comparison with Machu Pichu, I realised that most pictures I’ve seen of Tigers nest don’t have a lot of travelers in them unlike that of Machu Pichu.
I always wanted to visit Bhutan being very close to India and cheap, It is one of my favorite destinations. Pics look amazing!
I really believe in this concept of travel deeper. Not just go to a place to see quickly and as fast as you can to enjoy “everything”. I guess that know people, “losting” your time with them /learn about them with personal things and being patient to enjoy the moment you have totally there, thats the possible secret for me. I’m planning to go to the Tiger’s Nest next year and I wanna pass sometime talking with the people of Bhutan and eating their rice (I listened is great) and I really wanna know how live sooo long! ahahhaha
Thanks for share the experience.
Great Post Too beautifully explained with amazing photographs.
I really believe in this concept of travel deeper. i love Bhutan A beautiful country. here every things for travels such as wild life, adventure, river rafting and religious .I love the Buddhist culture history and traditions. There is something so peaceful about them.
NInja 😀
Why did the King commit sucdiie? On the topic of battles, I remember there was alot of fighting in Sri Lanka for awhile. Why were they fighting and has the fighting been totally resolved?
Visit to Bhutan is one of my dreams, which I need to fulfill in the near future!
A pleasant place to visit, and that too in the rainy weather, where you can experience the blissful nature….Looking forward to visit the place….