Paro

Paro is where every journey to Bhutan begins—because geography permits no alternative. The district hosts the kingdom's only international airport, one of the world's most challenging landings where only a handful of pilots hold certification to thread aircraft between 5,500-meter peaks into a narrow valley at 2,300 meters elevation. This gateway monopoly makes Paro the first and last impression for virtually all foreign visitors, concentrating tourism infrastructure and international exposure in a single fertile valley. But Paro's significance predates aviation by centuries: Tiger's Nest Monastery (Taktsang), clinging to a cliff 800 meters above the valley floor, marks where Guru Rinpoche arrived on a flying tigress in the 8th century to bring Buddhism to Bhutan. The monastery, built in 1692 around the sacred cave, has become the defining image of Bhutanese identity—a $1,000 admission fee (the minimum daily tariff for tourists) cannot deter the pilgrimage. Rinpung Dzong, constructed in 1645 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, continues functioning as both monastery and district administration, embodying Bhutan's fusion of sacred and secular authority. The valley's broad, flat terrain enabled rice cultivation that supported larger populations than mountain districts, creating the agricultural surplus that funded monastic construction. By 2026, Paro faces the consequences of gateway status: every tourism boom and bust flows directly through its hospitality sector, while airport expansion discussions test the tension between accessibility and exclusivity that defines Bhutan's brand.