Visiting dzongs and temples in Bhutan

What a dzong is

A dzong is a fortress-monastery. Most of Bhutan's were built or rebuilt in the 17th century under the Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who unified the country, and they still serve the same two purposes. One side of the courtyard holds the district administration, the other the monks, with a central tower, the utse, between them. Punakha, Paro's Rinpung, Trongsa and Thimphu's Tashichho are among the best known.

Because they are working buildings, dzongs keep office hours for visitors, and some areas are closed when government business or rituals are on. Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu, for example, is usually visited in the late afternoon after offices close. Your guide knows the current hours and the rooms you may enter. Expect security checks at some dzongs.

The monks move with the seasons too. The Je Khenpo, Bhutan's chief abbot, and the central monk body spend summer at Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu and winter at Punakha Dzong in the warmer valley, a move marked by a procession. Traditional dzong building still uses rammed earth, stone and heavy timber, with large inward-sloping walls, small high windows and carved, painted wooden galleries facing the courtyard. New buildings across Bhutan must include traditional features such as painted window frames and sloping roofs under national building rules, which is why Thimphu looks unlike any other Asian capital.

A lhakhang is a temple, and a goenpa a monastery. Chortens, or stupas, stand along roads, on passes and beside bridges, and contain relics and offerings rather than rooms. Many families also keep a choesham, an altar room, at the top of the house; if a homestay family shows you theirs, take off your shoes and hat before you enter.

What to wear

Bhutanese citizens wear national dress, the gho for men and the kira for women, to dzongs and on formal occasions, along with a ceremonial scarf whose colour shows rank. Visitors are not expected to wear national dress, but they are expected to dress modestly and neatly. Guards at dzong gates do turn people away.

• Long sleeves for men and women; collared shirts are best for men.
• Long trousers, or a skirt or dress below the knee.
• No caps, hats or sunglasses inside dzongs and temples.
• No shorts, sleeveless tops, flip-flops or very tight clothing.
• Shoes come off before entering many temple rooms; wear socks you are happy to walk in.
• Buying a gho or kira to wear is welcome; shopkeepers will show you how to put it on.

valley · 2,250 mParocity · 2,320 mThimphu

Inside temples and dzongs

Photography is not allowed inside temple rooms, where the altars, statues and wall paintings are, and at Taktsang you leave phones and cameras in lockers at the gate. You can usually photograph dzong courtyards and outside walls, but ask your guide first and never photograph monks at prayer without asking.

Walk clockwise around chortens, temples, prayer wheels and mani walls, keeping them on your right. Spin prayer wheels clockwise too. Inside, speak quietly, do not point your feet at the altar or at monks if you sit down, and do not touch statues, murals or ritual objects.

Many Bhutanese visitors bow three times before the altar, offer a small note of money and receive a few drops of holy water in the palm, which they sip and then pass over the head. Visitors may join in if they wish, but nobody expects it. Small offerings of ₹10–100 are welcome and go to temple upkeep.

Reading the symbols around you

Bhutan's landscape is full of signs of faith, and knowing a few makes the drives more interesting.

Festivals and tshechus

A tshechu, meaning tenth day, is a district festival held in a dzong or temple courtyard on dates set by the lunar calendar, honouring Guru Rinpoche. Monks and lay dancers perform cham, masked dances that tell stories and bless the people who watch. Atsaras, masked clowns, joke with the crowd and sometimes with visitors. On the last day of some festivals, including Paro and Thimphu, a giant thongdrel painting is unrolled at dawn; seeing it is believed to bring merit.

Festivals are religious events first. Dress well, as the Bhutanese around you will be in their best clothes. Sit or stand behind the locals rather than in front of them, never walk across the dance ground, and do not use flash or drones. Photography of dances is usually allowed from the edges; follow your guide and any notices.

The Paro Tshechu falls in March or April and the Thimphu Tshechu in September or October; smaller festivals take place across the country. Dates move each year, so check current status before you travel.

Everyday courtesy in Bhutan

Most of Bhutanese etiquette comes from a code of conduct called driglam namzha, which covers dress, speech and behaviour in formal places. As a visitor you are not expected to know it, but a few habits will be noticed and appreciated.

• Greet people with kuzuzangpo la; the la is a mark of respect. Thank them with kadrinchey la.
• Use both hands, or your right hand with the left touching the arm, to give or receive things.
• Do not touch the head of a monk or a child, and do not point with one finger at people or sacred images.
• Smoking in public places is restricted and tobacco sale has been tightly controlled; ask your guide about current rules.
• Archery is the national sport; watch from well behind the shooting line, as arrows fly long distances.
• Ask before photographing people, especially monks, nuns and older villagers.

Your guide's role

In Bhutan your licensed guide is also your cultural interpreter. Guides wear national dress, carry your permits, know which rooms are open and when, and will quietly correct you if you go the wrong way round a chorten. They are also the best person to ask why something is done, from the colour of a scarf to the story behind a temple.

Listen to them at gates and doors, where most rules apply, and ask before entering any room that looks private. If you are unsure, follow what Bhutanese visitors do. Respect for these places is part of what keeps them working temples rather than museums. Guides are paid for the whole day, so do not hesitate to ask them to slow down, explain a painting or repeat a story; most enjoy questions.