4. Taktshang Monastery

Sitting more than 800 meters above the Paro Valley, perched on a ledge halfway up the cliff face of the mountain, sits the awesome Taktsang or “Tiger’s Nest” monastery. Renowned around the world for its unique and spectacular position, the Taktsang Monastery has become something of a legend in Bhutan, and across many parts of Asia and around the world where Buddhism resides. Believed to be the meditation place of the Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), who first brought Buddhism to Bhutan, legend has it that he landed on the mountain after flying on a giant tigress believed to be a consort known as Yeshe Tsogyal. After meditating in the 13 caves on the ledge for three years, three months, three weeks, three days, and three hours, he emerged in eight manifestations and the place became holy. The monastery was built around the caves in 1692, and has since become a cultural icon of the Bhutanese people.