.

TravelTips24 : Asia : South Asia : Bhutan : Trongsa (district) : Trongsa

Trongsa

Trongsa is in town in Bhutan, often known as the gateway to the east of the country.

Culture and History

Trongsa is one of Bhutan's most historic towns, and the first monastery was built here in 1543.

The town's dzong is particularly impressive and is often described as a dragon flying over mountain peaks. Constructed in 1644, it served as the original seat of power of the House of Wangchuck before it became the ruling dynasty of Bhutan in 1907. All kings of Bhutan are first given the title of penlop (governor) of Trongsa, and the first and second kings ruled from the town.

The main bazaar is a smart street of three story white traditional houses. It is a good place to break the journey from Thimphu to Jakar.

Travel to Trongsa & Visa Requirements

  • Roughly six hours by bus from Thimphu and two hours from Jakar.

Tours & Getting around Trongsa

  • Trongsa is a small town, and so it easy to cover on foot.

Trongsa attractions and sightseeing

  • Trongsa Dzong. Constructed in 1644 and located on the top of an imposing hill, this dzong creates an impressive sight for miles around.
  • Thruepang Palace. The palace was built by the second king and was the birth place of the third. Currently it used by reigning monarchs when on official visits to Trongsa. The building is closed to the public and like many of the early palaces is unimposing, but from an architectural and historical point of view it is still worth viewing.

Trongsa city tours

  • Trongsa Tsechu (festival) 5-7 Jan 2009. Held in the dzong.

Trongsa souvenirs & shopping

  • Handicrafts. Phuntso Wangmo store on the main street (just down from the traffic circle) has a small selection of hand made goods such as woven cloth and wooden bowls.

Trongsa Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

  • Most of the buses heading from Thimphu to Jakar make a stop for lunch here, so there are plenty of places to eat on the main street.

Trongsa nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Trongsa cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

Budget

  • Hotel Nidakasum, main bazaar(a few meters from traffic circle on Gelephu road (right side)), ☎ +975 3 521-133. Centrally located. Rooms with private bathrooms offering lashings of hot water and views over Trongsa Dzong. Clean and friendly facility250NU +.  edit

Get out

  • Jakar is a two to three hour drive from Trongsa.

This page was last edited at 11:30, on 27 March 2008 by Wikitravel user WindHorse. Based on work by Wikitravel user(s) Morph and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license