Central Bhutan

Central Bhutan is a very picturesque and historically and culturally important region of the country.

Essential Destinations

Top destinations include Gelephu and Trongsa.

Gelephu

Gelephu is a large town in Sarpang District in Central Bhutan, on the Indian border and close to the Royal Manas National Park.

Trongsa, previously Tongsa, is a Thromde or town, and the capital of Trongsa District in central Bhutan. The name means "new village" in Dzongkha. The first temple was built in 1543 by the Drukpa lama Ngagi Wangchuck, who was the great-grandfather of Ngawang Namgyal, Zhabdrung Rinpoche, the unifier of Bhutan.

Jakar

Photo: Jmhullot, CC BY 3.0.

Located in central Bhutan, Jakar is renowned as a center of Vajrayana Buddhism, particularly the Nyingma tradition, and is home to numerous monasteries and sacred sites.

Destinations to Discover

Explore places such as Damphu and Royal Manas National Park.

Damphu

Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Damphu is the administrative headquarters and capital of Tsirang District, Bhutan. It is located on the north–south highway running from Wangdue Phodrang to Sarpang and Gelephu on the border with India.

Royal Manas National Park

Photo: Sujithkr, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Royal Manas National Park is Bhutan's oldest national park, and the Royal government considers it the "conservation showpiece of the Kingdom" and a "genetic depository" for valuable plants.

Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park

Photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Jigme Singye Wangchuk National Park is in Central Bhutan. JSWNP represents the best example of the mid-Himalayan ecosystems of the Eastern Himalaya that contain several ecological biomes ranging from sub-tropical forests at lower altitudes to alpine meadows at its highest altitudes.