The Tiger's Nest Monastery is a small collection of buildings precariously perched on a cliff, 900 meters off of the ground. It is stunning in its beauty and location. Without a doubt, a first time trip to Bhutan would not be complete without seeing the Tiger's Nest.

So, if you are contemplating a trip to Bhutan (do it! It's one of the most awesome spots in the world), keep reading to learn more about how to hike to the Tiger's Nest, one of the coolest little spots in Bhutan.

WHAT IS THE TIGER'S NEST MONASTERY?
The Tiger's Nest Monastery is a sacred Buddhist site located near Paro, Bhutan. It was constructed in 1692, around the cave where Guru Rinpoche first meditated, the event that introduced Buddhism into Bhutan. There is a legend that Guru Rinpoche was carried from Tibet to this location on the back of a tigress, thus giving it the name "Tiger's Nest."

Now, this monastery consists of four temples with residential accommodations for the monks. Despite the daily visits by tourists, Paro Taktsang still functions as a monastery today.

GETTING HERE
The Tiger's Nest Monastery is located 10 miles north of Paro (20 minutes by car), making Paro the perfect home base when making this visit. Since most people can only visit Bhutan on an organized tour, your transportation will be arranged for you.

The visit to the Tiger's Nest Monastery takes a full day. On average, it takes between four and five hours to do the round trip hike, plus one more hour to tour the monastery. Many people also have lunch in the cafeteria not far from the monastery. Plan on leaving Paro around 8 am and arriving back at your hotel around 3 pm.