Paro Airport: where to stay, areas and recommended hotels

Almost all visitors to Bhutan enter the country with a package organized by a local operator, which already includes accommodation along with a guide, transport and the sustainable development fee paid for every night: in these cases, the choice of hotel is already made upstream. For those booking independently, the alternatives are still few, because the entire Paro valley has only a handful of properties, almost all within minutes of the terminal. The town center, with its market and restaurants, is separated from the properties along the Paro River more by atmosphere than by distance.

Downtown Paro

City centre · About 2-3 km from the terminal, just minutes by car or taxi.

Best for: Travelers who want to be within walking distance of the market and restaurants of the valley's only town.

Pros

Just steps from the Paro Sunday Market and the Druk Choeding temple
More choice of restaurants and evening shops than the riverside properties

Cons

The town is small: half a day is enough to see almost everything it has to offer
No views of the valley or the river, unlike the riverfront properties

Recommended hotels in this area

Hotel Khamsum: 17 rooms in downtown Paro, about 3 km from the terminal; reviews especially highlight the staff's attentiveness.
Nirvana Inn: A 5-minute walk from the Paro Sunday Market, in the town's shopping quarter; Indian, Chinese and American cuisine and bike rental.

See more hotels in this area →

Along the Paro River

Neighbourhood · About 10 minutes from the terminal, along the course of the Paro River.

Best for: Travelers looking for a property with valley views, outside the town's built-up center.

Pros

Views of the valley and the surrounding Himalayan mountains, not of the town
The closest to the airport among the valley's upscale properties

Cons

Outside the center: a car is needed for the town's market or restaurants
Very few alternatives in the same price range throughout the valley

Recommended hotels in this area

Le Méridien Paro, Riverfront: On the banks of the Paro River, about 10 minutes and 3.4 km from the terminal; views of the eastern Himalaya and Tachogang Lhakhang, the bridge-temple less than 2 km away.
Zhiwaling Heritage: 45 rooms in traditional Bhutanese style, the only property in the country entirely locally owned and run; an in-house temple and archery range, not far from the trail to Tiger's Nest.

See more hotels in this area →