Black-necked Crane Information Centre
A crane-watching centre in the glacial Phobjikha Valley, where you can use telescopes to observe wintering black-necked cranes and learn about Bhutan's conservation efforts.
The Black-necked Crane Information Centre is run by the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) and sits on the western hillside of the Phobjikha Valley, overlooking a wide marshy wetland. Every late autumn, hundreds of black-necked cranes fly in from the Tibetan Plateau in China to spend the winter here. The centre provides high-powered telescopes for visitors and uses displays and films to explain the birds' habits and local conservation efforts. It has also cared for injured cranes. Every mid-November, Gangteng Monastery holds a Black-necked Crane Festival, where monks and schoolchildren perform crane dances. From the centre, you can follow the Gangtey Nature Trail through pine forests and villages. Admission is limited (check on site). Note: keep your distance when watching the cranes, and do not enter the wetland to disturb the flock. The valley is cold in winter.
Opening hours
About 09:00–17:00 (check on site)
Nearby sights
- Gangtey Monastery & Phobjikha Valley
- Wangdue Phodrang Dzong
- Chimi Lhakhang
- Punakha Suspension Bridge
- Punakha Dzong
- Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten
- Dochula Pass
- Simtokha Dzong