Gangtey Monastery & Phobjikha Valley
སྒང་སྟེང་དགོན་པ་
A 17th-century Nyingma monastery on a glacial valley at 3,000 m, overlooking the Phobjikha wetlands where black-necked cranes winter each year; Bhutan's most tranquil corner.
Gangtey Goemba was founded in 1613 and is the largest Nyingma monastery in western Bhutan. Built on a ridge at the edge of the Phobjikha Valley by the reincarnation of the treasure revealer Pema Lingpa, it reopened in 2008 after eight years of restoration of its central main hall, which houses eight great pillars and a statue of Padmasambhava. Around the monastery are a lama village and a monastic school, and monks hold debates in the evenings. Below the monastery lies Phobjikha Valley, a U-shaped glacial valley at about 3,000 m. Its floor is Bhutan's largest high-altitude wetland. Each year in early November, around 500 black-necked cranes arrive from the Tibetan Plateau to winter, leaving at the end of February. It is said that the cranes circle the monastery three times on arrival. The Black-necked Crane Information Centre (RSPN; entry about 200 ngultrum) has telescopes and exhibits. On 11 November, the birthday of the Fourth King, the Black-necked Crane Festival is held, where students dress as cranes and dance. Things to do include walking the Gangtey Nature Trail, which runs from the monastery down to the valley wetlands through pine forest and farmland. It takes about 1.5 hours and is one of Bhutan's easiest and most beautiful hikes. Alternatively, stay in a valley farmhouse homestay and enjoy a hot stone bath. Monastery entry is free (donations welcome), and it is open roughly 09:00–17:00. It is about 3 hours by car from Punakha, via the junction near Pele La pass, and road conditions are improving. Staying one night is recommended. Note: to protect the cranes, the valley has no overhead power lines and very little night lighting, and hotels run on solar power. Winter nights drop below freezing, so bring a down jacket.
Opening hours
About 09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Black-necked Crane Information Centre
- Wangdue Phodrang Dzong
- Chimi Lhakhang
- Punakha Suspension Bridge
- Punakha Dzong
- Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten
- Dochula Pass
- Simtokha Dzong