Monastery · Buddhist
Tango Monastery
Buddhist monastic university·13th century, later expanded·Thimphu
An important monastic university north of Thimphu, reached by a forested approach hike through prayer-flag-lined hills.
Dedicated to
Buddhist monastic university
Period
13th century, later expanded
Hours
Daylight hours (access may be restricted)
Admission
Free
Neighborhood
Cheri foothills
Tango Monastery sits on a hillside north of Thimphu, functioning as one of Bhutan's most important centers for Buddhist scholarship. Founded in the 13th century by Phajo Drugom Zhigpo, the monastery was later expanded and now serves as a three-year meditation retreat center. The approach is a 45-minute uphill walk through forest thick with prayer flags, making the hike itself part of the experience. The monastery's whitewashed walls and golden roofs emerge from the trees with little warning, lending the arrival a sense of discovery.
Folio III
Nearby Sacred Sites
Places within a short walk that help turn this stop into a small sacred cluster.
Coda
Continue the Pilgrimage
Help us get it right
Know Tango Monastery better than we do?
We write from research and reporting, and the ground changes faster than we can keep up. If something here is out of date, or you have been and would tell it differently, we would rather hear it.