Simtokha Dzong
A small dzong built in 1628 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of Bhutan, and the first of its kind in the country. It stands on a ridge just south of Thimphu and now houses an institute for the study of the Dzongkha language.
- Where
- Thimphu, Thimphu, Bhutan
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 27.4381, 89.6694
Get the Simtokha Dzong stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Simtokha Dzong. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Thimphu volume with your photos and a note.
Near Simtokha Dzong
Buddha Dordenma 2.4 km
A gilded bronze Shakyamuni Buddha 54 metres tall, seated on a ridge above the southern approach to Thimphu among the ruins of an old palace. Inside are 125,000 smaller gilded bronze Buddhas, and the work was completed in 2015.
Dobji Dzong 3.4 km
A dzong on a ridge above the highway from Thimphu to Haa, a few kilometres south of Chuzom, where the Paro and Thimphu rivers meet. It now houses a monastic school of about 35 monks and appeared in the 2003 film Travellers and Magicians.
Royal Textile Academy 5.6 km
An academy in Thimphu devoted to Bhutanese weaving, founded under the patronage of Queen Mother Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck. It trains weavers in the country's traditional craft and shows the textiles that sit at the heart of Bhutanese culture.
Changangkha Lhakhang 5.6 km
Probably the oldest surviving temple in Thimphu, founded in the 13th or 14th century on the tip of a ridge above the city centre. Parents bring small children here for blessings from its protective deity, Genyen Domtsangpa, guardian of children born in the city.
Folk Heritage Museum 6.2 km
A museum in the Kawajangsa area of Thimphu, founded in 2001 and set in a traditional Bhutanese farmhouse. It shows the household objects, tools and ways of rural life in the kingdom.
National Library of Bhutan 6.2 km
Bhutan's national library and archives, founded in 1967 to preserve the country's cultural and religious heritage. Its main building in Kawajangtsa, above the Royal Thimphu Golf Course, is built in the style of a traditional temple and holds old Buddhist texts.
Tashichho Dzong 6.6 km
A great whitewashed fortress and monastery on the west bank of the Wang Chu at the northern edge of Thimphu. It was long the seat of the Druk Desi, head of the civil government, an office joined to the kingship since 1907; old British records called it Tassisudon.
Royal Takin Preserve 7.6 km
A wooded reserve in Motithang, on the edge of Thimphu, for the takin, Bhutan's national animal. It began as a small zoo, but when the animals were set free they would not move into the forest, so it became a preserve. Legend credits Lama Drukpa Kunley with creating the first takin.
More hidden gems in Thimphu
Questions
Where is Simtokha Dzong?
Simtokha Dzong is in Thimphu, Thimphu, Bhutan. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Buddha Dordenma (2.4 km), Dobji Dzong (3.4 km), Royal Textile Academy (5.6 km).
How do I get the Simtokha Dzong stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Simtokha Dzong and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Thimphu volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Simtokha Dzong before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Thimphu volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.