Simtokha Dzong
Semtokha Dzong
Simtokha Dzong was built in 1629 and is the first dzong raised by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. It is smaller than most of Bhutan’s dzongs and stands on a ridge just south of Thimphu, on the old road to the west.
Today it houses the school for language and culture studies, where students train primarily to become teachers of Dzongkha, the national language. Visitors usually see the courtyard, the surrounding stone carvings and prayer wheels, and, where permitted, parts of the temple.
The dzong is a quiet and historically important stop, and its age gives it a character different from the later, larger dzongs.
Trips that visit Simtokha Dzong
- Highlights of Bhutan TourDay 8: In Thimphu 10 days
Near Simtokha Dzong
Other places within 15 km.
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Restaurants
Babesa Village Restaurant
Only traditional Bhutanese food, from ema datshi and sikam paa to jaju soup, served in an old rammed-earth farmhouse on the city's southern edge.
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Temples & Monasteries
Buddha Dordenma
Great Buddha Dordenma is a gigantic Shakyamuni Buddha statue located on Kuensel Phodrang ridge overlooking the city.
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Stupas & Chortens
Memorial Chorten
Memorial Chorten is a large white structure with a golden spire crowning it, and is one of the most visible landmarks of Thimphu.
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Museums & Institutions
Changlimithang Stadium
The national stadium occupies the site of the 1885 battle that helped establish the political supremacy of Ugyen Wangchuck, Bhutan's first king.
