Punakha Khamsum Vullung Chorten Hike
Hike to the Khamsum Vullung Chorten — a spectacular four-storey golden stupa perched on a forested hilltop above the Pho Chhu river valley, built by the Queen Mother to protect Bhutan from evil forces, with commanding views over rice paddies and the river below.
- 1
Pho Chhu Riverbank Trailhead
Begin the hike from the riverbank, crossing a small footbridge and beginning the climb through terraced fields and mixed forest to the hilltop chorten above.
- 2
Terraced Field Ascent
Climb through the terraced paddy fields of the valley slope, passing farmhouses where farmers tend their crops and water buffalo graze on the field margins, with expanding views as the trail rises.
- 3
Forest Section
Enter a mixed broadleaf forest with ferns, orchids, and prayer flags tied to branches by pilgrims, the sound of the river fading below as the trail steepens toward the summit.
- 4
Khamsum Vullung Chorten
Reach the four-storey gilded chorten (stupa) built between 1992 and 1999 by the Queen Mother Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck to protect Bhutan from negative forces, its golden spire visible for miles across the valley.
- 5
Chorten Interior Paintings
Enter the chorten to see elaborate murals depicting Buddhist protective deities, tantric imagery, and the Wheel of Life — some of the finest traditional religious art produced in Bhutan in recent decades.
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Hilltop Valley View
From the chorten hilltop, a sweeping panorama: the turquoise Pho Chhu curving through rice paddies below, traditional farmhouses dotting the valley floor, and the white walls of Punakha Dzong visible at the confluence.