Cheri Monastery

Route Description for Cheri Monastery

To start, tell your taxi driver to take you to Cheri Monastery—most drivers know where the starting point for this short hike is. Walk across the bridge and around the chorten. Encounter a rock painting of Guru Rinpoche and a prayer wheel at the bottom of the path.

The path is very clear with a few places to stop along the way. The walk may only take a little over an hour, but it still leads to a spectacular view at the top, where you can stop for lunch.

The monks will tell you all the history of the temple and of the statues inside. Once you pass the goempa, head up the stairs to the right and keep walking up until you reach a ledge that overlooks the entire valley. This is an excellent place for pictures and a snack. You can either go back the way you came or go around the rock to the right and down the other side. On the left, just after the goempa complex, is an ancient oak tree, and around the corner from that, you’ll see meditation huts that the monks use for retreat. There might even be a mountain goat or two nibbling in the garden.

The track back is the same as one up. And many local families use the field at the bottom of the trail as a picnic area, especially in summer.

Insider Hints for Cheri Monastery

• No need to book a taxi, they’re relatively easy to hail from the road.
• There’s a hot stone bath house on the road back to Thimphu, stop in for a dip on the way home but be sure to bring a bathing suit, a change of clothes, and a towel.