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Punakha is the winter seat of the Central Monk Body. Until 1955, Punakha served as the capital of Bhutan. The Punakha valley is drained by the Phochu and Mochu rivers. This valley produces rich crops of rice and fruits, including mangoes, bananas and oranges. Punakha has a temperate climate. The road from Thimphu to Punakha is crossed through a 10,218 feet high Dochu La Pass. This pass offers enchanting views of alpine snows and red, pink, white, yellow and purple rhododendron flowers. The Punakha Dzong, Jampe Lhakhang and Kurje monastery are the main tourist attractions in Punakha. In 1637, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel built the Punakha Dzong (fortress) at the junction of the Phochu and Mochu rivers to serve as the religious and administrative centre of Bhutan. Punakha Dzong houses many sacred temples, including the Machhin Lhakhang, where the embalmed body of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel lies in state in keeping with tradition. Today, various rituals, including the serving of meals, is carried out as it was during the Shabdrung’s life. This dzong was damaged four times by fire in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and by earthquakes in 1897. The Punakha Dzong also suffered devastation by floods. The Dzong was completely restored under the direction of the present King. The sacred Jampe Lhakhang and Kurje monasteries are believed to have been built in the eighth century by Sindhu Raja whom Padmasambhava cured of his ailment. The body marks of Guru Padmasambhava are still imprinted on a solid rock.

Tongsa is situated midway between Ha in the far west and Tashigang in the far east and is the ancestral home of Bhutan’s royal family. Both Ugyen Wangchuck, the Penlop of Tongsa who was elected as the nation’s first hereditary monarch, and his successor King Jigme Wangchuck, ruled the country from this ancient seat. All four kings held the post of Tongsa Penlop before being officially crowned. The present king was appointed as Penlop in 1972, before his succession to the throne. The main attraction of Tongsa is the Tongsa Dzong. The Tongsa Dzong was built by Ngawang Namgyel in 1648 and later enlarged and decorated. Due to its strategic position, the only connecting route between the eastern and western sectors of the central religion, the Tongsa Penlop could effectively control the court. This Dzong has a magnificent collection of rhino-horn sculptures.

The valley of Wangdiphodrang is situated on the east-west traverse and road beyond Thimphu, at the junction of the Mochu and Tangchu rivers. The higher reaches of the valley provide rich cattle pastures. Yak dairy research station has also been set up at Gopgona. The Wangdiphodrang Dzong is situated at the confluence of the Mochu and Tangchu rivers. For many centuries, it was the seat of one of the Bhutan’s most powerful dzongpons.

Tashigang is located in the far eastern part of Bhutan, on the banks of the Dangme Chhu river. Tashigang is the hub of the region’s largest and most important district of Bhutan. Once the centre of a busy trade-route with Tibet, today, Tashigang is the junction of the east-west highway with a road which runs north from the foothill town of Samdrupjongkhar. The local specialities of Tashigang are the different coloured handloom cloth and silk, spun from cocoons and bred on castor oil plants. Tropical crops and fruits also grows in this area. The Tashigang Dzong, from which the whole of the eastern region was governed from the late 17th century until the unification of the country at the beginning of this century, stands on a steep ridge above the Manas River. This dzong was built in 1667 by Chogyal Minjur Tempa, Bhutan’s third Deb. Kelling, the comfortable hotel can be used as a base for visiting this area.

Mongar is situated to the southwest of Tashigang. It is the second largest settlement in the east. Bhutan’s new dzongs which were built in 1930 following the traditional architectural pattern are also located in Mongar. The Motel Shongar provides accommodation to the tourists.

Bumthang is the home of the great Buddhist teacher Pemalingpa, to whose descendants the present dynasty traces its ancestry. Pemalingpa was a blacksmith who was led by mystic forces to discover spiritual treasures at the bottom of a burning lake. He does not know how to spread the word contained in the treasures, until one night the Daklinis or female heavenly spirits revealed to him the power to preach. On the day when he preached, flowers dropped from the sky and vanished into rays of light. The Hotel Wangdichhaling provides comfortable stay to the tourists in Bumthang.