Punakha Dzong is one of the most beautiful Dzongs in the country. It is the second oldest Dzong, and has served as the capital and the seat of the government until the mid-1950s. The Dzong was built at the confluence of Po Chhu and Mo Chhu.

All the kings have been crowned here. The Dzong is still the winter residence of the Official Monk Body.

Punakha Dzong is 180m long and 72m wide and the utse (central tower) is six storeys high. The gold dome on the utse was built in 1676 by the local ruler, Gyaltsen Tenzin Rabgye.

Punakha dzong is the only dzong with three Courtyards. The first courtyard houses the Administrative offices, a large white washed stupa and a Bodhi tree. In the same courtyard, at the far left, are mounds of stone and a chapel dedicated to the Queen of Nagas. The residential quarters of the monks are located in the second courtyard and is separated from the first by the utse. The southernmost end of the dzong is where the third courtyard is located. It is where the remains of Terton Pema Lingpa and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel are preserved.

Machey Lhakhang (‘machey’ meaning ‘Sacred Embalmed Body’) in the third courtyard has the well preserved body of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel.