Jakar Dzong sits on a ridge above the town, looking down on the valley floor. The fortress is unusually long and narrow, following the shape of the hill, and its watchtower (utse) is one of the highest in Bhutan. Built in 1549 as a monastery and later enlarged into a fortress, it is now the administrative seat of Bumthang district and houses a small body of monks.
Visitors are usually allowed into the outer courtyards and can walk around the walls for views over the valley. The interior temples are closed to non-Buddhists except during the tsechu festival, when masked dances are performed in the central courtyard. Even from outside, the dzong is the dominant landmark of the valley.