If you can time your journey with a festival, do. Few experiences in the Himalaya compare with a Bhutanese tshechu.
Types of festival
- Tshechu — the best-known, honouring Guru Rinpoche with days of masked dances
- Drubchen and Domchoe — ritual festivals often held before a tshechu
- Mewang — fire blessings in which people pass beneath a burning gate
- Nature and culture festivals, such as the Black-Necked Crane Festival and the Rhododendron Festival
The great festivals
Paro Tshechu in spring and Thimphu Tshechu in autumn are the largest. Smaller village festivals — like Jambay Lhakhang Drup in Bumthang or Gangtey Tshechu in Phobjikha — are more intimate and just as memorable.
Plan ahead
Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and change each year. See our full 2027 festival calendar on the Festivals in Bhutan page, and book early — rooms fill quickly.
Header photo: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0
