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Bhutan Festivals
Hand-Crafted to Perfection
Bhutan Festivals
Hand-Crafted to Perfection
Bhutan is renowned for its colourful festivals. Some Bhutanese festivals are now very well known among travel circles and have become very popular tourist attractions as a result. Paro and Thimpu festivals, in particular, and other Bhutanese festivals remain a much more local affair and present a more intimate experience for the discerning traveller to Bhutan.
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Bhutan Festival Guide
Listed below is a selection of the many festivals that take place throughout the year across Bhutan. There are certainly far too many festivals for us to list them all here. If the sound of an "off the tourist map" festival is appealing to you or you'd like to find out how you can plan your Bhutan Holiday to include a festival, then please contact us for more information. The approximate timing for each festival shown is purely indicative. These dates are usually a somewhat auspicious matter, and while some have become tourist spectacles, they are of religious significance for the Bhutanese first and foremost. It's not always possible to know precise dates too far in advance.
If a particular festival interests you, then please contact us to establish the precise dates on which your festival of interest takes place.
Punakha Dromche
When: early March
Duration: 3 Days
Taking place in the Punakha Dzong Courtyard, this festival is unique with a "Serda", a magnificent procession re-enacting the 17th Century war with Tibet
Punakha Tshechu
When: early March
Duration: 3 Days
Follows Punakha Dromche at the same location. Introduced in 2005 to preserve the noble deeds of Zhabdrung Rimpoche in prayer and pilgrimage.
Dakpa Kora
When: mid-April
Duration: 1 Day
Way over in the far east of Bhutan, in Trashiyangste, this and other local festivals at other times are "off the tourist map" stuff that takes place at the Chorten here.
Rhododendron Festival
When: mid-April
Duration: 3 Days
At the Lamperli Gardens (90 minutes from Thimpu) beneath the Dochu La Mountain Pass, this is an eco-tourism event for nature lovers
Paro Tshechu
When: mid-April
Duration: 5 Days
Colourful and vibrant, the Paro festival attracts the Bhutanese faithful from afar as well as hordes of tourists. A huge Thangka is displayed on the final day.
Thimpu Tshechu
When: early October
Duration: 3 Days
Probably the biggest and most popular festival in Bhutan. Masked dancers, jesters, thousands of locals from neighbouring Dzongkhas, and lots of tourists amass in Thimpu.
Thimpu Dromchoe
When: late Sept
Duration: 1 Day
Precedes Thimpu Tsechu and dates back to the 17th Century. The dromchoe is the only day of what is a 4-day festival open to the public and celebrates sacred dances dedicated to Pelden Lhamo, the protector deity of Bhutan.
Wangdue Tshechu
When: late Sept
Duration: 4 Days
With locals from nearby Punakha and Thimpu attending, this Wangdue Phodrang festival near Punakha is renowned for revelry and merrymaking. Known for Raksha Mangcham—the Dance of the Ox.
Gangtey Tshechu
When: early October
Duration: 3 Days
Held in the courtyard of the Gangtey Gompa, there are sacred masks and folk dances (some unique to Gangtey). A very scenic festival location.
Black Necked Crane
When: Mid November
Duration: 1 Day
Celebrated at Gangtey Gompa, this annual festival honours not only the arrival of the sacred Black-necked Crane but also serves as a conservation initiative. Dancers dress as cranes, and the local kids bring songs.
Trongsa Tshechu
When: late December
Duration: 3 Days
Trongsa is the sacred heart of Bhutan, and this is the grandest of several festivals that take place here. Traditional dances and the unfurling of the sacred Thongdrol are some of the many spectacles to witness.
Chomolhari Festival
When: mid-October
Duration: 2 Days
This is a rather different affair. It's a celebration of the mountain communities that live beneath Chomolhari and the Snow Leopard. Not easy to get to, though. A trek to the foot of Chomolhari is required! Highly recommended if you can, though.
Jakhar Tshechu
When: late October
Duration: 3 Days
In the Bumthang Valley region, the Jakhar Dzong is the setting for this colourful festival of song and dance. Try "Chugo" when here, a dried cheese snack that's very popular with the locals.
Tamshing Phala Chhoepa
When: late Sept
Duration: 3 Days
Another Bumthang region festival is taking place at the Tamshing Lhakang. The monastery setting of the Nyingma sect is wonderful and of great cultural significance.
Masutaki Festival
When: late August
Duration: 2 Days
This Bumthang region Festival at Ura Gorund marks the start of Mushroom season! Great for song, dance, Masutaki food specialities and for an insight into Bhutanese village life. The stunning Ura Valley is a suitable backdrop for this fascinating event.
Jambay Lhakang Drup
When: early November
Duration: 5 Days
Once again in the Bumthang Valley area at Jambay Lhakang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, this is one of the most spectacular of all Bhutan festivals. The ritualistic, naked fire dance is a real highlight. Definitely one to think about including.
Pemagatshel Tshechu
When: late November
Duration: 3 Days
Way "off the map", attending this religious festival in itself is believed to earn you merit, and the Bhutanese travel great distances to be part of this one. So will you! For the intrepid adventurer, Cham dances, songs, and more await in the lands of the Tshanglas.
Ura Yakchoe
When: mid May
Duration: 3 Days
Three days of mask dances and a procession carrying an image of Chana Dorji (Vajrapani) from the nearby Gaden Lhakhang in the Bumthang region down to the main lhankhang. The eve of the festival sees the frantic brewing of sinchhang (a spirit distilled from millet, wheat, or rice) and a late-night exorcism.
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