Bumthang Travel - Sightseeing, Transfer, Weather, Hotels 2021/2022

Bumthang - Sightseeing, Traffic, Weather, Hotels, Maps

Located in central Bhutan, Bumthang consists of 4 valleys: Chokhor, Tang, Ura and Chhume. As Chokhor covers a large area, it is also popularly called Bumthang Valley. There are two versions about the origin of the name “Bumthang”. One is that the valley shapes like “bumpa” - a religious container for holy water and “thang” means “plain”. Another explanation, which is also a less serious one, says that the name represents the beautiful girls living here because “bum” means “girls”.

Bumthang - Religious Heartland of Bhutan

Bumthang District is one of the 20 dzongkhag of Bhutan and it’s the most historic one with many of the oldest monasteries and religious sites in this nation such as Jambey Lhakhang and Kurjey Lhakhang. The story of Padmasambhava is spread all over the district. Here you can have a deeper feeling of the essence of Tibetan Buddhism in Bhutan and appreciate the local unsophisticated folkways. The fertile Bumthang is a land of buckwheat, rice and potatoes; apple orchards and dairy farms are also common here.

Top Places to Visit in Bumthang

As the cradle of Bhutan’s religion, there are many important monasteries and shrines in Bumthang. Many of them are related to Guru Padmasambhava and the tertons (“religious treasure-discoverers”), thus are of great importance to local people. There are occasional celebration activities held in the temples. It is definitely something you can not miss.

How to Get to Bumthang

Bumthang is in central Bhutan. It is connected with other parts of Bhutan by road and there are domestic flights to Paro and Trashigang. For foreign tourists, the most chosen gateway to Bhutan is Paro because it has the only international airport in this country. Then you can take a car or plane to Bumthang from Paro.

Paro to Bumthang - Paro is about 320 km (9 hours’ drive) to the west of Bumthang. It is more recommended to take a road trip because it is more flexible and you can take your time enjoying the view on the way. In this journey, you will pass Thimphu (capital of Bhutan), Punakha, Wangdue Phodrang, Phobjikha Valley and Trongsa to encounter the museums, temples, valleys, etc. If you do want a faster trip, you can take a flight from Paro to Bathpalathang Airport, which is only about 40 min, but extra fee will be needed and the schedule is uncertain.
Best Time to Visit Bumthang

With an altitude of about 2800m, Bumthang is usually mild and in good weather except for the rainy summer (June to August) and some chilly days in winter. Generally speaking, the best time to visit Bumthang is from March to May and September to November. Though Bumthang covers a large area, major attractions gather near Jakar. Take historical weather data of Jakar for example, the temperature varies from 24°F (-4.5℃) to 66°F (18.9℃) and is rarely below 18°F (-7.8℃) or above 70°F (21.1℃).

Most days are cool and clear in spring and autumn. What’s more, many festivals are held in October or November so you can have a deeper understanding of local culture besides the nature. Summer is always rainy or cloudy, which is not recommended to go. Winter is cold and dry, but you will have a chance to see the snow scape.

Where to Stay - Hotels in Bumthang

Most Bumthang guesthouses are designed in a traditional Bhutanese way with pine-clad rooms and separate dining halls. In recent years, many grand hotels are opened here to provide more luxury services to the tourists. Please kindly note that all the hotels receiving foreign guests need to be approved by the government and the accommodation fee of a 3-star hotel is already covered in your daily minimum cost in Bhutan (USD 250 per person per night in March, April, May, September, October, and November, and USD 200 per person per night in other months). If you want to upgrade your accommodation to a 4 or 5-star hotel, an extra fee may be required.

Aman Kora is the only 5-star hotel in Bumthang and is just 3 km from Wangdichholing Palace, enjoying favorable location and environment. It has large and immaculate rooms and the service is beyond your expectation. You can try the morning yoga and archery if you like. Apart from that, there are many cozy 3-star homestays and guesthouses for your choice such as Swiss Guest House, Chumey Nature resort, and Village Lodge. The staff is hospitable and your basic accommodation needs will be met.

Useful Bhutan Travel Notes

1. How to Apply Bhutan Visa
Bhutan Visa is a must to travel to Bhutan, which can only be applied by authorized travel agency (like Tibet Discovery) on behalf of independent travelers. You just need to send us clear scanned photocopy of your valid passport. As we receive your passport information, we will apply it from Tourism Council of Bhutan. When we get your visa (a visa clearance letter), we will send the photocopy to you by Email, with which you are able to border a flight to Bhutan. Upon arrival on Paro International Airport, the visa will be given to you.Read More>>

2. How to Plan a Bhutan Tour
A classic Bhutan tour always takes about 5-6 days involving Paro, Thimphu and Punakha. Apart from the arrival and departure days, you get four full days to explore the landmarks in Bhutan - three days in the towns of Paro, Thimphu and Punakha, and another day in Traktsang Monastery. If you want an in-depth tour to central Bhutan, you are suggested to spend extra 4 days to Bumthang via Wangdu Phodrang and Trongsa. In fact, many travelers prefer an overland tour in Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan. If you time permits, you can take a one-hour flight from Bhutan to Nepal, where you can admire the medieval architectural wonders and marvelous landscape of Himalayan Peaks. After that, take an overland driving journey to the holy city Lhasa via Mount Everest. Read More>>

3. How to Get to Bhutan
There are two choices to get to Bhutan - by international flights from some Asian countries (Nepal, India, Thailand, Singapore and Bangladesh) and by overland driving from India. Since Paro is the only international airport, all the flights to Bhutan lands on Paro. There are three accessible ports connected Bhutan and India, including Phuentsholing, Samdrup Jongkhar and Gelephu. Phuentsholing is the primary one which connects Chhukha of Bhutan and West Bengal of India. From Phuentsholing, it takes about 6 hours to drive to Paro or Thimphu. The other two ports are located in central and eastern Bhutan. Read More>>

4. Other Destinations in Bhutan
Apart from Wangdue, there are many other destinations worthy of your visit, including Thimphu, Punakha, Paro, Trongsa, Bumthang etc. With the only international airport, Paro is probably the first destination of your Bhutan trip. And it is also where the Taktsang Monastery - Landmark of Bhutan locates. As the capital city with natural and cultural glamour, Thimphu is a must-be-visited city in Bhutan. Its National Memorial Chorten is an important holy site. Besides, there are many interesting and significant museums and institutes to catch a view of Bhutan’s rich history and culture. Punakha has the most beautiful Dzong in Bhutan - Punakha Dzong. It looks surreal especially with the purple Jacaranda in blossom between April and June.