Top Places to Visit in Thimphu
Searching for mystery of happiness? You’ve got the right place. Thimphu will always present you the best beyond your expectation, including beautiful natural scenery, peaceful Buddhist temples, interesting folk customs, special dresses and much more. Surely, you can’t miss the great Himalayan views and sacred National Memorial Chorten. Exploration of local Bhutanese flavors and daily life in Weekend Market is pleasant surprises in the short trip. Read more about >>places to visit in Thimphu.
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Dochula Pass - Great Balcony to the Himalayas
Type: Viewing Deck of Nature, History
Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hour
Located on the driving way from Thimphu to Punakha, Dochula Pass (3,140m) is one of the highest points in Bhutan, where offers spectacular 360 degree panoramic view of the Himalayan mountains on clear days. Except the scenic beauty, the 108 Stupas (Druk Wangyal Chortens) aligned on the hill nearby, which were built in memory of soldiers died in war is an important religious site for locals. Enjoy your cozy time in the café during the stopover.
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Tashichho Dzong - Seat of Government & Religious Center
Type: Religion & Politics
Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hour
Tashichho Dzong (Thimphu Dzong) serves as the seat of government and a summer palace for Je·Khenpo (supreme leader of Bhutan's Buddhism) from Punakha. It suffered severely damage and got several reconstructions with over 800 years history. Immerse yourself in the grandiose architecture, flying pigeons, echoing prayer wheels and highlight your trip to witness more history of Bhutan. Public visiting in the courtyard and monatsery areas is only available after office hours.
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General Post Office - Museum of Stamps with Customization
Type: Post office & Culture
Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 hours
Want to keep your Bhutan trip meaningful and memorable? It's a good idea to customize your photos and deliver them to your family or friends worldwide here. Bhutan is a world famous “Kingdom of Stamps” that produced the first Record Stamp in the world in 1962. Even nowadays it is an acknowledged leader in designing, printing diverse gorgeous stamps. Large collection of beautiful stamps, cards and souvenirs and impressive innovation are displayed here for the philatelist.
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Buddha Dordenma Statue - Guardian Buddha Overseeing the Land
Type: Monument & Religion
Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 hours
Lying on the hilltop in the Kuenselphodrang Nature Park, the 51.5m tall Buddha statue of Sakyamuni is one of the largest effigies of Bhutan in the world. The interior temples with delicate carvings, small sculptures and the huge size make it a must-visit site in Thimphu. Travelers can get a breathtaking view of the entire Thimphu city during clear weather. More interesting, the giant Buddha is visible from the anywhere in Thimphu.
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National Institute of Zorig Chusum - Traditional Painting School
Type: Education, Art
Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hr
This institute is a small school where students can learn 13 different traditional skills, including the stone and clay sculpturing, woodwork, Thangka painting, embroidery, weaving, paper making and other artistic heritage. Imagine how interesting it would be to visit the live teaching class when students are concentrating on making art items. Art fans can buy souvenirs and handicrafts made by the students at reasonable prices from a small but nice shop nearby.
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National Textile Museum - A Window into Bhutan’s Textile Culture
Type: Culture & History
Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hour
Curious about how the locals make their traditional Bhutanese clothes? You can start from the visit to this museum where houses a great exhibition of various textile products and real time textile process. Besides, there are maps showing the various colors and patterns worn in different regions in Bhutan. A short trip to the Textile Museum helps you learn more about the weaving techniques and unique local style of dress, a superb way to know more about the history and culture of Bhutan.
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National Memorial Chorten - Peace in Bhutan, Peace in the World
Type: Monument & Religion
Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hour
The white landmark monument is built in central Thimphu to honor memory of his majesty, the 3rd king Jigme Dorji Wangchuck of Bhutan and pray for world peace. It is also the most sacred stupa where elderly locals gather to make prostrations, kora walking and twirl pray wheels. Literally means Mind of Buddha, this iconic Buddhist chorten is a gorgeous traditional Buddhist architecture with precious religious paintings and Buddha statues inside.
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Motithang Takin Preserve - Home of Bhutan’s National Animal
Type: Nature, Wildlife
Recommended Length of Visit: 1~2 hours
Takin is to Bhutan what Panda is to China. The nature preserve is a small zoo and the home to the national animal of Bhutan - Takin, a kind of featured animal between cattle and goat. You only need a short drive to catch a glimpse at the rare animal exclusively in Bhutan and the Himalayan views, which is definitely worth a visit. It would be amazing to watch the Takin care center and other mountain animals like deer, unusual to see outside. Prepare for the long walk to reach the preserve.
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Simtokha Dzong - The Oldest Dzong in Bhutan
Type: History, Religion & Culture
Recommended Length of Visit: 1 hour
The ancient historical monastery is a well-maintained Dzong, a beautiful and quiet place with amazing view of the golden Buddha Statue, but less tourist visit. Walk inside, you can enjoy the impressive wooden structures, exquisite wall paintings, beautiful garden, sacred Buddha statues that deliver the spiritual power of your mind. If lucky, you can observe over 100 monks doing morning route, like chanting in unison and reading books, a spectacular sight and event.
Top Featured Activities in Thimphu
Praised as “A Happy Kingdom Kissed by Buddha” and “the Land of Thunder Dragon”, Bhutan is endowed with magnificent Buddhist culture. Meanwhile, isolation from chaos, perfect harmony with nature, positive value of development, traditional way of living, all those cultivate an abundant local culture and happiness of Bhutanese. To help you catch a glimpse of the long history and colorful culture of Bhutan, we select three top local activities and festivals below in Thimphu for your trip, and you can read more about >>things to do in Thimphu.
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Thimphu Tschechu
Date: Late September or Early October
Location: North of Tashichho Dzong (Thimphu Dzong)
Tshechu Festival is the most famous and grandest religious event in Bhutan, which is celebrated for the birthday of Guru Rimpoche. The two most popular Tshechus are the Paro and Thimphu Tschechus held in spring and autumn respectively. During the big feast, the locals will attend the Thimphu Tshechu to watch colorful Bhutanese mask dances (Cham Dance) to receive blessings and purification, see the exhibited huge Thangka and enjoy other entertainment activities. Meanwhile, it’s a good time for tourists to join in this characteristic, colorful and hilarious holiday combined with traditional Bhutanese culture.
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Weekend Market
Date: Saturday & Sunday
Location: North of Changlimithang Stadium & Archery Ground
Many local farmers in the nearby villages will assemble in this big Contenary Farmers Market to sell organic farm products at weekends. Walking around and looking at how local sell goods and buy products is a local way to explore the local life and culture. The great variety of colorful vegetables, fruits and fishes and funny items like saffron, cordycep, area nut organized in different sections provides visitors a wonderful experience to enjoy. A good idea is to bring your camera to photograph interesting things while visiting and try some fresh fruit.
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Druk Path Trek
Recommended Dates: Mar ~Jun/Sep ~ Nov
Trekking Route: Paro ~ Thimphu
Prefer a unique way to make your trip in the Bhutan more fun? Trekking is a fabulous idea to record the whole journey by footsteps. This six days’ Druk Path Trek begins from Paro and ends in Thimphu. Being a relatively easy hike route, the path leads you to walk from elevations ranging between 2,400~4,200m, passing by the stunning natural landscape of peaks, pine forests, beautiful lakes, country villages and traditional style monasteries. In Bhutan, the Druk Path Trek is the most popular one that can easily stretch your body and view various kinds of scenery both.