A weekend in Thimphu is incomplete if you don’t visit the Thimphu Centenary Farmer’s Weekend Market. One of the largest domestic farmers’ markets in the country, it is always bustling with village folks and Thimphu residents alike, it is essentially a set of stalls on the banks of the Wang Chhu river, just north of Changlimithang Stadium. There is generally a healthy amount of haggling in pursuit of the best prices for the fresh, organic produce.Farmers from as far as Lingshi in the north, Tashiyangtse in the east, and Sarpang, Dagana and Tsirang in the south bring their farm products out to Thimphu for this weekend market. The vendors start arriving on Thursday and stay until Sunday.

The stalls are all crammed into a two-storied building, a real celebration of a market with over 400 stalls. You will find vegetables, fruit, meat and other farm produce on sale along with garlic, different kinds of chillies, red and white rice, various kinds of mushroom, fruit, balls of dates(homemade soft cheese) and freshly slaughtered pork and beef…the list in quite endless.

There is also a cafeteria and separate stalls for non-wood forest products. Across a cantilever footbridge, Kuendeyling Bazaam, to the west bank is a collection of stalls housing clothing, fabric and handicrafts, both local and Nepalese. You will also find a lot if religious paraphernalia such as prayer wheels, Lung Ta prayer flags, cymbals, horns and baskets.

• Entry is free.
• Come armed with your bargaining skills for best prices!
• Going early on Saturday means you get access to the fresh produce first, so try to go as early as possible.

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