Best Things To Do in Thimphu, Bhutan

Are you looking for what to do in Thimphu?

PLACES TO SEE

  • Dochula Pass
  • Buddha Dordenma
  • Motithang Takin Preserve
  • Tashichho Dzong
  • Thimphu Chorten
  • Royal Textile Academy Of Bhutan
  • Choki Traditional Art School
  • National Institute For Zorig Chusum
  • National Folk Heritage Museum
  • Jigme Dorji National Park
  • Tango Buddhist Monastery
  • Thimphu Centenary Farmers Market
  • Changangkha Lhakhang
  • Phajoding Monastery

Below we have a list of things to do in Thimphu and the places where you want to spend the best moments of your trip. At the same time, the city offers you the best neighborhoods to explore and new foods to try.

This list should help you in deciding and prioritizing what you should plan on your Thimphu getaway. Find a mix of must-see tourist spots, underrated local hangouts, and maybe even a few new experiences you can try out.

Make the most of your trip to Thimphu with confidence.

Tourist Attractions in Thimphu

Here is the list of things to do in Thimphu and tourist attractions in city.

  1. Dochula Pass

    4.7 (3061 Votes)
    Dochula Pass

    View Point, War Memorial

    The most well-known pass in Bhutan, Dochula Pass towers at a whopping 10, 000 feet above sea level and offers visitors a postcard-like panoramic view of the Himalayan peaks on clear, winter days. With a great cup of coffee to boot at the open-air restaurant, this pass is a great place to unwind at and very much worth the hairpin turns and adrenaline rushes that one inevitably goes through on th...Read more
  2. Buddha Dordenma

    4.7 (4126 Votes)
    Buddha Dordenma

    Landmark, View Point, Monument, Statue

    Faith manifests itself in the form of a large watchful guardian in Bhutan – standing tall at a whopping 51.5 meters, cast in bronze and gilded in gold, this is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world. Seated regally upon a large meditation hall, this Shakyamuni Buddha structure is a work in progress, the location of which used to be the ruins of Kuensel Phodrang, the palace of Sher...Read more
  3. Motithang Takin Preserve

    Wildlife Sanctuary

    A short distance up the road to the Bhutan Broadcast Service TV tower viewpoint is a trail that will take you to a large fenced enclosure that was originally established as a zoo, located in the Motithang district of Thimphu. The takin is an animal with significant religious connotation in Bhutan, as a mythological tale dating back to the 15th century relates how a Tibetan saint with the epithe...Read more
  4. Tashichho Dzong

    4.6 (4237 Votes)
    Tashichho Dzong

    Religious Site, Architecture , Monastery

    Perched majestically on the western bank of the Wangchu Riverwith a commanding view of theThimphu valley, the Tashichho Dzong or Thimphu Dzong is known as the ‘the fortress of the auspicious religion’. The structure is arresting as you approach it, a two-storied whitewashed building with four three-storied towers standing guard at each corner, all constructed around a large central ...Read more
  5. Thimphu Chorten

    4.4 (1785 Votes)
    Thimphu Chorten

    Memorial, Street Market

    The Memorial Chorten, or the Thimphu Chorten, welcomes you at the entrance with traders selling souvenirs, carvings and incense. This Tibetan-style chorten is one of the most prominent religious landmarks in the city, resplendent in its golden spires, bells and prayer wheels. Located on Doeboom Lam in the southern-central part of Thimphu, it was constructed in 1974 to honour the 3rd King of Bhu...Read more
  6. Royal Textile Academy Of Bhutan

    Museum

    The Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan is housed in a striking building, blending modern architectural appearance with Bhutanese designs seamlessly.Built to preserve and promote weaving, an integral part of Bhutanese culture and tradition, the Academy was established under the patronage of Her Majesty Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck. A non-profit institution dedicated to the art of textile, it will t...Read more
  7. Choki Traditional Art School

    4.8 (2745 Votes)
    Choki Traditional Art School

    Shopping Center, Arts And Crafts

    This art school is just a sheer delight for a visit. Established in 1999, it fulfils a cleverly-crafted dual objective – it educates children whose formal education was discontinued due to socio-economic reasons by equipping them with the skills of traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan. You know what they say about teaching a person to fish, instead of giving them a fish – these you...Read more
  8. National Institute For Zorig Chusum

    Arts And Crafts

    The National Institute for Zorig Chusum is another of the Bhutanese government’s initiative to preserve local art and culture –commonly referred to as 'the painting school', offers four to six-year courses that provide training for students in Bhutan's 13 traditional arts including specialisingin calligraphy, painting, sculpture, wood carving, casting, pottery, embroidery, tailoring...Read more
  9. National Folk Heritage Museum

    Museum, Shopping Center

    Very close to the National Institute of Zorig Chusum, this living museum of Bhutanese folk heritage or the Phelchey Toenkhyim is not to be missed. Within the traditional three-storied Bhutanese house exhibit, made of rammed-earth and timber, you are able to get an authentic taste of rural Bhutanese lifeof the past, making it quite an otherworldly experience. The endurance of the building is tes...Read more
  10. Jigme Dorji National Park

    4.2 (1025 Votes)
    Jigme Dorji National Park

    National Park, River, Walking Area

    Nestled in the Eastern Himalayas, the Jigme Dorji National Park is the second-largest and one of the oldest protected area in Bhutan and was gazetted as a wildlife sanctuaryin 1974, and the status upgraded to that of a national park in 1993. Sprawling over a mind-boggling area of 4,349 sq. km, the region is immensely rich in biodiversity, a place where the Royal Bengal Tiger mingles with the Sn...Read more
  11. Tango Buddhist Monastery

    Hiking Trail, Architecture , Monastery

    The word ‘Tango’ means ‘horse head’ in the Bhutanese language, in conformance the deity Hayagrive (locally also referred to as Tandin) deified in the monastery. This is a nice hike about 14km to the north of Thimphu, near Cheri Mountain and the eponymous monastery, which is also a great visit. Drukpa Kunley, the saint whose epithet is ‘The Divine Madman’ esta...Read more
  12. Thimphu Centenary Farmers Market

    Market, Shopping Center

    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...Read more
  13. Changangkha Lhakhang

    Shopping Center, Monastery

    Immensely popular amongst the local Bhutanese, the Changangkha Lhakhang temple is perched regally upon a ridge above central Thimpu, south east of Motithang. Established in the 12th century by Lama Phajo Drukgom Shigpo, this is one of the oldest fortress-monasteries and is a long, uphill climb but the stairs are well-made and it isn’t a difficult journey. The temple walls are adorned thro...Read more
  14. Phajoding Monastery Image
    ©

    Religious Site, View Point, Monastery

    At a bracing 13,000 feet, the Phajoding Monastery is a Buddhist monastery that is a 3-hour hike from the nearest road overlooking the capital city of Thimphu. Founded by Phajo Drugom Zhigpo, it was once one of the wealthiest and most-beautifully decorated monasteries in the country. The years of neglect and growing development have caught up with it, though, and in 2010, it joined the World Mon...Read more
  15. Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory
    The process of churning out handmade paper is a fine art and your best chance for a glimpse into the process is at Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory in Thimpu, Bhutan. This factory is less commercial than you would expect which is why it is popular among tourists who visit to experience first-hand the traditional process of making handmade paper that is mostly used at Buddhist monasteries for man...Read more