When to visit Bhutan
Posted by: Bhutan Incredible Tours / Category: Blog / Posted On: 9th Dec 2018
Spring and Autumn are the best time to visit Bhutan. Having said so, summer and winter have their own draws and attractions. Spring is the favourite time to visit Bhutan. Nature lovers who are keen on local flora should consider visiting Bhutan end of April or in May. Flowers would be in full bloom then.
Months
March, April, May
Attraction:
The Paro Tshechu usually takes place in early April. This is the best chance to meet the King of Bhutan as he often makes his way to the festivities between the 3rd and last day.
The ever-popular 5-day Paro Tshechu also means that Paro will be teeming with travellers. Hotels & services may be overwhelmed as the better hotels and guides would have been pre-booked. Drukair tickets would be fully sold out by January.
Fall
Fall is another high and crowded season for Bhutan. Though Bhutan does not offer browning forest nor Maples, the mild weather in autumn makes it a perfect time to visit Bhutan. Thimphu Festival usually takes places at the end of September or early October.
Attraction
In late-september, the Thimphu Tshechu is a grand affair in the modern capital of Bhutan. Just like Paro Tshechu, good hotels would be fully booked, and service level do suffers. Thimphu tshechu also occurs about the same time as Wangdi tshechu and the chance to attend two festival on one trip is always very tempting but WATCH out for the crowd
Another crowded festival calendar, this time in central Bhutan is the Jakar, Jambay Lhakhang Drup & Prakar Tshechu. Trongsa of travellers pays homage to the Switzerland of Asia at this time to attend the mysterious Jambay festivities that was fabled for its bonfire dance of 20 masked and naked dancers. If you would like to attend this festival, do be prepared to stay in some less comfortable hotels too.
Summer
If you like to avoid the higher tariff and the cold of winter, consider visiting Bhutan early June. If the monsoon is late, the whole of June will be great for traveling. Monsoon will be in its earnest in July. Having said so, our personal experience with monsoon in Bhutan has been limited to afternoon light shower once every 2 to 3 days. Some outlying district such as Gangtey can be given a miss as the country road can be swollen with mud. Summer often offers vibrant green foresting and flourishing paddy fields against a backdrop of the clear blue sky after the rain.
Note: The summer season sees a lower level of tourists as many have the misconception that Bhutan may experience a rainy deluge similar to many parts of South Asia. This is not true. Though it dubbed the monsoon, Bhutan experiences relatively light rain with most rainfall confined to the late afternoon and does not affect most travellers’ itinerary.
