8 days/ 7 nights · Private tour
Tour highlights
About this tour
The Thimphu Tshechu is the biggest festival in the capital, and one of the most colourful in Bhutan. From 10 to 12 October 2027, thousands of people in their finest clothes gather at Tashichho Dzong to watch sacred masked dances. On the last morning, monks unveil a giant thangka at dawn.
This eight-day tour gives you all three festival days, then takes you over Dochula to Punakha and back to Paro for the hike to Tiger’s Nest. October brings clear skies and crisp air, the best weather of the year.
Tshechu means tenth day, and the festival honours Guru Rinpoche, who brought Buddhism to Bhutan. Monks and laymen perform cham, sacred dances in masks and silk. Meanwhile, the atsaras, masked clowns, joke with the crowd and bless children.
On the final morning, before sunrise, monks unroll a huge thangka called a thongdrel on the dzong wall. Locals believe that seeing it washes away bad karma. As a result, the courtyard fills long before dawn.
Dress modestly, with long sleeves and long trousers or a skirt, and bring a warm layer for the early mornings. Photos are welcome in the courtyard. However, please do not use flash, step into the dance space or climb on walls. Your guide will find you a good spot and explain each dance as it happens.
Want more festivals this autumn? The Gangtey Tshechu follows from 13 to 15 October in the Phobjikha valley. Or see every Bhutan festival tour for 2027.
Your Thimphu Tshechu tour starts from US$2,400 per person, and group discounts are available. The price covers the Sustainable Development Fee, hotels and all meals. It also includes a private vehicle and driver, a licensed guide, taxes and entry fees. Flights, insurance and drinks are extra. Hotels in Thimphu fill early for festival week, so book ahead.
The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per night right now. That is half the standard rate on Bhutan’s official tourism site. However, the government guarantees this lower rate only until 31 August 2027. We have held our licence since 2012 and have welcomed more than 2,000 travellers.
It runs from 10 to 12 October 2027. The Thimphu Drubchen, a ritual that opens the festival season, takes place a few days earlier.
Yes, on the main days. Your guide knows the quieter corners and the best times to arrive.
Smart, modest clothes. Many visitors enjoy wearing a gho or kira, which we can help you borrow or buy.
Day by day
This itinerary shows one way to enjoy this trip. We can change any day, add or remove places, change the pace or the hotels, and add a festival. Every journey we run is curated around you.
Paro to Thimphu · 55 km · about 1.5 hours · 2,300 m Your flight drops into the Paro Valley, and your guide greets you with a white scarf. You follow the river to Thimphu, stopping at Chuzom, where three small stupas mark the meeting of two rivers. In the afternoon, you visit the Memorial Chorten and see the city getting ready for the festival. Overnight: Thimphu
Tashichho Dzong · festival day · 2,300 m You arrive early and find a good spot in the courtyard as the horns sound. Dancers in masks and silk spin through the morning, and your guide explains each story. At midday, you join local families for a picnic on the lawns. In the afternoon, you visit Buddha Dordenma above the valley. Overnight: Thimphu
Thimphu · full day · 2,300 m You spend the morning at the dances, when the crowd is at its most colourful. After lunch, you visit the School of Traditional Arts and the craft bazaar. In the evening, you see the dzong lit up against the hills. Overnight: Thimphu
Thimphu to Punakha · 72 km · about 3 hours · Dochula Pass 3,100 m You rise before dawn to see the giant thangka unrolled on the dzong wall as the sun comes up. After breakfast, you drive over Dochula Pass, where 108 chortens stand against the Himalaya. In the afternoon, you walk through rice fields to Chimi Lhakhang. Overnight: Punakha
Punakha · full day · 1,200 m In the morning, you cross a wooden bridge into Punakha Dzong, the most beautiful fortress in Bhutan, set where two rivers meet. Next, you walk the long suspension bridge that villagers use every day. In the afternoon, you hike gently up to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten for views over the valley. Overnight: Punakha
Punakha to Paro · 125 km · about 4.5 hours with stops You cross Dochula once more for a last look at the mountains, then follow the river roads to Paro. In the afternoon, you visit Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan, and walk down from Rinpung Dzong across a covered wooden bridge. Overnight: Paro
Tiger's Nest hike · about 500 m climb · 4 to 6 hours return · 3,100 m You set off early through pine forest hung with prayer flags, climbing about 500 metres to the viewpoint opposite the monastery. From there, steps lead past a waterfall to Taktsang itself, clinging to the cliff above the valley. Your guide tells the story of Guru Rinpoche, who is said to have flown here on a tigress. In the afternoon, your legs can rest with an optional hot stone bath in a farmhouse. Overnight: Paro
Paro airport · short transfer After breakfast, your guide and driver take you to Paro airport and see you off with a farewell scarf. We hope to welcome you back soon, perhaps for a festival in another season.
Package does not include insurance of any kinds, and that you are required to obtain separate coverage from your home country or any insurance company of your choice.
Tell us your dates, and we will shape this trip around you.
