Kingdom of gross national happiness. Here is when to go, what a day costs on site and what to see, then Okela composes your itinerary hour by hour.

Compose my trip to ThimphuSee Thimphu in Okela

When to visit Thimphu

Best months: March, April, May, October and November.

What to see in Thimphu

1. Bouddha Dordenma
   The gilded bronze statue, about 51 metres tall, watches over the Thimphu valley from the Kuensel Phodrang hill.
2. Tashichho Dzong
   This monastery-fortress on the western bank of the Wang Chu is still the seat of Bhutan's government, so the civil and religious life of the country unfolds here in plain view.
3. Marché du week-end (Centenary Farmers Market)
   The Centenary Farmers Market is where Thimphu does its everyday shopping.
4. Memorial Chorten
   The Memorial Chorten is the most visible religious landmark in Thimphu, and one of the few places in the capital where you can see people practising their faith in everyday life.
5. Tiger's Nest (Taktsang, Paro)
   This Buddhist monastery clings to a cliff above the Paro valley, as if hanging in thin air.
6. Motithang Takin Preserve
   This is the most direct place to meet the takin, Bhutan's national animal, in a wooded setting only a few minutes from central Thimphu.
7. Col de Dochula
   The pass sits between the Thimphu and Punakha valleys, and on a clear day the Himalayan peaks open up all at once.
8. Folk Heritage Museum
   The museum shows rural Bhutanese life before modernisation, through tools, kitchen utensils, textiles and everyday objects.

A sample itinerary for Thimphu, three days

Composed by Okela from the places in its database, with times. Yours takes your dates, pace and group into account.

Budget

Expect about €231 per person per day on site (accommodation, meals, transport and visits), depending on the comfort you choose. Okela shows the price of every step of your itinerary.

My Thimphu itinerary, hour by hour

Photo: Douglas McLaughlin, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons.