Thimphu, Bhutan's capital

About Thimphu

Thimphu became Bhutan's capital in the 1950s and 1960s, and it is still one of the smallest capitals in the world. It is famous for having no traffic lights: at the busiest junction, a white-gloved policeman directs the traffic by hand.

It is where you see modern Bhutan most clearly: government offices and monks, young people in national dress checking their phones, cafés beside temples. It is also the best place in the country to see the traditional arts, from painting and woodcarving to weaving.

Things to do in Thimphu

1. 1

   Buddha Dordenma

   A 51-metre bronze and gilded Buddha on a ridge above the city, one of the largest seated Buddha statues in the world. Inside are 125,000 smaller Buddhas.

2. 2

   Tashichho Dzong

   The seat of Bhutan's government and the king's office, and summer home of the central monk body. Visitors can enter the courtyards in the late afternoon, and the Thimphu Tshechu is held here each autumn.

3. 3

   National Memorial Chorten

   A white stupa in the centre of town built in 1974 in memory of the Third King. Locals walk around it from dawn to dusk, spinning the great prayer wheels.

4. 4

   Weekend market

   The Centenary Farmers' Market by the river sells chillies, cheese, red rice and incense, and is busiest at the end of the week; the handicraft stalls across the cantilever bridge are good for souvenirs.

5. 5

   Takin preserve

   The Motithang Takin Preserve is the place to see Bhutan's odd-looking national animal, part goat and part antelope, in a patch of hillside forest.

6. 6

   Arts and crafts

   Watch students at the Institute for Zorig Chusum learning the thirteen traditional arts, then visit the Folk Heritage Museum and the Royal Textile Academy.

Walking around the city

Thimphu is easy to explore on foot. Start at the clock tower square, walk down Norzin Lam, the main street, and stop at the junction where the traffic policeman directs cars from his little painted pavilion. It's a slightly silly thing to photograph and everyone does it anyway.

The streets behind Norzin Lam are where people actually shop: small tailors stitching gho and kira, stationers, momo stalls and shops selling dried yak cheese on strings. At the end of the week, cross to the riverbank for the Centenary Farmers' Market, the best place in the country to see what Bhutanese people cook with. Our guide to Bhutanese food explains what you're looking at.

Places most visitors miss

One day covers the big sights. With a second day, our guides tend to add a few of these:

• Changangkha Lhakhang, a 12th-century temple on a ridge above the city. Parents bring newborn babies here to be named and blessed, and a monk can read your astrology if you ask.
• Dechen Phodrang, the site of Thimphu's original dzong. It's now a monastic school, and the old murals inside are some of the finest in the valley.
• The National Library, founded in 1967, which keeps old texts printed from carved wooden blocks and wrapped in silk.
• Simply Bhutan, a small living museum run by young Bhutanese, where you can try archery, put on a gho or kira and taste ara, the local spirit.
• The hike to Cheri Monastery, about an hour uphill from the end of the valley road. Bhutan's first monastic community was founded here in 1620, and you'll often see goral (mountain goats) on the cliffs.

Evenings in the capital

Thimphu is the only place in Bhutan with much of a night out. There are a few bars with live music at weekends, a craft beer taproom or two, and plenty of places for a long dinner. Most of our guests are tired enough after a day of sightseeing to want an early night, but if you'd like to see the city after dark, your guide will know where's good that week.

For our favourite places to eat, see the best restaurants and cafés in Thimphu and Paro.

Best time to visit Thimphu

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable months. Autumn brings the Thimphu Tshechu, the capital's biggest festival, usually in September or October. See the festival calendar for the dates.

Winter days are sunny and cold; summer is warm and green with afternoon rain.

Month by month across the country: the best time to visit Bhutan.

Getting to Thimphu

Thimphu is about an hour's drive from Paro airport along the river. From Thimphu the main road east climbs over Dochula Pass to Punakha, about three hours away.

Most trips spend one or two nights in Thimphu near the start, which also helps you acclimatise before the Tiger's Nest hike.

Thimphu on the map