Bhutan travel blog: tips from Thimphu
Our Bhutan travel blog is practical advice from our team in Thimphu: what to eat and where, what to wear, and how to get the most from your trip. For visas, costs and flights, see our Bhutan travel guide.
Travel tips · 5 min read
Bhutan vs Nepal: which should you visit?
Choose Bhutan for quiet valleys, living Buddhist culture and a trip where everything is arranged for you. Choose Nepal for big-mountain trekking, jungle safaris, lively cities and travel on any budget. Nepal is cheaper day to day; Bhutan costs more, but most of it is included. And with a short flight between Kathmandu and Paro, many travellers do both.
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Travel tips · 4 min read
Bhutan in October: weather, festivals and trekking
October is one of the best months to visit Bhutan. The monsoon has gone, days are mostly dry and sunny, the mountains are clear, and the rice fields of Paro and Punakha turn gold. Expect roughly 10–22°C in Thimphu and 7–19°C in Paro, warmer in Punakha and cold at night in Phobjikha and Bumthang. It's peak season for trekking and festivals, so book early.
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Travel tips · 5 min read
Bhutan in December: weather, festivals and 10 reasons to go
December is cold in Bhutan, with freezing nights but mostly dry, sunny days and the clearest mountain views of the year. Thimphu and Paro range from about -2°C at night to 11–14°C by day, Punakha stays milder, and snow is possible on the high passes. It's also quiet, the black-necked cranes are in Phobjikha, and the Druk Wangyel Tshechu is held at Dochula every 13 December.
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Travel tips · 4 min read
Is Bhutan safe? A traveller's safety guide
Yes. Bhutan is one of the safest countries you can visit: violent crime is rare, petty theft is uncommon, and every international visitor travels with a licensed guide. The real risks are the ones mountains bring, such as altitude, winding roads and changeable weather, and they're easy to plan for. Here's what to know before you go.
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Culture & etiquette · 5 min read
Bhutan's national dress: the gho and kira explained
Bhutan's national dress is the gho for men, a knee-length robe belted at the waist, and the kira for women, an ankle-length woven wrap worn with a blouse (wonju) and a short jacket (tego). Bhutanese people wear them every day, to school, to work and to every dzong and festival. Visitors are welcome to try them, and here's what each piece is called and how it's worn.
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Travel tips · 9 min read
Bhutan itinerary: 5, 7, 8 and 10 days, day by day
Five days is enough for Paro, Thimphu, Dochula and the Tiger's Nest. Seven or eight days adds Punakha and the Phobjikha valley at a comfortable pace, and ten days takes you on to Bumthang in central Bhutan. Below are the day-by-day routes we use for each length, with drive times and what to know before you choose.
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Culture & etiquette · 6 min read
Bhutan dress code and etiquette: what to wear and how to behave
Bhutan's dress code for visitors only applies at religious sites. To go into a dzong, temple or monastery you need long trousers or a long skirt, a shirt with sleeves (a collar is safest) and no hat. Shoes come off in shrine rooms, you walk clockwise around anything sacred, and you don't take photos inside temples. Here's the rest of what our guides tell guests on day one.
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Food & drink · 7 min read
Bhutanese food: 12 dishes to try
Bhutanese food is built on three things: chillies, cheese and red rice. The national dish, ema datshi, is chillies cooked in melted cheese, and most meals pair a datshi with a bowl of red rice and a meat or vegetable dish. Below are the 12 dishes and drinks our team thinks you should try, and how to get them without setting your mouth on fire.
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Food & drink · 5 min read
Best restaurants and cafés in Thimphu and Paro
Thimphu has the best choice of cafés and restaurants in Bhutan. Ambient Café by the clock tower has been the favourite for years, and newer places near the Memorial Chorten and above the dzong are worth a look. In Paro, Mountain Café's roastery on the square and Sonam Trophel, open since 1993, are the classics. These are the places our team sends guests, checked for 2026.
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