Places To Visit In Thimphu

Dig into the charm of the capital of Bhutan

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Best time to visit
Mar - May, Sep - Oct
Ideal Duration
2-3 Days
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On Arrival
Starting from
Rs. 10,000
  • Hills
  • Nature
  • Sightseeing

Tourist Places In Thimphu

From a glance, Thimphu is all prim, proper and business-like, home to government institutions and monk body.

But if you delve deep into its existence, you can find a culturally rich heritage lying beneath the charade of a polished capital city. From the surface, Thimphu does not look like the perfect tourist destination at all, compared to other places like Paro or Punakha. But one session of Thimphu sightseeing might change your mind about that.

Here are some of the best places to visit in Thimphu. All of them are nearby locations, so it should not take long to get from one to another. Make sure to spend adequate time in each to truly appreciate their beauty.

1. Memorial Chorten

The chorten in the heart of the city was consecrated in the memory of the Third King of Bhutan after his sudden demise in 1974, hence ‘Memorial’ Chorten. This monument is of great importance to the people and thus a very popular Thimphu tourist attraction. A chorten is a Buddhist mausoleum, erected in the memory of someone very important or to Buddha himself. Inside the chorten, there are paintings, photographs and model statues related to Buddhism that are philosophical and spiritual in nature and provides an insight into the religion. Circumambulation of the chorten is a very common practice among the residents of Thimphu.

2. Institute of Zorig Chusum

If you go deeper into Bhutanese art and craft that they are so well known for, you will come across a term Zorig Chusum multiple times. The art and handicraft styles of Bhutan have been divided into 13 different categories, and together they are called Zorig Chusum. Thus the school for learning those artistic skills is also named the same. Graduating from the Zorig Chusum Institute is a big honor among the Bhutanese people. Although a school, parts of the institute is open to the public and it is one of the unique but rewarding tourist places in Thimphu. A visit to the Institute of Zorig Chusum includes witnessing the students learning skills like painting, mask making, wood carving, clay sculpting and more. There is also a gallery which sells the best creations of the students at reasonable prices. This gallery is the best place to buy thangkas in Bhutan.

3. Buddha Point or Kuensel Phodrang

Buddha Point is the common name for the 51.5 meter tall Buddha statue called Kuensel Phodrang. This is the largest statue of Buddha in the country. The unique thing about this statue is that its body is filled with 12500 smaller statues of the Lord himself. The calm, smiling face of Buddha can be seen from all the nearby places in the city. The Buddha Point is a happening Thimphu point of interest, and also acts as an urban center for walking, cycling, and jogging.

4. Takin Preserve

Takin is a unique animal of the goat-antelope family that is found only in the Eastern Himalayan Mountain regions. It is native to Bhutan, Nepal, China and upper parts of Myanmar. However, Bhutan is the country to have a separate preserve for them. The Takin Preserve is one of the satisfying Thimphu attractions, especially for the nature lovers, as it allows having a glimpse of an animal as rare as this.

5. Simply Bhutan

The list of Thimphu places to visit does not end without a visit to the Simply Bhutan. It is a Bhutanese village themed museum which supports the youth of Bhutan to have solid ground beneath their feet and a hopeful future. They work towards the preservation of the Bhutanese culture by strengthening the youth. The themed museum is the best among the Thimphu sightseeing places in terms of cultural richness. They also have artistic performances to tell the story of Bhutan’s past and present through music and dance.      

Tashichho Dzong In Thimphu

The wildlife warden munnar PO, idukki dist.kerala, india

Built on the right side of the Wangchu River, the Tashichho Dzong Thimphu is the seat of the Bhutanese Government since 1952. The fortress is also known as Thimphu Dzong, and the site has been witness to crucial moments in the history of Bhutan. The fortress was first constructed in 1216 A.D. by Lama Gyalwa Lhanangpa and re...

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  • Tashichho Dzong
  • Sightseeing
  • Nature

Buddha Dordenma In Thimphu

The wildlife warden munnar PO, idukki dist.kerala, india

The Buddha Dordenma is located at the southern entrance to the Thimphu Valley in the Kuensel Phodrang Nature Park. The 51.5 m tall bronze statue is gilded in gold and is one of the largest statues of Buddha in the world. The Buddha Dordenma Statue houses 100,000 8-inch Buddha statues and 125,000 12-inch Buddha statues, effe...

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  • Big Buddha Temple
  • Sightseeing
  • Nature

Simtokha Dzong In Thimphu

The wildlife warden munnar PO, idukki dist.kerala, india

The Simtokha Dzong is one of the first Dzongs built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in 1629 and is said to be the first Dzong in Bhutan whose entire structure has survived for so long when compared to the other Dzongs in the country. Simtokha Dzong Bhutan occupies a key strategic location in the Thimphu valley and guards the e...

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  • Sightseeing
  • Nature
  • Mountains

Changangkha Lhakhang In Thimphu

The wildlife warden munnar PO, idukki dist.kerala, india

Changangkha Lhakhang Bhutan, built in the 12th-century temple, is the oldest temple in Bhutan and has been visited daily by the locals for the past 800 years. Although the exact date or year of its foundation is unknown, history of Changangkha Lhakhang suggests  Phajo Drugom Zhigpo as the person who also founded the Drukpa ...

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  • Sightseeing
  • Nature
  • Hills

Motithang Takin Preserve In Thimphu

The wildlife warden munnar PO, idukki dist.kerala, india

The Motithang Takin Preserve is a wildlife preserve for the national animal of Bhutan, takin. It is located in the Motithang district of Thimphu and is a place of great significance and local folklore in Bhutan. The 8.4 hectares of forest was fenced to be used as a preserve after the Takin was declared the national animal o...

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  • Motithang Takin Preserve
  • Sightseeing
  • Wildlife

Jigme Dorji National Park In Thimphu

The wildlife warden munnar PO, idukki dist.kerala, india

Jigme Dorji National Park is the second largest protected forest area of Bhutan, and also one of the most favoured tourist destinations. The forest is named after the Late Dragon King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, the monarch of Bhutan from March 30, 1952 – July 21, 1972. He was the first king to open up the country to the outside...

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  • National Park
  • Sightseeing
  • Nature

Memorial Chorten In Thimphu

The wildlife warden munnar PO, idukki dist.kerala, india

Memorial Chorten is perhaps the chief landmark of the city centre of Thimphu. A chorten is a Buddhist Tibetan-style mausoleum erected in the memory of someone. It has a white edifice with golden embellishments and a pagoda-like golden crest at the top. The Memorial Chorten in Thimphu is the tomb consecrated in the loving me...

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  • Temple
  • Sightseeing
  • Nature

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Thimphu Packages Reviews

Read on to find out why our customers love us!

Roshni's 8 days trip to Thimphu

I travelled with KNG tours and travels,They really arranged and planned our itinerary very well,Recommened for future travellers..very nice hospitality from him. Whole trip,bhutan

Roshni Khobragade Nagpur

Anil's 7 days trip to Thimphu

This trip has been nothing short of AMAZING! I must thank our pilot/driver Subba and guide Tenzin, they have been like a family and were very hospitable, friendly, Engaging and Knowledgeable. Any issues we had were swiftly heard and resolved. I’m more than happy to recommend KNG Travels (Bimal), Subba and Tenzin to anyone wishing to travel to Bhutan. The hike to Tigers nest and rafting in Punakha river

Anil Suri New delhi

Arpan's 6 days trip to Thimphu

A very warm thank u to Sanjana and her team of All Ways Tours and Travels for a perfect summer vacation trip to Bhutan encompassing the magnificent ranges of the Himalayas and the enchanting views of Thimpu, Punakha, Paro and not to forget the paradise in Pobjika valley. The team was very well articulated with all the requirements for a budget trip starting from transport, hotels, guide, cabs all were up the need and expectations. A very well and memorable trip ever enjoyed. Special thanks to our guide Karma & Kinley along with our hosting lady driver Serine. Trip to pobjika valley, mini switzerland.

Arpan Banerjee Kolkata

Bobby's 4 days trip to Thimphu

I had specifically asked for 4 star properties and was quoted amount for the same. Lemon Tree thimpu is a 3 star property as per google and other major websites and Lemon Tree manager also said it is a 3 star property. Valley Travels passes it off as a 4 star Property. In Paro we were changed from Tashi Namgay, a 4 star property to tiger's Nest at the last minute. Tiger's Nest is a very old Property without proper plumbing and very far off from Airport as well as city center.

Bobby Palle Hyderabad

Josephantonyarun's 6 days trip to Thimphu

Overall a good experiance apart from Over speeding Drivers in the Indian Side

Josephantonyarun Delhi

Ketan's 6 days trip to Thimphu

It was a good experience with BINC Bhutan. They provided Good hotels with upgrades wherever possible. All good places were recommended and covered. Very effective co-ordination by BINC team which made the visit very smooth and hassle-free. Some facts not in control of the agents - No role of the compulsory guide-not worth, most of the places have high entry fees (mostly not worth keeping in mind the place). Someone visited Sikkim/North-East may find Bhutan similar to that, so not all places are worth-visiting. Overall good experience. I recommend BINC.

KETAN DESAI Mumbai

Vijayendra's 6 days trip to Thimphu

Overall Bhutan trip was great but on Card Payment extra charged were charged by Travel Triangle.

Vijayendra Shah Bengaluru

Urvashi's 7 days trip to Thimphu

We have booked Bhutan Trip through Hari Prasad Sir. As he promised, our trip for Bhutan is very memorable.. We are going with happiest heart... His arrangement was very up to the mark & listened every detailed requirement and available alwayz on phone. Guide (Tshering & Sonam) have been very familiar with us and supported all our requirements. Cultural & other information about Bhutan was shared in detail. Once again thank you and Travel Triangle Team. We will recommend your reference to our friends for these kind of trips. We all are grateful to you.

Urvashi R Ahmedabad

Ranjith's 6 days trip to Thimphu

We are group of 4 people booked 5 days,4 nights in bhutan. We enjoyed the trip. Everything was above our expectations. Our guide and driver were awesome

Ranjith Balakrishnan Bagdogra

Kanchan's 5 days trip to Thimphu

All the team members of travel Triangle and the AD travels Butan was Excellent. We had a great time. The tour guide Mr Sonam was very supportive

Kanchan Javali West bengal

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Tourism in Thimphu

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