Thimphu
Bhutan · 2334 m
Description
Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan and the only capital city in the world with no traffic lights, directed instead by a policeman in a white-gloved booth at the main junction. It is a valley town of a hundred thousand people where every new building must follow traditional design rules, so even the bank towers carry painted window frames and timber cornices. The Tashichho Dzong houses the government and the office of the Je Khenpo. A fifty metre gilded Buddha sits on the ridge above the city. Nothing here is high-rise, and the valley walls close the city on both sides.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 5 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: March – May or September – November
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Tashichho Dzong
- Buddha Dordenma on the ridge
- Thimphu Tshechu festival (approx. September)
- Memorial Chorten and its circling pilgrims
- Weekend market by the river
- Takin preserve and the national animal
- Traffic policeman at the main junction
- Folk Heritage Museum and the textile museum
- Institute for Zorig Chusum craft school
- Changangkha Lhakhang above the town
- Archery matches at Changlimithang
- Cheri and Tango monastery walks(Day trip)