Region

Western Bhutan

Sleep in Thimphu, treat Paro as the arrival and Tiger's Nest stop, and add Punakha only with a full extra day for the Dochula pass road.

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Key facts · Bhutan

Best months: Mar–Apr, Oct–Dec
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Ngultrum
Language: Dzongkha
Plugs: D · F · G · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+6 all year

Month by month here

Rules in force · 5

South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
Bhutan ↗Sustainable Development Fee: USD 100 per adult per night for international visitors until 31 Aug 2027 (children 6–11 half rate, under 6 free); Indian nationals pay in rupees at a lower rate. Confirm the current rate on the official tourism site before booking.
Bhutan ↗Visa: apply through the official Bhutan tourism visa system, cleared before you board; plan the trip through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator.
Bhutan ↗Paro is Bhutan's only international airport: approaches are visual, flights run in daylight only, and cloud or wind cancels them; keep a spare day at both ends.

The west is a chain of valleys along one road: Paro, Thimphu and Punakha are 1–3 hours apart by car, with mountain passes between them. Moving every night wastes the mornings; keep the Thimphu room for the capital, do Paro at the start or end, and go to Punakha only if you can spare the day.

Where to sleep

3 places in this region

Sleep base

ThimphuTrip line
The capital: chorten, dzong, museums, markets. About 1–1.5 h from Paro.
Best Mar–Apr, Oct–Dec
JFMAMJJASOND
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One or two nights

ParoCity guide
Airport valley; Tiger's Nest hike takes most of a day.
Best Mar–May, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
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PunakhaCity guide
Punakha Dzong by the river; over Dochula, about 2.5–3 h each way.
Best Oct–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Punakha →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

4 nights: Thimphu 2, Paro 2 with the Tiger's Nest hike
6 nights: Thimphu 3, Punakha 1, Paro 2

Thimphu, Paro, Punakha and Bumthang in five nights is mostly time in the car.
Paro flights are cancelled for cloud and wind: do not book a same-day connection out of Paro.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Paro	Thimphu	75 min	unknown	Your operator sets the car; mountain road, so start early in the monsoon.
Punakha	Thimphu	180 min	unknown	Over Dochula; usually done as an overnight, not a day trip.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding culture: your operator's car carries the bags from hotel to hotel.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Thimphu	ok	ok	go	go	ok	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go
Paro	×	×	go	go	go	×	×	×	go	go	go	×
Punakha	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	go	go	go
Bhutan (country-wide)	ok	ok	go	go	go	ok	×	×	ok	go	go	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on1 partGo next

Go next

Other regions of the country

Central Bhutan

planned

3–5 nights

Bumthang valleys

Eastern Bhutan

planned

4–6 nights

Trashigang and the far east, long road days

Western Bhutan: what we know, and what is coming

3 of 3 places open

On this page

3 places with their role: where to sleep, what to do as a day trip
How to split 4 or 6 nights
2 day trips with door-to-door time
Seasons month by month, from the cities’ own tables
What to do with the big bag between beds

Coming as the guide grows

Climate strip by zone, with the storm and haze months
Get in: airports and stations with door-to-door times
Regional passes and cards, with a buy / skip verdict
Regional food: what, where and when it works

Meanwhile

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Trips here · Local time

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 1 base
Day trips: 2, 1 h 15 to 3 h
Nights suggested: 4–6 nights

Trips that stop here

From the Bhutan guide

Western Bhutan, 5 nights
5 nights here
thimphu
West in five nights
5 days · 4 nights here
Thimphu → Punakha → Paro
West plus Phobjikha
7 days · 4 nights here
Thimphu → Punakha → Phobjikha → Paro
West and central Bhutan
10 days · 5 nights here
Thimphu → Punakha → Phobjikha → Bumthang → Paro
East to west
14 days · 4 nights here
Samdrup Jongkhar → Trashigang → Mongar → Bumthang → Phobjikha → Punakha → Thimphu → Paro

All Bhutan trips →

Local time

What time it is there now, compared with the clock on your device.

Thimphu
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Checking your clock…Asia/Thimphu

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