Thimphu
A capital with no airport of its own, in a valley at 2,300 metres, where the king works from a fortress on the river and a bronze Buddha looks down from the ridge.
- Arrival
- Paro International · PBH
- To the city
- About 54 km by road from Paro
- Private jets
- Into Paro, by approval, in daylight
- Best time
- March to May · September to November
The city
The capital in the Wang Chhu valley.
Thimphu became the capital in stages: the move from Punakha was decided in 1952 and made official in 1961. The government still sits in Tashichho Dzong, on the west bank of the Wang Chhu, where the throne room, the king’s offices and several ministries share the courtyards with the monks. The town climbs the slopes on either side, from about 2,250 to 2,650 metres.
The valley is drier and milder than its altitude suggests. Spring brings afternoons of 19 to 25 °C and little rain; autumn is the season of the Thimphu Tshechu, held in the dzong in September or October, and November is almost completely dry. The monsoon rains peak in July, at about 150 mm.
- Tashichho Dzong The fortress of government and monastery, with masked dances in its courtyards at the autumn Tshechu.
- Memorial Chorten Built in 1974 for the third king, whose portrait hangs in the hall on its ground floor.
- Buddha Dordenma A bronze Buddha about 51 metres tall, set on a ridge high above the valley floor.
Arriving
Land at Paro, drive up the valley.
Thimphu has no airport. Every arrival lands at Paro, about 54 km away by road, on a 1,964-metre runway in a narrow valley, open from sunrise to sunset and in good visibility only.
- Kathmandu 55 min
- Delhi 1 h 55
- Abu Dhabi 4 h 50
- Tokyo 6 h 30 long-range jet
- Rome 9 h 20 long-range jet
When to go
March to May, and September to November.
Winters are clear and dry, and summer brings showers. From March to May and from September to November highs run from about 19 to 26 °C, with less rain; November and December are almost dry. The monsoon peaks in July, at about 150 mm, with about 120 mm in August.
- 15° J 6
- 17° F 9
- 19° M 20
- 22° A 30
- 25° M 50
- 27° J 98
- 27° J 153
- 27° A 121
- 26° S 74
- 24° O 43
- 20° N 1
- 17° D 4
Where to stay
A fortress hotel and lodges on the slopes.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Pemako Thimphu The former Taj Tashi, Bhutan’s first five-star hotel when it opened in 2008, in a building modelled on a dzong.
- Six Senses Thimphu The capital’s lodge of Six Senses Bhutan, with hilltop views over the city and its own spa.
- Le Méridien Thimphu A modern hotel of 78 rooms within walking distance of the town’s markets and museums, its pool heated and under cover.
- Amankora Thimphu One of the five Amankora lodges, which share two MICHELIN Keys across western and central Bhutan.
- Zhiwaling Ascent A small house of twenty rooms at Upper Motithang, new to the MICHELIN selection in 2026, with a terrace on the roof.
Where to dine
Where to dine in the capital.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Bhutan. These are the main dining rooms of two of the capital’s five-star hotels.
- Namkha Signature restaurant, Six Senses Thimphu Bhutanese and international Six Senses Thimphu, above the city
- Chig Ja Gye Signature restaurant, Pemako Thimphu Bhutanese Pemako Thimphu, Chubachu
Flying to Thimphu?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.