Aten Bhutan Tours

Festivals of Bhutan

Tshechus fill dzong courtyards with mask dances, music and whole valleys dressed in their finest.

Mask dancers mid-performance in the courtyard of Tashi Chhodzong during Thimphu Tshechu

Thimphu Tshechu

September / early OctoberTashi Chhodzong, Thimphu

The Thimphu Tshechu is one of Bhutan’s most significant religious events, celebrated yearly at the historic 17th-century Tashi Chhodzong. Spanning three lively days, it showcases an impressive collection of mask and folk dances.

The mask dances are meaningful tributes to important Buddhist events, designed to deepen the spiritual devotion of attendees. Alongside them, folk dances celebrate Bhutanese culture, creating an atmosphere of joy and festivity.

During the celebration the city transforms dramatically: daily activities pause and residents, dressed in their finest, fill the dzong courtyard.

A giant thongdrel thangka unfurled before monks and devotees at a dzong

Paro Tshechu

Spring (March / April)Rinpung Dzong, Paro

Paro Tshechu is one of Bhutan’s most vibrant and revered religious festivals, celebrated annually in the picturesque Paro valley. Villagers from all over the region gather in their finest attire for festivities spanning several days.

The Tshechu features a series of sacred mask dances intended to purify and bless onlookers while reenacting events from Bhutanese history and mythology. Dancers appear in vividly ornate costumes, making the performances a profound spiritual experience and a feast for the senses.

Paro Tshechu is a time of social bonding, spiritual renewal and cultural celebration, drawing the devout and observers from around the world.

Gomphu Kora Festival

March / AprilDrangmechu riverbank, Trashigang (eastern Bhutan)

The Gomphu Kora Festival, held annually along the Drangmechu riverbank in eastern Bhutan, is a vibrant celebration of religious devotion and cultural heritage, rooted in an 8th-century legend of Guru Padmasambhava’s triumph over evil.

The event’s centerpiece is a three-night pilgrimage in which devotees circumambulate an ancient temple. Daytime activities include colorful mask and folk dances while pilgrims visit sacred sites.

The festival is both a religious occasion and a social gathering, particularly beloved by young Bhutanese seeking romance, and offers visitors a rare insight into eastern Bhutanese traditions.

Families in traditional dress sharing food together at a festival gathering
Masked dancers performing a ritual dance on ancient stone paving

Jambay Lhakhang Drup

NovemberJambay Lhakhang, Bumthang

Every November, the Jambay Lhakhang Drup takes place at Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang, one of Bhutan’s oldest temples, established in 640 AD.

The festival is famous for its fire ceremony and its midnight ritual dances, performed as blessings for the gathered devotees. Highlights include a fire ceremony and phallus blessings; visitors are advised that photography of the sacred midnight dances is not permitted.

The Drup embodies the spiritual essence of the Bumthang valley, celebrated as the spiritual heartland of Bhutan.

Festival calendar

A month-by-month picture of the festival year across the kingdom.

January

  • Trongsa Tshechu
  • Lhuentse Tshechu
  • Nabji Lhakhang Drup (Trongsa)

March

  • Punakha Drubchen & Tshechu
  • Chhorten Kora (Trashiyangtshe)

April

  • Paro Tshechu
  • Gomphu Kora (Trashigang)
  • Gasa Tshechu
  • Rhododendron Festival (Thimphu)

May

  • Domkhar Tshechu (Bumthang)
  • Ura Yakchoe (Bumthang)

July

  • Nimalung Tshechu (Bumthang)
  • Kurjey Tshechu (Bumthang)

September

  • Thimphu Drubchen
  • Wangdue Tshechu
  • Haa Annual Tshechu

October

  • Thimphu Tshechu
  • Gangtey Tshechu
  • Jhomolhari Mountain Festival
  • Royal Highland Festival (Laya)

November

  • Jambay Lhakhang Drup (Bumthang)
  • Black-Necked Crane Festival (Phobjikha)
  • Mongar & Trashigang Tshechus

December

  • Druk Wangyel Tshechu (Dochula)
  • Trongsa Tshechu

Dates follow the Bhutanese lunar calendar and shift each year. We confirm exact dates when you enquire.

Time your journey around a tshechu

Tell us when you can travel and we will shape the days around the right festival.

Plan your trip