- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan festival calendar 2027
Bhutan festival calendar 2027: every Tshechu date
All 42 expected festival dates for 2027, month by month, from the Punakha Drubchen in February to the Druk Wangyel Tshechu at Dochula in December.
- Paro Tshechu: 18 to 22 March
- Thimphu Tshechu: 10 to 12 October
- Dates are tentative
42
Festivals listed for 2027
18 to 22 Mar
Paro Tshechu
10 to 12 Oct
Thimphu Tshechu
11 Nov
Crane Festival
What a Tshechu is
Why Bhutan's festivals are worth planning around
A Tshechu honours Guru Rinpoche, who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century. Every district holds one, usually in the courtyard of its dzong. Monks and lay dancers perform cham, masked dances that act out stories of good and evil, while masked clowns called atsaras tease the crowd. Families arrive from far-off villages in their best gho and kira, with picnics and thermoses of tea.
Many festivals end before dawn with a thongdrel, a huge appliqué thangka unrolled on the dzong wall. Bhutanese believe that seeing it frees you from sin. Standing in that crowd as the sun comes up is one of the things guests talk about for years.
- Free to attend, with no tickets
- Open to visitors with their guide
- Smaller festivals often feel more personal than Paro or Thimphu
Read this first
How festival dates work
Festival dates follow the Bhutanese lunar calendar, so they move every year and are sometimes adjusted by local monastic bodies. The dates below are the expected dates for 2027, compiled from published lunar calendar listings and checked in October 2026. Treat them as tentative until the official calendar is confirmed. We check every festival date again before you book flights and build a spare day into festival itineraries, so a one-day shift never costs you the main day.
Winter and spring
February and March 2027
Punakha in February is warm compared with Paro. Paro Tshechu in March is the busiest festival of the year.
| Festival | 2027 dates | Where | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lhamoi Dromchhen | 11 to 13 Feb | Trongsa | On request |
| Punakha Drubchen (Dromchoe) | 13 to 15 Feb | Punakha Dzong | 9 Day Punakha Dromche |
| Punakha Tshechu | 16 to 18 Feb | Punakha Dzong | 6 Day Punakha Tshechu |
| Tharpaling Thongdrol | 20 Feb | Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
| Chhorten Kora | 20 Feb | Trashi Yangtse | Custom tour on request |
| Tangsibi Mani | 22 to 24 Feb | Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
| Chhorten Kora (second day) | 8 Mar | Trashi Yangtse | Custom tour on request |
| Gomphu Kora | 16 to 18 Mar | Trashi Yangtse | Custom tour on request |
| Gasa Tshechu | 16 to 18 Mar | Gasa | Custom tour on request |
| Zhemgang Tshechu | 16 to 18 Mar | Zhemgang | Custom tour on request |
| Talo Tshechu | 16 to 18 Mar | Talo, Punakha | Custom tour on request |
| Paro Tshechu | 18 to 22 Mar | Rinpung Dzong, Paro | 6 Days Paro Tshechu |
Spring and summer
April to September 2027
Rhododendrons in April, quieter monsoon festivals in Bumthang, and the Tour of the Dragon in September.
| Festival | 2027 dates | Where | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhododendron Week | 3 to 9 Apr | Merak, Trashigang | Custom tour on request |
| Domkhar Tshechu | 16 to 18 Apr | Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
| Ura Yakchoe | 18 to 22 Apr | Ura, Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
| Rhododendron Festival | 22 to 23 Apr | Lamperi, Thimphu | Custom tour on request |
| Nimalung Tshechu | 12 to 14 Jun | Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
| Kurjey Tshechu | 14 Jun | Kurjey Lhakhang, Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
| Tour of the Dragon bike race | 5 Sep | Bumthang to Thimphu | 10 Day Tour of the Dragon |
Autumn
October and November 2027
Peak season, with clear skies and the most festivals. Book three to six months ahead.
| Festival | 2027 dates | Where | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thimphu Drubchen | 5 Oct | Thimphu | Custom tour on request |
| Wangdue Tshechu | 8 to 10 Oct | Wangdue Phodrang | Custom tour on request |
| Tamshing Phala Chhoepa | 10 to 12 Oct | Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
| Thimphu Tshechu | 10 to 12 Oct | Tashichho Dzong, Thimphu | 7 Day Thimphu Tshechu |
| Gangtey Tshechu | 13 to 15 Oct | Gangtey, Phobjikha | Custom tour on request |
| Jhomolhari Mountain Festival | 14 to 15 Oct | Thimphu district | Custom tour on request |
| Thangbi Mewang | 15 to 16 Oct | Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
| Royal Highland Festival | 23 to 24 Oct | Laya, Gasa | 11 Day Royal Highlander |
| Jakar Tshechu | 6 to 9 Nov | Jakar Dzong, Bumthang | 10 Days with Jakar Tshechu |
| Pemagatshel Tshechu | 6 to 9 Nov | Pemagatshel | Custom tour on request |
| Chhukha Tshechu | 6 to 8 Nov | Chhukha | Custom tour on request |
| Haa Tshechu | 6 to 8 Nov | Haa | Custom tour on request |
| Dechenphu Tshechu | 8 Nov | Thimphu | Custom tour on request |
| Black-necked Crane Festival | 11 Nov | Gangtey Goemba, Phobjikha | Custom tour on request |
| Jambay Lhakhang Drup | 14 to 17 Nov | Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
| Prakhar Duchhoed | 15 to 17 Nov | Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
Winter
December 2027
Eastern Bhutan and Bumthang in the cold, clear season.
| Festival | 2027 dates | Where | Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goenpai Drupchen | 3 to 5 Dec | Trongsa | Custom tour on request |
| Mongar Tshechu | 6 to 8 Dec | Mongar | Custom tour on request |
| Phuentsholing Tshechu | 6 to 8 Dec | Phuentsholing | Custom tour on request |
| Trashigang Tshechu | 7 to 9 Dec | Trashigang | Custom tour on request |
| Jambay Lhakhang Singye Cham | 13 Dec | Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
| Nalakhar Tshechu | 13 to 15 Dec | Bumthang | Custom tour on request |
| Druk Wangyel Tshechu | 13 Dec | Dochula pass | Custom tour on request |
Our picks
Which 2027 festival should you choose?
Paro Tshechu, 18 to 22 March
Five days at Rinpung Dzong, ending with the thongdrel at dawn. Busy, colourful and easy to pair with Tiger's Nest.
Thimphu Tshechu, 10 to 12 October
The capital's festival at Tashichho Dzong, in the best weather of the year. Book hotels early.
Punakha Drubchen, 13 to 15 February
Re-enacts a 17th-century battle against Tibetan forces, followed by the Punakha Tshechu.
Black-necked Crane Festival, 11 November
A one-day festival at Gangtey Goemba welcoming the cranes, with children dancing in crane costumes.
Jakar Tshechu, 6 to 9 November
Bumthang's main festival, followed a week later by the fire rituals of Jambay Lhakhang Drup.
Royal Highland Festival, 23 to 24 October
Yak herders' festival in Laya at about 3,800 metres. You trek in, so it suits fit travellers.
Inside the courtyard
What you will see at a Bhutanese festival
The cham dances
Each dance has its own meaning, and some are centuries old. In the Black Hat dance, dancers in wide hats purify the ground. The Dance of the Stag and the Hounds tells how the saint Milarepa converted a hunter. Another dance shows a soul being judged after death, its good and bad deeds weighed as white and black pebbles. Your guide explains each one as it happens, which makes a big difference. Without that, it is just colour and drums.
The thongdrel
On the last morning of many Tshechus, a giant thangka called a thongdrel is unrolled on the dzong wall before sunrise and rolled up again before direct sun reaches it. At Paro it covers much of the wall. Locals queue in the dark to see it and receive blessings. If you want a spot near the front, be there very early.
Drubchen and Drup
A Drubchen is a more intense ritual that can come before a Tshechu. Punakha’s version re-enacts a 17th-century battle, with men dressed as militia. At Jambay Lhakhang Drup in November, crowds walk under a burning gate, the mewang, for blessing and protection.
The crowd is half the show
People come in their finest gho and kira, carrying baskets of food and flasks of butter tea. Children chase each other round the edges, monks watch from the galleries, and the atsaras work the crowd with jokes in Dzongkha. Sit down, share a snack if you are offered one, and stay a while.
Festival tips
How to enjoy a Tshechu
Dress up a little
Long sleeves and long trousers or a skirt. We can help you rent or buy a gho or kira.
Photograph with care
No flash and never step into the dance ground. Ask before close-up portraits.
Go early
The thongdrel is shown before sunrise on the last day. On other days arrive mid-morning with water and a hat.
Book ahead
Paro and Thimphu hotels fill months before. Three to six months ahead is safest.
Laugh with the atsaras
The masked clowns are part of the ritual. Expect to be teased.
Allow a spare day
Lunar dates are confirmed late. A buffer day protects the main day.
Festival tours
Itineraries built around the 2027 festivals
6 Days Paro Tshechu
Paro Tshechu with Tiger’s Nest, Thimphu and Punakha.
7 Day Thimphu Tshechu
Festival days in the capital, then Punakha, Gangtey and Paro.
6 Day Punakha Tshechu
Winter dances at Punakha Dzong, in the warmest valley of the west.
9 Day Punakha Dromche
Watch the Drubchen battle re-enactment, then head on to Bumthang and Gangtey.
10 Days with Jakar Tshechu
Bumthang in autumn, with Trongsa and Phobjikha.
11 Day Royal Highlander
Trek to Laya for two days of highland culture.
Bhutan festival questions for 2027
Paro Tshechu is expected on 18 to 22 March 2027 at Rinpung Dzong, with the thongdrel shown at dawn on the last day.
Thimphu Tshechu is expected on 10 to 12 October 2027 at Tashichho Dzong. The Thimphu Drubchen is expected on 5 October.
Not yet. They follow the lunar calendar and are tentative until the official calendar is released. We confirm them before you book flights.
No. Festivals are free and open to visitors, who attend with their guide.
Paro in March or Thimphu in October, because they are easy to reach and fit a classic 7-day route. For something smaller, try Gangtey, Jakar or the Crane Festival.
No. The SDF is the same USD 100 per adult per night all year until 31 August 2027. Hotel prices are higher in festival weeks.
Free trip planning
Plan a 2027 festival trip
Tell us which festival you want and how many days you have. We will check the date, hold hotels and send a full itinerary.
- Free personalised consultation
- No booking fees, ever
- A reply within 24 hours
- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- +975 17533776
- +975 77495028
- info@deyabhutantours.com
- Thimphu, Bhutan
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