- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan festivals · 2027 guide
Nimalung Tshechu 2027: a summer festival in the Chhume valley
Three days of masked dances at Nimalung monastery, with a large thangka shown on the 10th day of the fifth month. Expected on 12 to 14 June 2027.
- 12 to 14 June 2027
- Nimalung Dratshang, Chhume
- Founded 1938
12 to 14 Jun
Expected dates in 2027
1938
Year Nimalung was founded
2,700 m
Approximate altitude of Chhume
1 h
Drive from Jakar
About the festival
A young monastery with an old tradition
Nimalung Dratshang sits on a slope in the Chhume valley near Prakhar village. It was founded in 1938 by Doring Trulku, a lama from eastern Tibet, and it is home to a community of monks who keep the rituals of the Nyingma tradition. Its three-day tshechu falls in early summer, from the 8th to the 10th day of the fifth Bhutanese month.
The highlight is the display of a large thangka on the final morning, the 10th day, which Bhutanese celebrate as the birthday of Guru Rinpoche. The same day brings the Kurjey Tshechu a short drive away in the Chhoekhor valley, so you can see the thangka at dawn and still reach Kurjey for the dances. In June the valley is green, and you will have the festival almost to yourself.
- Thangka shown on the final morning
- Same day as Kurjey Tshechu
- Very few visitors in summer
Festival facts
Nimalung Tshechu 2027 at a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates in 2027 | 12 to 14 June 2027 |
| Venue | Nimalung Dratshang, Chhume |
| District | Bumthang (central Bhutan) |
| Altitude | About 2,700 m |
| Getting there | About 1 hour from Jakar on the road towards Trongsa |
| Weather | June is the start of the monsoon; expect showers and green hills |
| Nearby | Prakhar Lhakhang, Domkhar and the yathra weavers of Chhume |
| Entry | Free and open to visitors with a licensed guide; the SDF and visa rules apply as on any day |
Dates follow the Department of Tourism’s tentative festival list for 2027 and the lunar calendar. They can shift by a day or two, so we confirm them before you book flights.
What you will see
Highlights of Nimalung Tshechu
The thangka
A large painting unveiled on the 10th day.
Masked dances
Cham performed by the monks.
Nimalung Dratshang
A monastery founded in 1938.
Local crowd
Families from Chhume and beyond.
Green valley
Summer fields and forest around Chhume.
Guru Rinpoche's day
Festivities on the Guru's birthday.
History and meaning
About Nimalung
Doring Trulku
Doring Trulku came to Bhutan from Dartsedo in Kham, eastern Tibet, and founded Nimalung in 1938. The monastery continues as a place of study and ritual, and its festival has grown into one of the main summer events in Bumthang.
The 10th day
The 10th day of the fifth month is celebrated across Bhutan as the birthday of Guru Rinpoche. At Nimalung the day begins with the display of the great thangka, and at Kurjey Lhakhang the Kurjey Tshechu is held on the same date.
Planning
How to plan your visit
A summer festival trip
Summer is quiet in Bhutan, with lower hotel demand and lush scenery. Pair Nimalung with the Kurjey Tshechu on 14 June and spend two or three nights in Bumthang. Bring a rain jacket and allow extra time on mountain roads.
Etiquette
How to behave at a Bhutanese festival
Festivals are religious events first, so dress as you would for a temple: long sleeves and long trousers or a long skirt, and no hats inside the dzong or temple. Never walk across the dance ground, even when it looks empty between dances. Photography is usually allowed from the edges without flash, but some rituals and inner temples are off limits; your guide will tell you when to put the camera away. Ask before taking close-up portraits.
Arrive early for a good spot, bring water, a hat and a cushion or mat, and expect to be teased by the atsaras, the masked clowns who keep the crowd in order. If someone offers you food or a cup of tea, it is polite to accept. Our guide to Bhutanese festivals explains the dances in more detail.
Trips
Build a trip around Nimalung Tshechu
Every trip is private, so we can time it to the festival dates and add the places nearby.
Before you go
Travel rules for 2027
Every visitor except Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian nationals needs a visa, which costs USD 40 and is arranged by your tour operator. The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027; children under 6 pay nothing and children aged 6 to 12 pay half. Indian visitors pay INR 1,200 per night. Tourists travel with a licensed guide beyond the first checkpoint and stay in certified hotels or homestays.
The SDF does not change during festival weeks, but hotel rooms near popular festivals fill early. See our visa and SDF guide and Bhutan travel rules.
Nimalung Tshechu: questions
Expected on 12 to 14 June 2027 at Nimalung Dratshang in Chhume.
On the final morning, the 10th day of the fifth month, expected on 14 June 2027.
Yes. See the thangka at Nimalung early, then drive about an hour to Kurjey.
No. Bhutanese festivals are free. You attend with your licensed guide, who also explains the dances.
The Department of Tourism lists 12 to 14 June 2027 as the tentative 2027 dates. Lunar dates are occasionally adjusted, so we reconfirm before you book flights.
See Nimalung Tshechu in 2027
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check the festival date, hold hotels nearby and send a day-by-day plan with one price that includes the SDF, visa, guide and car.
Photo credits, via Wikimedia Commons: Jakar Dzong above the Chamkhar valley in Bumthang (Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0); Jambay Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in Bhutan (Arian Zwegers, CC BY 2.0); Kurjey Lhakhang temples in Bumthang (Christopher J. Fynn, CC BY-SA 4.0); Ura village in Bumthang (Christopher J. Fynn, CC BY 3.0).
