- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan festivals · 2027 guide
Haa Tshechu 2027: masked dances at the White Temple
Three days of dances in the courtyard of Lhakhang Karpo in the Haa valley, over Chele La from Paro. Expected on 6 to 8 November 2027.
- 6 to 8 November 2027
- Lhakhang Karpo, Haa
- 2 to 2.5 h from Paro
6 to 8 Nov
Expected dates in 2027
2,700 m
Approximate altitude of Haa
3,990 m
Chele La pass on the way
2002
Year Haa opened to tourists
About the festival
A festival in the quiet west
Haa is a long, narrow valley west of Paro, on Bhutan’s border with Tibet. It opened to tourists only in 2002 and still sees few visitors. The Haa Tshechu is held in the courtyard of Lhakhang Karpo, the White Temple, which legend links to the 7th-century Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo and which was rebuilt from its foundations between 2010 and 2017.
For three days the valley gathers in the courtyard to watch masked dances, share picnics and receive blessings. Haa’s guardian deity, Ap Chundu, has his seat at Lhakhang Karpo, and the festival is a celebration of the valley as much as a religious event. November usually brings clear skies, and the drive over Chele La can give views of Jomolhari.
- In the courtyard of the White Temple
- A valley with very few tourists
- Views from Chele La on clear days
Festival facts
Haa Tshechu 2027 at a glance
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates in 2027 | 6 to 8 November 2027 |
| Venue | Lhakhang Karpo, Haa |
| District | Haa (western Bhutan) |
| Altitude | About 2,700 m in the valley; Chele La about 3,990 m |
| Getting there | About 65 km and 2 to 2.5 hours from Paro over Chele La |
| Accommodation | Small hotels and certified farmhouse homestays |
| Weather | Clear, cold November days; frost at night |
| 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 Haa Tshechu
Masked dances
Cham in the White Temple courtyard.
Lhakhang Karpo
The White Temple, seat of the deity Ap Chundu.
Lhakhang Nagpo
The Black Temple a short walk away.
Chele La
One of the highest roads in Bhutan.
Homestays
Farmhouse nights with hoentay dumplings.
Haa families
The whole valley at its biggest gathering.
History and meaning
About Haa and its temples
The White and Black temples
Legend says Songtsen Gampo released a white pigeon and a black pigeon and built a temple where each landed. Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo stand about 280 metres apart. Lhakhang Karpo was rebuilt between 2010 and 2017 on a royal command.
The valley
Haa is farming and herding country, known for buckwheat and its dumplings called hoentay. Read our Haa valley guide for more on Chele La, homestays and the Trans Bhutan Trail, which begins here.
Planning
How to plan your visit
How to include it
Add one or two nights in Haa between Paro and Thimphu, driving over Chele La on the way in and out via Chhuzom. The Dechenphu Tshechu near Thimphu is on 8 November, and the Black-necked Crane Festival on 11 November.
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 Haa 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.
Haa Tshechu: questions
Expected on 6 to 8 November 2027 at Lhakhang Karpo.
About 65 km over Chele La, 2 to 2.5 hours by road.
Yes. The spring festival is a cultural event in April; the Tshechu is the religious festival in November.
No. Bhutanese festivals are free. You attend with your licensed guide, who also explains the dances.
The Department of Tourism lists 6 to 8 November 2027 as the tentative 2027 dates. Lunar dates are occasionally adjusted, so we reconfirm before you book flights.
See Haa 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: Lhakhang Karpo, the White Temple of Haa (Christopher J. Fynn, CC BY-SA 3.0); A prayer wheel house in the Haa valley (Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0); Chhukha Dzong (C. J. Fynn, CC BY-SA 4.0).
