Festival tour · 10 days, 9 nights

10 Day Nimalung and Kurjey Tshechu Tour 2027: Two Summer Festivals in Bumthang

Two of Bumthang’s best-loved festivals in one trip: the Nimalung Tshechu in the Chhume valley from 12 to 14 June 2027 and the Kurjey Tshechu at the temple of Guru Rinpoche’s body print on 14 June.

Festivals in one trip

3 days

At the Nimalung Tshechu

2,700 m

Chhume valley, about

June

Green season, few visitors

Trip overview

Two festivals, one green valley

Bumthang is often called the spiritual heart of Bhutan. Its four valleys hold some of the oldest temples in the country, many linked to Guru Rinpoche, who brought Buddhism here in the 8th century, and to Pema Lingpa, the treasure revealer born in Bumthang in 1450. Every summer, just as the buckwheat and potato fields turn green, two festivals follow each other in the same week.

The Nimalung Tshechu is held at Nimalung Dratshang, a monastery in the Chhume valley, over three days. The tentative 2027 dates are 12 to 14 June. The Kurjey Tshechu takes place on 14 June at Kurjey Lhakhang, where Guru Rinpoche is said to have left the print of his body in a rock while meditating. The Kurjey festival is a single day, and its dances honour the Guru in his different forms.

Because the two places are less than an hour apart, you can see both without rushing. This trip takes you through Thimphu, Punakha and Trongsa to Bumthang, gives you two days at Nimalung and the final morning at Kurjey, and then flies you back to Paro for the Tiger’s Nest. June is the start of the monsoon, so expect afternoon showers, green hills and very few other visitors.

Highlights

Highlights of the trip

Nimalung Tshechu

Three days of dances at a monastery in the Chhume valley.

Kurjey Tshechu

A one-day festival at Guru Rinpoche's body print.

Jakar Dzong

The fortress above the Chamkhar valley.

Chhume weaving

The yathra wool weavers of Zungney village.

Punakha Dzong

The 1637 fortress where two rivers meet.

Tiger's Nest

The cliff monastery, at the end of the trip.

Itinerary at a glance

Ten days at a glance

Dates are for the 2027 festivals. We confirm them before you fly.

Day 1: Arrive in Paro

Land in Paro, drive to Thimphu.

Day 2: Thimphu

A full day in the capital.

Day 3: To Punakha

Over Dochula to Punakha Dzong and Chimi Lhakhang.

Day 4: To Trongsa

Over Pele La to Trongsa.

Day 5: Nimalung, day one

Drive to Chhume for the opening of the Nimalung Tshechu.

Day 6: Nimalung, day two

A full day at the Nimalung Tshechu.

Day 7: Nimalung and Kurjey

Last morning at Nimalung, then the Kurjey Tshechu.

Day 8: Bumthang temples, fly to Paro

Jambay Lhakhang and Tamshing, then the flight to Paro.

Day 9: Tiger's Nest

Hike to Paro Taktsang.

Day 10: Depart

Transfer to Paro airport.

Day 1

Arrive and drive to Thimphu

Your guide meets you at Paro airport and drives you to Thimphu, about an hour and a half. In the afternoon you visit the Memorial Chorten and, if there is time, Tashichho Dzong in the evening light.

Day 2

A day in Thimphu

You visit the Buddha Dordenma above the city, the National Institute for Zorig Chusum, the Folk Heritage Museum, the traditional paper factory and the craft bazaar. The capital is quiet in June, and the hills around it are a deep green after the first rains.

Day 3

Dochula and Punakha

You cross Dochula, at about 3,100 metres, and drop into the warm Punakha valley, where rice is being planted in June. You visit Punakha Dzong, built in 1637, and walk through the fields to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Divine Madman.

Day 4

Over Pele La to Trongsa

The road climbs over Pele La, at about 3,400 metres, where yak herders move their animals up to summer pastures in June, then drops to Chendebji Chorten and on to Trongsa. In the afternoon you visit Trongsa Dzong, the ancestral seat of the royal family, and the Ta Dzong museum above it.

Day 5

The Nimalung Tshechu begins

You cross Yotong La, at about 3,400 metres, and come down into the Chhume valley, the first of Bumthang’s four valleys. The Nimalung Tshechu opens today at the monastery, set among fields above the river. You spend the afternoon at the festival and stop at Zungney village, where women weave yathra, the thick, patterned wool cloth that Bumthang is known for.

Day 6

A full day at Nimalung

You return to Nimalung for the full day of dances. Families from across the Chhume valley come in their best clothes, and the dance ground is small enough that you see every detail of the masks and costumes. In a break, if you are fit and the weather is clear, you can drive up towards Tharpaling Monastery, founded by the great teacher Longchenpa, for a view over the valley.

Day 7

Two festivals in one day

The final day of the Nimalung Tshechu usually begins with the display of a large thongdrel early in the morning; your guide checks the time with the monastery the evening before. Then you drive to Kurjey Lhakhang in the Choekhor valley for the Kurjey Tshechu. The three temples here sit against the cliff where Guru Rinpoche left his body print, and the festival’s dances honour his eight manifestations. Pilgrims crawl through a small rock passage behind the temples to cleanse their sins.

Day 8

Bumthang temples and the flight to Paro

In the morning you visit Jambay Lhakhang, one of the two temples built in the 7th century by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, and Tamshing Lhakhang across the river, founded by Pema Lingpa in 1501. You also see Jakar Dzong above the valley. In the afternoon you fly from Bumthang to Paro, about 30 minutes, instead of driving for two days.

Day 9

Hike to the Tiger's Nest

The hike to the Tiger’s Nest takes five to six hours return through blue pine forest. In June it is cooler and greener than you might expect, and mornings are often clear before the clouds build. Start early and carry a light rain jacket.

Day 10

Fly home

After breakfast your guide drives you to Paro airport for your flight home.

Where you stay

Comfortable 3-star hotels as standard, with upgrades on request.

Nights	Place	Where you stay	Why we chose it
1 and 2	Thimphu	3-star or 4-star hotel	Central
3	Punakha	3-star or 4-star hotel	Valley views
4	Trongsa	3-star hotel	View of the dzong
5, 6 and 7	Bumthang	3-star or 4-star hotel	Chamkhar valley
8 and 9	Paro	3-star or 4-star hotel	Upgrades available

If the Bumthang flight does not run on the day we need, we drive back with a night in Punakha and add a day.

What the price covers

Included and not included

Included

Bhutan visa (USD 40) and the Sustainable Development Fee for every night
Hotels as listed, 3-star as standard, with 4-star and luxury upgrades on request
All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
A licensed English-speaking guide for the whole trip
Domestic flight from Bumthang to Paro
Private car or SUV with a Bhutanese driver, and all transfers
Entry fees to dzongs, temples and museums
Bottled water in the car

Not included

International flights into and out of Paro (we can book them for you)
Travel insurance, which we strongly recommend
Drinks, laundry and other personal costs
Tips for your guide and driver
Anything not listed under included

Price on request

Tell us your budget and we will send our best price

We don’t publish one fixed price, because hotels, season and group size change the total a lot. Tell us your dates, who is travelling and the budget you have in mind. We will reply within 24 hours with our best price for this Nimalung and Kurjey festival tour.

How we price

What decides the cost of this trip

Government fees

The SDF is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027, plus a USD 40 visa. These are fixed by the Government of Bhutan and paid through us.

Hotels you choose

Hotel style, group size and the domestic flight change the total most. June is low season.

Season and dates

Festival weeks are the busiest of the year. Booking early holds better rooms and seats.

Group size

Guide and car costs are shared, so the price per person drops for two, three or four travellers.

We send a written, itemised quote before you pay anything. No booking fees.

Good to know

Planning your Nimalung and Kurjey trip

About Nimalung Dratshang

Nimalung is a Nyingma monastery in the Chhume valley, the westernmost of Bumthang’s valleys, at about 2,700 metres. It was founded in the 1930s and is home to a community of monks who perform the festival dances themselves. The setting is rural and open: the dance ground is surrounded by fields, and the monastery buildings rise behind it.

About Kurjey Lhakhang

Kurjey means body print. The oldest of its three temples, built in 1652, stands over the cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated and subdued a local deity, leaving the imprint of his body in the rock. The second was added in 1900 by Ugyen Wangchuck, who became the first king, and the third in 1984 by Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck, now the Royal Grandmother. The first three kings of Bhutan are cremated here, and a wall of 108 chortens surrounds the complex.

June in Bumthang

June is early summer. Days in Bumthang are mild, often around 20 degrees Celsius, nights are cool, and showers come most afternoons. Fields of buckwheat and potatoes are green, and wildflowers fill the meadows. The festivals go ahead in light rain, so bring a waterproof jacket and an umbrella.

Getting to Bumthang

Bumthang is about 270 km from Thimphu, but the road crosses three passes and the drive takes most of two days. We break it with a night in Punakha or Trongsa. Drukair also flies between Paro and Bumthang on set days of the week, in about 30 minutes, and on most of our central Bhutan trips we fly back to save a day on the road. The schedule changes by season, so we confirm the flight when you book.

About the 2027 dates

Festival dates follow the Bhutanese lunar calendar, so they move every year. The dates on this page come from the tentative 2027 festival list released through Bhutan’s Department of Tourism. Tentative means what it says: a monastery or dzongkhag can still shift a day. We check again when you book and a few weeks before you fly, and if a date moves we move the trip with it. Our 2027 festival calendar lists every event in one place.

Festival etiquette

A tshechu is a religious event first and a show second. Dress neatly, with shoulders and knees covered; a collared shirt or jacket is a good idea. Stay at the edge of the dance ground, never walk across it, and switch off your camera flash. Don’t climb on walls or temple roofs for a better angle. The atsara clowns may tease you or ask for a small note; laugh along, it is part of the blessing. Our guide to Bhutan’s festivals explains the dances in more detail.

Travelling in the monsoon

June to early September is the monsoon in Bhutan. Rain usually falls in the afternoon and at night, and mornings are often bright. The valleys are deep green, rice is growing, and you will see far fewer visitors than in spring or autumn. Roads can be slowed by landslides, so we keep the plan flexible and carry a spare half day. Bring a light rain jacket, quick-drying clothes and shoes with a good grip; leeches appear on forest paths, so long socks help.

Village festivals and big tshechus

The big tshechus in Paro and Thimphu draw thousands of people, including many visitors. Village and temple festivals are different. The courtyard is smaller, the crowd is mostly local farmers in their best clothes, and the dancers are often villagers or monks from the nearest lhakhang. You stand closer, you see more of the ritual, and you will probably be offered butter tea or a cup of ara. The trade-off is fewer facilities: there may be no seats, no shade and only basic toilets nearby, so bring a cushion, a hat and patience.

Visa, SDF and guide rules

Every visitor except Indian nationals needs a visa, which costs USD 40 and is issued online before you fly. The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027, with half rates for children aged 6 to 11. A Department of Tourism notice from April 2026 confirms that visitors travel with a licensed guide. We file the visa and pay the SDF for you. Read more in our Bhutan visa guide and SDF guide.

Flying into Paro

Only Drukair and Bhutan Airlines fly into Paro, mainly from Bangkok, Delhi, Kathmandu, Kolkata and Singapore. Pilots land by sight between the ridges, so morning flights are the most reliable. We suggest a night in your hub city on the way in. Our flights to Bhutan page lists every route.

Nimalung and Kurjey tour: questions

How much does the Nimalung and Kurjey festival tour cost?

It depends on your hotels, group size and dates. Tell us your budget and we will reply within 24 hours with our best price, including the SDF, visa, hotels, meals, guide and car.

When is the Nimalung Tshechu in 2027?

The tentative dates are 12 to 14 June 2027, at Nimalung Dratshang in Chhume, Bumthang. Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and we confirm them again before you travel.

When is the Kurjey Tshechu?

On 14 June 2027, at Kurjey Lhakhang in the Choekhor valley of Bumthang. It lasts one day.

Can I see both festivals?

Yes. The two sites are less than an hour apart, and this trip covers both.

Will it rain?

June is the start of the monsoon, so showers are likely in the afternoon. Mornings are often clear.

Do you fly back from Bumthang?

Yes, when Drukair runs the flight. Otherwise we drive back with an extra night.

Is it crowded?

No. These are local festivals and June has very few foreign visitors.

When should I book?

Three to five months ahead, mainly to secure the domestic flight.