Festival tour · 12 days, 11 nights

12 Day Mongar Tshechu Festival Tour 2027: West to East Across Bhutan

Cross the whole country from Paro to the Mongar Tshechu, held from 6 to 8 December 2027, then on to the last day of the Trashigang Tshechu and out through Samdrup Jongkhar.

6 to 8

December 2027, Mongar Tshechu

3,750 m

Thrumshing La, about

1,600 m

Mongar town, about

Festivals on the route

Trip overview

A festival at the gateway to the east

Mongar is the first big town of eastern Bhutan. To reach it from Bumthang you cross Thrumshing La, at about 3,750 metres, and then drop almost 3,000 metres through forest and cliffs to the warm, steep valley of the Kuri Chhu. The town sits on a ridge rather than a valley floor, and its dzong, rebuilt in the 1950s in the traditional way, is the setting for the Mongar Tshechu.

The tentative 2027 dates are 6 to 8 December. It is a true eastern festival: people come in from villages all over the district, many speaking Tshangla or other eastern languages, and the women wear the fine silk and cotton weaves the east is famous for. You will see few, if any, other foreign groups.

Because Mongar is so far from Paro, this trip goes one way across the whole country. You see Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Trongsa and Bumthang on the way east, catch the Goenpai Drupchen at Trongsa Dzong, spend two full days at the Mongar Tshechu, then drive to Trashigang for the final day of the Trashigang Tshechu on 9 December. From there you leave Bhutan through Samdrup Jongkhar to Guwahati, so you never have to drive back.

Highlights

Highlights of the trip

Mongar Tshechu

An eastern festival with few foreign visitors.

Trashigang Tshechu

The final day at the dzong above the river.

Thrumshing La

The high pass between central and eastern Bhutan.

Trongsa Dzong

Bhutan's largest dzong, during the Goenpai Drupchen.

Bumthang temples

Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey and Tamshing.

Across the country

Paro to the Indian border in one journey.

Itinerary at a glance

Twelve 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.

Day 4: To Trongsa

Over Pele La to Trongsa for the Goenpai Drupchen.

Day 5: To Bumthang

Short drive to Bumthang, temple visits.

Day 6: Over Thrumshing La to Mongar

The great drive east.

Day 7: Mongar Tshechu

A full day at the festival.

Day 8: Mongar Tshechu, to Trashigang

Final morning at Mongar, drive to Trashigang.

Day 9: Trashigang Tshechu

The last day of the Trashigang Tshechu.

Day 10: To Samdrup Jongkhar

The long drive south to the border.

Day 11: To Guwahati

Cross the border and drive to Guwahati.

Day 12: Depart

Transfer to Guwahati 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 Tashichho Dzong.

Day 2

A day in Thimphu

You see the Buddha Dordenma, the National Institute for Zorig Chusum, the Textile Museum and the traditional paper factory. The Textile Museum is a good introduction to the weaving you will see in the east.

Day 3

Dochula and Punakha

You cross Dochula, where December brings the clearest views of the Himalaya, and visit Punakha Dzong and Chimi Lhakhang in the warm valley below.

Day 4

Trongsa and the Goenpai Drupchen

You drive over Pele La to Trongsa. The Goenpai Drupchen is held at Trongsa Dzong from 3 to 5 December 2027, a smaller ritual festival dedicated to the protector deities, and you can spend the late afternoon in the dzong. You also visit the Ta Dzong museum above it.

Day 5

The temples of Bumthang

You cross Yotong La to Bumthang, about two and a half hours, and visit Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang and Jakar Dzong. In the evening you might try buckwheat noodles, a Bumthang speciality.

Day 6

Over Thrumshing La to Mongar

This is one of the great drives of the Himalaya. You pass Ura and climb to Thrumshing La, at about 3,750 metres, then descend almost 3,000 metres through fir, rhododendron and then subtropical forest, past waterfalls and cliffs, to the Kuri Chhu. You reach Mongar in the late afternoon, on the opening day of the festival.

Day 7

A full day at the Mongar Tshechu

You spend the day in the dzong courtyard. Monks and lay dancers perform the masked cham, and the crowd, from villages across the district, is part of the show: look for the striped kiras and fine woven jackets of eastern Bhutan. Your guide explains the dances and introduces you to people where he can.

Day 8

Final morning and on to Trashigang

You spend the final morning of the Mongar Tshechu at the dzong, then drive to Trashigang, about three hours, crossing Kori La and passing the rocky slopes above the Drangme Chhu. Trashigang Dzong, built in 1659, stands on a spur high above the river.

Day 9

The final day in Trashigang

The Trashigang Tshechu runs from 7 to 9 December 2027, and today is its final day. People come from Merak and Sakteng, Radi and Kanglung, and the Brokpa herders in their yak-hair hats are often in the crowd. In the afternoon you can drive to Rangjung for its monastery and village.

Day 10

Down to Samdrup Jongkhar

You drive south through Kanglung, home of Sherubtse College, Bhutan’s first college, and down through Khaling, known for its weaving centre, and Wamrong to the plains at Samdrup Jongkhar. The road drops from cool hills to warm subtropical forest in a single day.

Day 11

Into India and on to Guwahati

Your guide helps you through Bhutanese exit formalities, then you cross into Assam with an Indian driver and drive about three hours to Guwahati. In the afternoon you can visit the Kamakhya Temple or walk along the Brahmaputra.

Day 12

Fly home from Guwahati

After breakfast you transfer to Guwahati airport for your onward flight.

Where you stay

3-star hotels in the west, simpler family-run hotels in the east.

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	Bumthang	3-star or 4-star hotel	Chamkhar valley
6 and 7	Mongar	Best available hotel	Simple, clean
8 and 9	Trashigang	Best available hotel	Near the dzong
10	Samdrup Jongkhar	Best available hotel	Near the border
11	Guwahati	4-star hotel	Booked for you

Hotels in the east are simple. We choose the best available and book early for festival week.

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
Private car or SUV with a Bhutanese driver, and all transfers
Entry fees to dzongs, temples and museums
Bottled water in the car
Indian car and driver from the border to Guwahati

Not included

Indian visa for non-Indian nationals
Flight out of Guwahati
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 Mongar Tshechu 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

Group size, hotel style and the Guwahati arrangements change the total most.

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 Mongar Tshechu trip

About Mongar

Mongar is the hub of eastern Bhutan and the junction for Lhuentse, the ancestral home of the royal family. Unlike most dzongs, which stand on valley floors or river spurs, Mongar’s sits on a ridge with the town around it. It was rebuilt in the 1950s on the orders of the third king. Like other dzongs it was built without drawings or nails, by craftsmen working from memory and tradition.

Thrumshing La and the road east

The road from Bumthang to Mongar is about 190 km and takes most of a day. It passes through Thrumshing National Park, where the forest changes from high fir and rhododendron to bamboo and broadleaf as you descend. In winter the pass can have snow or ice, so we leave early and drive carefully. Birdwatchers love this road: it is one of the best places in Bhutan for rare species.

Combining east and west

December 2027 has several festivals in the east within a few days: the Goenpai Drupchen in Trongsa from 3 to 5 December, the Mongar Tshechu from 6 to 8 December and the Trashigang Tshechu from 7 to 9 December. This trip catches all three. If you would rather spend the full three days in Trashigang, see our Trashigang Tshechu tour.

Travelling in eastern Bhutan

The east sees only a small share of Bhutan’s visitors, and that is part of its appeal. Roads are narrower, drives are long and hotels are simpler than in Paro or Thimphu, usually clean family-run places rather than resorts. In return you get quiet dzongs, villages that rarely see tourists and some of Bhutan’s best weaving. We use a comfortable SUV, keep driving days to a sensible length and build in rest stops. Our 14 day Eastern Bhutan tour covers the region in more depth.

Leaving through Samdrup Jongkhar

Samdrup Jongkhar, on the border with Assam, is an official entry and exit point for international visitors. Ending your trip there saves you the two or three day drive back to Paro. From the border it is about three hours by road to Guwahati, which has flights to Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok and other cities. Your guide stays with you through Bhutanese immigration, and we can arrange an Indian car and hotel in Guwahati. Non-Indian visitors need a valid Indian visa for this route.

Travelling in winter

December to February is cold, dry and clear. Days are often sunny and pleasant in the valleys, but mornings and evenings drop close to freezing, and colder still in Bumthang and the high passes. Hotels have heaters and many have electric blankets. Pack thermal layers, a down jacket, gloves and a warm hat. In return you get blue skies, sharp mountain views, few other visitors and, in Phobjikha, the black-necked cranes.

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.

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.

Mongar Tshechu tour: questions

How much does the Mongar Tshechu 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 Mongar Tshechu in 2027?

The tentative dates are 6 to 8 December 2027, at Mongar Dzong. Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and we confirm them again before you travel.

Do I have to drive back to Paro?

No. This trip leaves Bhutan through Samdrup Jongkhar and ends in Guwahati, India.

Do I need an Indian visa?

Yes, if you are not an Indian citizen, because the trip ends in India.

How long is the drive to Mongar?

About seven hours from Bumthang, over Thrumshing La.

Can I see the Trashigang Tshechu too?

Yes. This trip includes its final day on 9 December 2027.

Are hotels comfortable in the east?

They are simple but clean. We pick the best available.