Bhutan Festival Tour

Overview

A complete information for Bhutan cultural festivals tour 1025 packages cost, itinerary, place, dates, operators, guide, company, booking/visa procedures, duration, season.

Special tour package for Tshechu festival in 2025

We are specialised for festivals tour arrangements to Bhutan from Kathmandu. Festival tour is the best combination of cultural and tradition. The festivals are an important part of Bhutanese peoples from the long ago. The Tshechu one of the largest tourist attraction is the most famous and well-known Bhutanese festival.

These festivals are celebrated in the courtyards of the Dzongs (fortresses) in all the Dzongkhags (districts) with traditional dances blessing by Lamas and Mewangs by fire believing that it washes away their sins. The Tshechu is held in honor of Guru Rinpochhe, who brought Mahayana Buddhism to Bhutan in the eighth century. Bhutanese legend has a religious significance to people and says that on the tenth calendar day the great Guru Rinpochhe transformed himself into different forms to subdue demons. People dress traditionally in their finest clothing and jewelry.

The festival is religious implication and community gathering where Bhutanese come to socialize and feast on native delicacies.

Here is the most important Thimphu Tshechu Festival tour

Festival dates 2-4 October, 2025.

The Thimphu Tshechu is held in Thimphu for 3 days, beginning on the 10th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. Tshechus is one of the largest and most popular in Bhutan held at the Tashichho Dzong in the capital city of Thimpu The Tshechu festival specifically is a vibrant cultural and religious festival celebrated annually in Bhutan. It commemorates the birth anniversary of Guru Rinpoche, a revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism, and is a time for social gatherings, blessings, and prayers for well-being which also serves as a break from farm life for many Bhutanese farmers. The festival features mask dances;, folk dances, and traditional music performances. The festival is preceded by days and nights of prayer and rituals to invoke the gods, and the dances are performed to bless onlookers, teach them the Buddhist dharma, and protect them from misfortune. This year also we are going to organize this special journey from Kathmandu so come and join us it for a life time experience.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1 : Arrive Paro:

On arrival in Paro, you will be received by our Bhutanese guide and escort to Hotel then visit the Ta Dzong, an ancient watchtower, Paro Rimpung Dzong built in 1646. Over night in Hotel.

Day 2 : Paro Sightseeing

Hike to Taktshang Monastery. The primary Lhakhang was built surrounding Guru Rimpoche’s meditation cave in the 1684 by Gyaltse Tenzin Rabgay. This incredible monastery clings to the edge of a sheer rock cliff that plunges 900 meters into the valley below. Legend has it that Guru Padmasambhava flew here on the back of a tigress. Then visit the ruins of the Drukgyal Dzong and the Kichu Lhakhang. Over night in Hotel.

Day 3 : Paro – Thimphu:

After breakfast; drive to Thimpu and settle into the hotel then drive to Tendrel Thang the festival ground to withness the Thimphu Tsechu Festival which will be held in front of Tashi Chhodzong . Full day enjoy the colourful mask dance and crowed of people dressed with National traditional finery, devotees flock to celebrate and proclaim their faith and receive blessings. Overnight at the hotel in Thimphu.

Day 4 : Thimphu Sightseeing:

After breakfast; visit to King's Memorial Chorten continuously circumambulated by people, murmuring mantras and spinning their prayer wheels. Drive further up to visit Trashichhoedzong, “fortress of the glorious religion”. This is the center of government and religion, site of monarch’s throne room and seat of Je Khenpo built in 1641 by the political and religious unifier of Bhutan and visit local crafts market, After lunch; enjoy the second day of Thimpu Tshechu festival. Overnight at the hotel in Thimphu.

Day 5 : Thimpu - Punakha

Drive to Punakha crossing Dochula pass and vsit the Chhimi Lhakhang on the way to Punakha. Visit Punakha Dzong and surrounding. Dinner and overnight in hotel.

Day 6 : Punakha- Wangduephodrang – Gangtey:

Drive to Wangduephodrang and visit the Wangduephodrang Dzong then drive to Gangtey. Visit the Gangtey Gompa and explore the Phobjikha Valley, one of the most beautiful glacial valleys in the Himalayas and the winter place for the endangered Black Necked Cranes. Over night in Hotel.

Day 7 : Gangtey – Paro:

Drive to Thimphu and visit the Royal silver smiths and Bhutanese paper factory followed by shopping for souvenirs in the shops of Thimphu. Evening drive back to Paro. Over night in Hotel.

Day 8 : Departure

Drive to Paro airport and fly back with nice farewell.

Inclusions

What is included?

Royalty fee
Accommodation and all meals
Sightseeing tours by private coaches
Service of experienced and English speaking guide
All transportation as per the tour itinerary
Permit and entrance fee to the monuments

What isn't included?

Bhutan visa fee USD 40
TDF USD 10
Airfares ( USD 485 round trip (Kathmandu sector)
Expense of personal nature, travel insurance
Drinks, cigarettes, laundry, telephone call and tipping etc

Complimentary

Introduction and trip briefing:

On our all tours, we give a short brief about the trip on the same day of your arrival and introduce your tour guide. At the mean time, we provide an opportunity for individuals to ask questions if any about the trip.

Tour Guide:

English speaking, well experienced and knowledgeable holding license from the government. They are well trained about eco tourism, social/culture/traditions responsibilities, and sincerely dedicated on their duty. Actually the tour guide play an invaluable role in ensuring that our clients have the best opportunity to experience, learn about, and enjoy their trip presenting them whenever you need any help.

Accommodation:

A wide variety of accommodation is available ranging from farmhouse stays and budget hotels to the high-end resorts. However, there is no rating on the star category but all government approved A-B-C grade. Basically comfortable 2/3 star category resorts and hotels are used on the tour.

Transportation:

Our local agent in Bhutan has own fleet of luxury Japanese/Korean and Indian car, van and buses. All major places of interest are connected by paved roads so travelling will be smooth and pleasant.

Tour itinerary:

Given tour itinerary is fixed as the route permit is taken while applying visa of the planned tour itinerary. In the special case there will be possibility to extend or shorten the tour so please discuss this with your tour guide and express your wishes.

Food and drinks:

As a full board package tour; three times meals are provided. The favorite Bhutanese dishes being Ema Dasti- a cheese and chilly dish. All Bhutanese dishes use an abundance of chilly so do order according to your palette strength. You will also have Indian and Chinese cuisine too. Besides the locally produced beer and whiskey, the local brew, are that is distilled from rice, barley or wheat is also popular with visitor

Photography:

Bhutan is the picturesque country for the Photograph so bring a good camera with extra batteries memory as what you need may not be available in Bhutan. It is polite to ask people if you may take their picture. Ask your guide when it is permissible to take pictures in religious and public buildings.

Risk and Liability:

Holiday Mountain Treks is not responsible for any loss, injury, or damage sustained by tourists. Additional expenses caused by weather-related delays, original itinerary change, and political actions must be borne by the traveler.

Tipping and Gifts:

You will find no beggars in Bhutan. Please do not hand out candy or trinkets to children. Small gifts to people you stay with and tips for your guide and driver are appropriate.

Travel Insurance:

Normally city tours no need any emergency evacuation insurance but we encourage people to purchase travel insurance that covers baggage and travel delays as well as helicopter evacuation for medical emergencies.

Trip code
Package name	Bhutan Festival Tour
Duration	8
Max. elevation	2860 m
Level	Easy
Transportation	All private ground transportation during the tour in Bhutan as per the itinerary.
Accomodation	2/3*** category Hotel during tour in Bhutan .
Starts at	Paro
Ends at	Paro
Trip route	Paro-Thimpu-Punakha-Paro
Cost	USD 1,790 per person