Top 11 Places to Visit in Thimphu, Thimphu Attractions 2024
07 September 2022 Last updated at 11:06
In the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu, you can have a lot of places to visit. It can be the most unsophisticated capital in the world, and known for its beautiful natural landscapes, Buddhism monasteries, historical sites, and multiple museums related to traditional Bhutanese culture.
Want to know what other travelers visited most in Thimphu? Interested to find some top recommended attractions which are top rated by real travelers? Followings are Top 11 Attractions in Thimphu by TripAdvisor and our customers, including Dochula Pass, Buddha Dordenma, Tashichho Dzong, Bhutan Post Office, Thimphu Chorten, Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan, and so on, to help you plan a Bhutan Tour.
Note: Generally, you have one or two days stay in Thimphu to cover your whole itinerary in Bhutan, which does not allow you to visit every attraction below. However, you can always choose your preferred attractions and contact with your travel consultant about your certain request in Bhutan!
Thimphu Top 11 Attractions
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Dochula Pass
Type: Viewing Deck of Nature, History
Avg. Visit Duration: 1 hour
Dochula pass is the most famous pass in Bhutan, about 30km away from Thimphu, on the driving way to Punakha. On a clear day, you can overlook the magnificent scenery of the Himalayas from the pass. Commissioned by the Queen of the fourth Bhutanese King, 108 stupas (chortens) built there to commemorate the Bhutanese soldiers killed in 2003 against insurgents from India and also pray for peace.
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Buddha Dordenma
Type: Monuments & Statues
Avg. Visit Duration: 1~2 hours
Sited amidst the hilltop of Kuensel Phodrang and overlooking the southern approach to Thimphu, the gigantic Buddha Dordenma is one of the largest sitting statues of Buddha, at measuring 51.5m in height, made of bronze and gilded in gold. Within the statue, one hundred thousand likewise small Buddha statues were placed inside. It was built for celebrating the 60th anniversary of fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
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Tashichho Dzong
Type: Government Buildings, Sacred & Religious Sites
Avg. Visit Duration: 1 hour
Located on the northern edge of Thimphu city with Wangchu River flowing by, Tashichho Dzong is a beautiful fortress, combining with the Buddhist monastery, the secretariat building, the throne room of His Majesty the King and various government offices. It has a history of over 800 years. Before the entrance of the Dzong stands a sign of “No Entry” during the office hours. Besides taking a picture from outside, if you arrive here in the evening you can witness the Flag lowering ceremony before you enter the Dzong.
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Bhutan Post Office Headquarters
Type: Post office & Culture
Avg. Visit Duration: 1~2 hours
Bhutan Post Office Headquarters or the General Post Office of Bhutan was opened in 2015 to celebrate the 60th Birth Anniversary of Fourth Druk Gyalpo His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Bhutan is known as the “Kingdom of Stamps” and the stamp museum tells Bhutan’s evolution story of its postal system. Also, you can make your personalized stamps there and send them to your family and friends as a great souvenir.
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Thimphu Chorten (Memorial Chorten)
Type: Monument & Religion
Avg. Visit Duration: 1 hour
The Memorial Stupa, aka Thimphu Chorten, was built in 1974, commissioned by the Queen Mother Ashi Kezang Choden in the memory of Third King of Bhutan. It is the most sacred religious stupa and the landmark in Thimphu. The stupa is nicely done with the interior exhibiting a lot of carvings, precious religious paintings, statues, and artwork and you can see many devoted Buddhists having a clockwise kora around it.
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Changangkha Lhakhang
Type: Points of Interest & Landmarks
Avg. Visit Duration: 1 hour
Changangkha Lhakhang is one of the oldest Lhakhang (temple) in Thimphu. It is a wish-fulfilling ancient Buddhist temple where many local people bring their newborn babies and get them named. It is situated on a hill with many stairs to hike on. Once you reach there, you can have a beautiful panoramic view of Thimphu scenery. Photography is not allowed inside the temple.
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Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan
Type: Specialty Museums
Avg. Visit Duration: 1 hour
To discover the beauty and diversity of the living textile arts of Bhutan, do not miss the Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan. It had been established to preserve the traditional Bhutanese style textile/fabric designs. Inside the Academy, you can see people making fabric materials and designs the old fashion way - by hand. The fabric styles and fashion designs are very bright and colorful, but no photo is allowed inside the museum and it usually closes on Sunday.
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National Institute for Zorig Chusum
Type: Education, Art
Avg. Visit Duration: 1 hour
The National Institute for Zorig Chusum in Thimphu was created by the government to promote Bhutan's traditional contemporary art forms, and the words "Zorig Chusum" literally means "Thirteen Crafts” which include Traditional Painting, Sculpturing, Wood Carving, Calligraphy, Papermaking, Bronze Casting, Embroidery, Weaving, Carpentry, Masonry, Bamboo, etc. You can watch the students learning skills with some available artworks for purchase.
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Motithang Takin Preserve
Type: Nature & Wildlife Areas
Avg. Visit Duration: 1~2 hours
Takin to Bhutan is what panda to China. It has been designated as the national animal of Bhutan, and it is a kind of animal like the combination of cattle, goat, deer. Located in the northwest of Thimphu city, the Takin Preserve was once a royal zoo for Bhutan’s royal family. Later, the mini zoo was changed as a preserve. These takins have been set free, while some takins were so tamed and still often gather around the visitors behind the wire fence.
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Simtokha Dzong
Type: Historic Sites
Avg. Visit Duration: 1 hour
The well-preserved Simtokha Dzong, aka Sangak Zabdhon Phodrang, is one of the oldest Dzongs in Bhutan, built in 1629 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal who unified Bhutan. It is a culturally rich site with beautiful slate cravings, exquisite Bhutanese paintings, sacred Buddha statues, and spinning prayer wheels. Currently, it serves as a monastery for monks and you can observe their daily routine and lifestyle. If you are interested in Bhutan’s history, do not miss it!
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Simply Bhutan Museum
Type: History Museums
Avg. Visit Duration: 1 hour
To learn about the Bhutanese lifestyle, you can not miss the “living Museum of Bhutan”, Simply Bhutan Museum where you can see how the Bhutanese lived in the village and you can have their traditional clothes try on, enjoy the Bhutanese songs, visit their houses, and have the traditional Bhutanese food with the guide telling you the history of Bhutan from their Kings to the normal people.
How to Plan Your Bhutan Tour
A Bhutan trip usually starts from Paro where the Bhutan’s only international airport is located in, then travel eastward to Thimphu and Punakha, which is the most classic itinerary in Bhutan, taking 5~6 days to finish. Never miss the icon of Bhutan - Tiger’s Nest (the symbol of Bhutan) in Paro. If your time is quite limited, you can skip Punakha. If you want an in-depth Bhutan tour, we suggest you extend your trip to Phobjikha, Gangtey, Trongsa and Bumthang in central Bhutan, which costs you about 9~10 days. You can also spend more time in Bhutan to explore more features of Bhutan, such as trekking, birding, Tshechu festival, etc. It is strongly recommended to travel Bhutan with Nepal. Check Nepal Bhutan tours to find a suitable tour or contact us to customize your own unique experience.
☞ 5 Days Bhutan Classic Tour (Paro & Thimphu & Punakha)
☞ 9 Days Bhutan In-depth Natural and Cultural Tour
☞ 12 Days Nepal Bhutan Leisure Vacation Tour Package
Travel with Us
Traveling with Himalayas Discovery, you are assured to use our high-quality travel services, including vehicles, professional tour guide and experienced driver, well-organized itinerary, assistance of visa and permits application and other travel related services. We will settle all arrangements in advance to make sure you always enjoy a worry-free journey.
Our dear guests visiting Bhutan
Thimphu Travel Guide
Bhutan Travel Guide
Most Recommended Bhutan Tour Packages
Following are 3 most recommended Bhutan tour packages that you may be interested in. All tour packages are customizable to meet your personal requirements. You can also contact us to customize a trip if you want.
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9 Days Bhutan In-depth Natural and Cultural Tour
Paro / Thimphu / Punakha / Phobjikha / Trongsa / Bumthang / Wangue Phodrang / Paro
