Thimphu Weather and Climate - Best Time to Visit Thimphu
07 September 2022 Last updated at 11:01
Bhutan is a Buddhist kingdom on the Himalayas’ eastern edge with the terrain high in the south and low in the north. The capital Thimphu is in the western region near Paro. The weather there is cool and comfortable almost all year round, cold and snowy in winter, rainy in summer. The altitude changes dramatically at different altitudes, which brings a great difference in the highland area. The temperature difference between the morning and evening is also very large. No matter what season you go to Bhutan, especially to the high altitude area, it is necessary to bring an extra layer. Also, there are stronger ultraviolet rays in the high altitude area. It is recommended to wear a hat and bring sunscreen and sunglasses during the outdoor tour and hiking.
Thimphu Monthly Temperatures - Select a Month to Visit Thimphu
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When is the Best Time to Visit Thimphu
You can visit Thimphu in any season you want. The best time to visit Thimphu is from March to May and September to October, namely spring and autumn. By the Raidak River and in a beautiful green layer of forest and hills, Thimphu is a southwest monsoon-influenced subtropical highland climate with the city itself situated between 2248 meters and 2648 meters. It is warm, temperate, and keeps changes between the wet and dry season, and the summer always brings the most intense rainfall.
Thimphu Four Seasons - Seasons to Go
Spring (March, April, May)
❀ Average Temperature: 4℃ ~ 22℃, slightly chilly
Spring is nice to have a hike in Bhutan. Although it is cloudy, it is the best time to appreciate the blooming wildflowers all over the mountain and birds also become more active.Dochula Pass (3,140m) is one of the highest points near Thimphu, where offers panoramic view of the Himalayan mountain range on clear days.
• Recommended Attractions: Dochula Pass, National Memorial Chorten, Tashichho Dzong, Motithang Takin Preserve
• What to Wear: It is still a little cold in in the early spring and it is recommended to wear shirts, long skirts and sweaters, windbreakers, casual clothes, jackets.
✔ Popular Bhutan Tour: 5 Days Bhutan Classic Tour (Paro & Thimphu & Punakha)
Tashichho Dzong (Thimphu in Spring)
Thimphu Weather in March
- High Temperature: 16.4°C / 62°F
- Low Temperature: 3.9°C / 39°F
- Sunshine Hours: 8h
- Rainfall: 31 mm
- Rainy Days: 3 days
- Sunrise: 5:53am-6:25am
- Sunset: 6:02pm-6:18pm
- UV Index: 10
Thimphu Weather in April
- High Temperature: 20°C /68°F
- Low Temperature: 7.1°C / 45°F
- Sunshine Hours: 8h
- Rainfall: 58 mm
- Rainy Days: 5 days
- Sunrise: 5:23am-5:51am
- Sunset: 6:19pm-6:34pm
- UV Index: 12
Thimphu Weather in May
- High Temperature: 22.5°C /73°F
- Low Temperature: 13.1°C / 56°F
- Sunshine Hours: 7h
- Rainfall: 122 mm
- Rainy Days: 11 days
- Sunrise: 5:06am-5:22am
- Sunset: 6:34pm-6:51pm
- UV Index: 12
Summer (June, July, August)
☂ Average Temperature: 10℃ ~ 28℃, humid and rainy
Summer is Bhutan's off-season for tourism. The rainfall is very intense at night. Sometimes, the road will be flooded by heavy rain. Cloudy weather is also very common in summer. The whole valley will be covered by clouds, sometimes affecting the aircraft. To travel to Thimphu in summer, rain gear is needed.
• Bhutan Festival in Summer: Bhutan Festival in Summer
• Recommended Attractions: Buddha Dordenma Statue, National Memorial Chorten, Simtokha Dzong, National Institute of Zorig Chusum, General Post Office
• What to Wear: It is recommended to wear sun block shirt, sunhat, sunglasses, cotton and linen shirts, thin skirts, thin T-shirts and other breathable clothes for the day time and bring raincoat or umbrella always.
✔ Popular Bhutan Tour: 7 Days Bhutan Adventure Tour with Haa Valley
Buddha Dordenma Statue (Thimphu in Summer)
Thimphu Weather in June
- High Temperature: 24.4°C / 76°F
- Low Temperature: 15.2°C / 59°F
- Sunshine Hours: 6h
- Rainfall: 246 mm
- Rainy Days: 17 days
- Sunrise: 5:06am-5:09am
- Sunset: 6:51pm-7:00pm
- UV Index: 12
Thimphu Weather in July
- High Temperature: 24.9°C / 77°F
- Low Temperature: 15.4°C / 60°F
- Sunshine Hours: 5h
- Rainfall: 373 mm
- Rainy Days: 20 days
- Sunrise: 5:09am-5:24am
- Sunset: 6:51pm-7:00pm
- UV Index: 12
Thimphu Weather in Aug
- High Temperature: 25°C / 77°F
- Low Temperature: 15.8°C / 60°F
- Sunshine Hours: 5h
- Rainfall: 345 mm
- Rainy Days: 20 days
- Sunrise: 5:24am-5:39am
- Sunset: 6:23pm-6:50pm
- UV Index: 12
Autumn (September, October, November)
☀ Average Temperature: 4℃ ~ 23℃, pleasantly cool
Autumn is the best season to visit Thimphu. The temperature is generally about 20℃ ~ 28℃ in the daytime. You can see the snow mountains and blue sky in the distance in a clear day. Besides hiking, autumn is also the peak season for joining festival celebration in Bhutan. For there will be many tourists, it is better to plan your trip in advance.
• Bhutan Festival in Autumn: Thimphu Tsechu Festival, Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival
• Recommended Attractions: Dochula Pass, National Memorial Chorten, Tashichho Dzong, Motithang Takin Preserve
• What to Wear: It is recommended to wear shirts, long skirts and thin sweaters, windbreakers, casual clothes, jackets, sneakers for the early autumn, and winter coats and sweaters in the late October and November.
✔ Popular Bhutan Tour: 9 Days Bhutan In-depth Natural and Cultural Tour
Dochula Pass (Thimphu in Autumn)
Thimphu Weather in September
- High Temperature: 23.1°C / 74°F
- Low Temperature: 15°C / 59°F
- Sunshine Hours: 5h
- Rainfall: 155 mm
- Rainy Days: 14 days
- Sunrise: 5:40am-5:53am
- Sunset: 5:49pm-6:22pm
- UV Index: 12
Thimphu Weather in October
- High Temperature: 21.9°C / 71°FF
- Low Temperature: 10.4°C / 51°F
- Sunshine Hours: 7h
- Rainfall: 38 mm
- Rainy Days: 4 days
- Sunrise: 5:53am-6:10am
- Sunset: 5:18pm-5:48pm
- UV Index: 9
Thimphu Weather in November
- High Temperature: 17.9°C / 64°F
- Low Temperature: 5°C / 41°F
- Sunshine Hours: 8h
- Rainfall: 8 mm
- Rainy Days: 1 days
- Sunrise: 6:11am-6:33am
- Sunset: 5:06pm-5:18pm
- UV Index: 6
Winter (December, January, February)
☃ Average Temperature: -3℃ ~ 15℃, snowy, dry, cold
Autumn is the best season to visit Thimphu. The temperature is generally about 20℃ ~ 28℃ in the daytime. You can see the snow mountains and blue sky in the distance in a clear day. Besides hiking, autumn is also the peak season for joining festival celebration in Bhutan. For there will be many tourists, it is better to plan your trip in advance.
• Bhutan Festival in Winter: Nomad Festival
• Recommended Attractions: National Memorial Chorten, Simtokha Dzong, National Institute of Zorig Chusum, General Post Office
• What to Wear: It is recommended to wear winter coats, leather jackets, down coats, woolen hats, scarfs, gloves, sweaters, snow boots.
✔ Popular Bhutan Tour: 6 Days Last Shangri-La Bhutan Highlights Tour
General Post Office (Thimphu in Winter)
Thimphu Weather in December
- High Temperature: 14.5°C / 58°F
- Low Temperature: -1.1°C / 30°F
- Sunshine Hours: 7h
- Rainfall: 13 mm
- Rainy Days: 0 day
- Sunrise: 6:33am-6:51am
- Sunset: 5:06pm-5:17pm
- UV Index: 5
Thimphu Weather in January
- High Temperature: 12.3°C / 54°F
- Low Temperature: -2.6°C / 27°F
- Sunshine Hours: 8h
- Rainfall: 25 mm
- Rainy Days: 1 day
- Sunrise: 6:48am-6:53am
- Sunset: 5:17pm-5:41pm
- UV Index: 6
Thimphu Weather in February
- High Temperature: 14.4°C / 58°F
- Low Temperature: 0.6°C / 33°F
- Sunshine Hours: 7h
- Rainfall: 33 mm
- Rainy Days: 1 day
- Sunrise: 6:26am-6:48am
- Sunset: 5:41pm-6:01pm
- UV Index: 8
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
Tips for Bhutan Travel
1. Book Your Bhutan Tour in Advance
Air tickets and hotels would be quite tense during peak tourist seasons from March to June and September to October. Thus, you are high suggested to confirm your Bhutan travel months earlier. Afterwards, we will take some time to help you apply for Bhutan Visa and book your flight ticket and hotels in Bhutan.
2. Worry Free of High Altitude Sickness
Though Bhutan is located in south side of the Himalayas and mountains covers large area in Bhutan, most places tourist will visit are valleys at lower elevation. You don’t need to worry about the high altitude sickness during your Bhutan trip. If you are going to places at high altitudes, you are suggested to acclimatize yourself in lower altitude areas first, have a good rest, keep warm and follow the advice from tour guide.
We list some elevations of major destination for your conference:
Paro twon (alt: 2,250m) / Paro Airport (alt: 2,200m)
Thimphu (alt: 2,500m) / Punakha (alt: 1,300m)
3. Packing and Dressing During Your Bhutan Trip
With great altitudinal variations, Bhutan has a mixed climate and weather in various areas. So tourists should pack and dress properly and accordingly. Also Bhutan is a religious country full of monasteries, Dzongs (fortresses) and sacred religious sites, therefore, long pants and long sleeved tops should be worn to show respect while visiting those places. Even in summer,it's better for visitors to wear long pants and long skirts. Also, you may need to take off your shoes and hats when entering important religious temples. You can dress in layers, easy to put on and off. Warm clothes are needed for winter travel and high-altitude areas. As for trekking, a pair of comfortable and durable shoes is recommended.
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
