Thimphu
Thimphu is the capital and largest city of Bhutan.
Thimphu is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan, and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The ancient capital city of Punakha was replaced by Thimphu as the capital in 1955, and in 1961 Thimphu was officially declared the capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan by the 3rd Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Thimphu
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01National Library of Bhutan
The National Library of Bhutan, located in Thimphu, Bhutan, was established in 1967 for the purpose of "preservation and promotion of the rich cultural and religious heritage" of Bhutan. It is located in the Kawajangtsa area of Thimphu, above the Royal Thimphu Golf Course, near the Folk Heritage Museum and the National Institute for Zorig Chusum.
1.3 km · national library and archives · Wikipedia - 02Changlimithang Stadium
The Changlimithang Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan, which serves as the national stadium of Bhutan. It is predominantly used for football matches and is the home of the Bhutan national football team, other national selections and a number of Thimphu-based football clubs.
500 m · football stadium · Wikipedia - 03Tashichho Dzong
Tashichho Dzong is a Buddhist monastery and fortress on the northern edge of the city of Thimphu in Bhutan, on the western bank of the Wang Chu. It has traditionally been the seat of the Druk Desi, the head of Bhutan's civil government, an office which has been combined with the kingship since the creation of the monarchy in 1907, and summer capital of the country.
1.9 km · Buddhist monastery and fortress in Bhutan · Wikipedia - 04Buddha Dordenma statue
Great Buddha Dordenma is a gigantic Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the mountains of Bhutan celebrating the 60th anniversary of fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The statue houses over one hundred thousand smaller Buddha statues, each of which, like the Great Buddha Dordenma itself, are made of bronze and gilded in gold.
3.3 km · Statue in Bhutan · Wikipedia - 05Dechencholing Palace
Dechencholing Palace is located in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, 4 kilometres to the north of the Tashichho Dzong and 7 kilometres north of the city centre. It was built in 1953 by the third king of Bhutan Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.
5.7 km · building · Wikipedia - 06Dechen Phodrang Monastery
Dechen Phrodrang, meaning "Palace of Great Bliss", is a Buddhist monastery in Thimphu, Bhutan. It is located to the north of the city.
3.2 km · Buddhist monastery in Thimphu, Bhutan · Wikipedia - 07Folk Heritage Museum
The Folk Heritage Museum is a museum in the Kawajangsa district of Thimphu, Thimphu District, in Bhutan. The museum was founded in 2001.
1.2 km · museum in Thimphu · Wikipedia - 08Druk Wangditse Lhakhang
Druk Wangditse Lhakhang, the "Temple of the Peak of Conquest" is located high on a forested ridge to the south of Tashichho Dzong overlooking the whole Thimphu valley. It was established in 1715 as the seat of the 8th Druk Desi, Druk Rabgye.
2.8 km · Buddhist temple in Thimpu, Bhutan · Wikipedia - 09Changangkha Lhakhang
Changangkha Lhakhang is a compact temple complex located on the tip of a ridge that juts towards central Thimphu from the hills to the east. Founded in the 13th or 14th centuries, it is probably the oldest surviving temple in Thimphu.
800 m · Old Buddhist temple in Thimpu, Bhutan · Wikipedia - 10Dobji Dzong
Dobji Dzong is a dzong monastery in Bhutan, on a ridge on the national highway from Thimphu to Haa, Paro District, just a few kilometers south of the confluence of the Paro and Thimphu rivers at Chuzom. It is 6,600 feet.
8.3 km · monastery in Bhutan · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
Although lacking the charm and culture associated with ancient capitals, Thimphu has several attractions of note. A hefty entry fee is charged to all foreign nationals (including those with work permits or who are paying the daily tariff of US$100 to the government sustainable fund) at religious structures and buildings of national significance.
- 01Changangkha Lhakhang
Constructed in the 15th century, this is one of the oldest temples in the Thimphu Valley, and is dedicated to Avalokiteshvara, the Buddhist emanation of compassion.
- 02Statue of Dordenna Buddha
Sitting on top of Kuensel Phodrang hill is a 51.5-m bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha.
- 03Thangtong Dewachen Nunnery
- 04The National Memorial Chorten
A good place to visit in the evening when the locals are doing their evening prayers.
- 05National Folk Heritage Museum
A traditional house that showcases rural life.
- 06The Royal Textile Museum
A display of exquisite Bhutanese textiles from the 1600s to the present day.
From Wikivoyage: Thimphu, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
- 01Dhyana Thimphu Meditation Centre
2F, Thimphu Plaza, Chang Lam, /77338224Phone with wrong format, Bhutan@dhyanzhitshok.org.
- 02Jigme Dorji Wangchuck Public Library
National Library and Archives of Bhutan, Kawajangsa (left side), mobile).
- 03Snow Leopard Theatre Repertory
Hong Market.
- 04The National Institute of Traditional Medicine
A place to have any chronic ailments diagnosed and treated using herbal compounds.
- 05The National Library
It houses a rare collection of Buddhist texts on the second floor, and there is a small selection of English books on Buddhism (mostly donated by Taiwan) and on Bhutan on the first floor.
From Wikivoyage: Thimphu, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Most restaurants (including those in 2- or 3-star hotels) in Thimphu stop serving food between 20:30 and 21:30. For information about restaurants in hotels, check the sleep section of this article. After 21:00, Norzin Lam plays host to street hawkers, selling some of the best thukpa (Bhutanese style noodle porridge) and momos (meat or veg filled steamed dumplings) in town.
- 01Zombala
Kuka and pakoras are really good, Thupka is a bit bland.
- 02Birbi
Doebum Lam (Next to Norkhil Hotel),.
- 03B.Taco
Hejo (Next to Big Mart, opp the Indian Embassy.).
- 04Dim Sum Basket
2F, Gaa-phel Shopping Center, Chorten Lam (below Le Meridien Hotel, opp Hotel 89).
- 05Hayate Ramen
From Wikivoyage: Thimphu, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Thimphu
- Airports
- Paro (PBH), 22 km · Bagdogra (IXB), 157 km · Xigaze Peace / Shigatse Air Base (RKZ), 211 km
- Siliguri → Thimphu147 km · quickest by road, 4h 59m · ₹1,890–2,360
- Xigazê (Samzhubzê) → Thimphu214 km · quickest by road, 12h 1m · ¥295–395
- Shannan (Gonggar) → Thimphu235 km · quickest by air, 7h 28m · ¥560–860
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Thimphu
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Thimphu. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get aroundThere are shared taxis from the city bus station ('Bus Parking'), and the rate is around Nu35-40 to suburbs within a 20- to 30-min drive.
- Go nextShared taxis are a quick and comfortable means to travel to nearby places, such as Paro (Nu 250) and Punakha (Nu 350) or even to Phuentsholing (Nu1,000) (as of February 2024).
- Go nextShared taxis depart from the inter-district bus station, with drivers approaching potential passengers.
- Go nextLocated about an hour's drive north of Thimphu, the trek begins from a prayer flag covered bridge and takes about one hour.
- Go nextParo is a 45-minute to one-hour drive from the capital - an easy day trip.
From Wikivoyage: Thimphu, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 01220 km
- 02320 km
- 03348 km
- 04421 km
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If you know how people move in Thimphu – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Thimphu
- Clock Tower SquareTown center of Thimphu400 m
- Tshalunangplace in Paro District, Bhutan4.5 km
- Motithangdistrict of Thimphu in Thimphu District, Bhutan1.3 km