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Best time to visit Bhutan

October to December is the ideal time to visit Bhutan for drier days and more sunshine. Don’t discount spectacularly snowy January-February, though, or April for the wildflowers. Our weather charts, month-by-month guide, and expert advice give you a good idea of the best time to visit Bhutan, depending on what you want to see and do.

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Best time to visit Bhutan

As a rule of thumb, southern Bhutan is tropical, the east is warmer than the west, and in the high Himalayan regions, expect perpetual snow.

October to December is the best time to visit Bhutan, with the weather at its driest and brightest. Autumn months (September-November) also see less rainfall and clear skies. Winter (December-February) is a photographer’s dream; prayer flags flutter against snowy backdrops. However, road closures are common and temperatures can drop below zero at night. Spring (March-May) can be wet, but the birds are in song and the wildflowers – including rhododendrons – are out, which can make it the best season to visit Bhutan for hiking. The soaking monsoon season (June-August) is best avoided, although some people still travel in the hottest month of July. Also note that Bhutan’s weather varies dramatically depending on the elevation.

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When to go to Bhutan, month by month

The summer months – June, July and August – are monsoon season in Bhutan; a time of very heavy rain when, over three months, half a metre of rain falls in Thimphu, up to a metre falls in the eastern hills, and the mountains become obscured by thick cloud. A consideration that may help you brave the weather or not is Bhutan’s calendar of tshechus and events: there are none, or very few tshechus held during January, February, June, July and August. If you are planning a last-minute holiday, be aware that the peak months of September, October and November are the busiest, and flights may be booked up far in advance – to see Bhutan in glorious autumnal colours, it’s best to book early. March and April are a wonderful time to see Bhutan in bloom. Temperatures are pleasant and the valleys are bursting with nature. Although May brings higher humidity, this attracts fewer visitors, so prices as well as crowd numbers are lower. The rhododendrons are still in bloom too, making this a picture-perfect time for photographers and nature lovers. December is a cold month in Bhutan, but the skies are blissfully crisp and clear and the valleys are sunny with far-reaching views across the Himalayas – well worth it for those who can brave the chill.

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Bhutan Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

-7

FEB

-5

MAR

APR

MAY

180

JUN

411

JUL

529

AUG

391

SEP

247

OCT

NOV

-2

DEC

-5

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Responsible Travel recommends

Rajat Kumar from our supplier, ExplorIndya shares his advice on when is best to visit Bhutan and why: “My favourite time in Bhutan is the period between September and the first week of December. Three reasons: firstly, the weather then is some of the best during the year - as it gets through November it starts to get cold, but not cold enough, leaving a traveller with bright sunny days, but with a comfortable nip in the air. Secondly, it’s the period where some of the most interesting and unique tsechus take place across parts of Bhutan, such as the understated, but brilliant Prakar tshechu; and thirdly, it’s the season when the black necked cranes start to come in to nest in the valleys of the Black Mountains in Bhutan from Tibet and it’s a wonderful sight to experience close-up.”

Festivals & events in Bhutan

Jomolhari Mountain Festival

New doesn’t equal bad in Bhutan, as demonstrated by the Jomolhari Mountain Festival, a two-day event that started in October 2013, but has since been declared an annual celebration. It’s a community-based initiative for the conservation of snow leopards that takes place over two days, each packed with snow-leopard themed songs and dances, traditional sports, horse and yak trekking and local handicraft stalls, all washed down with local food and drinks.