festival

Bhutan's Living Festivals

Masked dances, ancient rituals, and valleys alive with celebration.

Please note: Tshechu festival dates follow Bhutan's lunar calendar and change every year — official dates are published annually by Bhutan's Department of Tourism. Contact us for exact dates before booking.
Masked dance at the annual Paro Tshechu
5 days / 4 nights

Paro Tshechu Experience

Paro · Rinpung Dzong · Festival

The most famous Tshechu — witness sacred masked dances and ancient rituals in the courtyard of Rinpung Dzong.

Cham masked dancers at Thimphu Tshechu
7 days / 6 nights

Thimphu & Punakha Festivals

Thimphu · Punakha · Two Tshechus

Two distinct festivals in one journey — experience the grandeur of Thimphu Tshechu and the intimate celebrations of Punakha.

Masked dancer at a Bhutanese Tshechu
10 days / 9 nights

Jakar Tshechu & Valley Journey

Paro · Thimphu · Bumthang · Jakar

A quieter, intimate Tshechu in Bumthang — combined with the serene beauty of the spiritual heartland of Bhutan.

more bhutanese festivals

Beyond The Main Tshechus

Royal Highland Festival at Laya
Fixed date · Oct 23–24

Royal Highland Festival

Laya, Gasa · 4,000m

Unlike the Tshechus, this one runs on a fixed Gregorian date every year. Two days of highland dance, music, crafts and animal parades at 4,000m in Laya, alongside the 25km Laya Run — celebrating the culture of Bhutan's highland communities since 2016.

Black-necked Crane Festival at Gangtey Goemba
Fixed date · Nov 11

Black-necked Crane Festival

Gangtey Goemba, Phobjikha

Also on a fixed date every year, timed to the cranes' winter arrival. School dances, folk songs and masked dances fill the Gangtey Goemba courtyard, celebrating crane conservation and the Phobjikha valley's cultural identity.

Masked dancer at Wangdue Tshechu
October

Wangdue Tshechu

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong

Spectacular views over the Mo Chhu river valley, with far fewer tourists than the larger festivals.

Festival attendees in traditional dress
March

Haa Tshechu

Haa Valley

The most intimate of all Tshechus — almost no tourists, and a deeply local atmosphere.

Preparing a mask backstage at Jakar Tshechu
Oct – Nov

Jakar Tshechu

Bumthang Valley

A quieter, more intimate Tshechu, held close enough to watch the dancers — and the careful ritual of preparing their masks — from within the monastery courtyard.