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Thimphu
About Thimphu
Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan, located in the west of Bhutan. Thimpu is known for its age old local architecture of wooden frames without any nails, that is carefully preserved to this very day. Thimphu is a good place to start your trek through Bhutan’s stunning nature.
Local highlights
Explore the city
- Visit the weekly market which is the most important event of the week in Thimphu
- Shop for local crafts at the Government Handicraft Emporium or at one of several privately run emporiums
- If you are visiting in late September, see the Thimphu Domche (festival)
Explore its museums and historical sights, such as
- The Tashicho Dzong a 350-year-old structure with the king’s throne
- The Memorial Chorten (dedicated to the king’s late father Jigme Dorji Wangchuck)
- Changgankha Monastery
- The 17th-century Simtokha Dzong-a Buddhist university
Highlights in the vicinity
- See the stunning Paro and Bumthang valleys
- Taktsang Monastery, built on a 1200 m cliff in the Paro Valley
Good to know
- No. of inhabitants: 50 Thousand
- Timezone: UTC +6
- You need to have a visa clearance and route permits to be able to travel around in Bhutan. Route permits are issued by the immigration office in Thimphu.
- Permits are also required to visit monasteries, dzongs(ancient fortresses) and sacred sites
Local transport
- Public Bus services are not that comfortable. Try to reserve a mini bus with a tour operator.
Inbound transport
- Nearest airport: Paro in the south west of the country, served only by the country's flag carrier Druk Air.
- Train: Nearest station is Siliguri in India
- Buses: The Royal Bhutanese Government runs a service to Phuentsholing. These buses depart from Calcutta (18 hour trip)
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