Bhutan Festival Calendar 2026
Month-wise tshechu and festival dates across the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
Festival season
Time your Bhutan holiday around a tshechu
Bhutan comes alive during tshechu season. Monasteries and dzong courtyards fill with masked cham dancers, families arrive in their finest gho and kira, and giant embroidered thongdrol scrolls are unveiled before dawn to bless everyone who sees them.
Use this month-wise Bhutan Festival Calendar 2026 to time your holiday. Share the festival you want to attend and Turopia will build the itinerary around it, book hotels early for festival week and position you inside the courtyard with a licensed Bhutanese guide.
Community Connections
Festival time brings villages and towns together — families cook, eat and celebrate side by side for days.
Preservation of Culture
Traditional music, dance, costume and ritual are passed to the next generation in the most joyful way possible.
A Splash of Colour
Vivid masks, brocade robes and swirling silk create a spectacle that is unmatched anywhere in the Himalaya.
A True Traveller Experience
For visitors, a tshechu is a living museum of faith, artistry and old-world wisdom — not a staged performance.
2026 dates
Month-wise festival calendar
Dates follow the Bhutanese lunar calendar and can shift slightly — confirm with us before booking flights.
January 2026
Samdrupjongkhar Tshechu
1 – 3 JanSamdrup Jongkhar
Sacred mask dances and local traditions honouring Guru Rinpoche.
Nabji Lhakhang Drup
3 – 5 JanTrongsa
Held in a sacred village temple, retelling the ancient peace between rival kings with rare folk performances.
February 2026
Lhamoi Dromchhen
22 – 24 FebTrongsa
Dedicated to the protective deity Pelden Lhamo, with monk dances to ward off evil.
Punakha Dromchoe
24 – 26 FebPunakha
Commemorates Bhutan's victory over Tibetan invaders with a dramatic re-enacted war dance.
Punakha Tshechu
27 – 28 FebPunakha
Religious dances in elaborate attire and the unveiling of the giant thongdrol scroll.
March 2026
Tharpaling Thongdrol
1 – 3 MarBumthang
Display of a large holy scroll at Tharpaling Monastery, believed to bless all who see it.
Tangsibi Mani
3 – 5 MarTrongsa
A lesser-known celebration of prayers and mani recitations.
Chhorten Kora
3 – 19 MarTrashiyangtse
Pilgrims from Arunachal Pradesh circle the stupa praying for good fortune.
Gomphu Kora
26 – 28 MarTrashiyangtse
A cave-temple blessed by Guru Rinpoche hosts mask dances and spiritual gatherings.
Talo Tshechu
26 – 28 MarPunakha
Graceful dances by monks and the women of Talo village.
Gasa Tshechu
26 – 28 MarGasa
Sacred dances and blessings amid Gasa's scenic highlands.
Zhemgang Tshechu
26 – 28 MarZhemgang
A rural festival uniting remote communities with unique mask dances.
Paro Tshechu
29 Mar – 2 AprParo
Bhutan's most celebrated festival, with grand mask dances and the dawn thongdrol.
April 2026
Rhododendron Festival
1 – 3 AprLamperi, Thimphu
Celebrates Bhutan's floral biodiversity with nature walks and local arts.
Domkhar Tshechu
3 – 5 AprBumthang
A small, colourful celebration of dances unique to the Choekhor valley.
Ura Yakchoe
28 Apr – 2 MayBumthang
Famous for the display of a sacred relic offered by a mysterious monk.
June 2026
Nimalung Tshechu
22 – 24 JunBumthang
Grand performances and vibrant community participation to bless the valley.
Kurjey Tshechu
24 JunBumthang
Held where Guru Rinpoche meditated; devotees gather for deep spiritual blessings.
September 2026
Tour of the Dragon
5 SepBumthang to Thimphu
Bhutan's legendary 268 km one-day mountain bike race across four passes.
Thimphu Tshechu
21 – 23 SepThimphu
The kingdom's largest festival, filling Tendrel Thang with mask dances and crowds in ceremonial dress.
Wangdue Tshechu
19 – 21 SepWangdue Phodrang
Known for the Raksha Mangcham, the dance of the ox.
Gangtey Tshechu
23 – 25 SepPhobjikha
Celebrated at Gangtey Goenpa above the crane valley.
October 2026
Jhomolhari Mountain Festival
14 – 15 OctJangothang, Thimphu
Celebrates harmony between highlanders, snow leopards and the mountains.
Jakar Tshechu
18 – 21 OctChoekhor, Bumthang
Religious performances and local festivity inside Jakar Dzong.
Pemagatshel Tshechu
18 – 21 OctPemagatshel
A rare glimpse into eastern Bhutan's deeply rooted traditions.
Chhukha Tshechu
19 – 21 OctChhukha
Mask dances and community celebration in the southern district.
Dechenphu Tshechu
21 OctThimphu
A one-day festival honouring the guardian deity Genyen Jagpa Melen.
Jambay Lhakhang Drup
26 – 29 OctChoekhor, Bumthang
One of Bhutan's oldest festivals, famous for the midnight fire dance.
Traakar Duchhoed
27 – 29 OctBumthang
Ancient rituals and sacred dances in the Bumthang valleys.
November 2026
Black-Necked Crane Festival
11 NovGangtey, Phobjikha
Marks the return of the wintering black-necked cranes with school dances and conservation shows.
Mongar Tshechu
17 – 20 NovMongar
Eastern Bhutan's flagship tshechu, held largely after dark.
Trashigang Tshechu
18 – 21 NovTrashigang
Draws highland communities from across the far east.
December 2026
Druk Wangyel Tshechu
13 DecDochula Pass
Performed by the Royal Bhutan Army against a backdrop of Himalayan peaks and 108 chortens.
Trongsa Tshechu
17 – 19 DecTrongsa
Held in the ancestral dzong of Bhutan's royal family.
Lhuentse Tshechu
17 – 19 DecLhuentse
A remote northeastern celebration of mask dances and blessings.
National Day
17 DecNationwide
Marks the coronation of the first King of Bhutan in 1907, with mass performances.
Book festival week early
Hotels in Paro and Thimphu sell out months before a tshechu. Tell us the festival you want and we'll block rooms now.