Name: Bhutan Paro Tshechu Festival
Brand: Accessible Adventure

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Bhutan Paro Tshechu Festival

Why Choose Bhutan Paro Tshechu Festival?

Last updated April 8, 2026

This Paro Tshechu Festival Tour from Accessible will take you to experience one of the most popular festivals in Bhutan. In addition, you will discover the historical landmarks in well-known cities such as Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha throughout your time on this tour. During the course of the journey, you will go to the major event known as the Paro Tshechu to watch the unfolding of Thangkha and enjoy the mask dances. In addition to that, the tour will take you to see the Late King's Memorial Chorten, the Punakha Dzong, and a number of other well-known locations along the way. You will also hike to Taktshang Goemba, also known as Tiger's Nest, before the adventure comes to a close. Taktshang Goemba is the holiest temple in all of Bhutan.

Tsechu are yearly religious celebrations that take place on the tenth day of each month according to the lunar Tibetan calendar. These celebrations take place in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan. The month varies from location to location. The Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism celebrates a number of holy holidays known as tshechus.

The Cham dances serve as the main attraction of the tshechus. These dances are often moral vignettes or are based on occurrences from the life of Padmasambhava, a Nyingma teacher from the 9th century, or other saints. They are performed while wearing masks and costumes.

The event may begin at various times throughout the day depending on the locale. Paro, Thimpu, and Punakha are just a few of the cities in Bhutan that celebrate their own Tsechu festivals on dates and at times that differ from one another. The festival, on the other hand, typically continues for a total of four days. The majority of tshechus also include the unfurling of a thongdrel, which is a giant appliqué thangka that often depicts a seated Padmasambhava surrounded by holy beings. It is believed that the act of simply viewing the thongdrel will wash the spectator of their sins. The thongdrel is rolled down in the morning after being rolled up the night before.

Other cities like Thimpu and Punakha also hold the Tsechu festival in high regard and you can choose to visit those festivals as well depending on your preferred time. You can customize your trip so that you can experience the festival first and then go on the cultural tour or you can explore Bhutan first while experiencing the festival at the end of your trip.

Best Season for "Bhutan Paro Tshechu Festival"

The dates for the trek are almost always fixed, and there is no "best season" for the trips because the Tsechu festival is held according to the Tibetan Lunar Calendar and is fixed according to the locations that the festival takes place in. This is because the festival is fixed according to the locations that it takes place in. The following is a list of the many dates for the Tsechu Festivals that will take place in the year 2023 in the three most important cities in Bhutan, Thimpu, Paro, and Punakha:

Paro Tsechu - Apr 01, 2023 to Apr 05, 2023

Punakha Tsechu -Mar 01, 2023 to Mar 03, 2023

Thimphu Tsechu - Oct 8, 2023, to Oct 10, 2023

Why "Bhutan Paro Tshechu Festival" with Us?

Accessible Adventure is a travel and tour company run and managed by a group of seasoned Nepalese citizens. This staff has extensive experience organizing and managing vacation destinations in Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet throughout the Himalayas.

We are a major and rising travel company based in Kathmandu, Nepal, with over a decade of experience organizing successful tours with one-of-a-kind quality services at affordable prices. During your stay with us, you will have access to all of the Himalayan vacation destinations that we provide.

Each of our holidays is painstakingly planned and managed, and we consistently receive good comments from both previous and present customers and clients. They are quite pleased and grateful for the value of the vacations we provide.

Trip Summary

Day 1

Day 1: Arrival in Paro

When you arrive in Paro, Bhutan's only international airport, your tour guide will meet you there and take you to your hotel. After resting, you will go sightseeing in and around Paro.

We will begin with a visit to the Ta Dzong Museum, which includes numerous holy relics and pieces of art and provides an excellent introduction to Bhutan's historical, cultural, and religious history. Following the exhibition, we will drive to the Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the 108 temples built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. This temple is constructed similarly to the Jokhang in Lhasa and contains a large golden image of Buddha Shakyamuni. Later, visit the Paro Rinpung Dzong. Rinpung Dzong, located in the Paro City suburbs, is a castle built in the 17th century to safeguard the Paro valley, offering a stunning landscape and a sense of inner serenity.

Daily Summary

AccommodationTeahouse

MealsB,L,D

Mountain Seen-

Day 2

Day 2: Attend Paro Festival

The Paro Festival continues throughout the day today. The festival held in honor of Guru Rimpoche, the holy man credited with introducing Buddhism to Bhutan and the Himalayan area, the Tshechu is held annually. The people of Bhutan have a strong religious tradition that dictates they must attend a Tshechu at least once in their lifetime and watch the mask dances in order to get blessings and cleanse themselves of their sins. At the Paro Tshechu Festival, we are treated to a vibrant display of the excitement and spectacle that the event has to offer. Of all the Buddhist festivals that are observed in Bhutan, this one is often regarded as the holiest and most significant. Devotees, many of whom are decked up in elaborate traditional garb, convene at the Paro Dzong in order to profess their faith and get blessings. The dances are meant to symbolize the triumph of good over evil. For thousands of years, the dances and costumes have been performed in the same way. Each dance is a precise recreation of visions that were experienced by Bhutan's most revered Buddhist monks, and it is considered sacrilegious to make any alterations to the dances. This day will feature a wide variety of dances, some of which include the Lords of the Cremation Grounds, Terrifying Deities, Heroes. Folk songs and clowning break up the dancing, while large gallons of butter tea and a locally produced, highly alcoholic barley liquor help keep everyone in high spirits throughout the evening.

Daily Summary

Day 3

Day 3: Paro to Punakha

After you have finished breakfast, you will be driven in a private car in the direction of Thimphu for one hour. From there, you will continue climbing steeply through a pine and cedar forest until you reach Dochula Pass, which is located at an incredible altitude of 3,100 meters. This pass is home to a number of chortens and provides stunning vistas of the Himalayan mountain ranges. After that, we will proceed to Lobesa, where we will see the well-known Chimi Lhakhang Temple, which is perched on a small hill. This temple is devoted to a great yogi who lived in the 14th century and was known as Drukpa Kuenley. He is also sometimes referred to as the "Divine Madman." After that, we will continue to Punakha and pay a visit to the spectacular Punakha Dzong. This Dzong, which is located between the Phochu and Mochu Rivers, is often considered to be the most impressive structure in all of Bhutan. It was the capital of Bhutan throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.

Daily Summary

Duration3 hrs

Day 4

Day 4: Punakha to Thimpu

Our day begins with a drive back to Thimphu, where we'll see the Giant Buddha Statue the largest sitting statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. We will also visit Drupthop Lhakhang. The history of Drubthob Thangtong Gyelpo, who is also known as Drupthop Chagzampa, is linked to the Lhakhang. In the 1400s, Drupthob Thangtong Gyelpo was a great Tibetan yogi, doctor, blacksmith, architect, and one of the first civil engineers. Drupthop Thangthong Gyelpo built many buildings in Bhutan, like temples and Dzongs. Drupthop Lhakhang is one of these buildings. and the School of Traditional Bhutanese Painting School.

After lunch, you'll go to Lungtenzampa, where you may observe native silversmiths at work. After that, we head back into the city itself to peruse the small stores selling native wares and take a stroll through the compact capital. Then, later that day, we visit Tashichho Dzong, a fortification that looks out over the valley and was built in the grandiose Bhutanese tradition.

Daily Summary

Duration3 hrs

Day 5

Day 5: Thimpu-Paro,– Final Day of Paro Tsechu Festival

Following breakfast, we get in the car and head back to Paro. Along the way, we make a stop at Old Bridge and go to Tachogang Temple, both of which were constructed in the 15th century by Thangtong Gyalpo. Thangtong Gyalpo, who is known as the Great Iron Bridge Builder, built Tachogang or Tachog Lhakhang. These names mean "Temple of the Hill of the Excellent Horse" (1385-1464). The story goes that Thangtong Gyalpo was meditating at the same spot when he saw Balaha, an incarnation of Chenrezig Avalokiteshvara, which made him want to build a temple. We take part in the final events of the Paro Festival, which take place in the late afternoon. The Paro Tsechu Festival comes to a close today as well. The official conclusion of the Paro Festival occurs in the late afternoon, following the exhibition of the Thanka of Guru Rinpoche Thongdrol.

Daily Summary

Duration2–3 hrs

Day 6

Day 6: Hike to Taksang Monastary

After breakfast, we take a short drive to the foot of Tiger's Nest, where we begin our two-hour ascent to the monastery cafe, where we are rewarded with a breathtaking panorama of Taktsang. After another half-hour of hiking, we'll reach the majestic Taktsang and be greeted by the resident monks. It is thought that from Singye Dzong in Eastern Bhutan, Guru Rimpoche flew on a flaming tigress to here, Bhutan's holiest monastery, where he meditated for three months. Beginning in the eighth century, under his leadership, Buddhism in Paro flourished. He flew here from Tibet on the back of Yeshe Tsogyal, who he turned into a flying tigress for the trip. He landed on the cliff, which he "anointed" as the place to build a monastery. People have called him the "protector saint of Bhutan" because he brought Buddhism and the Nyingmapa school of Mahayana Buddhism to Bhutan. In the monastery, there are eight caves. Four of them are pretty easy to get to. Padmasambhava is thought to have entered the first cave on the back of a tiger. This cave is called "Tholu Phuk," and the cave where he meditates is called "Pel Phuk."

All of the monastic structures are cut directly into the cliff face, which has extraordinarily steep slopes. Despite its intimidating appearance, the monastery complex may be reached from multiple directions. These include the northwest by a path through the forest, the south via a path used by devotees, and the north via the "Hundred Thousand Fairies".

We descend back and stay overnight in Paro.

Daily Summary

Day 7

Day 7: Farewell

We'll be leaving Bhutan, a stunning Himalayan nation, today. Three hours before your flight you will be escorted to the airport via private vehicle. We trust that you have found some Bhutanese friends and amassed an impressive photo album to help you recall your time there. We welcome you back to the wonderful realm of Charms, where the magic never ends.

Daily Summary

AccommodationTeahouse

MealsB,L,D

Bhutan Paro Tshechu Festival

Why Choose Bhutan Paro Tshechu Festival?

Best Season for "Bhutan Paro Tshechu Festival"

Why "Bhutan Paro Tshechu Festival" with Us?

Trip Summary

Day 1: Arrival in Paro

Daily Summary

Day 2: Attend Paro Festival

Daily Summary

Day 3: Paro to Punakha

Daily Summary

Day 4: Punakha to Thimpu

Daily Summary

Day 5: Thimpu-Paro,– Final Day of Paro Tsechu Festival

Daily Summary

Day 6: Hike to Taksang Monastary

Daily Summary

Day 7: Farewell

Daily Summary

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