Bhutan travel guide

Best time to visit Bhutan from the UK

Best value: May, Sep, Dec. Mar–May and Sep–Nov. Busiest and priciest: Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov.

Each bar is the average temperature in Thimphu for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

• Our pick: May and SeptemberThe warmest of the best-value months (9–11°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
• Peak season: Mar–Apr, Oct–NovUsually 2–7°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
• Quiet season: Jan–Feb, Jun–AugAround -2–13°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
• Warmest: July (13°C) · coolest: January (-2°C)A 15°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.

Festivals and events

• Paro Tshechu Mar–Apr · Paro
• Thimphu Tshechu Sep–Oct · Thimphu
• Punakha Drubchen Feb–Mar · Punakha

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time

About 9h 45m

Distance

7,661 km

Main airport

PBH

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Bhutan to your bucket list Search flights to PBH

Practical info and travel guidance

• VisaVisa needed in advancePre-approved through a tour operator
• HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
• LGBT+ travellersLegal, but attitudes can be conservativePublic affection may draw attention.
• Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Bhutan, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 10 December 2025. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Bhutan before you book and again before you go.