Skift’s Megatrends for 2024 were released at the beginning of the year, our 12th annual reporting on the trends defining the travel industry.
16.01.2024 - 22:51 / lonelyplanet.com
The perfect time to visit Bhutan depends on your reasons for coming. The best seasons weather-wise for general travel are spring (March and April) and autumn (October and November), but it will also depend on whether your main goal is trekking, avoiding the crowds or attending a specific festival.
In general, October is the single most popular month for foreign visitors to Bhutan, closely followed by April.
There are some hotel discounts in the off-season winter months of December to February and monsoon months of June to August but in general, there's not a huge seasonal price difference for tours. Here's everything you need to know about picking the perfect time to visit Bhutan.
With its perfect combination of comfortable temperatures, clear skies, spectacular festivals and good trekking, October is the single best month to visit Bhutan – that's why it's the most popular month for international visitors.
The downside is you'll encounter large groups at the more popular sights and throughout western Bhutan, as well as more trekking groups in camping areas. Don’t worry, though, there are still plenty of spots that you can enjoy by yourself. Even at its busiest time, the crowds in Bhutan can't compare to neighboring Nepal or India.
Springtime in the eastern Himalaya brings not only delightful weather but entire hillsides of pink, red and white rhododendron blooms, as well as the dramatic spiky blooms of Bhutan’s many red silk cotton trees. Temperatures are warm but not hot, the skies may not be quite as clear as October or November but the fields are greener and snow still shrouds the higher peaks.
April is the second most popular month for foreign visitors, most of whom visit the beloved Paro tsechu (masked dance) festival (usually in late March/early April). Early in the season is also a great time for day hiking sections of the low-altitude Trans Bhutan Trail – treks into higher elevations are best left until late April and May.
The spring and autumn (fall) seasons are easily the best times to go trekking in the Bhutanese Himalaya. Spring brings colorful blooms but also more rain and mud than autumn, as well as more snow on the higher passes. Autumn offers clearer Himalayan panoramas and pleasant daytime high temperatures of around 20°C (68°F).
Avoid trekking during the monsoon season (June to mid-September) when leeches, damaged roads and raging river crossings make trekking too much of an adventure to be considered fun. September is also a soggy, cloudy month. March is worth considering for lower-altitude treks such as the Saga La and Bumdrak routes.
By early November up to 600 black-necked cranes have established their winter home in Bhutan’s beautiful Phobjikha Valley, making it one of the best places
Skift’s Megatrends for 2024 were released at the beginning of the year, our 12th annual reporting on the trends defining the travel industry.
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