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Home » Bhutan » Photo Essay: Thimphu, The Fascinating Capital Of Bhutan
BhutanPhotosTrip Reports

Photo Essay: Thimphu, The Fascinating Capital Of Bhutan

Matthew Klint Posted onOctober 17, 2024 13 Comments

a group of people walking in a courtyard

I found Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, among the most unique cities I have ever visited, a fascinating mix of architecture and culture that made for a wonderful visit.

Thimphu, Bhutan: A Photo Essay With Commentary

The population of Bhutan is about 791,000 and Thimphu is about 144,000, making it a rather small capital city. The climate is mild, with the high average temperature remaining under 80ºF during the warmest months of July and Augus but rarely dipping below freezing in the colder months.

There are no high rises and the architecture is unique. I’ve already highlighted the coffee, but the town is full of restaurants, karaoke bars, and stores. You will not find chain stores here.

a street with buildings and cars

a street with cars and buildings

a group of people standing in a street with cars parked

a building with many windows

a building with windows and signs on it

a road with buildings and trees in the background

a group of people standing on a sidewalk by a stone wall

a group of people standing outside of a building

two people walking on a sidewalk

two people walking down a street
Monks are everywhere
people walking in a store
Very few Apple devices in Bhutan…

a building with many signs

a street with cars and buildings

a large archway with a roof over a street with buildings

a building with a truck parked in front of it

a street with buildings and people walking on it

people walking on a sidewalk in a city

cars parked cars on a street in front of a building

a white car with open doors on a street

a door with signs on it

a building with many windows
Cum bar? Here, “cum” means “along with,” as in a restaurant and bar (since not all restaurants have liquor licenses)

There is a bit of a cult of personality around the king and his family, though more like Thailand than North Korea or Turkmenistan. You’ll see pictures of the royal family everywhere, often with slogans:

a large sign on a wall

a sign with a picture of a family and a child

a sign on the front of a building

a poster of a family on a door

The center of town is called “Clock Tower Square” and, as the name implies, has a giant clock tower.

a large square with buildings and Punakha Dzong in the background

a clock tower in front of a building

a clock tower in front of buildings

a clock tower in a city

There’s a fair amount of construction going on, but the city is very clean overall and the air quality was crisp and pristine:

a construction site with a crane and buildings in the background

One reason, perhaps, is that smoking was completely banned in Bhutan, though the ban was lifted in 2023. Public smoking is still not allowed.

a sign on a building

Lotto is a big thing, though.

a blue sign with white text on it

a group of people outside on a sidewalk

a man standing in front of a store

One of my favorite parts of the city was the traffic officer…there are no traffic signals.

a small circular structure with a person standing in front of it

a man standing in a small structure

a black and white photo of a well in a city

a small structure on the street

I visited two sites of interest, starting with the Changangkha Lhakhang temple, the oldest surviving temple in Bhutan dating back to the 13th century. What I found most fascinating was that parents do not name their children in Bhutan. According to my guide, babies are taken to the temple within a few weeks of birth and assigned a name (through “divine intervention”) by the priest. There is not the idea of a family name passed from generation to generation as we see in much of the world.

a group of people standing on a wall

a group of prayer wheels

two people standing in front of a building

a group of trees with mountains in the background

Next, I went to Tashichho Dzong, a Buddhist monastery and fortress on the outskirts of the city. It dates back to 1216, though it has been destroyed and rebuilt on at least three occasions. There are thirty temples, chapels and shrines within Tashichho Dzong and it is also the seat of the “Druk Desi” (the head of Bhutan’s civil government).

a building with a flag on a pole

a stone walkway with a flag pole and flowers in front of a building

a green field with a building in the distance

a building in the mountains

a hallway with a painting on the wall

a building with a large courtyard

a building with a square roof

a colorful building with a balcony

a large building with many windows

a colorful rug with a pattern on it

a painting of a religious figure
Heaven…
a close up of a painting
Earth…
a painting of a circle with a circle in the middle
Hell…

a colorful decorated building with a red carpet

a colorful decorated building with a bell

a white building with a fence and mountains in the background

a road leading to a building

a flag on a pole

As I mentioned earlier, I was dressed up in traditional garb at the urging of my guide and appreciated how warmly I was welcomed everywhere I went in Bhutan.

a man standing in front of a red door

After a day of touring and walking, I even stopped for a massage in town. It felt like a chiropractor’s office from the 1990s, but the massage was excellent.

a sign on a building

a door with a curtain and a sign

a room with a pink wall and a couch

a couch with pillows in a room

a hand holding a book

a close up of a book
$20 visa fee…those were the days…

I quite enjoyed Thimphu.


> Read More: There Is No Cultural Appropriation In Bhutan…

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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13 Comments

  1. Aaron Reply
    October 17, 2024 at 4:59 pm

    A nice, charming city.

    Did you try any of the local food?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      October 17, 2024 at 5:20 pm

      I did try a spicy dish called Jasha Maru.

  2. JoeMart Reply
    October 17, 2024 at 6:26 pm

    Hope you can visit Punakha’s rice fields.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      October 17, 2024 at 6:32 pm

      Sadly, I missed it.

  3. Kenneth Reply
    October 18, 2024 at 6:28 am

    Hi Matt. Awesome pics – what an experience.
    Is it true that you cannot travel by yourself, that you need a guide all along? Or were you able to wander off by yourselves? If a guide is required, I take it you booked through a travel agent?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      October 19, 2024 at 10:48 am

      Hi Kenneth, it is true that you cannot rent a car, drive, or travel from city to city yourself.

      However, I was free to roam within Thimphu (and Paro) and loved exploring on my own.

  4. Lukas Reply
    October 18, 2024 at 12:20 pm

    I had the second best (yak) burger in the world in one of their restaurants. Absolutely delicious!

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      October 19, 2024 at 10:46 am

      Oh darn, I missed that!

  5. Lukas Reply
    October 18, 2024 at 12:25 pm

    The King in Thailand is pretty much reviled. In Bhutan, he is actually revered so the comparison isn’t even close.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      October 19, 2024 at 10:46 am

      Yes, I did get the sense that he is genuinely revered.

      But my point is that his picture is everywhere and it felt more like Thailand than an authoritarian state…

  6. Apple Reply
    October 19, 2024 at 1:55 am

    Lol, this is how small Bhutan is. The guy on the right in the 8th picture from the top, his name is Pema, played football with him once, great guy.

    Also I saw you mention your traditional wear or “gho”, you should wear it out in the US, people look at your like you’ve lost the plot (ha), it’s a good social experiment.

  7. Pema Reply
    October 21, 2024 at 8:20 am

    Are mask mandates still being enforced in Bhutan, or did they just forget to take down the signs?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      October 21, 2024 at 10:42 am

      Forgot to take down the signs. Definitely not being enforced.

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