Thimphu walking tour & city guide

Dzongs, chortens and the town

Norzin Lam is the main street, lined with shops, offices and painted wooden facades, and Clock Tower Square below it is the town's open meeting place. Down by the river, the Centenary Farmers' Market is busy at weekends with stalls of chillies, red rice, cheese and vegetables, and a traditional covered bridge leads across to a crafts market.

To the north, Tashichho Dzong, a great white fortress monastery, houses government offices and the central monk body. The National Memorial Chorten, in the centre of town, is circled all day by older residents spinning prayer wheels, and the giant golden Buddha Dordenma statue looks down over the valley from a ridge to the south.

A classic walk: Norzin Lam to the Memorial Chorten

Start at Clock Tower Square and walk up Norzin Lam to the traffic police pavilion at the main junction. Continue south to the National Memorial Chorten and join the people walking clockwise around it.

On a weekend morning, walk down to the Centenary Farmers' Market by the river and cross the covered bridge. In the late afternoon, head up to the Buddha Dordenma for the view over the whole valley.

Good to know

March to May and September to November are the best months, with clear skies and festival season in the autumn; the monsoon brings rain in summer. Most visitors arrive at Paro airport, about an hour's drive away, and Bhutan charges international visitors a daily Sustainable Development Fee, so check current entry rules before you plan. Wear long sleeves and long trousers or skirts when visiting dzongs and temples, and walk clockwise around chortens.