Bhutan

Where Is Bhutan Located?

Bhutan is a landlocked country in the eastern Himalayas, in South Asia. China’s Tibet Autonomous Region lies to the north, and India borders it on the other three sides. This Bhutan travel guide starts with the map: the capital is Thimphu, and the country covers about 38,394 square kilometres.

Last checked: November 2026

That makes Bhutan slightly smaller than Switzerland. Sikkim lies to the west, West Bengal and Assam to the south, and Arunachal Pradesh to the east. There’s no coastline, so the nearest sea is the Bay of Bengal, reached through India. Bhutan is a sovereign state with its own language, currency and monarchy, not part of India.

Height changes fast. The southern foothills are low and subtropical, the central valleys sit between roughly 1,300 and 2,900 metres, and northern peaks rise above 7,000 metres. Paro’s airport is at about 2,235 metres, Thimphu near 2,300 and Punakha near 1,350, which explains why the weather differs between valleys. Rivers such as the Wang Chhu in Thimphu and the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu at Punakha carve the valleys that hold the main towns. About 71 per cent of the land is forest, according to UN data, and the UK government notes that mountaineering is banned.

Bhutan uses UTC+6 all year, with no daylight saving. That’s half an hour ahead of India, which catches out travellers who connect through Delhi or Kolkata. Most visitors arrive by air at Paro. Our flights to Bhutan guide covers airports and airlines, and getting around Bhutan explains roads and domestic flights inside the country.

Bhutan Travel Guide: An Introduction to the Country

Bhutan is a small Himalayan kingdom known for fortress-monasteries called dzongs, a Buddhist way of life and a policy of measuring progress by Gross National Happiness. Thimphu is the capital, Dzongkha is the official language, and the currency is the ngultrum. The country is a constitutional monarchy.

Bhutan has had a two-house parliament since 2008. The Druk Gyalpo, or Dragon King, is head of state. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has reigned since December 2006, and Tshering Tobgay is prime minister.

About 784,000 people live in Bhutan as of 2025, according to World Bank data, and that figure covers the whole country. Thimphu, the largest city, has about 203,000 residents in 2025, according to UN estimates. The ngultrum is pegged one-to-one to the Indian rupee, and rupees are also accepted as legal tender.

Gross National Happiness isn’t a mood survey. It’s a policy framework that weighs economic growth against culture, the environment and good governance, and the Fourth King promoted it from the 1970s. The constitution requires at least 60 per cent of the land to stay under forest. Visitors travel through licensed operators, and the Bhutan visa guide explains the entry rules. For a first trip, the Bhutan itineraries show how many nights different routes need.

A Short History of Bhutan

Bhutan was unified in the 17th century by the Tibetan lama Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who arrived in 1616. A hereditary monarchy began in 1907 under Ugyen Wangchuck, and the country adopted its written constitution in 2008. Bhutan was never colonised, though it signed treaties with British India.

Early Settlement and the Arrival of Buddhism

People have lived in Bhutan’s valleys for thousands of years. Tradition says Buddhism arrived in the 7th and 8th centuries, linked to the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo and the teacher Guru Rinpoche. In the 13th century, the lama Phajo Drugom Zhigpo brought the Drukpa Kagyu school, which later shaped the state.

Unification Under the Zhabdrung (1616 to 1907)

Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal reached Bhutan in 1616 after a dispute in Tibet. He defeated three Tibetan invasions, issued a legal code called the Tsa Yig and built dzongs such as Punakha to defend and govern the valleys. His dual system split power between a religious head, the Je Khenpo, and a civil ruler, the Druk Desi. Many of these dzongs now top the list of best places to visit in Bhutan.

After the Zhabdrung’s death in 1651, civil conflict followed. A war with British India over the southern Duars in 1864 and 1865 ended with Bhutan giving up those lowlands.

The Wangchuck Monarchy (1907 to 2008)

Ugyen Wangchuck, the governor of Trongsa, began consolidating power in 1885. Bhutan’s chiefs and lamas chose him as the first hereditary king, and he was enthroned on 17 December 1907, a date still marked as National Day. A 1910 treaty left Bhutan’s foreign affairs under British guidance, and a treaty with newly independent India followed on 8 August 1949.

Bhutan joined the United Nations on 21 September 1971, and tourism opened in 1974, the year of the Fourth King’s coronation. In 1990, unrest in the south led thousands of ethnic Nepali people to leave for Nepal, a chapter that remains sensitive. The Britannica history of Bhutan covers these years in more detail.

Democracy and Modern Bhutan (2008 to Today)

The Fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, abdicated in December 2006 in favour of his son. The constitution was signed on 18 July 2008, and the first parliamentary elections followed that year, with the Fifth King crowned on 6 November 2008. General elections have since taken place in 2013, 2018 and 2024.

In December 2023, the King announced Gelephu Mindfulness City, a planned special economic zone in the south. On 8 December 2025, Drukair began international flights from Gelephu to Kolkata, which opened a second air gateway beside Paro.

Bhutanese Culture and Traditions

Bhutanese culture centres on Vajrayana Buddhism, the Dzongkha language, and traditions such as masked festivals, national dress and archery. Dzongs act as both monasteries and government offices. Daily life still follows customs of respect for monks, elders and sacred places, and the country has worked to protect its traditional arts and architecture.

Language

Dzongkha is the official language, written in a script derived from Tibetan. Sharchopka is spoken in the east, Bumthangkha in central Bhutan and Nepali in the south. English is the language of instruction in schools, and the UK government says it’s widely spoken.

Religion

Vajrayana Buddhism, mainly the Drukpa Kagyu school, shapes public life, and Hinduism is the second-largest religion. Prayer flags line ridges, prayer wheels sit beside paths, and chortens, which are stupas, stand at road bends. A dzong is two institutions in one: monks and district officials share the same walls.

Festivals

Tshechus are annual festivals at dzongs and temples, with masked cham dances and blessings. Dates follow the lunar calendar, so they move each year. The Mask dance of the drums from Drametse is on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage lists. Our best time to visit Bhutan guide covers months and dates.

Etiquette

Dress modestly in temples and dzongs, and follow signs about shoes, hats and photography. Many Bhutanese wear the gho, a knee-length robe for men, and the kira, an ankle-length wrap dress for women, and both are required in schools and offices. Walk clockwise around chortens and prayer wheels, and don’t criticise the King, as the UK government advises.

Music and Arts

Zhungdra and boedra are traditional song styles, and rigsar is a modern pop style. The thirteen traditional arts, called Zorig Chusum, include painting, woodcarving and weaving, and a national institute in Thimphu teaches them. Archery, the national sport, is played in village matches with songs, dances and friendly teasing of the opposing team.

Bhutanese Food and Drink

Bhutanese food is built on red rice, chillies and cheese, with ema datshi, a stew of chillies and cheese, widely called the national dish. Meals often include pork, beef or chicken, vegetables and butter tea. Chilli is treated as a vegetable here, not just a seasoning, so dishes can be hot.

Staples

Red rice, a nutty rice grown in western valleys such as Paro, is the usual base of a meal. Maize is common in the east, and buckwheat in Bumthang and Haa. Cheese goes into most vegetable dishes, so many meals suit vegetarians, and in the south Nepali influence brings different spices.

Signature Dishes

• Ema datshi: chillies in a cheese sauce, eaten with rice at most meals.
• Kewa datshi: potatoes in cheese sauce, milder than ema datshi.
• Shamu datshi: mushrooms cooked with cheese and a little chilli.
• Phaksha paa: pork cooked with dried red chillies and greens.
• Sikam paa: dried pork stir-fried with chillies.
• Jasha maroo: a spicy chicken stew with tomato and onion.
• Momo: steamed dumplings filled with meat, cheese or vegetables.
• Thukpa: a noodle soup with vegetables or meat.
• Hoentay: buckwheat dumplings from Haa, filled with turnip greens and cheese.
• Puta: buckwheat noodles from Bumthang.
• Ezay: a chilli relish with tomato and cheese, served on the side.

Street Food

Street food is a smaller scene than in India or Thailand. Look for momo stalls and tea shops in Thimphu and Paro, and visit Thimphu’s weekend market for cheese, dried chillies, vegetables and local snacks. Many Bhutanese also chew doma, a betel nut wrapped in a leaf with lime paste, sold at small shops.

Drinks

Suja is butter tea, made with tea, butter and salt, and it’s served in homes and temples. Ngaja is sweet milk tea. Ara is a home-distilled spirit made from rice, maize or wheat, and chhang is a fermented drink. Local beer is also brewed in Bhutan.

Desserts

Sweets aren’t a big part of daily meals. Dresi is a sweet rice dish with butter and sugar, and khapse are deep-fried biscuits made for the new year festival, Losar. Meals are usually included in guided packages, so tell your operator about dietary needs, and see where to stay in Bhutan for how stays are usually arranged.