When to visit - Bhutan
What is the best time to visit Bhutan?
The best time for a holiday in Bhutan is from late March to May and again from late September to early November. During these times temperatures will be pleasant and there is less chance of cloud obscuring the great views of the Himalayas from the mountain passes.
What are the best months to be in Bhutan?
Other good times to visit Bhutan are the months of December & June. In December the weather will be cold but there are less travellers around at this time and quite often there are colourful festivals to witness as you travel around. In June temperatures are warming up just before the monsoon breaks, bringing with it humidity and rainfall. See our tours in Bhutan.
When is the rainy season in Bhutan?
In the summer months of July through to mid-September the Indian monsoon makes itself felt and there is considerable rainfall, and high humidity, throughout the country. It is still possible to travel at this time but you will need to take an umbrella!
See our range of travel experiences in Bhutan.
Times with cool temperatures in Bhutan
The traditional winter months of late November through to early March can bring cool temperatures to Bhutan. Generally speaking life in the valleys can still be quite pleasant in the winter, especially during the day, but the evenings will be chilly.
Very cold times to visit Bhutan
In the depths of mid-winter Bhutan can experience some very cold times especially in the mountains. It is not recommended to go trekking at this time due to the local conditions being too tough for anything other than a few very hardy locals.
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Central Bhutan Weather Information (Bumthang)
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Very cold | Cool temperatures | Best time to travel | Best time to travel | Best time to travel | Good time to travel | Green season | Green season | Good time to travel | Best time to travel | Good time to travel | Cool temperatures | |
Max Temp °C | 10 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 12 |
Min Temp °C | -5 | -1 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 6 | -1 | -2 |
Hours Daylight | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
Rainfall (mm) | 10 | 21 | 48 | 84 | 149 | 273 | 325 | 256 | 193 | 70 | 13 | 4 |
January – April: Temperatures at the beginning of the year in Bumthang are cold with an average of just 3°C in January, although the reality is that the weather is often significantly colder than this with regular temperatures below -5°C. With an average of just 5°C February is also a very cold month, however temperatures do begin to rise towards the end of the period with April being the first month of the year to enter double figures with an average of 11°C. Rainfall is almost unheard of in the early months of the year and rises to still negligible amounts in April with an average of 50mm falling throughout the month.
May – September: The arrival of May brings with it the annual monsoon rains in Bumthang with an average of 150mm falling within the month. This figure rises sharply as the summer continues figures of around 300mm throughout the period between June and September to be expected. Temperatures through this period are also on the rise with an average of 14°C in May growing to an annual maximum of 19°C in July, although in reality temperatures can often reach the mid 20’s during the day.
October – December: Temperatures throughout this period steadily decline as the warm summer month’s begin the change towards the cold Himalayan winter, with an average of 12°C in October falling to just 4°C in December. With the monsoon season officially over October can receive some rain with an average of around 70mm however the months of November and December are both almost unanimously dry with under 10mm of rain to be expected within each month.
West Bhutan Weather Information (Paro)
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
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Very cold | Cool temperatures | Best time to travel | Best time to travel | Best time to travel | Good time to travel | Green season | Green season | Good time to travel | Best time to travel | Good time to travel | Cool temperatures | |
Max Temp °C | 9 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 11 |
Min Temp °C | -6 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 2 | -2 |
Hours Daylight | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
Rainfall (mm) | 12 | 24 | 52 | 92 | 155 | 290 | 354 | 277 | 213 | 76 | 15 | 4 |
January – April: Temperatures at the beginning of the year in Paro are generally fairly cold without being unpleasant with an average of 5°C In January rising to 10°C in March and 13°C in April. Despite that average temperatures during this period are not exceedingly low, night time temperatures can regularly dip below -5°C and, although it is not common place, there is a small chance of snow during this period. Perhaps the reason for this lack of snow is not so much the temperature, but more the lack of precipitation which is Negligible throughout the period, with April receiving the most rain with 50mm falling throughout the month.
May – September: The second half of May signifies the beginning of monsoon season in Paro with an average of 120mm of rain falling throughout the month. Although this amount of rain is a big jump from the amount that can be expected in April, the real rain is yet to come with an average of around 350mm falling in both July and August. In fact, rainfall is so common during these two months that there is over a 50% chance of rain at any given time. Temperatures throughout this period are extremely pleasant with an average of 17°C in May rising to around 20°C which lasts throughout the summer months.
October – December: With the monsoon rains now officially over the final period of the year enjoys extremely dry weather with an average of 40mm of rain in October falling to just 5mm in December which makes it the driest month of the year in Paro. Much like the falling levels of precipitation temperatures also take a fairly dramatic plunge of 10°C, from 16°C in September top just 6°C in December.
Bhutan Climate
The weather in Bhutan varies enormously and depends largely on the altitude in a given region and also the effect of the monsoon that sweeps in from the Indian subcontinent. In the south of the country, close to the Indian border, the climate is sub-tropical and temperatures are generally warm year round with less variation than elsewhere due to the lower altitude. As you move north into west, central and east Bhutan the altitude increases and so the temperatures start to vary with cold, dry winters and warm, wet summer summers. The very north of the Kingdom is home to some of the Himalayas' most mighty peaks and the climate is harsh in the winter but still cool in the summer due to the high altitude.