Festival Tours

The Mahayana Buddhism is the official religion of Bhutan. It combines the essential teachings of Mahayana Buddhism with Tantric philosophy, Shamanism, and material from an ancient animistic religion called Bon. This form puts emphasis on the role of teachers or Lamas and the importance of ritual, and is imbued with a rich visual symbolism which shows up clearly during festivals. The principal religious festivals are known as Tsechus and many of the major Dzongs and monasteries throughout Bhutan have their own annual festival (Tsechu). They are held in honor of the Guru Rinpoche, generally accepted as the great teacher who brought Buddhism to Bhutan, and typically they last for 3 to 5 days. Each of the festivals (Tsechus) includes a number of spectacular dances, often involving large numbers of participants dressed in ornate silk costumes. Each of the dances has a particular significance – some are intended to give moral instruction, others are designed to drive away evil spirits while still others simply celebrate the Buddhist faith in its many guises. Religious festivals are taken very seriously by the Bhutanese, who have an unquestioning faith in their religion. However, in addition to gaining a great deal of religious merit from attending a festival, the Bhutanese also derive much enjoyment. They dress in their best clothes and jewelry, make an effort to mix with their friends and acquaintances, eat and drink to excess, and generally have a good time. Each year, quite large numbers of foreign travelers visit Bhutan for the festivals in different places.

Tour Packages

Autumn Jambay Lhakhang Drup (Tsechu Festival)

This excellent adventure includes the chance to see many of Bhutan’s most important towns and monasteries, as we journey to the beautiful region of Bumthang at the heart of the kingdom. From the lovely Paro Valley, with its spectacularly-located Taktsang Monastery, we will drive by way of Thimphu to the historic winter capital at Punakha. [...]

Eastern Dragon Fest (Wangshing Rabna)

This is our most comprehensive cultural exploration of the Dragon Kingdom. This amazing adventure takes us all the way across the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, from the western to the eastern borderlands, traversing all our beautiful mountains and valleys. The highlight is a little-known festival in one of the hamlets of Lhuntse, one of Bhutan’s [...]

Paro Festival 2010

This itinerary offers an in-depth experience of Bhutan as you will be witnessing one of the greatest of Bhutan’s glorious Himalayan Buddhist dance festivals known as Paro Tsechu. As spring warms the mountains, the dancers in magnificent masks and brilliant silk costumes take on the aspects of peaceful and wrathful deities as they illustrate [...]