5 Days / 4 Nights
Living Culture
Bhutanese festivals
If your dates match a Tshechu, it is worth making time for one.
Tshechus are religious festivals where monks and lay people perform traditional dances wearing colourful costumes and masks. Each dance has its own story and meaning.
What a Tshechu is
A tshechu is a religious festival held in a dzong or monastery courtyard, usually over several days. People attend to receive blessings as much as to watch the dances.
What Cham dances represent
Cham dances tell stories from Buddhist teaching and history. The masks, movements and costumes each carry meaning, and it is not always obvious to someone seeing it for the first time. Your guide can explain what is happening.
A festival day
The festival is not only about the dances. People come from nearby villages, families spend the day together and everyone dresses up in their best kira or gho. You will see monks, older people, children and visitors sharing the same ground.
What to wear and how to behave
Dress modestly, keep shoulders and knees covered, and follow your guide when it comes to seating and moving around the courtyard. Sit rather than stand in front of local people who have come to watch.
Photography
Photography is usually fine in the courtyard, but not inside temples. Ask before photographing people closely.
When festivals take place
Festival dates change every year according to the Bhutanese calendar, so whether you can attend one depends on your travel dates. We check the dates for your period before planning the route.
How this affects planning
Some of the larger festivals can be very busy, and hotels fill up early. We will let you know what to expect rather than promising a quiet or private experience.
Good forTravellers interested in Bhutanese traditions, Buddhism, photography and local life.
How we use these experiences
These are not fixed activities that have to be added to every trip.
Some travellers may be more interested in monasteries and history. Others may prefer food, villages, walking or meeting local people.
Tell us what interests you, how much time you have and what kind of pace you prefer. We can then work these experiences into your itinerary where they make sense.
Sometimes the best part of a day is something that wasn't planned.
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