January in Thimphu — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 5.7/10January averages -2°C (29°F), cold enough that sightseeing works in bursts rather than in one long day on foot.
Precipitation is light at 3 mm (mostly snow at altitude), with about 9 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.4 hours of daylight.
It scores 5.7/10 here, 8th of 12 months, against 7.1/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack insulated layers, a windproof shell, gloves and boots with grip, footwear you can get muddy.
February in Thimphu — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 6/10February averages -1°C (29°F), cold enough that sightseeing works in bursts rather than in one long day on foot.
Precipitation is light at 19 mm (mostly snow at altitude), with about 10 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 11 hours of daylight.
It scores 6/10 here, 7th of 12 months, against 7.1/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack insulated layers, a windproof shell, gloves and boots with grip, footwear you can get muddy.
March in Thimphu: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 6.3/10At 3°C (37°F) this is proper winter weather in March: layer up and split the day between outdoor highlights and indoor stops.
Budget for roughly 76 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 16 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 11.8 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 6.3/10 on the same scale — 5th of 12 months, versus 7.1/10 for the best month here.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack insulated layers, a windproof shell, gloves and boots with grip, a packable rain layer, footwear you can get muddy.
April in Thimphu: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 6.5/10April averages 6°C (42°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
At 113 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 18 days with 6+ hours of sunshine in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 6.5/10 here, 3rd of 12 months, against 7.1/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
May in Thimphu — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 6.2/10Expect 9°C (47°F) in May. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
143 mm of rain signals a properly wet month, with only about 17 days with 6+ hours of sunshine to count on — build indoor options into the schedule.
That is 6.2/10 on the same scale — 6th of 12 months, versus 7.1/10 for the best month here.
Budget for mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
June in Thimphu: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 5.5/10June averages 12°C (54°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
406 mm of rain puts this in monsoon territory — about 13 days with 6+ hours of sunshine across the whole month, and multi-day washouts are normal.
It scores 5.5/10 here, 11th of 12 months, against 7.1/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
Flexible dates? November scores 1.6 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
July in Thimphu: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 5.7/10July averages 13°C (55°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
316 mm of rain puts this in monsoon territory — about 16 days with 6+ hours of sunshine across the whole month, and multi-day washouts are normal.
It scores 5.7/10 here, 9th of 12 months, against 7.1/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
August in Thimphu: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 5.7/10Temperatures hover around 13°C (55°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
Expect monsoon-level rainfall at 277 mm: only about 16 days with 6+ hours of sunshine across the month, and stretches of heavy rain are normal.
That is 5.7/10 on the same scale — 10th of 12 months, versus 7.1/10 for the best month here.
Budget for mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
September in Thimphu — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 5.3/10Expect 11°C (53°F) in September. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Expect monsoon-level rainfall at 257 mm: only about 14 days with 6+ hours of sunshine across the month, and stretches of heavy rain are normal.
That is 5.3/10 on the same scale — 12th of 12 months, versus 7.1/10 for the best month here.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
If your dates are flexible, November is materially better in Thimphu — 1.8 points higher on the same scale.
October in Thimphu — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 6.6/10October averages 8°C (46°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rainfall runs 77 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 15 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 11.3 hours of daylight.
It scores 6.6/10 here, 2nd of 12 months, against 7.1/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer, footwear you can get muddy.
November: the best month of the year in Thimphu
Best window · 7.1/10November averages 4°C (39°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rain is a non-issue at 2 mm for the month, with about 14 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.6 hours of daylight to work with.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Thimphu at 7.1/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Figure on peak pricing, with this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, footwear you can get muddy.
December in Thimphu: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 6.5/10At 1°C (34°F) this is proper winter weather in December: layer up and split the day between outdoor highlights and indoor stops.
At just 5 mm for the month, rain will not shape your plans; you get about 11 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.3 hours of daylight.
That is 6.5/10 on the same scale — 4th of 12 months, versus 7.1/10 for the best month here.
Expect peak pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack insulated layers, a windproof shell, gloves and boots with grip, footwear you can get muddy.
