Planning a trip
Hearing music in Bhutan
Paro Tshechu is a festival held at Paro Dzong, a fortress-monastery above the Paro Chu river. The music is cham dance: monks in masks turn slowly in the inner courtyard while long dungchen trumpets drone, cymbals clash and drums thunder. Dances run from 09:00 to 17:00 each day, with ceremonies earlier and later. International visitors are permitted, but the Bhutanese audience makes the room, so go quietly and follow its lead.
The festival lasts five days in March or April, and the exact dates move with the lunar calendar. Confirm them for the year before you book anything. The final day is the peak. In the small hours the monks carry the giant silk thongdrel down from the dzong and unfurl it at the Deyangkha festival ground, and the music starts before sunrise. Expect to sleep about four hours that night.
Getting there is more regulated than in most countries. Fly into Paro (PBH) with Druk Air or Bhutan Airlines; it is Bhutan's only international airport. A Bhutanese tour guide and tariff are mandatory. From Paro town the dzong is ten minutes north, on foot or by taxi. It earns its place in the atlas because sacred music and a sacred place are the same thing here.
FAQ
Questions people ask
When is the Paro Tshechu held?
It runs for five days each spring, in March or April, with dates set by the lunar calendar, so they change every year. The final day, when the thongdrel is unfurled in the small hours, is the spiritual peak.
How do you get to the Paro Tshechu?
Fly to Paro (PBH) with Druk Air or Bhutan Airlines, Bhutan's only international airport. A Bhutanese tour guide and tariff are mandatory. From Paro town the dzong is ten minutes north on foot or by taxi.