Asia · South Asia, eastern Himalaya

Bhutan

Capital · Thimphu

The kingdom that measures Gross National Happiness — Tiger's Nest clings to a cliff.

🇧🇹Thimphu
The essentials

Bhutan at a glance

Capital
Thimphu
Region
South Asia, eastern Himalaya
Currency
Ngultrum (BTN)
Languages
Dzongkha
Dialling code
+975
Plan around it

Public holidays & key dates in Bhutan

Dates shift year to year where a holiday follows a lunar or religious calendar. Check locally before you book flights or count on offices being open.

Dec 17National Day
FebLosar date varies date variesBhutanese new year
VariesTshechu festivals date varies date variesMasked dances at each dzong
Getting in

Visas for African passports

Entry rules for Bhutan differ sharply depending on which African passport you hold — visa-free for some nationalities, e-visa for others, embassy application for the rest.

The AfricAsia Passport Index checks every African passport against this destination, with the current route and a plain-language note on what officers ask for.

Check your passport →
On the ground

Ask before you land

Rent, agents, hospitals, halal and African groceries, church and mosque, where people actually meet on a Sunday — the answers live with the people already there.

The Bhutan channel in the Hub is free, open, and moderated by members who live in the country.

Open the Bhutan channel →