April is spring at its fullest, and one of the two busiest months of the year. The days are warm, the rhododendrons are in flower on the passes, and every trek but the Snowman is open.
- Good for: rhododendrons; Trekking; Warm, settled days in every valley.
- Less good for: company: this is a busy month; Flights and hotels that fill early.
The weather in April
In April Thimphu averages 22°C by day and 8°C at night, with 30 mm of rain on about 6 days. Punakha, a thousand metres lower, averages 27°C and 14°C. Warm days, cool nights and the odd shower: Thimphu has about six wet days in the month. Nights no longer freeze in the valleys.
Averages for the month: the highest and lowest temperature of an ordinary day, and the month’s rainfall. It is colder on the passes and at any camp on a trek. Figures from the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology, whose stations are at Paro (2,406 m), Thimphu (2,310 m), Punakha (1,236 m) and Jakar in Bumthang (2,470 m).
Festivals in April
Paro Tshechu falls in April in some years. In Bumthang, Ura Yakchoe is a village festival of the spring. The festivals that begin in April on the official list:
- Rhododendron Week: 3–9 April 2027, Sheytemi, Merak, Trashigang
- Domkhar Tshechu: 16–18 April 2027, Domkhar, Chumey, Bumthang
- Ura Yakchoe: 18–22 April 2027, Ura Lhakhang, Bumthang
- Rhododendron Festival: 22–23 April 2027, Lamperi Botanical Park, Thimphu
Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and move each year, and the list is the Department of Tourism’s tentative one. The whole year is in our festival calendar.
Trekking in April
April and May are the spring trekking season, and seven of our eight treks are walked now.
- Bumdra Trek
- Tsaluna Trek
- Dagala Thousand Lakes Trek
- Druk Path Trek
- Soi Yaksa Trek
- Jomolhari Trek
- Laya–Gasa Trek
All eight are set side by side on our page of Bhutan’s treks compared.
Where to go in April
Everywhere is open. The road passes are at their best for flowers, and Bumthang has warmed up.
Good to know
Book early. Flights and hotels fill well ahead in April, and hotel prices are at their spring level. What to bring is on our packing list.
Trips for April
- Druk Path Trek (11 days)
- Heart of the Himalayas (9 days)
- Jomolhari Trek (11 days)
Tell us your dates and we will say plainly what April is like for the trip you have in mind.
Other months
Bhutan in March comes before, and Bhutan in May after. For the year as a whole, see the best time to visit Bhutan.
Weather averages are for 1996 to 2017 (Punakha from 1990). Festival dates were checked against the official tentative list on 12 October 2026.