August is still the monsoon, a little less wet than July, and the rain begins to ease towards the end of the month. The rice stands green in the valleys, and visitors are few.
- Good for: green valleys; Quiet sights; Lower prices for hotels and flights.
- Less good for: mountain views; Trekking.
The weather in August
In August Thimphu averages 27°C by day and 16°C at night, with 121 mm of rain on about 17 days. Punakha, a thousand metres lower, averages 30°C and 21°C. About seventeen wet days in Thimphu, with the same pattern of drier mornings and wet evenings. Temperatures are the same as in July.
| Valley | Day | Night | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paro | 25°C | 16°C | 113 mm |
| Thimphu | 27°C | 16°C | 121 mm |
| Punakha | 30°C | 21°C | 148 mm |
| Bumthang | 23°C | 14°C | 139 mm |
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 August
The festivals that begin in August, as the official list has them:
No festival that begins in this month has a date on the official list at present. The festival calendar shows the months that have.
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 August
Not yet. The treks reopen in September, as the rain ends.
To see when each route is walked, look at Bhutan’s treks compared.
Where to go in August
The western valleys again: Paro, Thimphu and Punakha are close together, so a wet afternoon costs little. A good month if your holidays fall now and you have come for the culture, not the mountains.
Good to know
As in July, leave slack in the plan for the roads, and carry a waterproof. Prices for hotels and flights are low. What to bring is on our packing list.
Trips for August
- Complete Western Bhutan (7 days)
- Western Valleys Discovery (5 days)
- Bhutan in Luxury (7 days)
Tell us your dates and we will say plainly what August is like for the trip you have in mind.
Other months
Bhutan in July comes before, and Bhutan in September 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.