February is still winter, but the worst of the cold is passing. The skies stay clear, the country is quiet, and Punakha’s two festivals, the Drubchen and the Tshechu, are held in February or early March.
- Good for: punakha Drubchen and Tshechu, in the years they fall in February; The last weeks of the cranes; Clear views and few visitors.
- Less good for: trekking; Cold nights above 2,000 m.
The weather in February
In February Thimphu averages 17°C by day and 0°C at night, with 9 mm of rain. Punakha, a thousand metres lower, averages 21°C and 8°C. Rain is still rare. Nights are at or just below freezing in the high valleys, while Punakha is mild enough for a shirt at midday.
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 February
Punakha Drubchen re-enacts a 17th-century battle, and the Tshechu follows it at the same dzong. The festivals that begin in February on the official list:
- Lhamoi Dromchhen: 11–13 February 2027, Trongsa Dzong
- Punakha Drubchen: 13–15 February 2027, Punakha Dzong
- Punakha Tshechu: 16–18 February 2027, Punakha Dzong
- Chorten Kora (first day): 20 February 2027, Chorten Kora, Trashi Yangtse
- Tharpaling Thongdrol: 20 February 2027, Tharpaling Lhakhang, Chumey, Bumthang
- Tangsibi Mani: 22–24 February 2027, Tangsibi Lhakhang, Ura, Bumthang
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 February
The treks do not open until March. February is for day walks, and for the valleys.
To see when each route is walked, look at Bhutan’s treks compared.
Where to go in February
Punakha is the place to be: warm by the standards of winter, and with both festivals at its dzong when their dates fall this month. The cranes are still in Phobjikha. Paro and Thimphu are cold and bright.
Good to know
If you want the Punakha festivals, fix your dates by them: they follow the lunar calendar and move each year. Hotels and flights are still at their winter prices. What to bring is on our packing list.
Trips for February
- Punakha Drubchen and Tshechu Festival Tour (7 days)
- Western Valleys Discovery (5 days)
- Complete Western Bhutan (7 days)
Tell us your dates and we will say plainly what February is like for the trip you have in mind.
Other months
Bhutan in January comes before, and Bhutan in March 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.