July is the wettest month of the year. Rain falls on about nineteen days in Thimphu, cloud sits on the passes, and the country is as green, and as empty of visitors, as it ever gets.
- Good for: having the dzongs to yourself; The country at its greenest; Lower prices for hotels and flights.
- Less good for: mountain views; Trekking; Roads, which rain can close for a few hours.
The weather in July
In July Thimphu averages 27°C by day and 17°C at night, with 153 mm of rain on about 19 days. Punakha, a thousand metres lower, averages 31°C and 21°C. It is warm rather than hot in the high valleys, and it does not rain all day: showers come mostly in the late afternoon and at night. Punakha is hot and humid.
| Valley | Day | Night | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paro | 25°C | 16°C | 161 mm |
| Thimphu | 27°C | 17°C | 153 mm |
| Punakha | 31°C | 21°C | 158 mm |
| Bumthang | 23°C | 14°C | 156 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 July
The festivals that begin in July, 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 July
This is not a month for trekking. The high routes are in cloud, and we advise against them.
To see when each route is walked, look at Bhutan’s treks compared.
Where to go in July
The western valleys, taken slowly. Dzongs, temples and museums are as good in rain as in sun, and you will share them with almost nobody.
Good to know
Allow for delays: a landslide can close a road for a few hours. Hotels and flights cost less than in spring and autumn. What to bring is on our packing list.
Trips for July
- Bhutan Short Trip (4 days)
- Bhutan Signature Journey (6 days)
- Western Valleys Discovery (5 days)
Tell us your dates and we will say plainly what July is like for the trip you have in mind.
Other months
Bhutan in June comes before, and Bhutan in August 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.