Bumthang's main farm products include buckwheat, wheat, dairy, honey, apples and potatoes, and the district is nationally known for yathra and mathra wool weaving.
Source: Bumthang District
Valley in Bhutan
Bumthang (Jakar)
Four valleys of temples, buckwheat and yathra wool
Bumthang is four high valleys around Jakar town at about 2,600 m in central Bhutan, called the country's spiritual heartland. Here are Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang, the Burning Lake and Tamshing, plus buckwheat fields, yathra looms and the Red Panda brewery. Spend two to three nights.
Photo: PgyamtshoBT · CC0 · CommonsBumthang District is made of four glacial valleys: Choekhor (also called Bumthang or Chamkhar), Tang, Ura and Chhume. The name is often translated as 'beautiful field', from thang, a flat place, and bum, which may refer to a holy-water vase or to a girl. Jakar, the main town, sits in Choekhor valley under its dzong. It is about 270 km and 8–9 hours by road from Thimphu, or a short domestic flight to Bathpalathang airport when it runs.
This is where Guru Rinpoche came in the 8th century to heal the local king Sindhu Raja, leaving his body print in a cave at Kurjey. It is where the treasure-revealer Pema Lingpa was born in Tang valley in 1450, and where he leapt into the Burning Lake with a lit butter lamp. The first kings ruled from here and from Trongsa; the first three are entombed at Kurjey.
Bumthang farms differently from the west. The valleys are too cold for much rice, so families grow buckwheat, wheat, barley and potatoes, keep cattle and sell honey, apples and cheese. Women weave yathra, a woven wool cloth in bold geometric patterns, on looms in front of their houses. The Swiss link is real too: Swiss development work here in the 20th century left a cheese factory, a brewery and a guesthouse that still serves fondue.
Say it like a local · BumthangkhaPuta
buckwheat noodles, Bumthang's everyday dish
What to do in Bumthang (Jakar)
Jambay Lhakhang
Said to be one of the 108 temples built by Songtsen Gampo in 659, this is Bhutan's other ancient temple alongside Kyichu in Paro. Its Jambay Lhakhang Drup in October or November includes a midnight fire blessing.
Kurjey Lhakhang
Three temples stand against the cave where Guru Rinpoche is believed to have meditated and left a body print. It is the resting place of the first three kings of Bhutan. A spring here is held to be holy.
Membartsho, the Burning Lake
A deep pool in the Tang Chhu gorge, about 30 minutes' drive from Chamkhar, where Pema Lingpa is said to have dived in with a burning lamp and come out with a treasure, lamp still lit. The rocks are slippery: stay back.
Jakar Dzong
The 'castle of the white bird' sits on a ridge above Jakar town and may be the largest dzong by circumference, more than 1,500 m around. It now houses district offices and monks.
Tamshing Lhakhang
Built by Pema Lingpa in 1501, this Nyingma temple has wall paintings from his time, among the oldest in Bhutan. A chain-mail shirt said to have been made by him hangs inside for pilgrims to carry around the altar.
Yathra weaving in Chhume
In Chhume valley, about 30 minutes west of Jakar, women weave yathra on back-strap and frame looms at roadside workshops. Pieces become jackets, blankets and cushion covers.
Field notes
What most guides miss about Bumthang (Jakar)
Brokkat, an endangered language spoken by only about 300 people, survives in the village of Dhur in Bumthang, a remnant of yak-herding communities.
Source: Bumthang District
Membartsho is maintained by nuns of the nearby Pema Tekchok Choling nunnery, founded in 2000 as Bhutan's first shedra, or Buddhist college, for women; the pool is dangerous and five people drowned there between 2011 and 2015.
Source: Membartsho
Experiences
Three days worth having in Bumthang (Jakar)
Photo: Christopher J. Fynn · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Bumthang (Jakar) · Half day
Jambay to Kurjey: the temple walk of Choekhor
A gentle 3–4 km walk up the Choekhor valley linking Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang and, across a footbridge, Tamshing…
Entries Nu 500–1,000 each (check current status)
Photo: Doctor 17 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Bumthang (Jakar) · 2 hours
Membartsho, the Burning Lake in Tang valley
A short drive and a five-minute walk lead to a deep pool in the Tang Chhu gorge, revered as the place where Pema Lingpa…
Free; butter lamps ₹50–200
Photo: Prof Ranga Sai · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Bumthang (Jakar) · Half day
Buckwheat kitchen and yathra looms
Learn how Bumthang feeds and dresses itself: a farmhouse session making puta buckwheat noodles and khuli pancakes, then…
Cooking session ₹800–2,000; yathra from ₹2,000
Real prices
What things cost in Bumthang (Jakar)
ItemIndicative 2026
Jambay or Kurjey Lhakhang entryNu 500–1,000 (check current status)
Yathra shawl or runner₹2,000–8,000
Plate of puta or khuli₹150–300
Red Panda beer at a local bar₹150–250
Guesthouse double with breakfast₹3,500–6,500 a night
Thimphu–Bumthang public bus seat₹500–800
Local prices change with season and fuel costs. Check current status before you travel.
Getting there
How to reach Bumthang (Jakar)
Air
Drukair has operated domestic flights between Paro and Bathpalathang airport near Jakar; schedules are limited and change with the season, so check current status before you travel.
Bus
Public buses run Thimphu–Bumthang in about 9–10 hours along the Lateral Road. Tourists must travel with their licensed guide, so most go by the operator's vehicle.
Road
Trongsa to Jakar is about 68 km and 2.5–3 hours over Yotong La at about 3,400 m. Thimphu to Jakar is about 270 km and 8–9 hours, usually split with nights in Punakha or Phobjikha and Trongsa.
Where to stay
Sleeping in Bumthang (Jakar)
Saver and budget travellers have well-run guesthouses and small hotels in and around Jakar and Chamkhar, including the Swiss Guest House above Jakar, a farmhouse-style lodge open since the early 1980s, with doubles from about ₹3,500–6,500. Comfort travellers find good 3-star hotels with wood stoves along the valley. Signature stays are Amankora Bumthang, next to the Wangdue Chhoeling Palace, and Six Senses Bumthang, built in a pine forest above the valley.
Photo: PgyamtshoBT · CC0 · Commons
Budget
Guesthouse · Bumthang (Jakar)
Swiss Guest House, Jakar
A farmhouse-style guesthouse on a hillside a few minutes above Jakar, one of Bumthang's first places for foreign t…
₹3,500–6,500 a night for a double with breakfast (indicativ…
Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 4.0 · Commons
Luxury
Lodge · Paro
Amankora
Aman's circuit of five lodges in Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang, designed to be travelled in sequenc…
From about ₹1,50,000 a night for a suite, full board (indic…
Photo: Christopher J. Fynn · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Luxury
Lodge · Punakha
Six Senses Bhutan
Five lodges in Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, Gangtey and Bumthang, with 82 suites and villas in all, designed for a mult…
From about ₹1,20,000 a night for a suite (indicative)
Trips that stop here
See Bumthang (Jakar) on a trip
Photo: Christopher J. Fynn · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
Comfort
Bhutan · 12 nights · sleeps to 3,000 m
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Central Bhutan to Bumthang, 12 nights
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Questions
Bumthang (Jakar), answered
How do I get to Bumthang from Thimphu?
By road, about 270 km and 8–9 hours along the Lateral Road via Dochu La, Wangdue, Pele La and Trongsa. Most trips break it with nights in Punakha or Phobjikha and Trongsa. Drukair has run domestic flights from Paro to Bathpalathang; check current status before you travel.
How many days should I spend in Bumthang?
Two to three nights. One day for the Choekhor temples, one for Tang valley and the Burning Lake, and an optional day for Ura valley or a festival. Bumthang rewards slow travel.
When are festivals in Bumthang?
Several: Ura Yakchoe in spring, Kurjey and Nimalung tshechus in June, Jakar Tshechu and Jambay Lhakhang Drup in October or November and the Nalakhar Tshechu in November. The 2026 tentative calendar listed Jakar Tshechu 18–21 October and Jambay Lhakhang Drup 26–29 October. Check current status before you travel.
How cold is Bumthang?
Jakar sits at about 2,600 m. Autumn days are 10–18 °C and nights near freezing; December to February nights drop to −5 °C or lower and passes can see snow. Summer is mild and wet.
Is Bumthang suitable for a budget trip?
Yes, if you have time. The long drive adds days, SDF and guide costs, so a Bumthang loop needs at least 8–9 nights. Guesthouses are reasonably priced and local food is cheap. A group of four sharing a vehicle keeps costs sensible.
Can I see black-necked cranes in Bumthang?
Yes. Bumthang has wintering cranes too, notably in the Chhume valley area, though Phobjikha is the better-known site. Ask your guide where birds were seen that week, and keep your distance.
Are there ATMs in Jakar?
Yes, bank branches and ATMs operate in Jakar town, though acceptance of Indian and foreign cards varies. Carry enough cash from Thimphu for the few days you spend here.
What is Bumthang known for besides temples?
Buckwheat dishes, honey, apples, Swiss-style cheese, Red Panda wheat beer from Bhutan's only brewery, and yathra weaving. It is also the gateway to Ura valley and the Ugyen Choling palace museum in upper Tang.
Do I need a separate permit for Bumthang?
Bumthang must be listed on your entry permit, as with every district beyond Paro and Thimphu. Your licensed operator arranges it with your route. Check current status before you travel.