Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
Slovenia mushroom foraging
Slovenia • 6 days, 5 nights
Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Nagi Gumba
Top floor of castle.
Kifune Castle
 The front of Asian Garden Mall.
Asian Garden Mall
The cable car is one of two in Europe that crosses open ocean.
Dursey Island Cable Car
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A slice of cake is the perfect coda to a meal at Piatto Romano.
Piatto Romano
Crunchy and supremely satisfying, suppli might be the ultimate street food snack.
Supplizio
The pedigreed pistachios here are from Bronte.
Gelateria dei Gracchi
This tiny hole-in-the-wall serves one of the world’s most magnificent sandwiches.
Er Buchetto
Seafood features prominently on the menu.
Dakar NOLA
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley is covered in murals.
Atlas Obscura Podcast Mailbag: Long Lines, Budgeting With Friends, and Accidental Adventures
about 11 hours ago
Sheep at Colonial Williamsburg on a sunny day.
Little Lambs, Big Back Story
1 day ago
View of Santa Monica Beach and Los Angeles in afternoon sun. Aerial view from above the pacific ocean water.
Why Did Celebrity Preacher Aimee Semple McPherson Mysteriously Disappear?
2 days ago
The glass-ceilinged atrium of the Bradbury Building was inspired by Edward Bellamy’s utopian literature.
The Bradbury Building Featured in ‘Blade Runner’ Was Inspired by a 19th-Century Utopian Novel
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All Bhutan Thimphu

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Thimphu

4 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Thimphu, Bhutan

Updated December 14, 2018

Email
Attractions
Trips
Map
Leaderboards
Hotel Deals

Unusual Attractions in Thimphu

Bhutan’s national animal, the Takin, at Motithang Takin Preserve.

Thimphu, Bhutan

Motithang Takin Preserve

Strange, gentle beasts resembling goat-cow hybrids roam within this patch of forest.
Head on view of the Buddha Dordenma statue

Thimphu, Bhutan

Buddha Dordenma Statue

This giant Buddha statue has 125,000 smaller Buddhas hidden inside it.
Garden of Phallus.

Thimphu, Bhutan

Garden of Phallus (Wangchuk Chenmoi Dümra)

This garden is very fertile.
Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan. Chubachu, Thimphu, Bhutan

Thimphu, Bhutan

Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan

The nation’s first institution dedicated to the conservation of Bhutanese textiles.
Are we missing something unusual?
Add it!
The meditation caves.

Dochula, Bhutan

Dochula Pass Meditation Caves

The small sanctuaries lie just off the beaten path near one of Bhutan's most famous attractions.
6 miles from Thimphu
Paro Airport.

Paro, Bhutan

Paro International Airport

This Himalayan airport provides one of the most difficult landings in the world.
13 miles from Thimphu
Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten

Bhutan

Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten

A stupa built to protect Bhutan from evil forces and help bring peace to the world.
15 miles from Thimphu
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Festivals & Temples of Bhutan

Festivals, astrology, and epic landscapes in Bhutan.

Book Now

Explore Thimphu, Bhutan

4
Buddhism 2

Thimphu Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Max Cortesi
    1
  2. Rachel Gould
    1
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Thimphu.

Places Edited

  1. PrestonW
    1
  2. Max Cortesi
    1
  3. joshuacarlon
    1
  4. Rachel Gould
    1
  5. altoringer
    1
Join the Ranks!
Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. TenaciousTrekker
    4
  2. PQPP3
    4
  3. R Matt Young
    4
  4. jpark b9459cfe
    4
  5. TheSandyPapers
    4
Join the Ranks!
Visit a place in Thimphu.

Recent Thimphu Activity

  • AbleBookkeeper53

    wants to go to Motithang Takin Preserve

    about 1 month ago
  • sarahnella

    has been to Motithang Takin Preserve

    24 days ago
  • sarahnella

    has been to Buddha Dordenma Statue

    24 days ago
  • ashehab333

    wants to go to Motithang Takin Preserve

    21 days ago
  • f35188431

    wants to go to Garden of Phallus (Wangchuk Chenmoi Dümra)

    21 days ago

Become an Atlas Obscura Member

Join our community of curious explorers.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.