Shopping in Bhutan

Bhutan reaches out to the shopping lovers with its wide array of excellently designed handicrafts, traditional Bhutanese jewellery, exquisitely woven shawls, handmade textiles, beautiful Buddhist paintings, exotic statues, Tibetan horns and marvelous metal works. There are a number of things to buy from Bhutan as souvenirs as well as home decor and gifting items for friends and family.

The town of Jakar in the central-eastern region of Bhutan is a hub of Yathra made gifts and bags. Yathra is a vibrant and colourful woollen cloth which is also used to make jackets, wall hangings, rucksacks and blankets.

The hand-woven textiles of Adang Village in Wangdue Phodrang like Adang Rachu, Adang Mathra and Adang Khamar are praised all over the world for their wonderful and intricate designs and creativity. The textiles made by the Bumthaps people in Central Bhutan are woven from sheep wool and yak hair.

In Buddhist culture, it is considered auspicious to paint on objects and so, the country is home to numerous Buddhist paintings, prayer flags, beads, incense and statues of local deities.

Made with precious metals by skilled goldsmiths, Bhutanese jewellery allure tourists with their fine aesthetics. These beautiful ornaments are widely worn by women and used on a daily basis and in special ceremonies. Believed to have been created by the Gods to bring luck and fend off evil, the Himalayan Beads (Dzi Beads) are an inseparable part of the Bhutanese culture. They come in different shapes and sizes and are available in plenty throughout the country. They complement your spiritual enlightenment in this Buddhist kingdom.

In Bhutan, one can also shop for some intricately crafted silver treasure chests that are adorned with turquoise and amber and decorate their homes with them.

Archery is the most popular sport of Bhutan and so, naturally, the country is home to a plethora of shops boasting traditional bamboo made bows and arrows.

With its artistic exhibition of antiques and jewellery, the weekend market in Thimphu is a shopper’s delight. The crafts bazaar of Thimphu owing to its extravagant exhibition of a wide array of traditional Bhutanese handicraft items is a paradisiacal shopping retreat. The handmade wooden bowls, known as the Dappa and the bamboo baskets or bangchungs, as they are commonly called, are some of the most sought-after items. They serve as both souvenirs and useful containers.

Where to Go Shopping in Bhutan for Textile

In Thimphu

• Norzin Lam Craft Stalls
• Sephub Gyeltsen Tsongkhang
• Gagyel Lhundrup Weaving Centre

In Trashigang

• National Handloom Development Project

Phuentsholing

• Bhimraj Stores

• Druk Jewellery – In Thimphu
• Sorji Jewelry Gift Shop – In Thimphu

• Handicrafts Market in Trashi Yangtse

• Lungta Handicrafts – In Thimphu
• National Handicraft Emporium – In Thimphu
• Handicrafts Association of Bhutan – In Thimphu