Bhutan is a small landlocked country in South Asia which is blessed with spiritual monasteries, natural forests, adventure sports, and festivals. Apart from acquiring knowledge of Bhutanese culture and heritage, shopping has also become a recent trend. While booking a Bhutan tour package from Jaigaon, you must add some leisure time to stroll through the local markets to buy some souvenirs and authentic items.
Before embarking on a shopping journey in Bhutan, you must look for the best street shops and local markets. You can also ask your tour package provider to recommend some shopping places which will help you shop for authentic products at affordable rates.
Let’s explore some of the famous shopping locations that you must include in your Bhutan tour package.
1. National Textile Museum
Bhutan is a well-known country for its authentic textiles with hand-woven patterns. The best shopping place in the country for textiles is the National Textile Museum which is situated in Thimphu. This sightseeing location is ideal to witness the unique collection and preservation of the country’s textile heritage.
- Entry Timings and Fees: The entry timings for this shopping stop are between 9 am to 5 pm on week days and 10 am-3 pm on Sundays. You also have to pay an entry fee of 250 NU for exploring.
- Things to buy: Royal ghos, traditional dresses, embroidered shawls, and scarves.
2. Norzim Lam Street
Another popular location in Bhutan for culture enthusiasts and shopaholics is Norzim Lam Street. This bustling street shopping area is located in Thimphu where you can see a vibrant collection of stalls, shops, and boutiques. Each of the stores here has unique treasures and will encourage you to buy some stunning local items.
- Entry timings and fees: You can visit this shopping place any time between 9 am to 8 pm. No charges are applicable to visit this location.
- Things to buy: Crafts, local wine, woollen clothes, handmade textiles, wood items, carpets, and books.
3. Centenary Farmers Market
If you love visiting farmers markets to buy some organic and farm-fresh fruits and vegetables then you must add Centenary Farmers Market to your travel itinerary by contacting the best travel agents in Jaigaon. This market consists of around 400 stalls selling local items.
- Entry timings and fees: This market remains open from 7 am to 7 pm on all days except Monday. The best thing about this place is that you don’t have to pay any entry fees.
- Things to buy: Vegetables, dried chillies, rice, dried fish, datse, pure honey, banana flower, and cherry pepper.
4. Paro Weekend Market
Paro Weekend Market is another shopping destination that you can add to your package to get a traditional feel. The authentic charm in this market will also enable you to communicate with the local people and understand their lifestyle. You can get all the organic, antique, and traditional items under one roof in this market.
- Entry timings and fees: No entry fee is required to visit this market. However, this market only opens on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 AM - 7 PM.
- Things to buy: Bhutanese stamps, prayer wheels, juniper incense, chugo, and datse.
5. Choki Handicrafts
Choki Handicrafts is another popular shopping destination to buy traditional handicraft products. You can hire a car rental in Jaigaon to visit this popular location seamlessly. The most interesting part about this place is that the traditional products here are only made by the local weavers, painters, and carvers.
- Entry timings and fees: The entry timings in Choki Handicrafts are from 9 am to 6 pm. No entry fee is required to visit it.
- Things to buy: Furniture, souvenirs, wooden masks, thangkas, and lama tables.
6. Thimphu Post Office
Bhutan is considered a dream destination for philatelists since one can collect a unique collection of postal stamps here. This country preserves its culture so well that you can buy the first-ever stamps even now. The ideal place in Bhutan to buy stamps is the Thimphu Post Office, which offers the best collection of stamps with vibrant colours and unique styles.
- Entry timings and fees: Tourists can visit the post office any time between 9 am to 4 pm from Monday to Friday and from 9 am to 1 on Saturdays. You also have to pay 150 NU to enter the museum here.
- Things to buy: Personalized and traditional stamps.
7. Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory
The Thimphu Valley is surrounded by the best shopping areas of Bhutan and Jungshi Handmade Paper Factory is one of such places from where you can buy authentic handicraft items. This paper factory is a must-visit attraction for travellers where top-notch Bhutanese papers are made.