Which city is the capital of Bhutan?

Thimphu is the capital city of Bhutan.

Thimphu lies in a Himalayan valley along the Wang Chuu River in western Bhutan. It became Bhutan’s permanent capital in 1961, when King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck began modernising the country and moved the government there from Punakha, the former winter capital.

The city is distinctive among national capitals because it has no traffic lights. A traffic signal installed in 1999 was removed after public complaints, and traffic is managed mainly by police officers at busy intersections. Thimphu also contains Tashichho Dzong, an important government and monastic complex.

Paro is home to Bhutan’s international airport, but it is not the capital. Punakha remains historically important and still serves as the winter residence of Bhutan’s central monastic body. Bhutan’s capital is often written as Thimphu, while older English sources may use the spelling Thimphu or Thimpu.