Clock Tower Square
Thimphu's central square, around a painted four-faced clock tower
Clock Tower Square sits just below Norzin Lam, the main street, in the heart of Thimphu. The tower in the middle is built in the Bhutanese style, carved and painted, with golden dragons on all four faces. Cafes, shops and small hotels ring the square, and it is the easiest place in the capital to sit and watch the city go by.
The square is the closest thing Thimphu has to a town centre, used for concerts, archery demonstrations and public events, and busiest in the early evening once offices close. Thimphu remains the only national capital in the world with no traffic lights: the junction on Norzin Lam just above here is directed by a police officer in a raised booth, which visitors usually stop to watch. The weekend market and the craft bazaar are both within walking distance.
Highlights
Carved, painted four-faced clock tower
Heart of Thimphu, below Norzin Lam
Cafes and shops around the square
Practical Info
Address
Below Norzin Lam, central Thimphu
In This Destination
Thimphu District
Bhutan's capital district and seat of government
On the itinerary