Getting to Bhutan

There are two ways of getting to Bhutan. You can Travel by Air or Travel by Land.

The most common method of entering Bhutan is via air into Bhutan’s only International Airport located in Paro. Once your travel dates have been confirmed, we will book your flight and arrange all  formalities required of entering Bhutan. This includes the electronic Visa clearance letter. On arrival at the international airport in Paro, this letter will need to be endorsed by the immigration officers before you are issued with a Visa permit.

The national carrier of Bhutan is Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines. Drukair flights depart Bangkok in Thailand, Delhi, Kolkata, Bagdogra, Gaya, Guwahati amd Mumbai in India, Kathmandu in Nepal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Changi in Singapore. Alternatively, you may choose to fly into Paro by private jet. We can easily organise all necessary ground arrangements to support this.

Flying into Bhutan’s Paro International Aiport is typically an exciting experience as the descent into Paro Valley brings you closer to the mountain tops than most other flights in the world. The flight between Paro, Kathmandu and Delhi is particularly rewarding as it offers spectacular views of 4 of the 5 highest mountains in the world. In clear weather, as you soar higher up, you’ll be treated to amazing close-ups of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kangchenjunga at their best.

Please note that due to variable weather conditions, and the fact that the airport in Paro can only operate during daylight hours, flight can delays can occur. It is advisable to keep lengthy connecting times with any onward flights.

Travel by Air

Bhutan is well connected to the outside world through its two airlines – Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines. They operate flights to the following countries:

  • New Delhi, Kolkota and Guwahati (India),
  • Bangkok (Thailand),
  • Singapore
  • Kathmandu (Nepal)
  • Dhaka (Bangladesh)

The international airport in Bhutan is located in Paro which is situated at an elevation of 2,225 m (7300 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by mountains as high as 4,876 m (16,000 ft). Flying into Paro airport is quite an experience as the descent into the valley brings you close to the mountain tops.

There are also domestic airports in Yonphula in eastern Bhutan, Bumthang in central Bhutan, and Gelephu in south-central Bhutan.

Travel by Land

If you travel by land, you can enter/exit Bhutan via Phuentsholing, Gelephu or Samdrup Jongkhar.

The town of Phuentsholing in south-west Bhutan is located approximately 170 km east of the Indian national airport at Bagdogra. The distance between Phuentsholing and Thimphu (the capital city) is approx 170 km and takes about six to seven hours.

Gelephu in south-central Bhutan is approximately 250 kms from Thimphu. The road goes through three districts and the travel time is about ten hours.The district of Samdrup Jongkhar in south-east Bhutan borders the Indian district of Darranga, Assam and is approximately 150 kms away from Guwahati, the capital city of Assam. The journey from Guwahati is about three hours. The road from Samdrup Jongkhar goes through the districts of Trashigang, Mongar, Bumthang, Trongsa, Wangdue Phodrang and then finally into capital, Thimphu. The distance is about 700 kms and requires a minimum of three days to reach Thimphu.