GETTING INTO BHUTAN
Paro Airport
Located at the height of 2,235 meters above sea level and surrounded by mountains, it is an hour’s drive from the capital city, Thimphu. Until Bhutan Airlines started in October 2013, Drukair, the country’s national airline was only the carrier in Bhutan. The airliners in the country have flight connections to Bangkok (Thailand), (Singapore), Delhi and Kolkata (India), Kathmandu (Nepal) and Dhaka (Bangladesh). One can contact any travel agents in the country for flight arrangements.
Apart from flying into the country, one can also enter the country by road through any of the three entry points of Samdrup Jongkhar in south-east Bhutan, Gelephu in South-central Bhutan, and Phuentsholing in south-west Bhutan.
Travel Routes
Flights are available to Bangkok, Delhi, Kolkata, Bagdogra, Bodh Gaya, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Guwahati, Singapore, and Mumbai, among other cities.
At 2,225 meters (7300 feet) above sea level, Paro is surrounded by mountains that reach heights of up to 4,876 meters (16,000 feet). Drukair and Bhutan Airlines are the two airlines that currently fly to Bhutan. Additionally, domestic airports are located in the eastern Bhutanese cities of Yonphula, Bumthang, and Gelephu.
The descent into Paro valley, which is closer to the mountain summits than most other aircraft in the globe, makes flying into Bhutan’s Paro International Airport a thrilling experience. One of the most thrilling flights is between Paro and Kathmandu since the plane goes over four of the world’s five tallest mountains. In good weather, you may take in the breathtaking vista of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Kangchenjunga as you soar further up.
Travel By Land
Only three land border regions, Phuentsholing, Gelephu, and Samdrup Jongkhar, are accessible to visitors.
The southwest Indian town of Phuentsholing is around 170 kilometers (km) east of Bagdogra, the country’s main airport. You start your journey to Thimphu, the capital city, after passing Phuentsholing, and it takes roughly six hours to complete the 170 km distance.
Another entrance to Bhutan is at Gelephu in the south-central part of the country. It is around 250 kilometers from Thimphu, and the route passes through subtropical and alpine regions of Bhutan before arriving at Thimphu. The journey will take roughly 10 hours and need transit through three regions.
The Indian district of Darranga, Assam, is bordered by the south-eastern Bhutan district of Samdrup Jongkhar, which is around 150 kilometers from Guwahati, the capital of Assam. It takes almost three hours to get there from Guwahati. When visiting Bhutan, enter by Samdrup Jongkhar. From there, travel the lateral route through Trashigang, Mongar, Bumthang, Trongsa, Wangdue Phodrang, and ultimately the capital, Thimphu. You would need at least three days to travel the approximately 700 miles to reach Thimphu.