Bhutan remained cut off from the rest of the world until the early 1960’s. Entering the country was difficult as it was only accessible by foot from the North and the South. The Northern route was through Tibet (China), crossing high mountain passes that were inaccessible throughout the winters because of high frozen mountain passes. The second entry route from the South came through the plains of Assam and West Bengal with dense jungles infested with malaria making it extremely difficult to enter the country.
However, economic development has made the country much more accessible and there are now a network of roads entering into Bhutan from the South and an International Airport in the Western part of the country.
Travel by Air:
The international Airport is in Paro. Western most part of the country. The Airport is situated at a height of 2,300 meters / 7,300 feet above sea level and it is surrounded by mountains as high as 4,876 meters / 16,000 feet making it one of the world’s most challenging airports.
Flying into Paro Airport is typically an exciting experience as the descent into Paro valley brings you closer to the mountain tops. The flight between Paro, Kathmandu and Delhi is particularly rewarding as it offers spectacular views of the 4 highest mountains in the world. Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kangchenjunga
There are two airlines operating flights In and Out of Bhutan. Druk Air (Government owned) and Bhutan Airlines (Private airline).
Druk Air operates DAILY flight In and Out of Bhutan from:
BKK – Bangkok in Thailand,
CCU – Calcutta in India and
KTM – Katmandu in Nepal.
Druk Air operates TWICE a week flight from:
SIN – Singapore
DAC – Dhaka in Bangladesh,
DEL – Delhi, GUH – Guwahati and IXB – Bagdogra in India.
Bhutan Airlines operate DAILY flight In and Out of Bhutan from:
BKK – Bangkok in Thailand.
Bhutan Airlines operate THRICE a week flight from:
KTM – Kathmandu in Nepal,
DEL – Delhi and CCU – Calcutta in India.
Note: For your International flights, you may need to arrange them on your own to get to your point of departure for Bhutan. The flight time can change quite often depending on the weather, so we advise you NOT to book your international tickets on restriction and to keep your transit time between your flights up to 6 hours.
Travel by Land:
The main roads entering the country are through Phuentsholing in the south west, linking Bhutan with the Indian plains of West Bengal and Samdrup Jongkhar, in the south east linking with the Indian state of Assam.
Phuntsholing and Samdrup Jongkhar are located along the southern border of India and are the only overland border entries open to international tourists.
The town of Phuntsholing is located approximately 170 km East of the Indian national airport Bagdogra. It takes 3 hrs drive to reach Phuntsholing from the Airport. After crossing Phuntsholing, you will begin a mountainous climb through hair-pin bends until you enter Thimphu, the capital city. The 176 km journey takes around 5 hours. Travel sickness tablets are recommended for people who may not be accustomed to the mountain roads.
Samdrup Jongkhar is the only entry point in Eastern Bhutan. The town borders the Indian district of Darranga, Assam and is approximately 150 kms from Guwahati Airport. The journey from Guwahati to Samdrup Jingkhar is about 3 hours. Tourists entering Bhutan through Samdrup Jongkhar will have to travel through Trashigang, the largest province in the country. And from there drive west to traverse four provinces Mongar, Bumthang, Trongsa and Wangde Phodrang to reach the capital city Thimphu. The distance is about 730 kms which takes a three day journey driving about 8 hrs each day.
Travel by land: Phuntsholing and Samdrup Jongkhar are located along the southern border of India and are the only overland border entries open to international tourists. This Indian state of West Bengal where Bagdogra Airport is situated gives entry into Phuntsholing town in the West and Gauhati Airport allows entry of tourists from Samdrup Jongkhar into Eastern Bhutan.