How To Reach Bhutan?

By Air

Bhutan enjoys decent air connectivity with few countries in Asia. Its Paro International Airport at Paro is well-connected with India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Thailand. The country has two airlines out of which Druk Asia is the national carrier. Bhutan enjoys good connectivity with its two neighbouring countries – India and Nepal. In India, Kolkata and Delhi are connected with daily flights to Paro. Guwahati in Assam, India is also connected well, and Kathmandu in Nepal enjoys good air connectivity too. Bhutan’s western border town, Phuentsholing is also well-connected with India’s Bagdogra International Airport, which is 3-4 hours drive away.

Travel by Land

Bhutan shares three sides with India and three border towns are accessible to tourists – Phuentsholing in Western Bhutan, Samdrup Jongkhar in South-Central Bhutan and Gelephu in South-Eastern Bhutan. Amongst these, Phuentsholing is the most common entrance used by tourists. A 170 km road journey from Bagdogra International Airport concludes at Phuentsholing from where the tourists can collect their entry permit. Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan, is situated about 170 km away from Phuentsholing.

Travelling within Bhutan

Bhutan enjoys good road connectivity and decent air connectivity as well. There are three domestic airports in Bhutan, namely, Gelephu Airport Bathpalathang Airport, and Yongphulla Airport that are connected with Paro International Airport.

Bhutan enjoys excellent road connectivity. However, there are still several villages where motorable roads are yet to be constructed. The national highway connectivity in the country is decent, offering easy access to many popular tourist destinations along with several offbeat destinations as well. The country has buses and taxi facilities from and to many of its places which keep the transport in Bhutan quite convenient.

Entry Permits

All tourists except the nationals of India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives need to apply for visa through an online system directly by licensed Bhutanese tour operator or through a foreign travel agent. Indians, Bangladeshis, and Maldivians can get permits to Bhutan at one of the entry ports to the country by providing valid passport and other necessary documents. Also, to facilitate smooth visitation by Bangladeshi, Indian and Maldivian tourists, Bhutan has launched an online permit system. The system facilitates online processing of permits for these tourists through registered Bhutanese tour operators and TCB certified hotels.