Getting to Bhutan

Flying to Paro

Paro International Airport is Bhutan's only international airport. Two Bhutanese airlines fly there: Drukair, the national carrier, and Bhutan Airlines. Only a small number of specially trained pilots are certified to land at Paro, and flights run in daylight only.

Regular routes connect Paro with:

• India: Delhi, Kolkata, Bagdogra, Guwahati and other cities, depending on the season
• Nepal: Kathmandu. On a clear day, the flight passes close to Everest and Kanchenjunga.
• Thailand: Bangkok, the main connection for travellers from Europe, North America and Australia
• Singapore, and Bangladesh (Dhaka)

Routes and schedules change by season. Flights fill up quickly in spring, in autumn and around festivals. We can book your Paro flights for you alongside your tour, which makes it simple to rearrange things if a flight changes.

Overland from India

Bhutan has land border crossings with India at:

• Phuentsholing (from Jaigaon, West Bengal): the main crossing, about 4 hours from Bagdogra airport and 5–6 hours' drive from Thimphu.
• Gelephu (from Assam): in south-central Bhutan.
• Samdrup Jongkhar (from Assam): in the south-east, about 3 hours from Guwahati. It is a good exit point for trips through Eastern Bhutan.

Your guide meets you at the border and helps you through immigration. Overland entry is a good way to combine Bhutan with Sikkim, Darjeeling or Assam.

On arrival

1. Show your visa approval letter (or, for Indian nationals, your passport or voter ID) at immigration.
2. Collect your luggage and clear customs.
3. Your guide waits outside the arrivals hall with a sign bearing your name and a traditional white scarf.

Leaving Bhutan

Your guide and driver take you to the airport or border on your last day. For Paro departures, we usually aim to arrive about two hours before the flight.