Licensed Bhutanese tour operator · Thimphu
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Most visitors arrive at Paro International Airport, in a valley at 2,235 metres. Here are the routes, the land crossings, and the things worth knowing before you book — all of which we reconfirm for your dates during planning.
Paro International Airport is Bhutan’s principal gateway for international flights, and the approach is genuinely one of the most demanding in commercial aviation: a descent between 5,000-metre ridgelines, flown visually, with a tight final turn onto the runway. A small number of pilots hold the certification, and flights operate in daylight and in good visibility. Bhutan also operates domestic airfields, and aviation infrastructure in the country is being expanded — we confirm the current picture when we plan your trip.
The practical consequences are worth planning for. Departures are early — most leave Paro before nine. Weather delays happen, particularly in the monsoon, and they are measured in hours rather than minutes. And you should never book an onward international connection on the same day as your Paro departure. Leave a night.
Drukair is the national carrier and Bhutan Airlines is the privately owned one. International routes, frequencies and schedules vary and can change at short notice, so current connections will be confirmed during trip planning. We can book your flights with the trip, or you can book them yourself — just send us the confirmed times.
Frequencies change by season and both airlines adjust schedules at short notice, so treat this as the shape rather than the timetable. Ask us and we will check live availability for your dates before you commit to anything else.
| From | Country | Airlines | Flight time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | India | Drukair, Bhutan Airlines | About 2 hrs 30 min | The most frequent route and usually the cheapest connection from Europe. |
| Kathmandu | Nepal | Drukair, Bhutan Airlines | About 1 hr 15 min | The famous one — sit on the left for Everest, Kangchenjunga and Makalu on a clear morning. |
| Bangkok | Thailand | Drukair, Bhutan Airlines | About 4 hrs | The main gateway from Australia, East Asia and much of North America. |
| Singapore | Singapore | Drukair | About 5 hrs (via Kolkata or Guwahati) | Useful from Australia and Southeast Asia; usually one technical stop. |
| Kolkata | India | Drukair, Bhutan Airlines | About 1 hr | Short hop, and a common connection point for the Singapore service. |
| Guwahati | India | Drukair | About 45 min | The closest Indian airport by air, and handy for Assam extensions. |
| Dhaka | Bangladesh | Drukair | About 1 hr 30 min | Seasonal frequency — check with us before planning around it. |
| Bagdogra | India | Bhutan Airlines (seasonal) | About 40 min | Also the road head for Darjeeling and Sikkim, if you are combining. |
Bhutan’s recognised road entry points from India are Samtse, Phuentsholing, Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar. Which of them are open to international visitors, and what each requires, can change — and permit and visa requirements differ by nationality. We confirm the current position for your passport and your dates before anything is booked.
The busiest land crossing, four to five hours by road from Bagdogra airport or Siliguri. Immigration is at the border and then it is a six-hour climb to Thimphu. Worth it if you are already in Darjeeling or Sikkim.
A quieter crossing into the central belt, useful if you are coming from Guwahati and heading for Trongsa and Bumthang rather than the west. Long, hot road up. Ask us to confirm its current status before you plan around it.
The eastern crossing, roughly three hours from Guwahati. The classic way to cross Bhutan one-way — fly into Paro, drive west to east, and exit here. Ask us to confirm its current status before you plan around it.
Turns two long driving days into a short flight, with the Himalaya out of the left window. The most useful change you can make to a central-Bhutan itinerary — subject to schedules and availability, which we check for your dates.
Two more domestic strips, serving the south and the far east. Schedules are thin and weather-dependent, so we only build them into an itinerary with a road day held in reserve.
Flying in from Kathmandu, sit on the left: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kangchenjunga in one window on a clear morning. From Delhi or Bangkok it matters less — take the left anyway for the descent into the Paro valley.
Send us the itinerary you are considering and we will tell you whether the connections are realistic — including the ones we would not risk.
