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Family & Leisure
Enter by road from India at Phuentsholing — ideal for Indian families and groups flying into Bagdogra.
Overview
Many Indian travellers reach Bhutan by road. Fly into Bagdogra (or arrive by train at New Jalpaiguri), drive to the border town of Jaigaon and walk through the gate into Phuentsholing — and into a different country, quieter and greener, in a single step.
This route suits families, friends and groups from across India, including our partners in South India and Goa. We handle the entry permit support at Phuentsholing, then take the mountain road up to two nights at Thimphu Residency and one at Punakha Residency, with Paro and the Tiger’s Nest to finish.
At a glance
Your route
Phuentsholing → Thimphu → Punakha → Paro → Phuentsholing
Phuentsholing
1 night
Thimphu
2 nights
Punakha
1 night
Paro
2 nights
Phuentsholing
1 night
Day by day
Times are approximate and depend on roads, weather and how long you linger. Your guide adapts each day to you.
Our driver meets you at Bagdogra airport (or New Jalpaiguri station) for the drive across the plains of North Bengal, through tea gardens and past the Jaldapara forests, to the border town of Jaigaon.
Walk through the ornate Bhutan Gate into Phuentsholing. Your guide helps with the entry permit formalities at the immigration office — bring your passport or Voter ID card. Evening at leisure; the crocodile breeding centre and Zangtopelri Lhakhang are both close to town.
Overnight: A certified hotel in Phuentsholing
The road climbs steeply out of the plains, through monsoon forest, past waterfalls and the Chukha hydropower project, up to the cool ridge at Chapcha. Tea stops break the drive, and the air changes completely as you climb.
Arrive at Thimphu Residency in the afternoon. Rest, then an easy walk to the town square in the evening.
Overnight: Thimphu Residency, Thimphu
Start above the city at Buddha Dordenma, the great gilded Buddha that watches over the valley, then come down to the National Memorial Chorten, where elderly residents walk their circuits with prayer wheels from first light. The Folk Heritage Museum shows how a farmhouse worked, from the grinding stones to the altar room.
After lunch, visit the textile museum and the Institute for Zorig Chusum, where students learn the thirteen traditional arts — painting, carving, embroidery. At about five o’clock Tashichho Dzong, the seat of government, usually opens its courtyard to visitors as the flag is lowered.
Our team can arrange a group dinner with Indian and Bhutanese dishes at the hotel restaurant.
Overnight: Thimphu Residency, Thimphu
Leave Thimphu after breakfast and climb to Dochula Pass, about 3,100 m, where 108 memorial chortens stand on a ridge hung with prayer flags. On clear mornings, mostly from October to February, the eastern Himalaya line the northern horizon. Tea at the pass, then the long, winding descent into a warmer world of rice and orange trees.
Punakha Dzong sits at the point where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers meet, and for many travellers it is the most beautiful building in Bhutan. Cross the cantilevered bridge into its courtyards, then walk the long suspension bridge upstream, swaying gently over the river. Check in at Punakha Residency in Khuruthang.
Overnight: Punakha Residency, Khuruthang
An early visit to Chimi Lhakhang through the rice fields before the drive west.
The drive back west recrosses Dochula and descends to Chuzom before turning up the Paro valley. In the late afternoon, walk down through Rinpung Dzong to the covered cantilever bridge below it — the light is at its best on the whitewashed walls at this hour.
Overnight: A certified hotel in the Paro valley
This is the day many travellers come for. The trail to Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest, starts in pine forest at the foot of the cliff and climbs steadily for about 2–3 hours to a viewpoint opposite the monastery. Legend says Guru Rinpoche flew here on the back of a tigress in the eighth century and meditated in the cave the temples now enclose.
From the viewpoint, a stone staircase drops into a gorge beside a waterfall and climbs up to the gate. Cameras and bags stay in lockers; inside, butter lamps flicker in the cave shrines. The cafeteria halfway makes a good lunch stop on the way down, and most people are back at the road by mid-afternoon.
Overnight: A certified hotel in the Paro valley
After breakfast, drive down from the mountains to the warm plains. Shopping stops for Bhutanese handicrafts, tea and local snacks can be built in along the way.
Arrive in Phuentsholing for a final evening in Bhutan, with time to stroll the town or rest before tomorrow’s journey home.
Overnight: A certified hotel in Phuentsholing
After breakfast your driver takes you down to the plains for your onward journey.
Cross back into Jaigaon and drive to Bagdogra airport or New Jalpaiguri station for your onward journey — about 4 hours.
Plan this holiday
Every date, hotel and day can be changed. Send an inquiry and we will reply with a personal quotation.
What's included
Before you go
Indian nationals need a valid passport or Voter ID card for the entry permit (children: as advised at the time of booking). The SDF for Indian nationals is Nu. 1,200 per night, Nu. 600 for ages 6–11.
Mountain roads can be slow in the monsoon (roughly June to August). We build in time and check conditions.
Visa and SDF: every visitor except Indian nationals needs a US$40 visa. The Sustainable Development Fee is US$100 per adult per night (US$50 ages 6–11, under 6 free; Indian nationals Nu. 1,200, Nu. 600 ages 6–11). See Visa & Entry Permits and SDF.
Questions
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Overland Bhutan from Phuentsholing
Tell us your dates and group, and anything you would like to change. We will reply with a day-by-day plan and a personal quotation as soon as we can.
Our hospitality partners: Thimphu Residency · Punakha Residency
