Bhutan is a small country but this land of Monks & monasteries offers a lot of places to explore. The ideal Travel Itinerary in our opinion would be one week in Bhutan if you are travelling via Air and a day extra if travelling via roads for the permit. For those who want to reach Bhutan directly – Druk Air has several flights daily mostly via Kolkata to Paro – Bhutan’s only International airport, located around 50kms from the capital city of Thimphu.
We decided to reach Bhutan via road and took a train from Kolkata to Hasimara, a small town in West Bengal near the Indo – Bhutanese Border and entered through the Gateway of Bhutan at Phuntsholling.
A week in Bhutan - our itinerary
Day Zero
Bangalore – Kolkata – Hasimara
Bangalore – Kolkata – Early morning flight. Reached in the morning and hopped around Kolkata for half a day
Kolkata – Hasimara – Boarded Kanchankanya express from Kolkata’s Sealdah station. An overnight train journey which reaches Hasimara the next day. Try to book this ticket well in advance as tickets tend to finish super first in this train.
Day One
Hasimara – Jaigaon – Phuntsholing
Hasimara – Jaigaon – Hasimara is a small town in northern West Bengal, India. The Indo Bhutanese border is a 45min auto ride from Hasimara station. We took an auto from Hasimara station and reached Jaigaon where the Gateway of Bhutan is. The Indian side of the Gateway is Jaigaon and the Bhutanese side of the Gateway is Phuntsholing.
Jaigaon – Phuntsholing – One walks by the Gateway to reach Phuntsholing – The Bhutan side of the Indo – Bhutanese Border.
Stay – Centennial Hotel, Phuntsholing
Day Two
Entry Permit
No permit is required to enter Bhutan up to 5kms from the Entry Gate
The Local Immigration office at Phuntsholing is right next to the Entry Gate and it is closed on weekends and on pubic holidays. Hence please time your travel accordingly. To get the permit you need to show at least one night booking at a hotel in Bhutan (preferably Thimpu)
The entry permit gives access to Thimphu and Paro. Anything beyond Thimphu and Paro requires an extended permit which can be obtained at Thimphu Immigration office.
Getting the entry permit at Phuntsholing was one tedious task as we stood in the line since morning and travel agents from India were continuously breaking lines. We finally got our permit by late afternoon for one week in Bhutan and we left for Thimphu soon after.
Phuntsholing – Thimphu
- Distance from Phuntsholing to Thimphu is around 150kms and is a 3 – 4 hrs journey via road
- There are local busses that run from Phuntsholing to Thimphu frequently
- We tagged along with a local guy on his Jeep and reached Thimphu at night.
- Stay – Welcome Hotel, Thimphu
Day Three
Extended Permit
- Got our extended permit from Thimphu Immigration office to visit places like Haa Valley, Chele La, Punakha.
- You only require the entry permit and a photograph for the extended permit here and the process is very smooth.
Exploring Thimpu
The charm of this beautiful city is its modernized outlook in an ancient plate.
A day sightseeing trip around Thimphu City is a must to explore the local tradition and culture around.
We visited the following Places
✓ Memorial Chorten
A memorial stupa built in honour of Bhutan’s third king. Located in the heart of the city – National Memorial Chorten is Thimphu City’s most visible religious structure.
✓ National Library of Bhutan
The library is a treasury of Buddhist literature. Visit to witness Several year-old literary treasures of Bhutan.
✓ National handicraft Museum
Handicraft and handwoven textiles are very good at Bhutan. The Textile Museum displays a wide range of Bhutanese textiles attires worn by the royals themselves. Perfect for some souvenir shopping.
✓ Kuensel Phodrang – Buddha Point
The largest Buddha in the country sits here at Thimphu. Good for a quick visit.
✓ Local Market
A must visit to get a taste of Traditional Bhutan.
• Stay – Harmony Hotel, Thimphu (don’t recommend staying here, probably the worst stay in our entire one week in Bhutan)
Day Four
Thimphu – Punakha – Thimphu
Punakha is around 80kms from Thimphu and is a 2-hour ride by road. We left for Punakha in the morning from Thimphu and explored the following places.
Dochula Pass
This mountain pass falls on the way to Punakha from Thimphu. Located at an altitude of 3100m, this beautiful mountain pass is a concentration of 108 memorial stupas in honour of 108 Bhutanese soldiers who died in 2003 military operations.
Punakha Suspension Bridge
A hanging bridge above the Pho Chu river draped in prayer flags. It is the longest suspension bridge in Bhutan.
Punakha Dzong
A beautiful Monastery Located on the banks of Pho Chhu & Mo Chhu River
Chimi Lakhang
This place of worship for centuries has been considered as a Temple of Fertility.
River Rafting at Pho Chhu River
✓ Punakha Valley is situated at the confluence of two major rivers in Bhutan – Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu. The two rivers are famous for river rafting.
✓ Pho Chhu river with its 16kms course is a popular choice for adventure junkies.
✓ Mo Chhu river is comparatively calm and gives you almost the right amount of rush during its 10km course.
✓ Rafting in Bhutan can be a little expensive but is an experience worth every penny. You cross the beautiful Punakha dzong, get to see few rare birds in their natural habitat and all these with a breath-taking view of the alpine valleys.
Stay – Tandin Hotel, Thimphu (best stay, you can stay here for your entire time in Thimpu)
Day Five
Thimphu – Haa Valley – Chele La – Paro
Paro is around 50kms from Thimphu and is an hour ride by road. However, we reached Paro via Haa Valley and Chele La Pass (highest motor able road in Bhutan)
Haa Valley
One of the most beautiful valleys of Bhutan. It is a serene hamlet with a panoramic view of pristine forests and mountains. Lack of crowd, its remoteness, rivers flowing, vast grasslands, majestic mountains, untainted air, undoubtedly makes it the hidden jewel of Bhutan
Chele La
The highest motorable pass of Bhutan located at an altitude of 13,000 ft. A trekker’s paradise for sure. Also, a cup of Tea at the top is a must.
Stay – Hotel Sonam, Paro
Day Six
Trekking Tiger’s Nest
Highlight of our entire one week backpacking in Bhutan
Bhutan’s most sacred religious site and most cherished attraction
It is a small monastery hung on a cliff overlooking a spectacular valley
The difficulty level of TrekkingTiger’s Nest is moderate and requires a good 3-4 hours of hike up and 2- 2.5 hours hike down
We therefore kept an entire day for Tiger’s Nest
Do some souvenir shopping at the foothills of Tiger’s nest.
Stay – Hotel Sonam, Paro
Day Seven
Paro – Phuntsholing – Jaigaon – Hasimara
The journey back from Phuntsholing is the same as we came.
Paro – Phuntsholing – Took a morning bus from Paro to Phuntsholling. The distance between Paro and Phuntsholing is around 140kms and is a 3 – 3.5hrs ride.
Phuntsholing – Jaigaon – Just walked by across the Gateway
Jaigaon – Hasimara station – Auto
Boarded our evening train for Kolkata from Hasimara station
Day Eight
Kolkata – Bangalore
We reached Kolkata in the morning. Took an afternoon flight to Bangalore and that is how we concluded our one week in the happiest country in the world, Bhutan !!
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Reading your post made me reminiscent about the 16 days I spent in Bhutan in 2018. Punakha will always be my favourite. It’s truly a beautiful country!
absolutely agree Avantika…Bhutan has our hearts
This is a complete guide of Bhutan reminds me of my backpacking trip to Bhutan back in 2016 but back then it was much easier to go unplanned but u guess now u need to show bookings and itinerary .. Nevertheless Bhutan n it’s landscapes is flawless to point out any flaws ..and totally worth all the formalities
we did in 2017 and that time they mandated only first night booking. Now things are little changed but this country is worth a visit for sure
This is so neatly put together guys! Really liked how you’ve simplified the itinerary for first timers like us 🙂
Did you guys enjoy the overland crossing or do you feel it is too stressful? Especially with queues?
overland crossing is definitely asks for lil more effort and planning but much cheaper than flying directly to Paro
This totally reminded me of my epic Bhutan Trip last March. Almost followed a similar itinerary, however we decided to stay in a rustic farmhouse near Punakha, rather than just doing a day trip. Also we missed out on Haa valley. But thats for next time i guess. Sometime in the near future.
Punakha is a great place to stay, we spent a lot of time along the river bank.
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