Bhutan or the land of the Thunder Dragon is one of the most highly acclaimed travel destinations. This is a land of remarkable natural beauty with a pristine and intact environment and a friendly, tradition-bound people. To the discerning international traveler, Bhutan has become an exotic and enticing final frontier.Bhutan 's present travel status comes as no surprise given that this tiny kingdom, the size of Switzerland , was zealously sequestered from the world for centuries. The door to this mythical Buddhist kingdom was opened to limited tourism only three decades ago.

 

Travel to Bhutan is still regulated through a policy of high value tourism. At this time and age when tourism most often dictates national economics, travel to Bhutan is a refreshing experience. Here, a deeply ingrained sense of hospitality, a universally acknowledged ecosystem and a living culture ensures every traveler the best that any nation has on offer. Travel to Bhutan is really an exploration. Explore a tradition and culture that has been preserved through the centuries. In Bhutan , it is not about seeing a display showcased for tourists but living and sharing an experience with the Bhutanese. From religious festivals to a celebration on a farm or a game of archery, become a part of it all. This is true interactive travel.

 

Geographical Co-ordinates

The Kingdom of Bhutan covers a land area of 46,500 square kilometers. The land lies between latitudes 26o 45’ N and 28o 10’ N and between longitude 88o 45’ E and 92o 10’ E. The country has a maximum latitudinal distance of 170 kilometers and maximum longitudinal distance of 300 kilometers.

 

Topography

Bhutan is almost entirely mountainous with flat land limited to the meandering border river valleys. The land rises from approximately 300 meters above the sea level in the south to the towering Himalayan mountains in the north of over 7,400 meters high. The densely populated central valleys are separated from the south by a 2,000 meter high chain of mountain within a distance of less than 175 km.

 

Bhutan has three major landform features: the southern foothills: the inner Himalayas and the higher Himalayas. The southern foothill rises from the plains to heights of about 1,500 meters extending to the north by about 20 kilometers. Southern Bhutan consists of a heavy network of steep hills covered with large tract of dense forest and jungles.

 

 

 

 

There are 2 ways through which you can enter Bhutan:

 

By Air

The best way to enter Bhutan is by Druk Air, the national air carrier. The following cities are connected to Bhutan with Druk Air flights.

 

• India: Delhi (DEL), Kolkotta (CCU) & Gaya (GAY)
• Nepal: Kathmandu (KTM)
• Bangladesh: Dhaka (DAC)
• Thailand: Bangkok (BKK)
• Burma: Rangoon (RGN)

 

Druk Air is the only airline operating in Bhutan. As Druk Air flights may be delayed because of weather in the monsoon (July & August), it is advisable to keep a 24-hour gap before any onward international connections.

 

Bhutan Travelers can assist you in arranging your Druk Air flights. For the Druk Air reservation, we would require your full names as in your passports. We will buy your Druk Air tickets and send them to you in advance or to the respective Druk Air check-in counters from where you board your flights. You may collect them at the check-in counter on arrival.

 

By Overland

There is one overland entry and 2 exit points:

• Both entry and exit can be done via Phuntsholing
  • You can enter/exit Bhutan overland from the Indian state of West Bengal into Phuntsholing, border town in southwest of Bhutan. Four hours drive from Phuntsholing will take you to Bagdogra in the state of West Bengal (India) which is the nearest airport from Phuntsholing. Phuntsholing serves as a convenient point for the travelers wishing to visit the Indian states of Sikkim, West Bengal along with Bhutan. The drive from Phuntsholing to Thimphu takes six hours.
• Only exit can be done via Samdrup Jongkhar
  • Samdrup Jongkhar is in southeast, 110 km from Guwahati, India, which is nearest to the Guwahati Airport. From Guwahati, you may fly into other Indian cities like Delhi, Bombay or Kolkotta and to your onward flight connections. This exit is more convenient if the travelers do not wish to travel back the same lateral route to Paro for the flights and who would like to combine Assam trips with Bhutan.

 

 

All visitors traveling to Bhutan are required to obtain a visa and it is processed and arranged by us. No foreign mission grants Bhutan tourist visa.

 

We will handle the visa procedures for you. The Govt. will sanction the VISA only after the receipt of full payment in advance. The cost of the visa itself is US $20, which can be further extended with an additional fee of US $15. Visa fee should be paid along with the tour payment and actual Bhutan VISA will be stamped in your passport on arrival on Paro airport.

 

For all travelers, entering into the country by road through Phuntsholing (border town in the south of Bhutan), the visa is stamped on arrival and Visa Clearance Number is forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thimphu.

 

Visa applications must reach Bhutan at least three weeks prior to your arrival date to allow time for processing

 

Special Permits

Most countries issue visas from their embassies abroad and stamp it in your passport, but not Bhutan. Bhutanese embassies abroad cannot issue Visas for travel to Bhutan.

 

You must apply in advance through a tour operator and receive approval before you travel to Bhutan.