It is not difficult to get to Bhutan. It is a case of knowing how to access the country, where from and then factoring in the travel time required.  On 23 Sep 2022, Bhutan’s unique system of tourism changed. You can now enter the country unescorted, deal with the visa yourself and generally be self-sufficient. That said, the cost of visiting the country has rocketed.  Read more about Bhutan’s new system of tourism.

The geography surrounding Bhutan (Himalayas to the north) means that the road access is only from the south (India). Due to the poor road conditions and distances in that region, the vast majority of western visitors will fly in.

Only Bhutanese airlines are allowed to operate in Bhutan; therefore, you will need to connect to their flight routing/schedule.

The map (click to expand it) shows the Drukair routes. The latest route to be added is Dubai, which began operating in Oct 2024. It only operates twice a week. You will immediately see that for any detailed planning, you will need to know the Drukair flight schedule for your chosen intermediary city. Travelling from the UK normally involves an overnight stay somewhere before connecting to a Drukair flight. Dubai, Kathmandu, and Delhi are the airports most likely to be used if you are travelling from the UK. Drukair only has a few aircraft and they do not fly to every destination daily.

We can assist with all of your travel arrangements, including necessary overnight stops en route, into Bhutan and return.

Drukair flight routes
Click to enlarge

Bhutan has two airlines; Drukair and Bhutan Airlines.

Drukair is very well established and serves a good range of cities in the region including Kathmandu, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok, Singapore and now Dubai. Drukair operates operates the A320 neo/319 aircraft (think Easyjet size). Be aware that not all cities are served 7 days a week.
Domestically, Drukair operates flights to Bumthang, Yonphula, and Gelephu, which helps to eliminate long return driving distances.

Bhutan Airlines is a smaller airline (2 x A319 aircraft) and has been in and out of operation several times. Its destinations include Kathmandu, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok, Bangalore and Mumbai. It uses a ’round-robin’ route so they’re not necessarily direct to/from Bhutan. Consult Bhutan Airline’s website for the flight schedules. Like Drukair, it does not serve every destination on a daily basis.

Tips:

• The flight route from Kathmandu to Paro goes straight past Mt Everest. One of the best aerial views you’ll ever get (weather permitting).
• Travelling Business Class on Drukair is worth considering. The flight may be just 1 hr but the cost upgrade is quite small and the seats are great!

Paro’s airport is vulnerable to adverse weather conditions. It sits at an altitude of around 2200m, nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains. Our advice, and experience, is not to link flights out of Bhutan to other international flights with tight connection times due to potential delays (or even the same day).

Question – some commentators cite that Bhutan restricts the number of visitors to the country. Is this true?
No. Bhutan has never done that. If you consider the number of aircraft available (currently 4) and the schedule to/from Paro, the number of people is naturally restricted by aircraft seats + whoever drives over the border that day. In addition, the high fees to stay in the country restrict visitors naturally (no backpackers).

Bhutan is a great place to build your own itinerary around the time you have and your own preferences. Try the Tigers Nest Tour, or combine it with the 5-day Druk Path trek. There is also the two popular festivals: the Paro festival in the spring and the Thimphu festival in the autumn.