- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan destinations
Bhutan destinations: where to go and how long to stay
From the Paro valley to Trashigang in the far east. What each place is like, what to see, the altitude and the drive times, written by people who travel these roads every week.
- 20 districts
- West, central, east and south
- Drive times included
Getting your bearings
A small country with slow roads
Bhutan is about 38,000 square kilometres, roughly the size of Switzerland, but crossing it takes days. One main road, the Lateral Road, runs east to west over a series of high passes. Average speeds are 30 to 40 km an hour, so a 70 km drive can take two and a half hours.
Most first visits stay in the west: Paro, Thimphu and Punakha. With nine days or more you can add central Bhutan, which many guests end up liking best. The east is for return visitors and people with two weeks or more.
- Western Bhutan: 5 to 7 days
- Add central Bhutan: 9 to 11 days
- East to west: 14 days or more
Western Bhutan
Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and Haa
Where almost every trip begins and where most of the famous sights are.
Paro
About 2,200 m. The airport valley, home to Tiger’s Nest, Rinpung Dzong, the National Museum and 7th-century Kyichu Lhakhang. Give it two or three nights.
Thimphu
About 2,300 m and an hour from Paro. The capital: Tashichho Dzong, Buddha Dordenma, the Memorial Chorten, the takin preserve and the weekend market.
Punakha
About 1,200 m, so warm in winter. Punakha Dzong where two rivers meet, Chimi Lhakhang, rice terraces and river rafting. 2.5 to 3 hours from Thimphu over Dochula.
Dochula pass
About 3,100 m between Thimphu and Punakha. 108 chortens and, on clear days in autumn and winter, a line of Himalayan peaks.
Haa
About 2,700 m, over the Chele La pass from Paro. Quiet farms, the white and black temples, and very few visitors.
Wangdue Phodrang
Next to Punakha. Its dzong burned in 2012 and has been rebuilt. The gateway to Phobjikha.
Central Bhutan
Phobjikha, Trongsa and Bumthang
Old temples, farmland and the crane valley. Worth the long drive.
Phobjikha valley
A wide glacial valley at about 3,000 m around Gangtey Goemba. Black-necked cranes winter here from late October to February. About 3 hours from Punakha.
Trongsa
The ancestral seat of the royal family, with Bhutan’s largest dzong and a tower museum above it. Halfway across the country.
Bumthang
Four valleys at about 2,600 m and more. Jambay Lhakhang, Kurjey Lhakhang, Tamshing, the Burning Lake, buckwheat noodles and Swiss-style cheese. Domestic flights reach Bumthang.
Eastern Bhutan
The east: long roads and few visitors
Eastern Bhutan sees only a small share of tourists. Expect long drives, simpler hotels and a warm welcome. Domestic flights to Yonphula cut the journey.
Mongar
A hillside town reached over the Thrumshing La pass from Bumthang, one of the longest drives in the country.
Lhuentse
Ancestral home of the royal family. Women in the village of Khoma weave kishuthara, the finest silk kira.
Trashigang
Eastern Bhutan's biggest district. Its dzong sits high above the river, and the town feels busy on market days.
Trashi Yangtse
Chorten Kora, a white stupa that hosts a pilgrimage in spring, and craftsmen who turn wooden bowls.
Merak and Sakteng
Remote highland villages of the Brokpa people. Reaching them takes extra days and some walking.
Samdrup Jongkhar
A border town in the southeast, and a handy exit to Guwahati in Assam.
Southern Bhutan and the far north
Borders, jungle and highlands
Phuentsholing
The main road border with India, across from Jaigaon. Most Indian road trips start here.
Gelephu
Southern border town and site of the planned Gelephu Mindfulness City. Drukair flies Gelephu to Kolkata twice a week.
Royal Manas National Park
Subtropical forest on the Indian border, home to tigers, elephants and golden langurs. For wildlife trips.
Gasa
Hot springs and the start of the trail to Laya, about a day's walk or more from the road.
Laya
A highland village at about 3,800 m, known for its women's conical bamboo hats and the Royal Highland Festival.
Lunana
Among the most remote places in Bhutan, reached on the Snowman trek. For very experienced trekkers.
In more detail
What to see in the main valleys
Paro
Paro is where you land, and many guests say it is where they would come back to. The valley floor is red rice fields and farmhouses with painted windows. Rinpung Dzong guards the river, and the old watchtower above it now holds the National Museum. Kyichu Lhakhang, one of the oldest temples in the country, is a short drive north. Then there is Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest, clinging to a cliff about 900 metres above the valley. Leave the hike for late in the trip, once you are used to the altitude.
Thimphu
Thimphu is a small capital with no traffic lights. A policeman still directs cars at the main junction. Tashichho Dzong holds the throne room and government offices, and opens to visitors in the late afternoon. The Buddha Dordenma statue looks down on the city from Kuensel Phodrang. Give yourself time for the Folk Heritage Museum, the Institute for Zorig Chusum, where students learn the 13 traditional arts, and the weekend market by the river.
Punakha
Punakha was the capital until 1955, and its dzong is the one most people remember. It sits where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers meet, and in spring the jacaranda trees around it flower purple. Walk through the rice fields to Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the Divine Madman, where couples come to pray for children. Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten sits on a ridge above the valley, a good half-day hike.
Bumthang
Bumthang is a set of four valleys and the spiritual heart of the country. Jambay Lhakhang is said to date from the 7th century. Kurjey Lhakhang holds a rock with the body print of Guru Rinpoche. At Mebar Tsho, the Burning Lake, the treasure revealer Pema Lingpa is said to have dived in holding a lamp and come out with it still alight. Stay at least two nights, and try the buckwheat pancakes.
Drive times
How long it takes to drive between places
Approximate times in good conditions, without stops. Rain, roadworks and photo breaks add time.
| Route | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Paro to Thimphu | About 55 km | About 1 hour |
| Paro to Haa via Chele La | About 65 km | About 2.5 hours |
| Thimphu to Punakha via Dochula | About 75 km | 2.5 to 3 hours |
| Punakha to Phobjikha | About 80 km | About 3 hours |
| Phobjikha to Trongsa | About 120 km | 3.5 to 4 hours |
| Trongsa to Jakar, Bumthang | About 68 km | 2.5 to 3 hours |
| Jakar to Mongar | About 190 km | 7 to 8 hours |
| Mongar to Trashigang | About 90 km | About 3 hours |
| Phuentsholing to Thimphu | About 150 km | 5 to 6 hours |
Domestic flights link Paro with Bumthang, Gelephu and Yonphula on set days. We use them on longer trips to avoid backtracking.
Sample routes
Putting destinations together
| Days | Route | Full itinerary |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Paro, Thimphu, Punakha | 5 Day Magical Bhutan |
| 7 | Paro, Haa, Thimphu, Punakha | 7 Days with Haa Valley |
| 10 | Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Phobjikha, Trongsa, Bumthang | 10 Day Discover Bhutan |
| 15 | Fly to Yonphula, then Trashigang to Paro by road | 15 Day East to West |
Bhutan destination questions
Tiger’s Nest in Paro, Punakha Dzong, Thimphu’s Tashichho Dzong and Buddha Dordenma, Dochula pass, and, with more time, the Phobjikha valley and Bumthang.
The west: Paro, Thimphu and Punakha. Add Haa or Phobjikha if you have 7 nights.
Yes, if you have 9 days or more. It has some of the oldest temples in Bhutan and a slower, rural feel.
Yes. Plan two weeks, or use domestic flights to Yonphula. Hotels are simpler and visitors are few.
In the Phobjikha valley from late October to February, and in Bumdeling in Trashi Yangtse.
Since 2023, tourists travelling with a licensed guide no longer need separate route permits. A few border and protected areas are restricted, and we plan routes that stay within the rules.
Free route advice
Not sure where to go?
Tell us how many days you have and what you enjoy. We will suggest a route that does not waste time on the road.
