How to Reach Bhutan

Bhutan has a single international airport, Paro International Airport, tucked into a narrow valley surrounded by peaks reaching over 5,000 meters. Two airlines fly there: Drukair (Royal Bhutan Airlines) and Bhutan Airlines. Between them, they connect Paro to regional hubs including Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Bagdogra in India; Kathmandu in Nepal; Bangkok and Singapore; and seasonal routes to destinations such as Dhaka and Gaya. There are no direct long-haul flights from Europe, North America, or Australia, so most international travelers connect through one of these gateway cities, commonly Delhi, Kathmandu, or Bangkok.

Because both airlines are relatively small and seats sell out well ahead of peak festival season (spring and autumn especially), it is worth booking flights early. As your ground operator, World Tour Plan can help time your Drukair or Bhutan Airlines booking to line up with your visa clearance and tour itinerary, since Bhutan requires your tour arrangements to be confirmed before you fly in.

The Paro approach itself is part of the experience — and part of the reason flights book up. Ringed by mountains on all sides, the descent into Paro valley requires manual visual flying rather than standard instrument approaches, with the aircraft banking between ridgelines in the final minutes before touchdown. It is widely cited as one of the more technically demanding landings in commercial aviation, which is why only a small number of specially certified pilots are qualified to fly it. On a clear day, it also happens to be spectacular, with close-up views of terraced fields, pine-covered slopes, and — on the right route — Mount Jhomolhari in the distance.

For travelers already in the region, particularly those coming from eastern or northeastern India, there is also a land entry option via the border town of Phuentsholing, which connects to Jaigaon on the Indian side. This route is available to eligible travelers (regulations and required permits vary by nationality) and is sometimes used to combine a Bhutan trip with travel through West Bengal or Assam, or simply as a lower-cost alternative to flying in. Entry formalities at Phuentsholing still require your Bhutan travel arrangements and permits to be in order beforehand, exactly as with air entry.

Whichever route you take, World Tour Plan handles the permit and visa clearance process alongside your flight and itinerary planning, so the logistics of simply getting into the country are sorted well before you leave home.