Bhutan by road from Siliguri for Indian travellers

Flying into Paro is quick, but fares from Bagdogra, Kolkata or Delhi add roughly ₹7,000–15,000 each way. For Indian travellers on a budget, the road through the Dooars to the border town of Jaigaon and its Bhutanese twin Phuentsholing is by far the cheaper way in, and it gives you a slow, interesting entry: tea gardens and forest on the Indian side, then a long climb from about 300 m at Phuentsholing to Thimphu at about 2,320 m.

Since Bhutan reopened in September 2022, the rules for Indians are tighter than many people remember. Every Indian tourist needs an entry permit, pays the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) for each night in the country, stays only in certified accommodation, and travels with a licensed guide outside Thimphu and Paro. None of this is hard to arrange, but it shapes both the cost and the plan.

Everything in this post is indicative for 2026. Bhutan revises its tourism rules from time to time. Check current status before you travel.

Jaigaon, on the Indian side of the gate, is about 160 km from Siliguri. Government and private buses run there through the day for about ₹150–250 a seat, taking 4.5–5.5 hours along the Dooars highway through Malbazar, Chalsa and Birpara. A reserved car costs about ₹3,500–5,000 and takes about 4 hours. By rail, trains from NJP stop at Hasimara, about 17 km from the border, and a shared auto covers the last stretch for ₹50–100.

If you have a day or two to spare, break the journey in the Dooars. Jaldapara, near Madarihat, is about 40 km short of the border, and a night there costs no SDF. Our eight-night Bhutan journey does exactly that on the way home.

Indian adults can enter with either a valid Indian passport with at least six months' validity, or an original voter ID card (EPIC). Photocopies and digital copies are not accepted, and neither are Aadhaar, PAN or driving licences. Children under 18 without a passport or voter ID can travel with a birth certificate and a parent.

The entry permit covers Thimphu and Paro. You can apply online in advance through the Department of Immigration's portal or get it in person at the immigration office in Phuentsholing, which is open on weekdays and part of Saturday and closed on Sundays and Bhutanese public holidays. Arrive early with your documents and certified hotel bookings; queues are long in May, June and October. To go beyond Thimphu and Paro, your guide or operator arranges a route permit for each district.

The SDF is collected when your permit is issued, for the nights you plan to stay. It is per night spent in Bhutan, not per day, which is why a night in Jaigaon saves money.

• Original passport or voter ID for each adult.
• Two passport photographs per person and photocopies of each ID.
• Confirmed bookings in certified hotels for every night.
• Your itinerary, and your guide's details if going beyond Thimphu and Paro.

Public buses run from Phuentsholing to Thimphu several times a day. The fare is about Nu 300, the same in rupees, and the journey takes 5.5–6.5 hours. Shared taxis are quicker at about 5 hours and cost ₹800–1,200 a seat; a private car costs ₹6,000–8,000. Paro is about 145 km and 5 hours from Phuentsholing. Book bus tickets at the bus station a day ahead or through Bhutan's online system.

Remember that Bhutan Time is 30 minutes ahead of Indian Standard Time, and buses and government offices run to it. Indian rupees are accepted everywhere at par with the ngultrum, but carry ₹100 and ₹200 notes, since some shops refuse ₹500 notes.

Within Thimphu and Paro you may travel on your own, using taxis and buses. Beyond them, to Punakha, Phobjikha or Haa, you must travel with a licensed Bhutanese guide, and most people hire a car and driver with the guide. A guide costs about ₹2,500–3,500 a day and a car about ₹3,500–6,000 a day, shared by everyone in the vehicle.

The table compares our two overland Bhutan journeys from Siliguri. Prices are per person, twin sharing, and include the SDF, certified rooms, transport and, where needed, the guide. The six-night trip stays in Thimphu and Paro; the eight-night trip adds Punakha, Phobjikha and a night at Jaldapara.

For daily planning, Budget travel in Bhutan costs about ₹4,000–5,500 per person per day including the SDF, Value about ₹7,000–9,500 and Comfort ₹14,000–25,000. Certified budget hotels in Thimphu and Paro start at about ₹2,500–4,000 a room, and a local meal of ema datshi with red rice costs ₹200–350.

Our overland journey follows a pattern that works for most first-time visitors. It keeps the long road days apart, gives two full days in each valley and needs no guide, since it stays within Thimphu and Paro.

The Tiger's Nest walk, to Taktsang monastery above the Paro valley, is the highlight for most people. It is a steep climb through pine forest to the cliff temples at 3,120 m, so allow 5–6 hours for the return walk at a steady pace and start early. A taxi to the trailhead and back costs about ₹1,000.

If you prefer to save a night of SDF, swap the first night in Phuentsholing for a night in Jaigaon, cross early, and collect your permit when the office opens. You then reach Thimphu by late afternoon.

• Day 1: Siliguri to Phuentsholing, 160 km, 4–5 hours; permit formalities if the office is open.
• Day 2: Phuentsholing to Thimphu, 160 km, 5–6 hours by bus or car.
• Day 3: Thimphu sights, including Tashichho Dzong and the Buddha Dordenma statue.
• Day 4: Thimphu to Paro, 55 km, 1.5 hours; Paro dzong and the National Museum.
• Day 5: The Tiger's Nest walk.
• Day 6: Paro to Phuentsholing, 145 km, about 5 hours.
• Day 7: Phuentsholing to Siliguri, NJP or Bagdogra.

Bhutan's rules leave less room for bargain-hunting than Sikkim or Darjeeling, but real savings exist. Most come from where you sleep, how many people share the car and when you go. What you should not cut is the legal side: uncertified rooms, skipping the guide outside Thimphu and Paro, or overstaying your permit can lead to fines and trouble at checkpoints.

• Sleep in Jaigaon, where simple hotels cost ₹800–1,500 a room, or Jaldapara at the start or end of the trip.
• Keep a first trip to Thimphu and Paro, where no guide is needed, and use public buses.
• Share the car and guide with another couple or family for Punakha, Phobjikha or Haa.
• Choose registered farmhouse homestays, which include dinner and breakfast.
• Travel in late November, December, February or early March, outside festival weeks.
• Book certified hotels two to three months ahead for April, May and October.