Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, the Dooars and Bhutan · a planner replies within one working day
Try "Gangtok", "toy train", "rhino", "Bhutan permit"
A short fly-in trip to western Bhutan: two nights in Paro with the Tiger's Nest walk, a night in the quiet Haa valley over Chele La, and a night in Thimphu before flying out of Paro. It suits travellers short on time, from about ₹29,500 per person plus flights.
Flying into Paro saves two long road days and puts you straight into the valley of Taktsang. This trip makes the most of four nights: a day for Paro's dzong and temples, a full day for the Tiger's Nest walk, a drive over Chele La to the farming valley of Haa, and a night in Thimphu before flying out.
Haa adds something most short trips miss. It opened to tourists only in 2002 and still sees few of them, and a farmhouse night there, after crossing a 3,988 m pass with views of Jomolhari, is a good counterweight to the busier sights.
Haa is outside Thimphu and Paro, so a route permit and a licensed guide are required. Prices include four nights of SDF at ₹1,200 per person per night but exclude flights. Prices and rules are indicative. Check current status before you travel.
Highlights
Three ways to do it
Budget
₹29,500 pp
Flights extra; cheapest when four travellers share the car
Ask for BudgetValue
₹42,000 pp
Flights extra; the most balanced option
Ask for ValueComfort
₹78,000 pp
Flights extra; all entry fees included
Ask for ComfortIndicative, per person, twin sharing, for the whole package. Mix tiers night by night if you like. Your written quote lists every cost.
Day by day
Fly into Paro, ideally on a morning flight from Bagdogra, Delhi or Kolkata, and complete the entry permit on arrival if you have not applied online. Meet your guide and rest for an hour to adjust to 2,200 m. Visit the National Museum, walk down through Rinpung Dzong to the Nyamai Zam bridge, and end at Kyichu Lhakhang.
Start by 7.30 am for Paro Taktsang, climbing through pine forest to the cafeteria and the viewpoint, then down and up the steps to the temples at 3,120 m. Allow 5–6 hours. Evening at a farmhouse for dinner and an optional hot stone bath.
Leave early to reach Chele La at 3,988 m while the view of Jomolhari is clear. Walk down to Kila Nunnery if you are fit, then descend into Haa. Visit Lhakhang Karpo and Lhakhang Nagpo, walk in the fields and spend the night in a certified farmhouse, with hoentey for dinner if ordered ahead.
Follow the Haa Chhu down through forest to Chuzom and turn north to Thimphu. In the afternoon visit the Buddha Dordenma and the Folk Heritage Museum, then Tashichho Dzong after office hours. Evening walk on Norzin Lam.
Join the morning kora at the Memorial Chorten, then drive to Paro airport for your flight, leaving Thimphu at least 2.5–3 hours before departure. If your flight is in the afternoon, stop at Tachogang Lhakhang's iron bridge near Chuzom on the way.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
Hotel Olathang is one of Bhutan's oldest hotels, set in pine forest on a hillside above Paro and built in the 1970s for guests at the …
Certified farmhouse homestays in Paro valley villages such as Shaba, Satsam and Tsento give the cheapest legal stay in Paro and a close look at farm …
Hotel Druk is a central Thimphu hotel on Clock Tower Square, within walking distance of Norzin Lam, cafés and the Memorial Chorten. It is a sound …
Le Méridien Thimphu is an international five-star hotel in the city centre near the Wang Chhu and the weekend market. It is the most reliable full-service …
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Questions travellers ask
From about ₹29,500 per person, twin sharing, in the Budget tier, including four nights of SDF, a car and licensed guide, and certified stays. Value costs about ₹42,000 and Comfort about ₹78,000. Flights to Paro are extra, often ₹7,000–15,000 each way from Bagdogra or Kolkata. Prices are indicative.
Indian nationals can enter Bhutan with a valid passport or an original voter ID card, including at Paro airport. Airlines may have their own requirements at check-in, so carry your passport if you have one. Children need a passport or birth certificate. Check current status before you travel.
For most healthy people, yes. Paro is at about 2,200 m and Taktsang at 3,120 m. Walk slowly, drink water and use a horse for the first half if needed. If you feel unwell on arrival, swap days two and three so you see Haa first, though Chele La is higher.
Haa is outside Thimphu and Paro, so a licensed guide and route permit are required. Since you need a car and guide for Haa, we include them for the whole trip, which also makes Taktsang and the dzongs easier. Guide rules may change, so check current status before you travel.
Paro flights are sometimes delayed or cancelled by cloud or wind, especially in the afternoon and during the monsoon. If the arrival is delayed, we shorten day one. For departures, leave a buffer before international or onward connections. Morning flights are generally more reliable.
Usually, but heavy snow between December and February can close it for a day or two. If it is closed, we reach Haa by the longer, lower road via Chuzom, about 4 hours from Paro. Your guide will check the road status the evening before. Check current status before you travel.
Yes. It is short and varied, with Paro's valley hotels, the shared challenge of Taktsang, a quiet farmhouse night in Haa and a comfortable last night in Thimphu. Choose the Comfort tier for the best rooms. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons.
Yes. Add two nights after Thimphu for Punakha, crossing Dochula, then return to Paro for your flight. That needs a route permit for Punakha and two more nights of SDF and car and guide. It turns this into a well-rounded six-night trip.
A warm jacket, cap and gloves for the pass, which is close to 4,000 m and windy. Layers for Haa, where nights can be near freezing outside summer. Good walking shoes for Taktsang, sunscreen, a water bottle and modest clothes with long sleeves for temples.
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