Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, the Dooars and Bhutan · a planner replies within one working day
Try "Gangtok", "toy train", "rhino", "Bhutan permit"
A six-night road trip from Siliguri into western Bhutan through Phuentsholing, with two nights each in Thimphu and Paro and a full day for the Tiger's Nest walk. It stays within the guide-free zone, so it is the cheapest honest way to see Bhutan, from about ₹21,500 per person.
This is the trip we suggest to most first-time Indian visitors. It goes in and out by road from Siliguri, avoiding airfares, and keeps to Thimphu and Paro, where tourists may move without a licensed guide. That means the Budget tier can use public buses and simple certified hotels and still see the main sights.
You get a full day in Thimphu for the Buddha Dordenma, Tashichho Dzong and the Memorial Chorten, a day for Paro's dzong and museum, and a full day for Taktsang. The long road days at the start and end are part of the journey: tea gardens, the Bhutan Gate and a climb from 300 m to over 2,300 m.
Prices include the Sustainable Development Fee of ₹1,200 per person per night for six nights in Bhutan. Prices, fees and rules are indicative. Check current status before you travel.
Highlights
Three ways to do it
Budget
₹21,500 pp
No guide included; works because the trip stays within Thimphu and Paro
Ask for BudgetValue
₹39,000 pp
Our most booked tier, with a guide for dzongs and Taktsang
Ask for ValueComfort
₹72,000 pp
All entry fees included and flexible timings
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
Leave Siliguri by 7.30 am and drive east through Sevoke, the Dooars tea gardens and Hasimara to Jaigaon. Walk through the Bhutan Gate and complete the entry permit at the Phuentsholing immigration office with your passport or voter ID, photos and hotel bookings. In the evening visit Zangtho Pelri Lhakhang and try ema datshi in the market. Set your watch 30 minutes ahead.
Climb out of the plains past Kharbandi Goemba and through forest, fog and waterfalls to Gedu and Chukha. At Chuzom, where the Paro Chhu meets the Wang Chhu, turn north up the valley to Thimphu, arriving mid-afternoon. Walk Norzin Lam in the evening and watch the traffic policeman at the main junction.
Start with the morning kora at the Memorial Chorten. Visit the Buddha Dordenma on Kuensel Phodrang ridge, the Motithang Takin Preserve and the Folk Heritage Museum. On a weekend, walk through the Centenary Farmers Market. Finish at Tashichho Dzong after office hours, when tourists are admitted and monks gather in the courtyard.
Drive down to Chuzom and stop at Tachogang Lhakhang's iron bridge. In Paro, visit the National Museum above Rinpung Dzong, then walk down through the dzong and across the covered Nyamai Zam bridge into town. Rest in the afternoon to prepare for tomorrow's walk, or visit Kyichu Lhakhang near sunset.
Start at the trailhead by 7.30 am and climb through pine forest to the cafeteria and the viewpoint, then down and up the steps to Paro Taktsang at 3,120 m. Allow 5–6 hours in all. In the evening, rest your legs in a farmhouse hot stone bath, available at extra cost.
Leave Paro after breakfast and drive back down the valley to Chuzom and south to Phuentsholing. Stop at the Kharbandi Goemba viewpoint over the plains if you did not on the way in. Spend the evening shopping for red rice, chilli powder or textiles in the market.
Complete exit formalities, cross back through the gate and drive to Siliguri, NJP or Bagdogra, arriving by early afternoon for onward trains and flights. If you have time, break the drive at a tea garden in the Dooars or add a night in Jaldapara.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
Hotel Druk is a long-established hotel a short walk from the Bhutan Gate and the immigration office in Phuentsholing. It is a dependable first or last …
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 …
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 …
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
Yes, in the Budget tier, because it stays in Phuentsholing, Thimphu and Paro, where tourists have been allowed to move without a guide. Monuments may still ask for one, and many travellers hire a guide for a day in Paro for Taktsang. Guide rules have changed since 2022. Check current status before you travel.
From about ₹21,500 per person on a twin-share basis in the Budget tier, including six nights of SDF, simple certified hotels and buses. The Value tier with a private car and guide is about ₹39,000, and Comfort about ₹72,000. Prices are indicative and exclude lunches and entry fees.
Yes. It gives a full day in Thimphu, a day for Paro's dzong and museum, and a full day for Taktsang, with a night at Phuentsholing at each end to break the long drives. If you want Punakha, add two nights and a guide; see our longer itineraries.
A valid passport or original voter ID card, passport photos and photocopies. Children without these need a birth certificate. Carry confirmed bookings for your certified hotels. The permit is issued at Phuentsholing or applied for online. Check current status before you travel.
It is 5–6 hours of winding road, climbing about 2,000 m. Most people find it manageable with breaks. Take motion-sickness tablets if needed and travel in the morning, when fog and rain are less likely. The return to Phuentsholing from Paro is a similar length.
Yes. Skip the last two days and fly from Paro to Bagdogra, Delhi or Kolkata on Drukair or Bhutan Airlines. This saves one night of SDF and a long drive but adds an airfare of roughly ₹7,000–15,000. Weather can delay Paro flights, so do not plan a tight connection.
Mostly. The drives are long but on good roads, and Thimphu and Paro are at moderate altitude. Taktsang is the only demanding day; horses can carry riders to the halfway cafeteria, and turning back there is fine. Children under six do not pay SDF; ages 6–12 pay half.
March to May and October to November. April brings rhododendrons and often the Paro Tshechu; October has the clearest skies and sometimes the Thimphu Tshechu. December to February is cold but dry and cheaper. Avoid July and August, when monsoon landslides can block the southern road.
Yes. All tourists must stay in certified accommodation, and your bookings are usually asked for when the permit is issued. We book every night before you travel. Arriving without bookings can delay your permit, especially in festival weeks and Indian holidays.
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