A Bhutan holiday from the UK begins with a long flight east and ends with a short one into Paro, between mountains, on one of the two Bhutanese airlines that are allowed to land there. No airline flies from Britain to Bhutan. This page explains the usual routes and the paperwork for British travellers.
Routes from Britain
The cities with flights to Paro include Delhi, Kolkata, Kathmandu, Bangkok, Singapore, Dhaka and Dubai. From London and Manchester the most direct way is through Delhi; Dubai and Bangkok are the alternatives, and Kathmandu suits anyone adding Nepal. The full list is on our page about getting to Bhutan.
Stay a night in the connecting city in each direction. Paro lies in a deep valley and aircraft use it only in daylight and good visibility, so a flight is now and then held until the next morning. A same-day connection home is the one thing we ask guests not to book.
A night in Delhi means entering India, for which British passport holders need an Indian visa. Look at the entry rules for your connecting country before you settle on a route.
Visa and the nightly fee
British citizens need a visa, approved before you travel. It costs US$40 and we apply for it as part of the booking, from a scan of your passport (valid for six months after the trip) and a photograph. The Sustainable Development Fee is US$100 a night for an adult and US$50 for a child of 6 to 11. Prices in Bhutan are quoted in US dollars, ours included, and both charges are within them.
Time difference
Bhutan is six hours ahead of the UK in winter and five in summer, since it does not change its clocks. That is an easy adjustment by long-haul standards: most people are in step after two nights.
How long, and which trip
British guests most often come for eight to twelve days. Eight days at an easy pace is our Bhutan Highlands Explorer, which adds the Haa valley and the Chele La pass to the western valleys. Walkers should look at the Druk Path Trek, six days on foot between Paro and Thimphu, and at the treks compared. Gardeners and anyone who likes flowers should come in April for the rhododendrons.
Money and practical things
Bring spending money as US dollars in clean notes, which are the easiest currency to change in Bhutan. Sockets take several kinds of plug, the British three-pin among them, but not everywhere: pack a universal adaptor to be sure. Insurance is no longer required for the visa. Take it anyway, and check that it covers the height of any trek you plan.
When to come
October and November are the clearest months, and October half-term falls inside them. Easter usually lands in the spring season, sometimes with Paro Tshechu. The school summer holiday is the monsoon in Bhutan, and Christmas is cold, bright and quiet, with the cranes in Phobjikha. See the best time to visit Bhutan, or the page for your month, such as Bhutan in October.
Travelling from somewhere else?
We have written the same kind of page for travellers from the USA, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Germany, France, India and Bangladesh and the Maldives.
Ask us
Tell us your dates and where you are flying from, and we will reply within 24 hours with a route, an outline of the days and a price. Send an enquiry, or start from a tailor-made trip.
Visa and fee checked against the Department of Tourism on 12 October 2026, and the cities with flights to Paro against Drukair on 3 October 2026. Airline timetables change with the season, so check the days before you book.