Bhutan and Nepal together: how to combine them
One flight links Kathmandu and Paro. How to combine Nepal and Bhutan in a single trip: the flight, the visas, how the two differ and how to divide the days.
Nepal and Bhutan sit side by side on the map of the Himalaya, with a strip of India between them, and many travellers who come this far want to see both. It is easy to do. A single flight links Kathmandu with Paro, and the two countries are different enough that neither repeats the other. This is how to combine Bhutan and Nepal in one trip.
The flight between them
Kathmandu is one of the cities with a flight to Paro, operated by the Bhutanese airlines. It takes a little over an hour, and on a clear day it is one of the great flights of the world: the aircraft runs along the Himalaya past Everest and Kanchenjunga. Flying from Kathmandu to Paro, the mountains are on the left. The flight does not run every day, so its timetable usually decides the day you change countries. See getting to Bhutan.
Paro is used only in daylight and clear weather, and flights are sometimes put back to the next day. If you fly home from Kathmandu after Bhutan, leave a night in Kathmandu before your long-haul flight.
Visas
- Bhutan: a visa approved before you travel, US$40, which we apply for when you book. You also pay the Sustainable Development Fee of US$100 a night, which is included in our prices. Details on the Bhutan visa page.
- Nepal: most nationalities can obtain a tourist visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport. If you return to Nepal after Bhutan, make sure your Nepali visa allows a second entry, or be ready to buy another. Check Nepal’s current rules for your passport before you travel.
How the two differ
| Nepal | Bhutan | |
|---|---|---|
| How you travel | Independently if you wish | With a licensed guide and driver |
| Cost | As little or as much as you choose | A set nightly fee, and a price that includes almost everything |
| Trekking | Teahouse lodges on the main routes | Camping, with a crew and pack animals |
| Visitors | Many, and busy in season | Few, by design |
| Religion | Hindu and Buddhist side by side | Himalayan Buddhism throughout |
| Cities | Kathmandu: large, crowded, full of life | Thimphu: small and calm, with no traffic lights |
They complement each other. Nepal gives you scale, bustle and freedom. Bhutan gives you quiet, order and a culture that has been kept whole.
Which to visit first
Most people do Nepal first and Bhutan second, and we think that is right. Kathmandu is intense, and Bhutan is a rest after it. Kathmandu stands at about 1,400 m, so a few days there, or a trek in Nepal, also prepares you a little for the altitude of Paro at 2,200 m.
The other way round works too, especially if a Bhutanese festival fixes your dates at the start. What matters is that the flight between them falls on a day it runs.
How to divide the days
- Ten days: four in the Kathmandu valley, then five in Bhutan for Paro, Thimphu and Punakha, as on our 5-day tour, with a night in Kathmandu before flying home.
- Two weeks: Kathmandu and Pokhara or Chitwan in Nepal, then a week in western Bhutan with Phobjikha.
- Three weeks, for walkers: a teahouse trek in Nepal, then the Druk Path or a cultural journey to Bumthang in Bhutan. You will arrive already used to the height.
Four days is the least that makes Bhutan worthwhile; our article on how many days you need explains why.
When to go
The seasons are the same in both. October and November have the clearest skies, and March to May is warm, with rhododendrons in flower. June to September is the monsoon in both countries. See the best time to visit Bhutan.
By land
There is no direct road, because India lies between. It is possible to travel overland from eastern Nepal through the Indian town of Siliguri to the Bhutanese border at Phuentsholing, but it takes two days, needs an Indian visa as well, and saves little. Fly.
What we arrange
We are a Bhutanese operator, licensed in Bhutan, and we arrange the Bhutan part: visa, guide, vehicle, hotels and meals, and help with the flight from Kathmandu. Nepal you can travel on your own or with a Nepali company. Tell us your dates and how many days you have for Bhutan, and we will plan them around the flight.
