Destination
Chhukha
Phuentsholing and the road up from India
- Oct–Mar
The valley
About Chhukha
Chhukha is the district most overland travellers see first. Phuentsholing, at its southern edge, is the road crossing from India that is used most. It is built hard against the Indian town of Jaigaon, and you enter through a single ornamental gate.
In the town, Zangto Pelri Lhakhang stands in the centre, and Kharbandi Goenpa looks down on the plains from the hillside above. From Phuentsholing the highway climbs out of the heat towards Thimphu and Paro.
Chhukha matters to the whole country for another reason. The Chhukha and Tala hydropower plants are here, and the electricity they export is one of Bhutan’s main sources of income.
Our trips begin at Paro airport, so none of our set itineraries passes through Chhukha. If you plan to arrive by road from India, tell us when you write, and we will say plainly what is possible on a tailor-made trip.
See and do
What to see
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The Bhutan gate
The ornamental gateway between Phuentsholing and the Indian town of Jaigaon.
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Zangto Pelri Lhakhang
A temple in the middle of Phuentsholing.
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Kharbandi Goenpa
A monastery on the hillside above the town, with a view over the plains.
Questions
Good to know
How do I get to Bhutan?
By air to Paro, Bhutan’s international airport. Two airlines fly there, Drukair and Bhutan Airlines, from cities including Bangkok, Delhi, Kolkata, Kathmandu, Singapore, Dhaka and Dubai. Most visitors connect through Bangkok, Delhi or Kathmandu.
You can also enter by road from India at Phuentsholing, Gelephu or Samdrup Jongkhar. Our page on getting to Bhutan has the details.