Almost every visitor arrives by air at Paro, Bhutan’s international airport. Two airlines fly there, both Bhutanese: Drukair, the national carrier, and Bhutan Airlines. No other airline serves the country, so you will need a connecting flight to one of the cities below.
Cities with flights to Paro
- Thailand: Bangkok
- India: Delhi, Kolkata, Bagdogra, Gaya (for Bodh Gaya) and Guwahati
- Nepal: Kathmandu
- Bangladesh: Dhaka
- Singapore
- United Arab Emirates: Dubai
Not every route runs every day, and timetables change with the season. Check the current schedule with Drukair and Bhutan Airlines, or ask us.
Which gateway to choose
From Europe, North America and Australia, most people connect through Bangkok, Delhi or Singapore, which have the widest choice of long-haul flights. Kathmandu is the natural choice if you are combining Bhutan with Nepal, and the flight from there passes Everest and Kanchenjunga on a clear day. Sit on the left of the aircraft flying into Paro from Kathmandu or Delhi for the mountains.
We have set out the journey country by country, with the connection that suits each: Bhutan from the USA, the UK, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Germany and France.
Leave time for connections
Paro lies in a deep valley, and aircraft land and take off there only in daylight and in good visibility. Flights are sometimes delayed by weather, occasionally until the next day. We strongly suggest a night in your gateway city in each direction, and at the very least several hours between flights. Do not book a tight same-day connection on your way home.
On arrival
You will need your passport and the visa clearance letter we send you. The visa is stamped into your passport at immigration. Your guide is waiting outside the arrivals hall with your name on a board, and the vehicle is a few steps away.
Entering by road from India
There are four land crossings from India: Phuentsholing and Samtse in the south-west, Gelephu in the centre and Samdrup Jongkhar in the south-east. Phuentsholing is the one most used, and is reached from Bagdogra airport or the Darjeeling and Sikkim hills. Samdrup Jongkhar is the way out for journeys that end in eastern Bhutan, with onward travel to Guwahati.
Visitors who enter by road and travel beyond the border towns must be accompanied by a guide. If you plan to leave Bhutan by road, check that your Indian visa allows entry by land. Indian travellers, who need no visa for Bhutan and often come this way, will find the permit, the fee and the rules for bringing a vehicle on our page about Bhutan from India.
Flights inside Bhutan
Domestic flights link Paro with Bumthang in the centre, Yonphula in the east and Gelephu in the south. They save one or two days of driving and depend heavily on the weather, so we always have a road plan in reserve. The baggage allowance on domestic flights is 20 kg in economy. Helicopter charters are also available through Royal Bhutan Helicopter Services.
Gelephu, in the south, received its first international flight on 8 December 2025, when Drukair began flying between Gelephu and Kolkata twice a week. Paro is still the airport for nearly every visitor.
Routes checked against the Department of Tourism and Drukair on 3 October 2026; Gelephu’s international flights added on 13 October 2026.