Road Travel Times In Bhutan

Most of your travel through Bhutan will be by the one road that traverses the centre of the Kingdom. The road has been upgraded over the last 5 years and, is finally in good shape between western & central Bhutan with just some further upgrading going in in the eastern part of the country. Most journey times by road have been reduced and the road has less bends than before. All good news for tourist visitors!

There are currently three authorised entry  points by road for foreign tourists & one authorised exit point for foreign tourists.

The first is at Phuentsholing in southwest Bhutan. Jaigaon is the adjacent Indian city in West Bengal. We strongly recommend vistors entering or departing via Phuentsholing spend the night there on the Bhutan side of the border. Jaigaon is chaotic and only offers low standards of accommodation.

The second entry point is at Samdrup Jongkhar (SJ) in the far southeast of Bhutan. SJ borders the Indian State of Assam. Therefore this border crossing is useful for visitors who travel to the more remote eastern side of Bhutan.  It is 3 hour drive from the Indian airport of Guwahati to the Border at Samdrup Jongkhar. (Currently this border is closed to foreign tourists 2024)

Finally, the third entry point is Gelephu in central southern Bhutan for those on specialised itineraries. (Currently this border is closed to foreign tourists 2024)

• Average speed by car is approx 30-40 kms per hour.
• The Bhutanese generally drive with great tolerance and skill.
• Weather, road works, roadblocks (landslides) & vehicle breakdowns can all impact on your itinerary. Please take it in your stride.
• We use SUV’s, Hyundai Minibuses or Toyota Coaster coaches depending on group size.