Bhutan Myanmar Tour

1. Where are Bhutan and Myanmar?

Bhutan is a Himalayan kingdom nestled between China and India.

Myanmar is said to be truly a gem of a country hidden in plain sight of the world, which not many tourists visit. It is the largest country of the mainland Southeast Asian states bordered by India and Bangladesh to its west, Thailand and Laos to its east and China to its north and northeast.

2. How to travel between Myanmar and Bhutan?

By flight. Although being the third closest country to Bhutan, currently Myanmar has no international flight to Bhutan. So, the easiest way for you to visit Bhutan is to take the flight from Yangon to Bangkok in Thailand or Kolkata in India and later fly directly to Paro.

By land. If you want to travel to Bhutan by land, you firstly need to get India Visa and then travel by road to Guwahati, which has 3 flights to Paro a week. From there, you can take a flight to Paro with a duration of about 1 hour. Or, as an alternative, you can enjoy the overland tour to Alipurduar or somewhere close to Phuentsholing and Gelephu, two of the major overland gateways to Bhutan. And then enter Bhutan by road.

No matter which travel route you prefer, as a responsible and experienced travel agent based in Tibet and has offices in Thimphu, Kathmandu, and Chengdu, we promise to offer you the most hassle-free tour experience to you.

3. How to get the tourist Visa for a Bhutan Myanmar Tour?

Evisa. You can use the Myanmar eVisa system to apply for a tourist visa online. This is applicable to nationals from most countries.

Visa On Arrival (VOA). VOA service is currently only available for Australian, Chinese, German, Indian, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Swiss, and is only applicable at Yangon, Mandalay or Nay Pyi Taw International Airports. The list may expand though, because of more European tourists. We will keep you updated.

For Bhutan visa/permits, you can only apply via a licensed Bhutan agent or their international partners. The policy as it is, you need to book a Bhutan group tour package beforehand from the agent and pay the full fare. Then your agent will apply for your Bhutan visa and other permits needed on your behalf. No visa and visa fee is needed for Indians, Maldivians and Bangladeshis.

4. When is the best time to visit Myanmar and Bhutan together?

The best time to visit Myanmar and Bhutan together lies in the autumn months from October to November when it’s not too wet and neither too hot or too cold. The drier wintertime from December to February is the next best time. However, it can get crowded over the winter season in Myanmar.

For Myanmar, the best time for travelling is from November to February when it’s neither too hot nor too cold. March to May is boiling hot with temperatures likely reaching to over 40 ℃. It’s not recommended to visit Myanmar during this time for the elderly and people with heart disease. However, April can be rewarding since it coincides with the Water Festival in Myanmar - Myanmar New Year. June to September (especially July to August) is the monsoon season but each year the monsoon is different. Some year can be under the influence of La Nina or El Nino which can bring heavy or less rain.

For Bhutan, spring (March, April and May) and autumn (September, October and November) are the two best tourism seasons. Summer (June to August) is the monsoon season so the views are not clear enough and roads can be muddy. Winter months (December, January and February) can also be very interesting since it’s less crowded, some major festivals like Punakha Tshechu take place this time and temperatures can be mild in lower altitude places.

5. Is it safe to visit Bhutan and Myanmar?

YES. Myanmar is a safe country to travel to and within. The Burmese people are among the most welcoming and friendly you may ever meet as a traveller. They will go out of their way to help you and make sure travellers feel comfortable. You may even find yourself invited into a local’s home for tea.

The main challenges for visitors might be the poor transport system of road and infrastructure and inattentive flights and boat standards and procedures.

Other issues travellers are concerned about are things like bugs, snakes, rats & monkeys. So bring repellent from home, watch your step in bush, forest and grass and wash your hands before sleeping and eating. Also, heed local religious sensitivities and moderate your behaviours accordingly. Depictions of Buddha deemed inappropriate or offensive by Buddhists can cause serious problems for visitors to Myanmar. For example, in 2016 a Spanish tourist was deported when monks in Bagan saw that he had a tattoo of Buddha on his leg.

Although there are areas in Myanmar that are experiencing unrest, like Rohingya conflict in the western state of Rakhine, they are mostly off-limits to tourists and there have been no reports of tourist-related violence in and around the main attractions (which are a considerable distance away from the conflict regions).

As to Bhutan, it’s totally safe to travel as the Bhutan government takes care of most of the tourism and you are always accompanied by a licensed local guide, with everything taken care of.