Top Questions about Bhutan Itinerary Plan from Quora

Planning a trip to Bhutan can look very complicated, with the multitude of things you seem to need to do and the knowledge that this is a very exclusive country to visit. And you are not the only one that might have questions on how to plan a trip to Bhutan. Here, we look at some of the most frequently asked questions about planning a Bhutan travel itinerary from Quora, the question and answer website.

How many days are required to visit Bhutan?

This is a much more common question than any other, and many people ask how long is needed to stay in Bhutan to get a good experience. Essentially, the ideal time for a trip to Bhutan is going to depend on a number of factors, including your available time, budget, etc.

If you are looking for the basic general sightseeing tour that includes Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha, then 4-5 days is adequate. If you are heading out into the Haa Valley or want to visit Gangtey, then an added day or two is necessary, or you will miss out on much of the beauty of the country. For those heading into the central areas of Bhutan, it is advised to increase the trip to around 8-10 days, due to the long travel times to Bumthang and Trongsa. And for those wanting to visit the rich cultural areas of Trashigang and Trashiyangtse, which lie in the far east of Bhutan, at least 15 days or more is required.

For those planning a tour around one or more of the festivals in Bhutan, then you should realistically add an extra 1-3 days, to allow you time to enjoy the festivals you are hoping to visit. Trekking is another option for travelers that can make a difference to the time you spend in Bhutan. Treks generally run from as little as three days to as long as a month, and you need to add this to your original sightseeing tour length to make the most of your overall Bhutan experience.

How to plan your Bhutan itinerary for specific travel length?

1. How to plan for a Bhutan trip for 5 days?

When you are planning a trip to Bhutan, if you are intending to just visit the essential destinations of Paro, Punakha, and Thimphu, then a five day tour is just about long enough. In those five days, you can visit Punakha and Thimphu, and then come back to Paro for the last part of the tour, before flying out. This shorter tour of the last Himalayan kingdom is one of the more popular for many tourists, and gives you a good experience of the major destinations in Bhutan.

A classic 5 days Bhutan sightseeing tour usually starts when you land in Paro, and then takes you overland to Thimphu, the national capital, and Punakha, before heading back to Paro. The tour takes you over the famous Dochula Pass, at 3,140 meters, as well as giving you chance to visit the Punakha Dzong and Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten, as well as the National Memorial Chorten, the Tashichho Dzong, and much more.

2. Is it possible to visit Paro, Thimphu in 2 days?

Some India tourists are interested in whether it is possible to visit both Paro and Thimphu in 2 days from Phuentsholing. Well, you need to rethink your schedule. Two days are definitely not enough. It takes 7-8 hours to drive from the India-Bhutan border entrance at Phuentsholing to Paro or Thimphu. In this way, you can only have time for a short night’s stay in either Paro or Thimphu before having to drive back again.

The shortest time you should expect to be in Bhutan for would normally be at least three days. And even then, you would be rushing around the sights, or only visiting the most important and popular ones. A three-day tour can cover the basic sights of Paro and Thimphu, though you will not be able to see everything that you may want to.

If you are looking to extend your stay out to Punakha, then you should look at staying for at least four days. However, even this time will leave you rushed to travel around the three cities, and will have you on a very tight schedule, with no time to relax. In this stunning land of beauty and spirituality, relaxing is one of the greatest adventures you can have. And four days would barely be enough time to enjoy the sights you will be seeing.

3. How to plan a one week trip to Bhutan?

If you have the time, a good week-long vacation in Bhutan is the ideal period to spend for a great time and a lot of relaxing experiences. 6 nights and seven days in Bhutan gives you plenty of time to explore the country in more detail, as well as allowing you to travel a little more, and include either the Haa Valley or the Phobjikha Valley. Having the extra day can be a godsend, as you will have the chance to explore outside the major tourist areas from Paro to Punakha.

The normal itinerary for such a one week Bhutan tour would start in Paro when you arrive, and then head straight for the capital to get in some initial sightseeing on your first day. Then you will spend the following day in the capital sightseeing, before moving on to Punakha the following morning. There you get to visit the famous Punakha Dzong, and you will stay overnight to travel back to Paro the following morning. After a brief sightseeing tour of the city, you will drive to Haa, before heading back to Paro for a trek up to the Tiger’s Nest and your last day in Bhutan.

If you want to drop the trip back to just six days, you can always drop the added day of sightseeing in Thimphu, and see the major attractions on the day of your arrival instead. Alternatively, you can choose a route that is designed for a classic six-day Bhutan tour plus Gangtey, starting from Paro to Thimphu, Punakha, and Gangtey, before heading back to Paro for the last day. This tour means that you can travel to Wangdue Phodrang and visit the Gangtey Monastery in the Phobjikha Valley, one of the most beautiful spots in Bhutan. And if you are lucky, you may even get to see the famous black-necked cranes.

4. How to plan a 10 + days trip to Bhutan?

A ten-day trip to Bhutan is the ideal way to explore more of this stunning destination, and spend more time enjoying the exclusiveness of the Himalayan kingdom. A ten-day tour allows you to spend a little more time in each destination of the tour, and gives you the chance to understand better the culture and traditions of these unique people.

It also gives you more time to travel a little further into the heartland of Bhutan, to the famed Dzongkhag of Bumthang, the center of Bhutanese culture. A longer and more adventurous trip, the drive out to Bumthang does take some time, but is well worth it for the stunning scenery you will pass along the way and the exciting adventure of visiting the heart of Bhutan’s unique Buddhist culture.

One of the best tours for those that are visiting for around ten days, the classic Bhutan Himalaya Tour, stretching out to Bumthang, gives you chance to visit some of the most amazing areas of Bhutan. The tour heads first to Punakha and then on to Trongsa, to reach Bumthang, and you will get to stop in both places to go sightseeing on the way. In Bumthang, you can experience the heart of Bhutan’s unique Buddhist culture, before making your way back to Paro. However, the route back takes you through Phobjikha Valley to visit the Gangtey Monastery, and through Wangdue Phodrang and Thimphu, the national capital. In Thimphu you will get to visit the Tashichho Dzong, while in Paro you will hike all the way up to the Tiger’s Nest, perched precariously on the cliffs over 900 meters above the valley floor. As one of the best options for a longer tour of Bhutan, this ten-day trip will give you more than you ever thought possible in this outstanding Buddhist kingdom.

For those that have much more time to spare, and ant to travel into the far east of the country, you will need to have around 16 days or more in Bhutan to spend. The long drive out to the eastern Dzongkhags of Mongar, Trashigang, Trashiyangtse, and much more. A longer journey from west to east of Bhutan is an in-depth exploration of the entire kingdom, exploring the major and minor tourist attractions of the country. The eastern districts of Bhutan are more peaceful and tranquil than anywhere else in the kingdom. And the villages you will come across are mostly inhabited by the semi-nomadic ethnic groups of the eastern region of Bhutan. The altitude also changes, and the scenery changes more to become dense jungles and lush forests interspersed with primeval lakes.

How long can I stay in Bhutan?

How long you stay in Bhutan generally depends on how long your tour is. Your visa, which is only applied for after your tour has been booked, is only valid for the exact length of your trip to Bhutan, and you cannot change the dates of the tour without making major changes to the visa dates and the tour itself. Once the tour is booked and the visa is issued, you cannot travel to the kingdom earlier or depart later than the dates on your visa letter.

The longest period for a visa to Bhutan is normally 30 days, and is rarely used except for those that are planning a very long tour of the kingdom or are intending to tackle the arduous Snowman Trek. If you are planning to spend this much time in Bhutan, then you need to make sure that your vacation or trekking experience does not last longer than the prescribed dates of the booked tour. If you are planning on tackling the Snowman Trek, then you should be prepared to break off early if your hiking speed is not enough to finish it is time. The trek is vast, and normally takes 28-30 days to complete.

Conclusion

Traveling to Bhutan can be done on short or long trips, and how long you spend in the kingdom is entirely up to you. However, it is recommended to stay for at least five days, to allow you to get your money’s worth out of the trip. The general rule of thumb in Bhutan is the further you travel, the longer you need. So if you really want to travel into the east of the kingdom, then expect to be here for more than two weeks. Whatever time you decide to spend in Bhutan, you will have the time of your life in the last true Shangri-La of the Himalayas.