Road Trip in Bhutan: Things to see, roads to take, vehicles to use, and everything to experience

With only a few domestic flights available in Bhutan, and those being infrequent at best, travel to other Dzongkhags by flight is not an ideal option for visiting Bhutan. The best way to travel around Bhutan is to drive overland from the west to the east. This is also the best way to experience the country as a whole, and the best way to find out more about the people, culture, and traditions of this ancient Shangri-La in the Himalayas. And a Bhutan overland tour has its distinct advantages, not the least of which is the amazing things you can see when traveling overland between the cities and districts of the Land of the Thunder Dragon.

Things to See during a Road Trip in Bhutan

Traveling Bhutan by overland from west to east gives you a chance to explore more of this wondrous Himalayan kingdom. Isolated for centuries, the country has only recently opened up for tourism, and the roads are not as good as many other recent additions to the global tourist scene. However, the sights along the road more than make up for the poor road conditions that you will encounter in some places.

Major Dzongkhags Connected by the Road

Taking a Bhutan overland tour, you can easily travel from west to east, passing through the major attractions in the most popular tourist destinations in Bhutan.

Paro is renowned for its famous Taktshang Monastery, stuck on a ledge halfway up a cliff face, while Thimphu is the famed capital of Bhutan and the home of the Royal Family. Next on the road east comes Punakha, the home of the most beautiful Dzong in Bhutan on the confluence of the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu rivers.

Trongsa, the capital of the Trongsa Dzongkhag, is the home of the first temple in Buddhist Bhutan that was built in 1543 and is one of the nine historical Provinces of ancient Bhutan.

Jakar, in Bumthang, is the main town in this popular hiking district, and home of the Jakar Dzong, built to commemorate the defeat of the Tibetan ruler Phuntsho Namgyal’s troops when they attempted to invade Bhutan in the 17th century.

Mongar is one of the fastest-developing regions of Bhutan and is noted for the amount of lemongrass it produces for the production of essential oils.

Neighboring Trashigang is the eastern-most Dzongkhag of Bhutan, and the “jewel of the East”, home to the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, created to protect the “migoi”, the type of yeti which all Bhutanese people believe exists.

Amazing Mountain Passes

The road that heads east from Paro to Trashigang also has some delightfully high passes from which you can get a great view of the mountains of the Himalayas to the north.

Dochula Pass, which lies at an altitude of 3,100 meters (10,171 ft.), is one of the major high passes you will cross on your Bhutan tour to the east, between Thimphu and Punakha. T On a clear day, you can enjoy a stunning view of Himalaya ranges from the pass. Also, the famous 108 chortens line the road at the top. Known as the Druk Wangyal Chortens, they are there to commemorate the 108 soldiers that died in defense of the country against Indian rebels in 2003. There is a small restaurant at the site, and the pass is now listed as one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bhutan.

Chelela Pass is another popular mountain pass that attracts many tourists to go. At an altitude of 3,810 meters (12,500 ft.), Chelela Pass is the highest road pass in Bhutan. Located between Haa and Paro, the pass has steep twists and turns to reach the top, with sheer drops along the entire route. Sitting on the Bondey-Haa Highway, around an hour from Paro, the pass is little known and connects the Paro Valley with the lesser-known Haa Valley, an amazing region of lush forests and stunning scenery.

Natural Beauty of Valleys and Forests in Bhutan

No matter which road you drive in Bhutan, you are going to be hit by the sheer beauty of the landscapes, with high mountains covered in green forests that date back to the dawn of time. Shimmering crystal lakes that shine in the high-altitude sunlight. And long deep valleys that are dotted with yaks and sheep, their nomadic herders living the ancient lives that their ancestors did thousands of years ago. Overland travel is the only way to experience the wonders of Bhutan.

The Only Highway for Bhutan Road Trips

Known variously as the “East West Highway” and the “Lateral Road”, the longest highway in Bhutan runs from Phuentsholing in the west to Trashigang in the east and covers a distance of 557 kilometers (346 miles).

Bhutan Highway Direction and Distance

The only highway in Bhutan starts from Phuentsholing and runs north to Thimphu via Chukha with a distance around 147 kilometers. From the capital of Bhutan, the Lateral Road continues 70 kilometers further to Wangdue Phodrang in the east, stretches 123 kilometers east to Trongsa, and finally reach Trashigang, which is 294 kilometers from Trongsa. The other major cities, including Paro, Punakha, and Jakar lie on spurs of the Lateral Road, off the main highway.

Bhutan Highway Road Condition

While the road was built mostly by Indian and Nepali laborers, the road has been instrumental in connecting populations and cementing traditions across the country. However, the road is not in the best condition and is constantly under some form of repair. Stretching for such a distance across the country, the road is the main highway for goods transport between east and west, and most freight travels on overloaded trucks along the highway, stressing the road conditions. Landslides and mudslides are also responsible for road damage, and the summer monsoon and winter cold also help to aggravate the problem.

Vehicles to Use for a Road Trip in Bhutan

Vehicles used for Bhutan overland tours are varied. Most of the vehicles are four-wheel drives, to better cope with the road conditions in the kingdom. Larger vehicles such as minibuses are also used for larger tour groups, and the size depends on how many people are on the tour.

It should be noted that car seats for children are not normally used in Bhutan, and should you want your child to use a car seat for safety, then you will need to provide one to use yourself.

It is also a common question on whether you can drive your own car to Bhutan and drive around the kingdom. The only people allowed to bring their own car to Bhutan are Indian nationals, who are not required to be on a pre-arranged guided tour of the country. And even then, there are certain rules to follow and requirements for using your own car. For everyone else, we will provide a car suitable for your tour.

Best Time to Take a Road Trip in Bhutan

Considering the kingdom of Bhutan is in the Himalayas, and is prone to cold weather in the winter months and monsoon rains in the summer, the best time to take an overland trip in Bhutan is in the spring and autumn seasons.

Spring, from April to May, and autumn, from September to November, are the best times for overland driving. The weather of Bhutan is generally dry and clear, with little chance of snow blocking the passes and less chance of mudslides and landslides. Spring and autumn are also the best times for getting clear views of the Himalayas, and for exploring the delightful landscapes and scenery of the last true Himalayan kingdom.

Is that possible to drive to Bhutan from neighboring countries?

Bhutan shares its borders with Tibet (China) to the north and with India on all other sides. There is no overland border crossing between China and Bhutan, but you can cross the overland border from India at Phuentsholing.

Traveling to Bhutan by overland can only be done from the Indian state of West Bengal. For travelers planning to head overland from either China, Bangladesh, or Nepal, you will have to transit through India, which requires you to have a valid Indian Entry Visa as well.

There are two types of visa you can use, the standard Entry Visa and the transit Visa. The entry visa is often the best option, as you can get a multiple entry visa for a few dollars more than a standard single entry visa, and save money overall. If you are using the transit visa, which only allows 4-5 days of travel through India, you will also need to pay for it again when you leave Bhutan, and it is more expensive than the normal visa.

Conclusion of Road Trips in Bhutan

Taking an overland trip across Bhutan is one of the world’s most stupendous adventures. Crossing more than 500 kilometers of the most beautiful Himalayan countryside in the world, this is an epic journey of discovery and exploration. You can find a variety of tours available that can take you across the whole country, from the perched monastery in Paro to the four valleys of Bumthang and the home of the Bhutanese yeti in the east. So if you are thinking of taking an overland tour of Bhutan, you can guarantee that your trip will really be the adventure of a lifetime.