Five nights in Bhutan,
hour by hour.
Thimphu, Punakha and Paro without spending the holiday in a car. The most-booked length.
Five nights is the length most people book, and there is a practical reason for it rather than a marketing one: it is the shortest trip where the Tiger's Nest hike gets a morning of its own instead of being squeezed against a seven-hour drive.
Below is how the six days actually run from the Jaigaon border, with real drive times.
The shape of it
| Nights | Phuentsholing 1 · Thimphu 2 · Paro 2 |
|---|---|
| Places | Thimphu, Punakha, Paro |
| Longest drive | Paro to the border — 297 km, 7–8 hours |
| Hardest day | Tiger's Nest — 5 to 6 hours of walking |
| Best months | March–May, October–December |
Why not go straight to Thimphu on day one
Because Bagdogra to the border is five to six hours, and the border to Thimphu is another five to six. Done in a single day that is eleven hours on the road, arriving after dark, with the permit still to do. Breaking the journey with a night at Phuentsholing costs one night and saves the first two days of the holiday.
Day by day
- Day 1
Bagdogra or NJP to Phuentsholing
170–175 km · 5–6 hours
The road runs through the Dooars — tea gardens, forest, small Bengal towns. Reach Jaigaon by evening and walk across into Phuentsholing through the Pedestrian Terminal. The border town buzzes with cross-border trade; it is a gentle handover from Indian noise to Bhutanese quiet.
Overnight Phuentsholing · Dinner
- Day 2
Phuentsholing to Thimphu
170–175 km · 5–6 hours
Guide and driver meet you at the hotel, and permit formalities are completed at the Department of Immigration. The road climbs along the Toorsa river through Gedu and Chukha to Chuzom, where the Thimphu and Paro rivers meet. A stop at the Eight Dharma Kaya Stupas, and lunch at Gedu or Wangkha.
Overnight Thimphu · Breakfast, dinner
- Day 3
Punakha, and back
75 km · 2.5–3 hours each way
Dochula pass at 3,100 metres, with its 108 chortens and, on a clear morning, the eastern Himalaya behind them. Chimi Lhakhang across the paddy fields. Punakha Dzong at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu — widely held to be the most beautiful building in Bhutan, and the setting of the 2011 royal wedding. The suspension bridge afterwards. Lunch in Punakha: ema datshi, red rice, pork with radish.
Overnight Thimphu · Breakfast, dinner
- Day 4
Thimphu, then Paro
55 km · 1.5 hours
Buddha Dordenma above the valley. National Memorial Chorten, busy with prayer from early morning. The Takin Preserve. Simply Bhutan and the Handicraft Bazaar. In the afternoon, Paro via Chuzom, for Rinpung Dzong and the Nya Meh Zam cantilever bridge, and an evening in the town.
Overnight Paro · Breakfast, dinner
- Day 5
Taktsang — the Tiger's Nest
Full day · 5–6 hour hike
Early breakfast and an early start; mornings are clearer for photographs. The monastery sits on a cliff at about 3,120 metres, and the climb takes five to six hours return with a cafeteria at the halfway point. Horses can be taken as far as the cafeteria. The afternoon is free — the Ta Dzong National Museum, or a hot stone bath at a farmhouse, which is the traditional cure for hiking legs.
Overnight Paro · Breakfast, dinner
- Day 6
Paro to the border and home
297 km · 7–8 hours
Back down through Chuzom, Chukha and Gedu, passing the Chukha waterfall. Exit formalities at Phuentsholing, then on to Bagdogra or NJP.
Breakfast
What to carry
- Original passport or Voter ID — not Aadhaar
- Sturdy shoes for Taktsang, and layers — the cliff is colder than the valley
- Cash for lunches, entry fees and the cafeteria
- Warm clothing between November and February
Who this length does not suit
If your dates are fixed and short, the 4N/5D covers the same ground faster, at the cost of a hard final day. If you are travelling with elderly parents or small children, the 6N/7D splits the long drive home across two days and is worth the extra night. And if you want Phobjikha and the cranes, you need seven nights.
The trips this applies to.
Everything above is arranged for you on any of our packages — permits filed at the border, the SDF included, hotels named before you pay.
- 5 nights 6 days — Thimphu, Punakha and Paro. The one most people book
- 6 nights 7 days — the same route without a long last day
- All seven packages, or a custom itinerary built around your dates
Questions we are asked most
Do Indians need a visa for Bhutan?
What is the SDF and who pays it?
What is included in the price?
Where do you pick us up from?
How do I book, and how much do I pay up front?
When is the best time to visit Bhutan?
More from the journal
Planning this trip yourself, or would you rather we did?
We are a Bhutan travel agency at the Indo-Bhutan border in Jaigaon, running trips since 2015. Hotels, car, guide, permits, SDF, breakfast and dinner in one price.