How to Reach Paro From Kolkata

You really don’t have to think much on how to reach Paro from Kolkata! Since Kolkata or the ‘City of Joy’ is the nearest Indian metropolitan city to Bhutan – the Last Himalayan Kingdom, visitors can easily reach Paro (Bhutan) from Kolkata.

Whether by air, train, or by road, the City of Joy offers very easy access to Paro. If you are in and around this metropolitan, here’s what you should do in order to reach Paro from Kolkata.

How to Reach Paro from Kolkata by Air

Both the official air carriers of Bhutan: Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines, have direct and connecting flights from Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport to Paro International Airport in Paro. These flights are usually operated by the Royal Bhutanese Government, and are available almost on a daily basis. To note here, the connecting flights usually fly from Kolkata to Paro via Kathmandu in Nepal.

Well, international visitors can also book their air tickets from multiple other international airports to reach Paro. Kathmandu in Nepal, Singapore, Bangkok in Thailand, and Dhaka in Bangladesh also has direct flight connectivity with Paro International Airport in Bhutan. These flights are operated by Druk Air.

How to Reach Paro from Kolkata by Train

Bhutan, the Happiest Himalayan Kingdom has no railway connectivity with India. However, if you are in Kolkata, and still thinking about how to reach Paro from Kolkata by train, you should first take a train ride to New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri Town, New Alipurduar, or Hasimara railway stations. Upon reaching any of these railway stations, you must take a road journey or simply drive to Jaigaon in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal.

As you arrive in Jaigaon, you should acquire a Bhutanese Tourist Visa, and proceed to reach the Phuentsholing town in Bhutan that shares its boundaries with Jaigaon. From Phuentsholing, you should continue driving along the Phuentsholing-Thimphu Highway to cover another 143km (4 hours’ drive) to step onto the beautiful locales of Paro, Bhutan.

How to Reach Paro form Kolkata by Road

Road trips or journeys are in fact the most exhilarating ways to reach Paro from Kolkata. If you are planning for such an amazing experience, you can either take a direct bus from Kolkata to Thimphu, and further drive form Thimphu to Paro. The Esplanade Bus Stand in Kolkata has regular buses run by the Royal Bhutanese Government plying to and fro for Thimphu. These buses take around 18 hours to reach Bhutan’s capital city.

As you arrive in Thimphu, you can again board the local Bhutanese buses or hire local cabs to reach Paro by traversing another 50km (1.5 hours’ drive).

If you want to ignore the long bus journeys, you can also plan a road trip from Kolkata to a small town called Jaigaon in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district. Since this town is located adjacent to Phuentsholing town of Bhutan, you can make an easy entry to the Land of Thunder Dragons from Jaigaon. Once you make your entry into Phuentsholing, you can follow the Thimphu-Phuentsholing Highway, and drive another 143km (4 hours’ drive) to reach your favourite destination – Paro.