Bhutan Bus Service

It is no doubt that traveling is a special privilege that human beings can have in this life. No matter how rich we are, it is all about how much vehement passion that we have; then we travel, we see something new, even the weirdest things in life, after everything, we enrich our souls and our horizons about the world around us. If you are on a spree to find something to get away from the fast pace of the modern age, a Bhutan vacation will be what you are looking for, at least my friend told me that.

Sitting on a good transport, and immersing our souls in the very beautiful view of the little Himalayan country are solaces for us in a painful life. Bhutan does not have many flights or trains operating across the country; however, the ultimate good Bhutan bus services are ready to meet your demands whenever you need them.

Travel from India to Bhutan by Road

You can travel to Bhutan by bus from Kolkata and Siliguri. These buses are run by Royal Bhutanese Government. From Kolkata, buses run by Royal Bhutanese Government depart from Kolkata’s Esplanade Bus Terminal at 7:00 PM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and charge BTN 653 for the journey till Phuentsholing. The whole journey takes almost 1 day and since the buses are really comfortable, you can get a decent amount of rest en route. Otherwise, the roads are a bit curvy and thus getting sound sleep is a hard nut to crack.

Apart from this, buses also run from Siliguri Tenzing Norgay Central Bus Terminal to Phuentsholing every day in the morning (7:30 am) and in the afternoon (1:30 pm). It takes about 5 to 6 hours to reach Bhutan (the trail can be rough). It costs roughly BTN 200 for the journey.

Public Bus Service in Bhutan

There are several transport companies operating the bus service in Bhutan including Meto, Master, Khorlo, Pelyab, Sernye, Dhug, and Bumpa. Dungkhar, Tamshing, Lhakhpa, and Kuenphen. Bhutan also has some different kinds of buses which are Coaster, 20-seater, 50-seater, Eicher buses, and so on.

Public Bus Servies in Central Bhutan

Buses to and from Phuentsholing

The most regular bus operators that you can find when you arrive in Phuentsholing are Meto, Khorlo, and Dhung Transport whose buses go towards Thimphu, Paro, Wangdue, Punakha, Kamichu, Samdrup Jongkhar, Tendu, Haa, Dagana, Tsirang, Bumthang, Gelophu, and Phobjikha.

Buses going from Phuentsholing to Thimphu take roughly 6-7 to complete and frequently run every day; hence, you can catch a bus at any time of the day. Consisting of 20 comfortable seats, the buses, somehow, reduce the inconvenient of the rough route during transferring for people, especially for those who easily get car sickness. The fare is roughly Nu 180. To reach Phoentsholing, coaster buses run every day from Thimphu at 7:00 am.

You have 2 bus services, both 20 seaters running daily at 9:00 and 8:30 am taking 5-6 hours to reach to Paro. The fare is around Nu 200. To reach to Phuentsholing from Paro, coaster buses regularly run at 9:00 am and 8:30 am and take six and a half hours to reach the destination.

Along with Meto Transport offering a 12-hour journey with a 50-seaters bus running from Phuentsholing to Samdrup Jongkhar on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 6:30 am, Bumpa Transport runs a 31-seaters every day at 5:30 am. To reach Phuentsholing from Samdrup Jongkhar, buses run every day at 6:30 am.

Bus Services in Western Bhutan

Buses to and from Thimphu

There are different transport services operating at the Thimphu Bus Terminal which goes to every town of Bhutan consisting including Tashigang, Paro, Gelephu, Lhuentse, Mongar, Samdrup, Jongkhar, and so on.

To reach to Trashigang, except on Thursdays, coaster buses run every remaining day at 7:00 am and complete at 5:30 pm the following day. For an overnight journey, it will halt at Bumthang where passengers can hire hotel rooms to have a comfortable sleep. Coaster buses run every day at 6:00 am from Trashigang to Thimphu.

Coaster buses, operated by Bumpa and Sernya Transport, run every day at 7:00 am and take roughly 10 hours to reach to Gelephu from Thimphu. There are several coaster bus services go to Gelephu every day at 7:00

On Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 7:00 am, a 34-hour long journey to Lhuentse is launched by coaster buses with a night halting at Bumthang. Meto Transport, similarly, offers an overnight journey to Mongar on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7:00 and halts at Bumthang. Coaster buses by Dhug Transport run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 7:00 am from Thimphu to Mongar taking 34 hours of drive. A journey from Mongar Base to Thimphu will start every day, except on Mondays, at 7:00 by coaster buses. Coaster buses from Lhuentse Base go to Thimphu from Thursday to Monday at 6:00 am.

Buses run every day to Bumthang at 7:30 am and some buses depart at 7:00 am every day, except on Mondays. For a full journey, it will take around 11 hours to complete. From Bumthang, Meto Transport offers a coaster bus runs every day at 7:00 am.

To reach a stunning valley, Haa, a 6-hour long journey is offered by Senrya Transport buses run every day at 1:00 pm and 9:00 am. To return to Thimphu, Senrya Transport offers a bus runs every day at 9:30 am, except on Sunday.

Buses to and from Paro

Although being an important economic zone and one of the most popular tourist destinations of Bhutan, only three Transport companies Dhug, Meto, and Khorlo run very few buses to Phuentsholing, Thimphu, Haa, and Samtse.

Coaster buses by Khorlo Transport run to Samtse on alternate days from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, then run back to Paro on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:00 am.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9:00 am, a 6-hour long journey to Haa valley will be started with a 22-seater bus, then turn back on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 9:00 am.

Bus services in Eastern Bhutan

Eastern Bhutan is considered the most gorgeous part of Bhutan with hilly regions and a high mountain range. Although the region experiences some of the toughest winters and the transport services there are not as good as others, there is still a good way of connectivity from Samdrup Jongkhar and Trashigang.

Indian to Bhutan by Road Transport

Bhutan Bus Services to Bhutan from Kolkata

To reach Bhutan from Kolkata, you can get on buses from Kolkata’s Esplanade Bus Terminal at 19:00 on every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday. It will cost you Nu. 653 for a journey till Phuentsholing.

The entire journey from Kolkata to Phuentsholing, Bhutan will take almost a day but no worries because buses would be comfortable and one can get a decent amount of rest time en route. Anyway, the roads will be curvy so maybe getting sound sleep would be a hard nut to crack.

Plus, buses run from Siligury Tenzing Norgay Central Bus Terminal to Phuentsholing, Bhutan at 7:30 & 13:30 every day. It would take 5 – 6 hours to complete the route and cost about Nu. 200.

FAQs about Reaching Bhutan from Kolkata

Which is the cheapest way to reach Phuentsholing from Kolkata?
You can take a train from Kolkata to Phuentsholing that costs around 5 dollars and takes up to 16 hours and 5 minutes.

Any direct bus between Kolkata and Phuentsholing?
Absolutely yes. There would be a direct bus that departs from Kolkata Esplanade Bus Station & arrives at Phuentsholing – Bhutan Post. Services depart 3 times a week on every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Each journey will take approx. a day.

How far it is from Kolkata to Phuentsholing, Bhutan?
The distance would be 489km in total.

Traveling to Bhutan from Kolkata, train or bus is better?
It is better to take a train from Kolkata to Bhutan that takes 16 hours and 5 minutes and costs around 5 dollars. Meanwhile, bus services will take almost a day and cost around 5 dollars.