Bhutan›From Thimphu›Punakha
Thimphu to Punakha by bus or road
About 73 km. The private car is fastest at 2.8 h; the bus is cheapest, from ₹160 per person.
Punakha to ThimphuFastest
Private car
Car with driver / guide's vehicle via Dochula, per vehicle
2.8 h door to door
Cheapest
Bus
Public bus from the Thimphu / town bus terminal
from ₹160 per person
Best value
Private car
Car with driver / guide's vehicle via Dochula, per vehicle
cheapest at mid fares among options within 1.5× the fastest time (or 1 h more on a short ride)
Every option, compared
Door-to-door times (flights include the time at the airports). Fares are typical ranges from the cheapest seat to the premium one.
| Mode | Service | Time | Fare | Runs | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | Car with driver / guide's vehicle via Dochula, per vehicle | 2.8 h | ₹2,540–₹5,220per car (up to 4) | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
| Bus | Public bus from the Thimphu / town bus terminal | 4.3 h | ₹160per person | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
- Bus, Public bus from the Thimphu / town bus terminal: For Indian visitors with a route permit: tourists on a visa travel in their operator's vehicle. Buy tickets a day ahead at the bus terminal; long routes leave early in the morning and some run only on certain days.
Booking links open the route on the country's transport booking site for trains, buses, boats and transfers, and a flight search for flights, dated about two weeks out; change the date there.
What it costs your group, one way
Fares × people; a private car is priced per car, one car per four people.
| Option | 2 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Private car · Car with driver / guide's vehicle via Dochula, per vehicle | ₹2,540–₹5,220 | ₹2,540–₹5,220 |
| Bus · Public bus from the Thimphu / town bus terminal | ₹320 | ₹640 |
Once you’re in Punakha
- Best time: October – April
- Typical stay: 2 days
- November: Great month: November is in the middle of the recommended season (October – April).
Related
Plan Thimphu and Punakha
A day-by-day plan with this journey, the stays and the rest priced in.