10 Days in The Land of Thunder Dragon
A Family Trip to Bhutan | Feb 28 — March 9, 2025
Phuentsholing → Thimphu → Punakha → Phobjikha → Paro
There are some places that just slow you down. Not because of the altitude (though Bhutan has plenty of that), but because the place itself seems to ask you — gently but firmly — to breathe. To look. To just be. Bhutan is that place.
This is the story of 10 days I spent in Bhutan with my parents — my mom (64) and my dad (63) — a trip long overdue. Through mountain passes shrouded in fog, monasteries perched on cliffs that seemed to defy gravity, river rafting in the kind of silence you didn’t know existed, and more whiskey than I’d care to admit — here’s everything that happened, and everything you need to know before you go.
Day 1 — February 28 | The Road to the Thunder Dragon
The trip began not in Bhutan, but with a morning flight from Ahmedabad to Bagdogra, the closest airport to the India-Bhutan border. By 2:30 PM, we were in a cab cutting through lush tea gardens in West Bengal, slowly making our way toward Phuentsholing — the border town on the Bhutan side.
One thing worth knowing before you go: Indian cars are allowed only up to roughly 10 km into Phuentsholing town of Bhutan without a special permit. To go ahead, it costs about ₹4,500 per car, per day. So plan accordingly.
We crossed the border at around 7:00 PM IST (7:30 PM Bhutan time). The entry point is a proper, beautiful gateway — post-COVID, Bhutan built a wall along the border and constructed a well-organised Pedestrian Terminal within it. There are two lanes: one for tourists, one for day-crossers. Both require you to show your passport or Voter ID. It’s seamless, well-managed, and honestly quite impressive.
After checking in to Hotel Legphel in Phuentsholing, we did what any sensible traveller would do after a long day of roads and border formalities — we ordered Soju and the local Bhutanese Druk Beer, had a good dinner, and went to sleep early. Tomorrow, the real thing begins.
Day 2 — March 1 | Permits, Passes & The First Taste of Bhutan
Before you can go anywhere in Bhutan, you need a permit. For those entering through Phuentsholing (as we did), it’s processed at the immigration office right there in town. If you’re flying into Paro, it’s handled at the airport. The permit costs ₹1,200 per person per night — ours was covered in our tour package, so we just showed up, got our stamps, and were on our way.
💡 Every tourist group in Bhutan must have an assigned guide and a driver. Without them, the fine is somewhere between ₹80,000–₹1,00,000. Non-negotiable.
Our guide Tashi took us to the immigration office post-breakfast, and once the stamps were in the passport, we were officially headed to Thimphu — the capital.
En route, we stopped at Milerapa Lhakhang, a nine-storey temple with a fascinating internal philosophy. Each floor is structured hierarchically — students at the base, their teachers above, and so on — all the way to the top. It’s a meditation on learning and reverence, quite literally built into architecture.
For lunch, we stopped at a Dam View Restaurant and tried Kewa Datshi — potatoes cooked in a sour cheese sauce, served with rice. Simple, hearty, and very Bhutanese.
The drive to Thimphu had its own rewards. We stopped at a waterfall and at Chuzlon Bridge — ‘Chuzlon’ meaning where two rivers meet. Here, Wang Chu from Thimphu and Pa Chu from Paro merge to become Dam Chu. (Chu, in Dzongkha, means water. You will see this word a lot.)
We checked in to Khamsum Inn Hotel in Thimphu’s Hongkong Market. Later we wandered through the market lanes, visited the Thimphu Clock Tower, and rounded off the night with a glass of Special Courier Bhutanese Whiskey. Bit strong. Good taste.
Day 3 — March 2 | Thimphu: Buddhas, Takins & Butter Tea
Thimphu sightseeing day — and what a lineup it turned out to be.
We started at National Memorial Chorten (we admired it from outside) before heading uphill to Buddha Point — a massive seated Buddha statue housing a temple inside. The view from the nearby viewpoint stopped us all in our tracks: the whole of Thimphu city spread out below, prayer flags fluttering in a gentle wind, mountains framing the horizon. The kind of scene that makes you exhale slowly and just stand there.
Next was Simply Bhutan, a cultural showcase where you’re welcomed with Suja — traditional Bhutanese butter tea — alongside puffed rice. It’s an acquired taste (quite savoury for something called tea), but absolutely worth trying.
Then came the Takin Reserve. The Takin is Bhutan’s national animal, and once you see it, you understand why it’s the stuff of legends — it has the body of a cow and the head of a goat, and somehow pulls it off. The reserve is thoughtfully designed; the Takins roam freely across open land while visitors observe from elevated pathways.
The last stop of the day was the Handmade Paper Factory — technically closed on Sundays, but on our guide’s request, they opened up specially for us and walked us through the paper-making process. A small but genuinely memorable experience.
Evenings in Thimphu belong to the Hongkong Market. We settled into Ambient Cafe for coffee and snacks, then shopped a little, and ended the night with a glass of Bhutan Grain Whiskey. Solid — but not quite as good as the Special Courier from the night before. The whiskey rankings were already forming.
Day 4 — March 3 | Through Dochula to Punakha
Thimphu had been good to us, but it was time to move. Before leaving, we had breakfast that introduced us to Bhathub — strips of maida (refined flour) cooked in a cheesy, vegetable-forward gravy. Think a Bhutanese version of a comforting pasta dish. Perfect fuel for a mountain road ahead.
The drive to Punakha takes you through Dochula Pass — and if there’s one stop you absolutely cannot skip on this route, it’s this one. At the pass, you’ll find 108 memorial stupas built in honour of Bhutanese soldiers, arranged in a beautiful formation against the sky. The day was hazy when we passed through, fog curling around the mountain peaks — but that only added to the quiet drama of the place.
The afternoon was something else. We went river rafting on Mo Chu — part of the Puna Tang Chu river. I’ve been to a fair number of places, but I don’t think I’d ever experienced silence quite like that. Sitting in a raft, surrounded by mountain peaks, with nothing but the sound of water — there are no words that do it justice. Some moments are just lived, not described.
Lunch was Ema Datshi, Bhutan’s national dish. Chilli and cheese, cooked together. Yes, it’s as spicy as it sounds — and the Bhutanese eat it daily. I came to a conclusion that afternoon: the spicier the food in this country, the sweeter the people.
We visited the magnificent Punakha Dzong (fortress) on the banks of Puna Tang Chu, and then walked across the Suspension Bridge over Po Chu. I’ll confess — I had a minor heart attack when my phone slipped from my hand and landed on the bridge. Mercifully, it didn’t fall through the gaps. (I once lost my wallet, sunglasses, and Activa key in Bali. The universe was generous this time.)
Night ended with a glass of K5 — the finest Bhutanese whiskey, named after the country’s 5th and current King. It deserves every bit of its reputation.
Day 5 — March 4 | Phobjikha: The Valley That Holds You
Today was the kind of day that turns into a core memory.
Phobjikha Valley is, in a word, extraordinary. Surrounded by mountains on all four sides at almost equal height, you get a strange and wonderful feeling of being inside a giant cup — held by the landscape rather than just passing through it. It’s also the winter home of the Black Necked Cranes, who migrate here from Tibet each year.
We drove from Punakha via Lawala Pass, arriving first at Gangtey Monastery — one of the oldest in Bhutan, perched above the valley with commanding views. Peaceful in the truest sense.
Then we visited the Black Necked Crane Centre, where two injured cranes that couldn’t make the return journey to Tibet were being cared for. The observatory there offers a sweeping view of the entire valley — the kind of panorama that makes you just stand in silence for a while.
We had lunch overlooking the valley, then we walked to the center of it, took a ridiculous number of photos, and eventually — reluctantly — began heading back.
Get ar.explores_’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
That evening, we tried two local wines: Vintria Shiraz Dry Red (strong and tannic — serious wine drinkers will appreciate it) and Zumzin Peach White Wine, which is sweet, fruity, and dangerously easy to drink. A lovely contrast.
Day 6 — March 5 | Paro Awaits
Leaving Punakha meant crossing Dochula Pass again — this time even foggier than before. The mountain peaks were completely swallowed by clouds, and visibility dropped significantly on stretches of the road. Thrilling in its own quiet way.
We crossed Chuzlon Bridge again and pulled over at the Pa Chu riverside viewpoint — a beautiful stop where the river runs alongside the road and the mountains frame everything. Worth every minute.
Just outside Paro town, near the Paro Dzong, there’s a little shop where you can rent traditional Bhutanese dress. The male dress is called a Gho; the female version is a Kira. We dressed up, looked completely authentic for about five minutes, and took an embarrassing number of photos. Highly recommend.
Lunch at Momo Center: Jhol Momos — dumplings in a spiced broth. They were exactly what we needed after a long drive.
We ended the day at the Paro Museum — seven floors of history and artefacts, located at a vantage point from which you can see the entire town of Paro laid out below. We checked into Udumwara Resort, slightly outside town, and let the mountains do the rest.
Day 7 — March 6 | Tiger’s Nest: The Trek That Earns Its View
The day I had been quietly waiting for since we booked the trip.
Tiger’s Nest Monastery — Paro Taktsang — sits at roughly 900 metres above the valley floor. The trek is about 9 km return, the final stretch involving 748 steps, and it is steep. There is no sugarcoating this. It will test your legs, your lungs, and at several points, your resolve.
And it is absolutely, completely worth every step.
We started early to manage the pace ourselves. The trail winds beautifully through pine trees and strings of prayer flags. About halfway up, there’s a café where you can rest, catch your breath, and get your first proper glimpse of the monastery clinging to the cliff face. (Mules can take you up to this point, if needed.)
After the café comes the descent — and then the ascent to the monastery itself, past a dramatic waterfall tucked between two cliff faces. It’s the trail’s most stunning moment, and it comes right before the final climb. The waterfall felt like a reward and a challenge, all at once.
The monastery has seven temples in total. We visited three. In one, we sat down and meditated for a few minutes. I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced that quality of quiet anywhere else in my life.
Eight-plus hours later, we were back at the base. I looked at my parents — 64 and 63 years old — and felt something I don’t quite have the right word for. Pride, maybe. Gratitude. Something like that.
We then drove to Ugyen village for a Hot Stone Bath. This is exactly what it sounds like: a wooden tub, medicinal herbs, hot water heated by submerging large stones. The heat seeps into every muscle that the trek had worked over. There are genuine health and skin benefits, but honestly, you don’t need a reason beyond how good it feels.
They offered us Bhutanese Rice Wine afterward. We accepted.
Day 8 — March 7 | Chelela Pass & Cold Beers Over the Airstrip
The highest motorable road in Bhutan — Chelela Pass, at approximately 3,900 metres above sea level — was on the agenda. When we got there, we were the only ones. Just us, the mountains, the thin air, and a flask of hot tea. It was exactly the kind of morning that makes you feel very small and very lucky at the same time.
From there, we visited a private monastery dedicated to Tara, accessible only via a muddy, unmade road. There’s no signage, no crowd, nothing polished about the approach — and then you arrive and the view opens up: Paro airstrip below, the town spread out across the valley, mountains behind it all. One of those quiet, private moments that a trip gives you if you’re paying attention.
Lunch was at a local restaurant in Paro. Then: Namgay Artisanal Brewery.
We tasted six different beers before settling on our choices. My dad went with the Smokey Dark Lager. I had a glass of Red Rice Beer — earthy, malty, and unique in a way that makes sense once you’ve seen rice terraces covering entire hillsides. We sat overlooking Pa Chu River and Paro Airport, and the afternoon just stretched out pleasantly.
We did some shopping around Paro town before heading back. That night, to round out Bhutan’s liquid curriculum, we tried the Royal Rum. A fitting last major drink of the trip.
Day 9 — March 8 | The Rain Follows Us Home (It Always Does)
It had started raining by morning. Both of my international trips have ended in heavy rain. I choose to believe this is the universe’s way of saying the place doesn’t want me to leave 😜.
The drive back to Phuentsholing was through mountain roads in rain and fog — patches where visibility nearly vanished, stretches where the clouds sat right on the road. It was thrilling and a little cinematic. I wouldn’t have traded it.
We stopped at the Pa Chu riverside point again on the way — the same one from Day 6 — but the wind was so fierce we couldn’t stand outside for long. Just long enough to appreciate it one last time.
Back in Phuentsholing, we completed exit formalities at the immigration office. Here’s a small logistical quirk worth knowing: once you get your exit stamp, you technically need to cross back into India. To stay the night in Phuentsholing, you re-enter Bhutan not as a tourist but as a transit person — which allows a 24-hour stay without the full tourist process. It works out fine, just something to be aware of.
Day 10 — March 9 | Back to the Everyday
A 3:20 PM flight from Bagdogra. By 7 PM, we were home in Ahmedabad.
Ten days. Phuentsholing, Thimphu, Punakha, Phobjikha, Paro. Two parents who climbed 748 steps to a monastery on a cliff. More types of whiskey than I had planned for. Rivers that run cleaner than any I’d seen. A national animal that looks like a fever dream. Monks, prayer flags, mountain passes, hot stone baths, and the kind of silence that recalibrates something in you.
Bhutan doesn’t ask you to be impressed. It just is what it is — unhurried, confident, deeply itself — and somehow that makes the impression it leaves deeper than anywhere that tries harder.
If you’re thinking about going, go. And if you need somewhere to start planning, WanderOn put together a solid package for us. But what really made it work was our guide Tashi and our driver Gembo — patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely good company for 10 days on the road. Find people like them, and you’re set.
Trip: Ahmedabad → Bagdogra → Phuentsholing → Thimphu → Punakha → Phobjikha Valley → Paro → Phuentsholing → Bagdogra → Ahmedabad
Duration: 10 days (Feb 28 — March 9, 2025) | Tour Operator: WanderOn | Guide: Tashi | Driver: Gembo
