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Getting to Bhutan |
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Bhutan’s only international airport is located in Paro and service is offered by Druk Air. There are flights several times each week from Delhi and Bangkok. Because there is no competition with other airlines for flights to Paro, Druk Air fares are expensive. Airfares are in the range of $700 - $800 roundtrip from Delhi or Bangkok.
Upon arrival into Paro, you will be in awe of the silence and peace of the Paro Valley. Willow trees dot the roadside into town as the Paro River feeds the surrounding area with a lush environment for rice cultivation. Western Bhutan is the heartland of the Drukpa people. Here you will witness the largest, oldest and most spectacular dzongs in the kingdom.
The town of Paro lies at 7,500ft elevation. Most of the inhabitants live within the valley that surrounds town. In the center of the valley and on the banks of the Park Chhu, it is a short distance northwest to Paro Dzong. This is one of Bhutan’s most impressive and well-known dzongs and the finest example of Bhutanese architecture. Paro Dzong is symbolic as the religious and secular center of all affairs of the valley. It was conceived in the 15th century and completed in 1646. Above the dzong is the old watchtower that is now home to Bhutan’s national museum. Among the many exhibits is a magnificent collection of thangkas. The center of this temple is a complex four-sided carving depicting the history of Buddhism and it propagation. Upon arrival into Paro, you will be in awe of the silence and peace of the Paro Valley. Willow trees dot the roadside into town as the Paro River feeds the surrounding area with a lush environment for rice cultivation. Western Bhutan is the heartland of the Drukpa people. Here you will witness the largest, oldest and most spectacular dzongs in the kingdom.