2 km from Jaigaon.
Bhutan: Phuentsholing, Thimphu and Paro
Basic page · 48 facts
346KM
Bhutan: Phuentsholing, Thimphu and Paro
Western Bhutan from the border gate at Phuentsholing to Thimphu, over Dochula to Punakha, and across to Paro
- Highest point
- 10,170 ft
- Usually open
- Late Sept to late Nov; open all year
- No fuel for
- 138 km
This is a basic page
No rider has reported on this route yet. What is here comes from official and published sources. How far to trust it
Before you leave
On this page
Fuel
14 pumpsJaigaon0 kmParo346 km138 km · no pumpThimphu141 km
From the open map, not yet checked
All 14 pumps were read from OpenStreetMap on 28 September 2026. No rider has confirmed any of them yet.
Drul Petroleum Corp LTD, near Phuentsholing
Last fuel for 138 km3 km from Jaigaon.
BoD, near Thimphu
First fuel after the gap141 km from Jaigaon.
145 km from Jaigaon.
150 km from Jaigaon, 1 km off the road.
152 km from Jaigaon.
152 km from Jaigaon.
228 km from Jaigaon.
Show 6 more pumps
235 km from Jaigaon.
293 km from Jaigaon.
313 km from Jaigaon.
Indian Oil. 339 km from Jaigaon.
344 km from Jaigaon.
At the end of the route.
Rules for motorcycles
11 factsBhutan: entry permit, not a visa, for Indians
Not yet checkedApply online before travel or at the point of entry, where waits can be long. Land permits are issued at Phuentsholing and three other border immigration offices.
From bhutan.travel · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Bhutan: passport or voter card
Not yet checkedA passport valid six months or an original voter identity card, plus two photographs. Under-18s use a passport or birth certificate and travel with a legal guardian.
From indembthimphu.gov.in · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Bhutan: 1,200 a night Sustainable Development Fee
Not yet checkedIndian visitors pay 1,200 ngultrum or rupees per person per night when applying for the permit. Young children are exempt; older children pay half.
From bhutan.travel · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Bhutan: 4,500 ngultrum a day for your vehicle
Not yet checkedCharged per vehicle per day, two-wheelers included, and paid at the port of entry after documents and vehicle are inspected.
From indembthimphu.gov.in · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Bhutan: papers for an Indian-registered motorcycle
Not yet checkedOriginal driving licence and registration certificate, insurance, and emission and roadworthiness certificate. The vehicle must be under ten years old and ridden by its owner, or carry an authority letter.
From indembthimphu.gov.in · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Bhutan: register the vehicle for police check posts
Not yet checkedVisitors with their own vehicle register on the Royal Bhutan Police check post system before crossing check points.
From indembthimphu.gov.in · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Bhutan: a guide must accompany self-riders
Not yet checkedThe tourism department says a guide must accompany visitors at all times, and those driving their own vehicle pay for the guide on top of the vehicle fee.
From bhutan.travel · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Bhutan: stay only in certified accommodation
Not yet checkedThe Indian embassy's guidelines say visitors planning their own trip must stay in accommodation certified by the tourism department for the whole trip.
From indembthimphu.gov.in · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Bhutan: route permit beyond Thimphu and Paro unclear
Not yet checkedThe tourism department says no route permit is needed with a guide. The Indian embassy page still says one is needed beyond Thimphu and Paro, issued in Thimphu on weekdays.
From bhutan.travel · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Bhutan: travel insurance, required or advised
Not yet checkedThe Indian embassy lists travel insurance among the entry permit papers and says it can be bought at the border. The tourism department calls it strongly recommended, not mandatory.
From indembthimphu.gov.in · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Bhutan: limits on Indian currency notes
Not yet checkedThe embassy page allows notes up to 500 rupees, to a total of 25,000 rupees; anything above that must be in notes of 100 rupees or less.
From indembthimphu.gov.in · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Trouble on the road
2 warningsFrom published guides, not from riders
Each warning names the months it applies to. None has been seen by a rider this season unless it says so.
Landslides in the monsoon, snow and frost in winter
Not yet checkedWikipedia notes unstable geology with frequent slips, made worse by summer rain and by winter snowstorms and frost.
From en.wikipedia.org · dated 4 May 2026 · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Long wait for permits at the border
Not yet checkedThe tourism department warns that applying at the point of entry can mean a long wait, depending on how many applicants there are.
From bhutan.travel · read 28 September 2026 · no rider has confirmed it
Videos
Watch the date, not the view
Each video shows the road as it was that month. They play on YouTube, under the maker’s own channel.
Jaigaon to Paro
346 kmNo video of this stretch yetFilmed it? Send the link. It plays on YouTube, with your name and the month.Add a video
Not here yet
Mechanics and puncture repair
Mobile network
Real riding hours
Stays
These come from riders, not from us
They appear when riders who have done this route send a trip report. It takes about three minutes.
What a trip report asks
Route, month and bikeNeeded
Riding hours, fuel stops, mechanics, gear, cost, a videoOptional. Fill in what you remember.
Bikes, gear and costs show after 10 trip reportsWith fewer, this would be a handful of opinions, not a pattern.
0 of 10 reports
0 trip reports for Bhutan: Phuentsholing, Thimphu and Paro so far
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0 trip reports for Bhutan: Phuentsholing, Thimphu and Paro so far
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