How To Reach Wangdue Phodrang

Wangdue Phodrang or Wangdue in short, located at an altitude of 4300 ft, is the second largest Dzongkhag of Bhutan. The district lies in the central part of Bhutan with the scenic town of Wangdue Phodrang as its capital. According to legends, when Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal was looking for a place to build a Dzong to subdue incursions from the south, he found a little boy called Wangdi playing by the river.  Ngawang Namgyal was so stirred by the angelic smile on the child’s face that he decided to build a Dzong there and call it Wangdi’s Palace.

Bhutan’s biological corridors pass through Wangdue which by itself is encircled by the Wangchuck Centennial Park on the north, the Jigme Dorji National Park on the northwest and the Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park on the southeast. Already wondering how to get to Wangdue Phodrang? Read on.

Wangdue Phodrang is just 2 hours' drive away from Paro, Bhutan’s capital city, which has the country’s lone International Airport. Paro has direct Royal Bhutan and DrukAir flights from New Delhi,Kathmandu, Bagdogra and Guwahati. You fly up to Paro, hire a taxi from the airport and there you are! In about 2 hours and 45 minutes, you have reached the charming dzongkhag of Wangdue Phodrang. This is almost certainly the easiest way to reach Wangdue Phodrang.

If you are travelling by road there are buses from Kolkata and Siliguri in India that will take you to Phuntsholing, the entry point of Bhutan by road. You can board a bus from Phuntsholing to Wangdue or if you are travelling across Bhutan, you can get buses to Wangdue from Paro or Thimphu. Time taken to travel from Thimphu to Wangdue is about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

You could take a train from Kolkata to Hasimara, which is a small town that lies in close proximity to the Jaigaon-Phuntsholing border between India and Bhutan. From Phuntsholing you can get a shared taxi or a bus to Wangdue. Travel time from Phuntsholing to Wangdue Phodrang is about 6 hours.