North America to Bhutan Flights: how to get to Bhutan from USA and Canada by Air?

Travel to Bhutan from North America is a long-haul trip that can only be done as at least two separate flights. There are no direct flights to Bhutan from outside Asia, and while there are many huge airports in the United States and Canada, none of them provide flights to Bhutan. Lying in the western hemisphere of the globe, North America is at more than 12,036 kilometers from the tiny kingdom of Bhutan.

Canada to Bhutan Flights

Flights from Canada to Bhutan on Map

Toronto to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from Toronto (YYZ) to Paro (PBH)

Toronto Pearson International Airport lies around 23 kilometers to the northwest of the city of Toronto, Ontario and is the largest airport in Canada. For flights to Bhutan, travelers will first need to get flights to one of the nine airports in Asia that have direct flights to Paro International Airport in Bhutan. From Toronto, only one of the nine airports, New Delhi, has direct flights. The flight is around 13 hours 45 minutes to cover the 11,628-kilometer flight, which costs from around 400 US dollars for a one-way economy flight.

Ottawa to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from Ottawa (YOW) to Paro (PBH)

The Ottawa Macdonald - Cartier International Airport is the main airport in Ottawa, Ontario, and lies around 10 kilometers to the south of downtown Ottawa. With no direct flights to Bhutan, travelers will need to get flights to other airports in order to get to one of the nine cities in Asia with flights to Bhutan, as there are no direct flights into Asia. Connecting flights to Kathmandu, the closest airport to Paro, take around 24 to 28 hours and cost from around US$ 714 for an economy flight through Montreal or Istanbul. Alternatively, you can get a domestic flight to Toronto and then travel to Bhutan through New Delhi.

Vancouver to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from Vancouver (YVR) to Paro (PBH)

Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia is located on Sea Island in Richmond, around 12 kilometers from Vancouver. A flight from Vancouver to the only airport with connections to Bhutan, New Delhi, is a trip of around 11,134.27 km, and takes between 14 and 20 hours. Flights cost from around 683 US dollars for a connecting flight, or 1,154 US dollars for a direct flight.

USA to Bhutan Flights

Travel from East Coast of the USA to Bhutan

Flights from East Coast of the USA to Bhutan via Europe and Middle East on Map

New York to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from New York JFK (JFK) to Paro (PBH)
John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York is the main airport for the city and state, and lies in the borough of Queens, in the farthest southeastern corner of the city. With no direct flights to Bhutan, travelers can fly instead to Delhi or Singapore, and get the flight to Bhutan from either destination. The 11,582km flight to Delhi takes around 13 hours, costs around 869 dollars for a direct flight while the 15,094km flight to Singapore, with connections, takes 20-24 hours, with the cheapest flight costing around 427 dollars.

Washington DC to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from Washington Dulles (IAD) to Paro (PBH)
Washington Dulles International Airport is located in Fairfax County in Virginia, around 42 kilometers from downtown DC, and provides flights to Delhi for the connections to Bhutan. Flights to Delhi cost around US$911 for a non-stop flight, which takes around 14 hours to cover the 12,052km distance.

Atlanta to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from Atlanta (ATL) to Paro (PBH)
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located around 11 kilometers to the south of Atlanta, Georgia, and while it has more than 200 gates for international flights, there are none that fly directly to any of the nine cities for flights to Bhutan. Indirect flights can connect to Delhi or Kathmandu for flights to Bhutan. The flight to Delhi costs around US$434 and takes 17 hours, while the 19-hour flight to Nepal costs around US$503.

Orlando to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from Orlando (MCO) to Paro (PBH)
Orlando International Airport, which lies around 10 kilometers to the southeast of downtown Orlando in Florida, does not have direct flights to any of the nine gateway airports to Bhutan. Connecting flights to New Delhi, which take around 18 hours, cost from US$595 per person, while the indirect flights to Kathmandu take around 22 hours, with at least two connections, and cost from around 721 US dollars.

Miami to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from Miami (MIA) to Paro (PBH)
Miami International Airport lies in the Miami-Dade County of Florida, around 13 kilometers to the northwest of the city of Miami. With no direct flights to any of the gateway airport for Bhutan, the best connecting routes are through Delhi or Kathmandu. Flights to Delhi take around 18 hours, and cost from 628 US dollars, while flights to Kathmandu cost around 649 US dollars for the 19-hour flight.

Houston to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from Houston (IAH) to Paro (PBH)
The George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas is located around 37 kilometers to the north of the center of Houston, but has no direct flights to any of the gateway airports for Bhutan. Flights to New Delhi for the connection to Paro Airport cost from around US$587 for the 19-hour flight, while connecting flights to Kathmandu take around 26 hours and cost from around US$503 per person.

Travel from West Coast of the USA to Bhutan

Flights from West Coast of the USA to Bhutan via Canada and Asia on Map

Seattle to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from Seattle (SEA) to Paro (PBH)
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, the main airport for the northwestern state of Washington, lies around 23 kilometers south of downtown Seattle and 29 kilometers north of Tacoma, in the smaller city of SeaTac. The airport has no direct flights to the gateway airports for Bhutan. Flights to Delhi from Seattle take around 17 hours and cost from 553 US dollars, while flights to Kathmandu cost around 450 US dollars for the 22-hour flight.

San Francisco to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from San Francisco (SFO) to Paro (PBH)
San Francisco International Airport, which is located 21 kilometers to the south of downtown San Francisco, in San Mateo County of California, has direct flights to Delhi and Singapore for connecting flights to Bhutan. The flights from San Francisco to New Delhi in India take around 16 hours, and cost as much as US$ 973 per person for a one-way economy flight. Flights to Singapore Changi Airport, which take from 17 to 31 hours, can cost as little as just US$ 297 or as much as US$ 333 per person for a one-way economy flight.

Los Angeles to Bhutan Flights: how to fly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Paro (PBH)
Los Angeles International Airport, known locally as LAX from the IATA code, is located around 30 kilometers to the southwest of downtown LA, with the districts of Westchester to the north and El Segundo to the south, and the city of Inglewood to the east. Singapore is the only gateway airport for Bhutan that has direct flights from LAX, and the direct flight to Singapore from LAX, which takes around 17-20 hours, costs from as little as 305 US dollars for this 14,125-kilometer flight.

Travel Documents for Flying from North America to Paro Bhutan

For anyone traveling to Bhutan from North America, whether you are coming from the United States or from Canada, you will need to have a valid passport with at least six months validity remaining at the time of travel and the visa approval letter issued by the department of immigration through the Tourism Council of Bhutan - which you will receive from your tour operator. The visa approval can only be obtained once you have booked a pre-arranged tour with one of the many tour operators that are registered to provide tours to Bhutan, as independent travel is not permitted in the kingdom. It is also required in order to book and board the flights to Bhutan from all of the nine airports in the five countries that provide flights to Bhutan.

Instead of having the visa sent to you before traveling, the visa will be stamped into your passport on your arrival at the Paro International Airport in Bhutan by the immigration officials, and your relevant permits will also be issued to you at the same time.

Conclusion

Traveling to Bhutan from North America is not always as simple as from most other countries. With only a few of the major airport offering direct flights to any of the gateway airports for Bhutan, most travelers will need to get connecting flights through other countries to get to one of the nine airports that offer flights to Paro International Airport. For those airports that do offer direct flights to Bhutan, only New Delhi in India and Singapore are available as direct flight routes, and for those that do not have direct flights, the easiest options are to fly to either New Delhi or Kathmandu on connecting flights first, and then fly to Bhutan from there. Since you will not leave the airport before the Bhutan flight, you will not need a transit visa.