Are there trains in Bhutan?

Can you take a train to Bhutan?

Can you take a train to Bhutan? Nope, you can’t just hop on the Hogwarts Express to Bhutan. It’s more of a taxi-and-prayer kinda journey.

Think of it like this: Bhutan is like that cool kid who doesn’t have a driveway. You gotta park nearby and walk over.

• No Tracks to Paradise: Sadly, no choo-choos go straight to Bhutan’s doorstep in 2024. That’s just how it is.

• Train to the Vicinity: Stations like Siliguri, Hasimara, and New Alipurduar are your best bets. They’re like base camps for your Bhutan adventure.

• The Final Leg: From there, it’s taxi time! Or a bus, if you’re feeling intrepid.

Hasimara, that’s your golden ticket. Only 17 kms from Phuentsholing, practically spitting distance! I swear, my grandma’s longer than that. Seriously. Like, longer than some folk tales I know. The bus, well… that’s an experience, let me tell ya.

How can I go to Bhutan without flying?

The whisper of mountains, a journey begun. Not by soaring metal bird, but by the earth’s slow pulse. Nepal first, a kaleidoscope of prayer flags fluttering, a scent of woodsmoke clinging to the air. Kakarbhitta, the gateway, a hum of activity, a final farewell to the Nepali hills.

Then, India. A tapestry woven with dust and stories, a relentless sun beating down, relentless. Days bleeding into each other, the rhythm of wheels on the road, a hypnotic drone. The landscape shifts, unfolds like an ancient scroll.

Three paths diverge. Three gateways to Bhutan, each guarded by its own silent sentinels, the mountains themselves. A pilgrimage of sorts, a slow unveiling. Phuentsholing, Gelephu, Samdrup Jongkhar— names that taste like prayer on the tongue.

Overland. A deeper journey. More than just reaching a place. It’s about the becoming, the slow metamorphosis of the soul. The unfolding of time itself. Each step a prayer. Each sunrise, a benediction. A tangible connection to the earth, to the very pulse of the Himalayas. The feeling in my bones, the journey’s truth. The endless road.

• Kakarbhitta: Nepal’s exit point.
• India’s embrace: A long transit, full of chaotic beauty.
• Three border crossings: Phuentsholing, Gelephu, Samdrup Jongkhar – each holds a unique allure.
• The slow reveal of Bhutan: An experience beyond mere travel. A spiritual pilgrimage.

This journey, undertaken in 2024, etched itself into my memory. The smell of the chai, the kindness of strangers. The endless, unending expanse of India. Bhutan, waiting. A silent promise.

Bhutan, reached not by flight but by the steady beat of the earth’s heart.

Can we go to Bhutan by train from India?

No, you can’t take a train directly. It’s like, a bummer, I know.

But…you can get close, I guess.

• Closest stations: Siliguri, Hasimara, New Alipurduar. Those are in India.
• Hasimara is pretty close. Only 17 kms from Phuentsholing. That’s Bhutan.
• I think my cousin took a train to Hasimara once. It was supposed to be easier or something.
• Then you gotta get a taxi or bus. To actually get to Bhutan.

Feels incomplete, y’know?

What is the cheapest way to reach Bhutan from India?

Guwahati…train to New Alipurduar…bus to Jaigaon.

Yeah, that’s how it is.

Siliguri or Jalpaiguri from elsewhere in India…then the bus. Jaigaon is the key, always.

• Trains are cheapest. It’s a slow burn, seeing the country change out the window.
• Buses. Always the buses. Cramped. Sweaty. The border crossing…
• I remember that border. Phuentsholing. It smells like cardamom and diesel.
• Visa-free entry for Indians… that’s something, I guess. Small mercies.
• Flying is an option too. But more money for sure, and I don’t think I can do it.

It’s never just the journey, is it?