Geography

Bhutan is a landlocked country bordered on the north by China and east, west and south by India. The country’s landscape consists of succession of lofty and rugged mountain ranges separated by deep valleys. Thick forests cover most of the slopes. Several rivers flow southward into the Brahmaputra River in India.

The panoramic scenes of the snow capped mountains in the north reaches a height of over 7500 meters above sea level. The northern belt is inhabited by few nomads and yak herders who move to the warmer places in the winter and bring back their livestock for grazing in the summer. The snow fed rivers in the alpine region provide pastures for the livestock in the summer.

In the inner Himalayas the elevation reaches from 1500 meters to 3500 meters. All the major towns like Thimphu ,Paro, Punakha etc… are situated here in this zone. From June to September during the time of monsoon the valleys become lush and green.

In the south, the Southern Hills are covered with dense deciduous forest, alluvial lowland river valleys, and mountains that reach around 1,500 meters above sea level. The Southern Foothills in the north has dense vegetation and abundant wildlife. The border towns are all in the southern foothills which shares borders with India.

The climate is humid and subtropical in the southern plains and foothills, temperate in the inner Himalayan valleys of the southern and central regions, and cold in the north, with year-round snow on the main Himalayan summits.

Altitude

Rank Name Altitude( Meters)
1 Paro 2200
2 Thimphu 2300
3 Punakha 1350
4 Wangdue 1300
5 Phobjikha, Wangdue 2900
6 Trongsa 2200
7 Jakar, Bumthang 2650
8 Tang, Bumthang 2800
9 Mongar 1600
10 Lhuntse 1700
11 Trashi Yangtse 1550
12 Trashigang 1500
13 Samdrup Jongkhar 450
14 Phuentsholing 450

Distances

From To Distance Driving Hours
Paro Thimphu 65km 1.2 hrs
Paro Haa 120km 6 hrs
Paro Punakha 161km 4.5 hrs
Paro Phuentsholing 176km 6 hrs
Thimphu Phuentsholing 180km 6 hrs
Thimphu Punakha/Wangdue 174km 2.5 hrs
Thimphu Phobjikha 135km 5 hrs
Thimphu Trongsa 200km 7 hrs
Thimphu Jakar, Bumthang 268km 11 hrs
Punakha Wangdue 12km 30 mins
Punakha Phobjikha 71km 3 hrs
Punakha Trongsa 156km 5 hrs
Punakha Jakar, Bumthang 212km 7 hrs
Phobjikha Trongsa 120km 5 hrs
Phobjikha Zhemgang 177km 6.5 hrs
Trongsa Zhemgang 111km 4.5 hrs
Trongsa Jakar 68km 2 hrs
Trongsa Tang, Bumthang 105km 4.5 hrs
Jakar, Bumthang Mongar 198km 7 hrs
Jakar, Bumthang Tang, Bumthang 42km 2 hrs
Mongar Trashigang 90km 4 hrs
Mongar Trashi Yangtse 106km 3.5 hrs
Mongar Lhuntse 76km 5 hrs
Trashigang Trashi Yangtse 55km 2 hrs
Trashigang Samdrup Jongkhar 180km 6 hrs
Samdrup Jongkhar Gelephu 220km 3.5 hrs
Samdru Jongkhar Phuentsholing 400km 6 hrs