Mongar – A Natural Treasure Trove in Bhutan

While in Bhutan, if you happen to come across a way filled with all the natural marvels, you know you are heading towards the Bhutanese town called Mongar! Situated on the Thimphu-Trashigang route, the road to Mongar is enchanted by cascading waterfalls, breath-taking cliffs, gleaming flowery slopes and meadows, lush vegetation, and other bounties of Mother Nature.

Seated at an astounding height of 4,000m, the town also boasts of its flawless beauty and heart-stirring ambience. Tucked away amidst evergreen conifer forests, deep gorges, and spectacular cliffs, Mongar is truly a gem in Eastern Bhutan!

The region is also famed as one of the primal educational centres in the Land of Thunder Dragons. Slowly emerging as a hotspot among the visitors to Bhutan, Mongar is also known for its lemon grass cultivation and two of the protected wildlife sanctuaries – Thrumshingla National Park and Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary.

Best Time to Visit Mongar: Spring (March to May) and Autumn (September to November)

How to Reach Mongar

By Air

Paro International Airport, the only international airport would be the best choice if you are yearning to reach Mongar by air. However, to take a flight to Paro, you should book your air tickets from a couple of Indian airports. Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, Bodhgaya Airport in Gaya (Bihar), Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri (West Bengal), and Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati (Assam) are some of the Indian airports that has both direct and connecting flights to Paro International Airport in Bhutan.

After arriving in Paro, you should follow the Bumthang-Ura Highway, and drive around 456km (14Hours) to reach Mongar.

By Train

If you are thinking to reach Mongar by train, you must know that Bhutan does not have any railway connectivity with any foreign countries. However, you can take a partial train ride to some of the noted railway stations in West Bengal, and finally reach Mongar by driving through the Bhutanese town of Phuentsholing.

New Jalpaiguri, New Alipurduar, Siliguri Town, and Hasimara are some of the closest Indian railway stations to reach Mongar by train.

From any of these railway stations, you can take a drive to Jaigaon, and make your Bhutan entry via Phuentsholing. From Phuentsholing, you can take a drive to reach Mongar by road.

By Road

Kolkata has direct buses to Thimphu. These buses are run by the Royal Bhutanese Government. To reach Mongar by road, you can board these buses, and after arrival in Thimphu, you can board other local buses that leaves at 07:00AM or hire private cabs to reach Mongar by road; this journey should take around 11 hours.

Samdrup Jongkhar is another exciting option to reach Mongar by road. To embark on this enthralling road trip, you should start your drive form Guwahati city in Assam, which is around 150km (3 hours’ drive) away from Samdrup Jongkhar. As you complete this drive and reach Samdrup Jongkhar, you can take the local buses that usually plies regularly between Monday-Saturday from Samdrup Jongkhar to Mongar. If not buses, you can also rent our private vehicles to reach Mongar by road; the drive would take around 11 hours.

If not these two, you can also reach Mongar by road through Jaigaon town in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district. This town gives an easy access to Phuentsholing town in Bhutan. Once in Phuentsholing, you can hit the Bumthang-Ura Highway, and traverse around 552km (16 Hours) to reach Mongar by road.

Places to Visit in Mongar

Mongar Dzong Fortress

Ruins of Zhongar Dzong

Thrumshingla National Park

Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary

Yagang Lhakhang

Things to Do in Mongar

Local sightseeing

Heritage walks

Nature trails

Wildlife tours

Bird watching