Gasa – the Wonderland in Bhutan

Wonders do come in small packages; a visit to the town called Gasa in the Land of Thunder Dragons would make you believe this! Situated high at an elevation of 2,770m, the Gasa town is around 101km (2-3 hours’ drive) away from Punakha, and is the least populated town in the entire country.

Home to almost 3,000 Bhutanese locals, the charm of this palatial town gets further adorned by numerous glacial lakes, fascination mountain ranges, verdant greeneries, and a unique wilderness. The town is also fringed with many lhakhangs and choetens.

While the enchanting beauty of Gasa makes it a must visit tourist destination in Bhutan, its rustic lifestyle and warm-hearted locals would surely make you fall in love with this town. The town is also known to be a wonderful destination to relax while enjoying a relinquishing bath in the natural Gasa Hot Springs. On your visit to this pictorial town, you can easily come across how the locals trade cheese, meat, and other products made out of yak’s milk and hair.

Best Time to Visit Gasa: Spring (March to May)

How to Reach Gasa

By Air

Paro International Airport is the closest international airport to reach Gasa by air. If you are planning for an air journey to reach Gasa, you can book flights from : Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati (Assam), Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, Bodhgaya Airport in Gaya (Bihar), or Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri (West Bengal) in India to Paro International Airport.

As you land in Paro, you can opt for local buses or rental cars to drive through the winding trails of Bhutan to reach Gasa.

By Train

Since West Bengal is one of the closest Indian states to Bhutan, it serves as an ideal option to reach Gasa by train. New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, New Alipurduar, and Hasimara railway stations in West Bengal are the nearest railway destinations to reach Gasa by train.

From these railway stations, you can embark on a roadway journey to reach Jaigaon town at Indo-Bhutan border, and finally drive towards Gasa via Phuentsholing and Punakha.

By Road

If you are planning to reach Gasa by road, you should first gain your Bhutan entry through the Phuentsholing town. Post this, you can follow the Phuentsholing-Thimphu Highway to reach Punakha after driving around 222km (6 hours by road), and drive another 101km from Punakha to reach Gasa by road.

Places to Visit in Gasa

Gasa Dzong

Laya Village

Gasa Hot Springs

Things to Do in Gasa

Village tours

Leisure tours

Local sightseeing

Hot spring bathing

Trekking