Punakha is about 75 km northeast of Thimphu, a journey that takes roughly 2.5–3 hours by road. The route crosses the Dochula Pass at 3,100 metres, which on a clear day offers spectacular Himalayan views — build in time to stop.
Like all of Bhutan, travel requires booking through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator and paying the government's daily tariff. Most visitors to Punakha come as part of a guided tour from Thimphu, staying one or two nights before continuing to Wangdue Phodrang or returning to the capital. There is no public transport in Bhutan in the conventional sense.