Travel medicine for Bhutan
Bhutan begins at altitude. Paro Airport sits at 7,332 feet.
Get the altitude medication the CDC recommends for trekking above 2,500 meters, prescribed without the appointment. Sent to your pharmacy, ready before you fly.
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The first thing you do in Bhutan is land at 2,235 meters. Thimphu is higher. The Tiger's Nest hike climbs almost a thousand meters of switchbacks to a monastery at 3,120 meters, and the Druk Path and Jomolhari treks push past 4,000 meters. The CDC notes that any unacclimatized traveler proceeding to a sleeping altitude above 2,450 meters is at risk for altitude illness, and that the prevalence on standard trekking routes can approach 30 percent at higher elevations. Acetazolamide compresses the body's three to five day acclimatization into one. Started the day before you fly into Paro, it is the difference between standing in front of the monastery and turning around at the cafeteria switchback.
Bhutan travel health guide — vaccines, snapshot overview, and what to review before you go.
Orders are reviewed and prescriptions sent to your pharmacy within 24 hours.
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+1 (302) 251-2302Rx at your pharmacy in three steps.
No appointment. No waiting room. Answer a few questions and a licensed provider reviews within hours.
Your destination, dates, health history, and current medications. Takes about 2 minutes.
A licensed clinician reviews your health profile, checks for interactions, and approves your prescription.
- Allergy screen passed
- Drug interactions clear
- Prescription approved
Your approved prescription is sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice. Pick it up when your pharmacy has it ready.
Skip the appointment. Get the same Rx.
Bhutan medication FAQ
- Paro Airport sits at 2,235 meters and Thimphu at 2,334 meters, so you arrive at altitude and you sleep at altitude from night one. The Tiger's Nest hike climbs to 3,120 meters, well above the 2,500 meter threshold the CDC uses for acetazolamide consideration. The hike is short, but the elevation gain is fast and the air is thin, which is the exact profile that drives acute mountain sickness on day-hike itineraries. Acetazolamide compresses the three to five day acclimatization the CDC describes into one, started the day before you fly. For travelers adding the Druk Path Trek or Jomolhari Trek (sleeping above 3,500 m), the case is stronger still.
Paro lands you at altitude. Tiger's Nest takes you higher. Start the medication that gets you there.
Get the acetazolamide the CDC recommends for trekking above 2,500 meters, prescribed without the appointment.