i.
Visa & entry — we handle it.
Almost every international visitor needs a visa to enter Bhutan, and by law it can only be arranged through a licensed Bhutanese operator (that's us) or an international partner. You send us a scan of your passport photo page; we do the rest.
Visa fee
USD $40 per personFree for India, Bangladesh & Maldives nationals.
Processing time
72 working hours after full booking payment is received by the Tourism Department.
Passport requirement
Valid for at least 6 months from your date of entry.
India · Bangladesh · Maldives
Visa on arrival — no advance clearance needed.Indian nationals may use a Voter ID Card in lieu of passport.
At the border
Present the visa clearance letter we email you. The visa is then stamped into your passport at Paro airport or the land border.
ii.
The Sustainable Development Fee.
Every visitor to Bhutan pays a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) to the government — a nightly levy that funds the country's free healthcare, free education, and forest protection. It is the mechanism behind Bhutan's "High Value, Low Impact" tourism policy and the reason the kingdom stays as it is.
The fee is per person, per night, and is paid to the Bhutanese government — separate from what you pay us for hotels, transport, and guiding.
International tourists
USD $100 per person, per night.Concessions apply for children (under 6 exempt; 6–12 at half rate).
India · Bangladesh · Maldives
BTN / INR 1,200 per person, per night (SAARC rate).
Paid to
Tourism Department of Bhutan, wire-transferred alongside your booking payment.
Rates change — we confirm before booking
The SDF is set by the Bhutanese government and has been revised more than once in recent years. The figures above are the currently published rates; we always reconfirm the exact fee, exemptions, and any active promotional discounts (such as multi-night rebates) at the time of your quote.
iii.
Getting to Bhutan.
Bhutan is reached by air into Paro International Airport, or overland through one of three open border towns. Most international travellers fly in; travellers coming from India often prefer the overland route via Phuentsholing, which most of our itineraries build around.
Paro International
The only international airport. Set at 2,225 m in a valley ringed by peaks — the approach is one of the most dramatic on earth.
Airlines
Drukair and Bhutan Airlines.Direct flights from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bagdogra, Bodh Gaya, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Guwahati, Singapore, and Bangkok.
Land borders
Phuentsholing — south-west, ~170 km from Bagdogra (India). Most-used, especially for our Indian guests.Gelephu — south-central. Samdrup Jongkhar — south-east, from Guwahati.
Domestic airports
Yonphula (east), Bumthang (central), Gelephu (south). A second international airport is under construction at Gelephu.
iv.
Currency & payments.
Bhutan's currency is the Ngultrum (Nu.), pegged 1:1 to the Indian Rupee. INR is accepted as legal tender across the country — with one caveat.
Cash
Ngultrum and Indian Rupees both accepted.Older-series ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes are not accepted. Newer notes (₹100, ₹200, ₹500) are fine.
ATMs
Available in all main towns (Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, Phuentsholing) and accept Visa and MasterCard.
Cards
POS terminals accept Visa and MasterCard at most hotels and larger handicraft stores. Carry some cash for smaller purchases and rural areas.
Banks
Bank of Bhutan, Bhutan National Bank, Druk PNB, Tashi Bank.
v.
Where you'll stay.
Every licensed operator in Bhutan must place guests in a minimum of 3-star accommodation, but the ceiling goes all the way up to serene 5-star retreats set in pine forests. We match hotels to the character of the journey you've booked.
3-star hotels
Included on all our standard packages. Comfortable, warm, with private bathrooms, restaurant, and Wi-Fi in most.
4- & 5-star
Available on request — from boutique Bhutanese-run properties to international brands (Amankora, Six Senses, Como). Priced separately.
Farm- & homestays
In villages, with families, in traditional Bhutanese homes.Please note: electricity and running water are not always available at officially-listed farmstays. Hot water is served in a basin. A remarkable experience, but ask us if it's right for your trip.
Trekking
Tented camps with camping equipment provided. Guides, cook, and support crew included.
vi.
A guide is required — but ours is why you'd want one.
Bhutanese law requires every tourist to travel with a licensed local guide. Ours are TCB-certified, fluently English-speaking, and — critically — from the valleys you'll be walking through. They read the murals on a dzong wall the way you'd read a paragraph in a book.
Mahasur Thapa, our founder, is himself a licensed guide (English & Hindi) and leads a large share of our journeys personally. When he isn't with you, he has hand-picked the guide who is. Other languages — German, Japanese, Thai — are available for larger private groups on request.
vii.
Travel tips worth knowing.
Small practical things that come up on every Bhutan trip.
i.
Dress modestly at sacred sites
Long pants and long sleeves are required to enter dzongs, lhakhangs, and monasteries. Hats off inside and near a raised national flag.
ii.
Photography, ask first
Interiors of temples, monasteries and dzongs are generally off-limits to cameras. Always ask your guide before you shoot. Exteriors and landscapes are fine.
iii.
Electricity
220/240V, round two- and three-pin sockets. Bring an adapter. The grid is 100% hydro-powered — one of the reasons the country is carbon-negative.
iv.
Health & vaccinations
Consult your doctor before travel. Standard recommendations: tetanus, typhoid, and hepatitis A. Altitude is a factor above 3,000 m — we build acclimatisation into treks.
v.
Water
Bottled water only. Avoid tap water and ice from unverified sources. We include drinking water on all guided days.
vi.
Shopping
Hand-woven textiles, carved masks, wooden Dapa bowls, handmade paper, silverwork, thangkas. Antiques are strictly forbidden to export — no exceptions.
vii.
Gratuities
Never expected, always appreciated. If you'd like to tip your guide and driver at the end, an envelope is the usual way.
viii.
Tobacco & alcohol
Tobacco sale is strictly restricted by the Tobacco Control Act. Alcohol is widely available; local Ara (rice liquor) is worth trying.
ix.
Insurance
We strongly recommend travel and medical insurance covering high-altitude activity. Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan also offers short-term plans via our office.
x.
Time & measurement
Bhutan is GMT+6 (30 min ahead of India, no daylight savings). Metric system throughout.
viii.
When to go.
Bhutan is a year-round destination, but each season shows a different country. Autumn and spring are the two peak windows for a reason.
Mar — May
Spring
Rhododendrons, jacarandas, and Paro Tshechu. Clear days, mild nights, everything in bloom.
Jun — Aug
Summer
Green valleys, monsoon showers, fewer travellers. Roads occasionally closed by landslide — build in buffer days.
Sep — Nov
Autumn
The clearest skies of the year — best Himalayan views, best light, biggest festivals (Thimphu Tshechu). Peak season; book early.
Dec — Feb
Winter
Cold and crisp; snow at high passes but valleys are clear. Fewer tourists, great for central & southern routes and the crane festival.