- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan travel rules 2027
Bhutan travel rules for 2027: what every visitor must know
The visa, the SDF, licensed guides, certified hotels, customs, drones, photography and etiquette. Checked against Department of Tourism notices in October 2026.
- Updated October 2026
- Government sources
- Plain English
USD 100
SDF per adult per night
USD 40
Visa fee, once per trip
6 months
Passport validity needed
31 Aug 2027
Current SDF rate ends
Why the rules exist
High value, low volume
Bhutan runs its tourism under a policy it calls High Value, Low Volume. The idea is simple: fewer visitors, each paying a fee that funds the country, travelling with local guides and staying in approved places. The result is uncrowded monasteries, forests that still cover most of the land and a culture that is lived, not performed.
Everything below follows from that. None of the rules are hard to meet, and if you book through a licensed operator like us, most are handled for you. It still helps to know them, especially if you are comparing quotes or planning parts of the trip yourself.
- Most rules are handled by your tour operator
- They apply to every visitor and every operator
- A few have changed in 2026, noted below
Entry rules
Visa, SDF and documents
Visa before you fly
All visitors except Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian nationals need visa clearance before travel. USD 40 per person, usually issued within about 5 working days.
SDF: USD 100 a night
Paid per adult per night until 31 August 2027. Children under 6 pay nothing and older children pay a reduced rate. It must be paid before the visa is issued.
Indian visitors
Indian nationals need an entry permit, not a visa, and pay an SDF of INR 1,200 per night. A passport or voter ID is accepted.
Passport
Valid for at least 6 months after you leave Bhutan, with blank pages for stamps.
Entry points
Paro airport for most flights, plus the land borders at Phuentsholing, Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar. Gelephu also has flights from Kolkata.
Border-town waiver
A 24-hour SDF waiver applies to visitors staying only in Phuentsholing, Gelephu, Samdrup Jongkhar or Samtse.
Rules during your trip
Guides, hotels and moving around
Licensed guide
A Department of Tourism notice of 8 April 2026 confirms that visitors must travel with a licensed guide beyond the first checkpoint. Treks need a licensed trekking guide.
Certified stays only
Tourists may stay only in accommodation certified by the Department of Tourism, including village homestays. The Department repeated this on 22 October 2026.
Route permits
Your guide carries the permits for travel beyond Paro and Thimphu. Some border and protected areas are restricted.
Guide ratio
An interim rule allows one guide for up to 22 tourists. Most private trips have one guide for a small group.
Tiger's Nest horses
Horse rides on the Taktsang trail must be booked in advance through the management team. Your guide arranges it.
Monument fees
Major dzongs, temples and museums charge entry fees to tourists, from about Nu 300 to Nu 1,000. They are included in our tours.
Customs and the law
What is allowed and what is not
| Topic | The rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | One bottle up to one litre duty-free | Alcohol is also sold in shops and bars, except on Tuesdays, the weekly dry day |
| Tobacco | Personal amounts allowed, declared and taxed | No smoking in public places. Ask your guide where you can smoke |
| Drones | Need approval from the Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority | Without approval, do not bring one |
| Antiques | Cannot be exported | Buy crafts from licensed shops and keep receipts |
| Wildlife products | Trade and export are banned | Do not buy skins, horns or similar items |
| Mountaineering | Climbing peaks above 6,000 m is not permitted | Treks cross high passes but do not summit major peaks |
| Fishing | Needs a permit | We can arrange it, outside restricted seasons and areas |
| Cash | Declare more than USD 10,000 | Cards work in hotels, so most guests carry far less |
Etiquette
Unwritten rules that matter just as much
In dzongs and temples
Wear long sleeves and long trousers or a long skirt, and take off hats. Photography is not allowed inside shrine rooms, and some dzongs have areas closed to visitors. Walk clockwise around chortens, prayer wheels and temples. Do not point your feet towards an altar, and do not touch statues or offerings.
With people
Ask before photographing someone up close, especially monks and older people. Use your whole hand, not one finger, to point. Public displays of affection are uncommon. If you are offered food or butter tea in a home, it is polite to accept a little.
In nature
Many lakes and peaks are sacred. Do not swim in lakes, shout near them or leave anything behind. On treks, carry out your rubbish. Prayer flags are hung for blessings, so do not take them down or step on fallen ones if you can help it.
Special cases
Rules for trekkers, photographers and drivers
Trekking
Every trek needs a licensed trekking guide, and camping treks also need a cook and pack animals or porters. Routes and campsites are set, and some treks close in winter when passes are snowed in. Campfires and litter are taken seriously in national parks, so your crew carries out what it brings in. Treks do not include summits: climbing peaks above 6,000 metres is not allowed.
Photography and filming
Photos are fine in dzong courtyards, at festivals and in the countryside. Inside shrine rooms they are not, and guides will ask you to put cameras away. Professional filming for commercial use needs permission in advance, and drones need approval from the Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority. If you are a professional photographer, tell us early and we will check what applies.
Driving yourself
International visitors normally travel in a vehicle with a licensed driver arranged by their operator. Indian visitors who drive their own cars in through Phuentsholing need vehicle permits and must follow route and guide rules. Mountain roads are narrow, and night driving is best avoided.
Recent changes
Rule changes to know for 2027
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Oct 2026 | All accommodation, including village homestays, needs Department of Tourism certification before hosting tourists | Department of Tourism announcement |
| 8 Apr 2026 | Licensed guide required beyond the first checkpoint | Department of Tourism notice |
| 8 Dec 2025 | Drukair starts Gelephu to Kolkata flights, twice a week | Drukair |
| 23 Apr 2024 | Travel insurance no longer required for the visa | Department of Tourism |
| 1 Sep 2023 | SDF reduced to USD 100 per night until 31 August 2027 | Department of Tourism |
After 31 August 2027 the government may change the SDF. We confirm the rate in writing before you pay.
Bhutan travel rules: questions
No. Visitors must travel with a licensed guide beyond the first checkpoint, as confirmed by the Department of Tourism in April 2026.
You can book hotels and transport yourself, but you still need a licensed guide and certified accommodation. Most visitors find a tour simpler.
No. Indian nationals need an entry permit and pay an SDF of INR 1,200 per night.
No, not since 23 April 2024. It is still strongly recommended, especially for evacuation cover.
Not in public places. Tobacco you bring in must be declared and is taxed.
Only with approval from the Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority.
Yes. Tuesday is a dry day, and alcohol is not sold in shops or bars.
Keep planning
More Bhutan travel guides
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