- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan travel FAQ 2027
Bhutan travel FAQ: straight answers for 2027
Visas, the SDF, flights, money, altitude, what to wear and what it all costs. Answered by a tour team in Thimphu and checked against government notices.
- Updated October 2026
- Facts from Department of Tourism notices
- 50+ questions answered
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The short version
Bhutan is open to everyone, but it works differently from Nepal or Thailand. You book through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator, or you book the pieces yourself and still hire a licensed guide. You pay a daily Sustainable Development Fee to the government. Most people fly in to Paro, and most trips last five to ten nights.
Everything else on this page is detail. We grouped the questions people actually send us, so you can skip to the part you care about. If your question is not here, message us. A person replies, usually within a day.
- You can visit as a solo traveller, a couple or a group
- No minimum group size and no fixed tour dates
- Indian visitors follow a simpler permit system
Visa and entry
Yes, unless you are from India, Bangladesh or the Maldives. Everyone else needs visa clearance before they travel. The fee is USD 40 per person. Your tour operator applies through the government portal once your trip and the SDF are paid.
Usually about 5 working days once the application is complete. Apply at least a few weeks before you fly, and earlier for festival dates.
A clear colour scan of your passport photo page and a recent passport-style photo. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months after you leave Bhutan.
Not for most nationalities. You show the approval letter when you check in for your flight to Paro, and the visa is stamped in your passport on arrival.
Indian nationals need an entry permit, not a visa. A valid passport or a voter ID card is accepted. The permit is issued at Paro airport or at the land border in Phuentsholing or Gelephu.
Yes. Phuentsholing, Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar are the land crossings from India. International visitors still need visa clearance and a guide waiting at the border.
Usually yes, through your operator, as long as you pay the extra nights of SDF and the hotels have space.
SDF and costs
The Sustainable Development Fee is a daily fee paid to the Government of Bhutan. It funds free healthcare and education, forest protection and the upkeep of sites you visit. It is separate from what you pay for hotels, guides and transport.
USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027. Children under 6 pay nothing and older children pay a reduced rate. Indian visitors pay INR 1,200 per night. The government has said the reduced rate may end after August 2027, so trips from September 2027 should be priced with care.
Per night spent in Bhutan. A 7-day, 6-night trip means 6 nights of SDF.
A 24-hour SDF waiver applies to visitors who stay only in the border towns of Phuentsholing, Gelephu, Samdrup Jongkhar and Samtse. Once you go beyond them, normal SDF applies.
For a private 7-day trip in 3-star hotels, two people sharing, expect about USD 2,500 to 4,500 per person. That covers the SDF, visa, guide, car, driver, hotels, meals and entry fees. Flights are extra. Luxury lodges can cost more than USD 1,000 per room per night before the SDF.
More than its neighbours, yes, mainly because of the SDF. In return you get quiet sites, a private guide and car, and a country that has kept its forests and villages. Many guests tell us the price made sense once they were there.
With us, no. Our quote lists the SDF, visa, hotels, guide, car, meals and entry fees. Drinks, tips, laundry, souvenirs and travel insurance are the usual extras.
Yes, for nights you do not spend in Bhutan, through the government refund process after you leave. The visa fee is not refundable once your application has been processed. See our payment and cancellation policy for how we handle the rest.
Flights and getting there
Only Drukair and Bhutan Airlines, the two Bhutanese carriers. Almost all international flights land at Paro.
Delhi, Kolkata, Bagdogra, Guwahati, Kathmandu, Bangkok, Dhaka and Singapore are the usual hubs, though routes change by season. Drukair also flies Gelephu to Kolkata twice a week.
It is dramatic, with the plane banking between ridges, but only specially trained pilots fly it and they fly by sight in daylight. Ask for a seat on the left side flying in from Delhi or Kathmandu for the best mountain views.
Paro flights run in daylight and sometimes wait for clouds to lift. If a flight moves, we change hotels and the plan around it. We suggest a spare night in your hub city and a loose connection on the way home.
Yes. We book and hold seats with your tour so the dates match your visa and hotels.
Yes, between Paro and Bumthang, Gelephu and Yonphula in the east. They save long drives but run on limited days.
Quick facts
Bhutan at a glance for travellers
Time zone
UTC+6, half an hour ahead of India and an hour behind Bangkok.
Currency
Ngultrum (BTN), pegged one to one with the Indian rupee.
Power
230 V. Sockets are types D, F and G. Bring a universal adapter.
Language
Dzongkha is the national language. English is used in schools and on signs.
Altitude
Paro is about 2,200 m, Thimphu a little higher. Punakha is much lower, around 1,200 m.
Roads
Traffic drives on the left. Mountain roads average 30 to 40 km an hour.
Calling code
+975. Local SIM cards from B-Mobile and TashiCell.
Tobacco
No smoking in public places. Bring only a small amount for personal use and declare it.
Guides, tours and travelling independently
You can book your own hotels and transport, but you still need a licensed guide beyond the first checkpoint. That was confirmed in a Department of Tourism notice on 8 April 2026. Most visitors find a private tour easier and not much more expensive.
No. Most of our trips are private: your own guide, car and driver, and your own dates. Solo travellers are welcome.
Your guide meets you at the airport, explains what you see, handles permits at checkpoints and in dzongs, books tables and hike tickets, and sorts out problems.
During the day, yes. Evenings are your own, and you can walk around towns like Paro and Thimphu by yourself.
Yes. Treks need a licensed trekking guide, plus a cook and horsemen or porters for camping routes.
All licensed guides speak English. A few speak Hindi, German, French, Japanese, Mandarin or Spanish. Ask early and we will request one.
Health, safety and altitude
Yes. Crime is low and you travel with a guide. Solo women travellers tell us they felt safe. The bigger risks are mountain roads and altitude, which we plan around.
Most visitors feel fine in Paro and Thimphu. Take the first day easy, drink water and avoid alcohol on arrival. Treks that cross high passes need careful acclimatisation, and we build that into the plan.
It climbs about 500 to 700 metres from the car park to the monastery, at around 3,000 metres. Most people take 2 to 3 hours up and a little less down. Horses can take you part of the way up, but not down.
No vaccinations are required for most visitors. A yellow fever certificate is needed if you arrive from a country where yellow fever is present. Ask your doctor about routine vaccines.
There are hospitals in Thimphu and district towns, and basic health units in villages. Serious cases may be flown out, which is why we suggest insurance that covers evacuation.
Drink bottled or filtered water. Most hotels provide it, and we carry water in the car.
Money, phones and practical matters
US dollars in newer, undamaged notes, or Indian rupees. Both are easy to change. Cards work in larger hotels and shops, but carry some cash for markets and villages.
Yes, in Paro, Thimphu and district towns. Do not rely on them in rural areas or on treks.
Yes. Buy a B-Mobile or TashiCell SIM at Paro airport, or set up an eSIM before you fly. Coverage is good in towns and on main roads, and patchy on treks.
Most hotels have Wi-Fi. It can be slow in remote valleys.
Tips are not required but are appreciated. Many guests give their guide about USD 10 to 15 a day and the driver a little less.
Not without approval from the Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority. Without it, leave the drone at home.
Culture, dress and etiquette
Long sleeves and long trousers or skirts for dzongs, temples and festivals. No hats or shorts inside religious buildings. Pack layers, because mornings are cold even in summer.
No. Photography is not allowed inside temples and shrine rooms. In courtyards and at festivals it is usually fine. Ask before photographing monks or people up close.
Walk clockwise around chortens and prayer wheels, do not point your feet at altars, do not touch religious objects, and keep your voice down in temples.
Bhutan has long restricted plastic bags. Bring a cloth bag for shopping and take your rubbish with you on hikes.
Yes, in bars, hotels and shops, except on Tuesdays, which are dry days in most of the country.
Yes. English is the language of schooling, so most people under 50 in towns speak it well.
When to go and how long to stay
March to May and late September to November have the most settled weather. Spring brings rhododendrons and Paro Tshechu. Autumn has the clearest mountain views and Thimphu Tshechu.
Yes. December to February is cold, clear and quiet, with black-necked cranes in Phobjikha and the Punakha festivals in February.
June to August is wet, green and quiet. Culture trips work well. High treks and long drives are harder.
Five nights covers Paro, Thimphu and Punakha. Seven gives time for the Tiger’s Nest hike without rushing. Ten or more lets you reach Phobjikha and Bumthang.
Paro Tshechu is expected on 18 to 22 March 2027 and Thimphu Tshechu on 10 to 12 October 2027. See our full festival calendar for the rest.
Three to six months ahead for April, October and festival weeks. Four to six weeks is usually enough at other times.
Rules for 2027
What every visitor pays and needs
These apply to every tour in Bhutan, whoever you book with. We checked them against Department of Tourism notices in October 2026.
SDF: USD 100 a night
The Sustainable Development Fee is USD 100 per adult per night until 31 August 2027. Children under 6 pay nothing and older children pay a reduced rate. The government has not yet said what the rate will be after August 2027.
Visa: USD 40, once
Most nationalities need visa clearance before they fly. It costs USD 40 per person and usually takes about 5 working days. We apply for you.
Indian visitors
Indian nationals need only an entry permit and pay an SDF of INR 1,200 per night. Bangladeshi and Maldivian visitors follow separate regional rules.
Licensed guide
A Department of Tourism notice of 8 April 2026 confirms that visitors travel with a licensed guide beyond the first checkpoint.
Certified stays only
On 22 October 2026 the Department reminded all hotels and village homestays that they need its certification before hosting tourists. We book only certified places.
Insurance is optional
Travel insurance has not been compulsory since 23 April 2024. We still recommend cover for medical treatment and evacuation.
Rates can change. We confirm the SDF and visa fee in writing before you pay anything.
Read next
More guides for planning your trip
Plan my Bhutan trip
A step-by-step planner: how many days, which month, budgets and a booking timeline.
Festival calendar 2027
All 42 expected festival dates for 2027, month by month.
Bhutan destinations
Paro to Trashigang: the valleys worth your time and how long to give each.
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