- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Bhutan trip planner 2027
Plan your Bhutan trip, step by step
How many days you need, the best month for what you want, a realistic budget and the booking timeline. Then send us your plan and we turn it into an itinerary.
- Free planning, no booking fee
- Reply within 24 hours
- Updated for 2027 rules
The planning process
Six steps from idea to Paro airport
Pick your month
Decide whether you want flowers, a festival, clear mountain views or quiet roads. The month shapes everything else.
Choose how many nights
Five nights for the highlights, seven to enjoy them, ten or more to reach central Bhutan.
Set a rough budget
The SDF is fixed. Hotels, season and group size move the rest. Our table below gives real numbers.
Send us your details
Use the form on this page. We reply with a day-by-day plan and one price that includes the SDF and visa.
Confirm and pay
Once you are happy, you pay a deposit. We file your visa, pay the SDF and hold your flights.
Book long-haul flights
Only after we confirm the Paro flight days. Then pack, and we meet you at arrivals.
How long to stay
How many days do you need in Bhutan?
Mountain roads are slow, so Bhutan always needs more time than the map suggests. Here is what fits.
| Length | What you can see | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 4 nights | Paro, Thimphu and the Tiger's Nest hike | A stopover between India, Nepal or Thailand |
| 5 nights | Paro, Thimphu, Dochula pass and Punakha | A first taste with one long-ish drive |
| 6 to 7 nights | The above at a relaxed pace, or with Haa or Phobjikha added | Most first-time visitors |
| 9 to 11 nights | Western valleys plus Trongsa and Bumthang | People who want villages and old temples |
| 12 nights or more | East to west, or a trek such as Jomolhari | Return visitors, trekkers and slow travellers |
Month by month
Best time to visit Bhutan in 2027
Weather differs between valleys, and Punakha is always warmer than Paro. This is the general picture.
| Month | Weather | What is on | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Cold nights, sunny days | Cranes in Phobjikha | Very quiet |
| February | Cold, clearing | Punakha Drubchen and Tshechu, 13 to 18 Feb | Quiet |
| March | Mild, some haze | Paro Tshechu, 18 to 22 Mar | Busy in Paro |
| April | Warm days, rhododendrons | Ura Yakchoe, Rhododendron Festival | Peak season |
| May | Warm, pre-monsoon | Good trekking early in the month | Moderate |
| June to August | Monsoon, green and wet | Kurjey Tshechu, Haa summer events | Very quiet |
| September | Rains ending | Tour of the Dragon bike race, 5 Sep | Building |
| October | Clear and dry, best views | Thimphu Tshechu, Royal Highland Festival | Peak season |
| November | Crisp and clear | Jakar Tshechu, Crane Festival on 11 Nov | Busy early, then quieter |
| December | Cold, very clear | Trashigang and Mongar Tshechu | Quiet |
Festival dates are tentative and follow the lunar calendar. See the full 2027 festival calendar for every date.
Budget
What a Bhutan trip costs in 2027
Per person for two people sharing, 7 days and 6 nights, private guide and car. International flights not included.
| Style | Hotels | Typical total per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortable | Certified 3-star hotels | About USD 2,500 to 3,200 | Our most booked level |
| Upgraded | Boutique and 4-star hotels | About USD 3,200 to 4,500 | Better rooms and views |
| Luxury | Amankora, COMO Uma, Six Senses | Often USD 7,000 and above | Lodge rates vary a lot by season |
| Fixed government costs | Included in all of the above | USD 600 SDF plus USD 40 visa | For one adult, 6 nights |
Solo travellers pay more per person because the guide and car are not shared. Groups of four or more pay less. Prices checked October 2026.
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.
Booking timeline
When to do what
Three to six months before
Choose your month and send us an enquiry. For April, October and the big festivals this is the latest sensible time to start, because Paro and Thimphu hotels fill and flights into Paro are limited.
Once the itinerary is agreed
Pay the deposit. We hold hotels and Drukair or Bhutan Airlines seats. Now you can book your long-haul flights to the hub city, ideally with a spare night there.
About six weeks before
Pay the balance. We pay the SDF to the government and file your visa, which usually takes about 5 working days. Your visa approval letter arrives by email.
The week before
Print the visa letter or keep it on your phone. Buy a universal adapter, bring US dollars in good condition, and pack layers. Save our WhatsApp number, +975 17533776.
Choices to make
Decisions that shape your trip
Fly in, or come by road?
Most visitors fly into Paro from Delhi, Kathmandu, Bangkok, Kolkata, Dhaka or Singapore. The flight is short and the landing is unforgettable. If you are already in north-east India, you can drive from Bagdogra or Siliguri to Phuentsholing. It takes longer, but it costs less and you watch the plains give way to the hills. Many guests fly in and drive out, or the reverse.
Which hotels?
All tourists must stay in accommodation certified by the Department of Tourism. Within that, the range is wide: simple family-run 3-star hotels, boutique lodges with valley views, farmhouse homestays where you eat with the family, and luxury lodges such as Amankora, COMO Uma and Six Senses. A mix often works best, with one special stay where you spend the most time.
Festival or quiet season?
Festivals add colour and crowds, and push up hotel prices. A quiet month gives you empty courtyards and better rates. Neither is wrong. If a festival matters to you, plan the trip around its date. If it does not, late May, early September and December to February are calm and good value.
How active do you want to be?
Tiger’s Nest is the one hike almost everyone does. Beyond that you can keep things gentle, or add day hikes to Cheri Monastery, Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten or the Gangtey nature trail. Keen walkers can add a short camping trek such as Bumdra, or a longer one like the Druk Path.
Packing list
What to pack for Bhutan
Layers
Thermal top, fleece and a warm jacket even in spring and autumn. Mornings at 2,500 metres are cold.
Walking shoes
Broken-in shoes with grip for Tiger's Nest. Sandals for hotels and hot stone baths.
Smart, modest clothes
Long sleeves and trousers or a long skirt for dzongs and festivals. A collared shirt helps.
Rain jacket
Essential from June to September and useful at any time.
Sun protection
Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. The sun is strong at altitude.
Small medical kit
Your own medicines, plus something for headaches, stomach upsets and blisters.
Trip planning questions
Your dates or month, how many people and their ages, what you most want to see, your hotel level and a rough budget. If you only have some of that, send what you have.
Nothing. Planning and quotes are free, and we charge no booking fee.
Yes. Our tour packages and private tours pages have full day-by-day itineraries you can use as a starting point.
Five days covers Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and Tiger’s Nest at a brisk pace. Seven is more comfortable.
If your dates are flexible, yes. A Tshechu is one of the best things you can see here. Book early, because hotels fill.
Yes. We book Drukair and Bhutan Airlines seats with your tour and advise on long-haul connections.
Free trip planning
Tell us about your Bhutan trip
Fill in what you know. We reply with ideas, a day-by-day plan and one clear price that includes the SDF and visa.
- Free personalised consultation
- No booking fees, ever
- A reply within 24 hours
- Licensed Bhutanese tour operator
- +975 17533776
- +975 77495028
- info@deyabhutantours.com
- Thimphu, Bhutan
Let's plan your Bhutan journey
Tell us a little about your trip. Our team in Thimphu will reply with ideas, a day-by-day plan and a full price.
We’ll reply within 24 hours. No booking fees, and no obligation to book.
