Travel tips and guides to Bhutan
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Bhutan
Bhutan is small country which lies between India in the south and China to the north. Well known for its pristine environment and the only nation whose development philosophy is guided by the principles of Gross National Happiness rather than Gross National Product, it has become popular due to its unique culture and tradition. Tourism in Bhutan started in 1974 with 300 tourist visiting the country and since then tourist arrival has gradually increased.
Best Time To Travel To Bhutan
Festive season in the month of March-May and September- November in different district of Bhutan.
Some of the popular festival in western Bhutan to consider if you have limited days to spend here
Thimphu Tshechu:16–20 September, 2021
Paro Festival: 21–23 March, 2021
Punakha Festival: 22–24 February, 2021
Note: Atleast 7–8 Days is recommended to attend the above festival including cultural tour.
Travel Guide - Bhutan Travel Rules
Touring Bhutan on your own is not possible.You must book tour with a local tour agent registered under Tourism Council of Bhutan, Royal government of Bhutan or with the overseas travel agent tied up with the local tour agent of Bhutan. But booking directly with the local tour agents saves cost and there are lots of local travel agents in Bhutan, nearly 2000 of them as of now. Please take a look at the list of tour opreators in Bhutan on the internet if you would like to and book your trip directly.
Bhutan Travel Cost:
Before we list the daily package rate, here is the list of what’s included in the rate as below:
· Bhutan Royalties, Visa fees, museum/monument fees and taxes.
· Accommodations in minimum 3 star Hotel/Resort
· All meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) including evening tea/coffee etc through-out the tour in Bhutan.
· All land transfers with pick and drop to airport
· Experienced english speaking Bhutanese tour guide.
· Daily Mineral bottled water
· Tour SUV or Toyota or Hyundai Mini Bus with well experienced driver depending upon the number of pax
· Return souvenir gift from Bhutan
Peak season rate: USD 250 per night per person ( March- May and September-November)
Lean Season rate: USD 200 per night per person ( January-February, June-August and December)
Note : Please make full tour payment in advance to the local tour operator registered under Tourism Council of Bhutan.Tour payment transfer can be bank wire or can be paid online to Bhutan National Bank Payment Gateway.
Surcharges for small groups
· USD 40 per night for 1 traveler
· USD 30 per night per head for 2 travellers
· No surcharges for 3 travellers or more
· Mandatory one time visa fee of USD 40
Discount
You can avail for discount if there is more than 11 pax, duration exceeding 8 days ,student discount, children below 5 years and between 5 to 12 years and discount is also available depending on entry and exit point. Please don’t forget to ask your tour operator if applicable.
Document required
With the exemption of visitors from India, Maldives and Bangladesh, all other visitors are set to minimum daily package rate and are required to send a scan copy of their passport with minimum 6 months validity and then it is processed online by the local tour agent for E- visa. After approval from Department of Immgration of Bhutan, E-visa will be mailed before your arrival to Bhutan. In most of the cases we issue E-visas before two weeks of your travel time.
E visa sample:
Other nationals from India, Maldives and Bangladesh can obtain visa on arrival at the Immigration office in Phunsholing or at Paro International airport with either passport (minimum 6 months validity) or valid Voter ID.
Flight to Bhutan
There are two Bhutanese airlines, Drukair and Bhutan Airlines which has connecting flight from Singapore, Bangkok, Delhi, Calcutta, Dhaka, Kathmandu to Paro directly or you can enter via road through Phuntsholing, Gelephu or Samdrup Jongkhar. It is recommended to fly to Paro directly especially if you have shorter duration to stay in Bhutan and to avoid long drives.
We can also arrange your flight to Bhutan or otherwise you can directly purchase them from the airline website here Drukair or Bhutan Airlines
Note: Please book your tour atleast three to four months in advance if you are planing to visit on high season: March-May and September-November
Entering by road to Bhutan
If you wish to enter Bhutan by road through its southern border with India, you can either choose Bagdogra airport or train station at New Alipuar Duar, or Hashimara station. Hashimara station is the nearest one to Phunsholing, just 30 minutes drive. Otherwise it is 5–6 hours drive to reach Phunsholing from other mentioned stations. Please ask your agent to arrange pick and drop if required.
Note: Drive from Phuntsholing to Thimphu is 4-5 hours, Thimphu to Punakha is 2 hours and Thimphu to Paro is 1 hour.
Tour Payment to Bhutan
Once you have finalised your requirements to Bhutan, tour operator like us would ask you to deposit full tour payment which can be either bank wire or transfered online using Bhutan National Bank Payment Gateway. Only after recieving the full tour payment, Tourism Council of Bhutan will approve your Visa and they will actually hold the payment in their account until you complete your Bhutan tour and then transfer to us. Please check the link for Bank details.
Accommodation in Bhutan
A minimum of 3 star rated hotels or resorts approved by Tourism Council of Bhutan is provided and luxury accommodation in 4 or 5 star hotel will be charged extra from minimum daily package rate.
All 3 star rated hotels and resorts have Wifi connection with Coffe/Tea maker with spacious room.
High end luxury accommodation at Six senses, Aman Resorts, Le Meridian and Uma Resorts can be arranged for those who want luxury stay in Bhutan.
Note: The prices starts from USD 360 and goes up to USD 2000 per night for luxury accommodation.
Staying at Local Farmhouse is also possible where you can spent time with Bhutanese family and experience the local life and their deliciously cooked meals.
Food and Eating Habits
Well most of the Bhutanese like spiced up curry with rice being the staple diet, there are lots of other cuisines like Indian, Vietnamese, Korean and cafes with good coffe and bakeries epecially in Thimphu and Paro city. Ema Datsi, which is prepared with red chilli and cheese is one of the popular Bhutanese dishes to try with red rice and butter tea.
Note: All meals are included in the tour and it will be served in Buffet either in hotels or certified restaurant. Please let your tour operator know in advance if you have diet restrictions.
Internet and Phone
There are two service provider, Bhutan Telecom and TashiCell. Both provides good network coverage and decent LTE connection. You just need a copy of your passport to get your tourist sim card which is easily available in either Thimphu, Paro or Phuntsholing market.
Consider learning some simple dialects like
Kuzu zangpo la : Hello
Kadrinche: Thank you
