Bhutan travel FAQs

International visitors typically spend $5,000 to $9,500 per person for the complete trip, including international flights and personal extras. Our 7-day Essential Bhutan Journey starts at $1,740 per person, including hotels, meals, dedicated transport, guide, SDF and visa.

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) have the clearest skies and are peak Tshechu festival season. Summer is monsoon, with lush valleys but cloudy mountains, and winter is cold but quiet. Choose your dates around the activities and festival you want to include.

For peak season (March to May, September to November) and festival weeks, book 4 to 6 months ahead because hotels in Paro and Thimphu fill early. For shoulder and low season, 2 to 3 months is comfortable. Visa processing takes about a week, so the earliest practical window is roughly 2 weeks before departure.

Mostly, with caveats. Since September 2022 foreign visitors no longer need a full tour package, but you still need a licensed Bhutanese guide for travel around Bhutan, including cultural visits and trekking, plus a visa and the Sustainable Development Fee. We provide the guide, visa, SDF, and logistics so you can focus on the trip.

For most first visits, seven days through Paro, Thimphu and Punakha works well. It covers Tiger's Nest, Punakha Dzong, the capital and the Paro valley with two nights in each place, so you are not packing a bag every morning. With only five days, stay with Paro and Thimphu. With ten, add Phobjikha.

Yes. A seven-day itinerary means arriving on day one and flying out on day seven, so it has six nights. The Sustainable Development Fee and hotels are charged per night, which is why each extra day adds to the cost.

Yes, but the festival dates come first and the route is built around them. Dates follow the lunar calendar and change every year. Festival weeks are also the busiest hotel weeks in Paro and Thimphu, so plan early. If you would rather travel on set dates with others, our small group festival trip is built around a tshechu.

Yes, with around two weeks. Bumthang is a long drive east of Punakha, so it does not fit into a seven or ten-day trip without rushing. Our fourteen-day route adds central Bhutan's temple valleys at a pace that leaves time to see them.

Yes. Every foreign national except Indian citizens needs a tourist visa. The $40 visa fee is paid online and the visa is stamped on arrival at Paro Airport. We apply for the visa on your behalf as part of your booking.

The SDF is Bhutan's tourism levy, currently $100 per adult per night through 31 Aug 2027. It funds free healthcare, education, and conservation. It's included in all of our listed tour prices, so there's nothing extra to pay on arrival.

Yes. All listed prices include Bhutan permits and the Sustainable Development Fee. Your licensed Bhutanese guide checks the access requirements for your route as part of their licensed status.

Every booking includes the Sustainable Development Fee, visa, hotels (Standard 3-star, or Boutique 4-star and Luxury 5-star for an extra cost), licensed Bhutanese guide, dedicated vehicle and driver, all meals, entrance fees, and all permits. International flights and tips for your guide and driver are extra.

No. International flights are not included. You'll fly into Paro International Airport (PBH) in Bhutan. We can coordinate your arrival with your guide so you're met on landing.

Every trip is led on the ground, every day, by a licensed Bhutanese guide certified by the Department of Tourism. We handle payments, visa, SDF, and support, and your guide checks the access requirements for your route as part of their licensed status.

Yes. Ask us to arrange your licensed guide and tell us what you have already booked. Hotels, transport, meals, entry fees, visa and SDF arrangements can be handled separately. Your quote records what we arrange and what you take care of yourself.

You can build a route around your interests and agree the pace with your guide. Leave room for a longer lunch, a walk or time to rest. Changes still need to work with driving distances, hotel bookings, opening times, weather and any access or safety requirements. We explain any extra costs before you agree to a change.

Bhutan requires visitors to travel with a licensed guide. That does not mean every moment needs to be scheduled or narrated. Tell your guide when you prefer a quieter pace or less conversation. We plan personal time within the guide and site-access requirements, while keeping help available.

Tipping isn't required, but it's the usual way to thank a guide for good service. About $10 to $15 per day from each traveller is typical for your guide, and $5 to $10 per day for your driver, given in cash at the end of the trip.

Pick a journey, fill in your details (name, email, traveler count), choose your dates, and pay securely by card or Apple Pay. Your booking is confirmed immediately on payment. If you'd rather confirm details before paying, request a free quote first.

For trips more than 60 days away, you can book with a 30% deposit or pay in full. The balance is due 60 days before arrival. Trips departing in 60 days or less require full payment at booking. You pay at booking by card, and the balance by bank transfer. Refund terms apply to all payments.

Yes. The featured journeys are starting points. We can adjust the pacing, dates, or focus areas to suit your interests while keeping everything compliant. Request a custom journey and we'll tailor it to you.

Yes. Card payments go through Stripe's secure checkout, so your card details never reach us. Our bank details for the balance are in your balance reminder email and on your trip page.

Yes. You can change your dates or switch to another private tour once with no Guided Bhutan Tours administration fee when you ask at least 45 days before departure. Any price difference applies, and new dates depend on availability. Use Manage booking to send the request.

Cancel at least 45 days before departure without a Guided Bhutan Tours administration fee and receive all recoverable payments. Non-refundable government, banking, payment-processing, and committed supplier charges are excluded. Later cancellations follow the tiers on our refunds page.