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Exactly what Bhutan asks of a visitor, what it costs, and which parts we handle for you.
There is a one-off visa application fee and a nightly Sustainable Development Fee. Everything else you pay is the cost of the trip itself.
Bhutan does not cap visitor numbers, and it is no longer true that you must book through an operator to obtain a visa — you may apply yourself on the Department of Tourism’s online system. What has not changed is that the visa must be issued before you fly, and that the nightly fee applies for every night you are in the country.
We submit the application as part of a booking at no extra charge, and we confirm in writing the figures that apply to your dates before you pay anything.
Children aged six to twelve are charged US$50 per night and children aged five and under are exempt. Indian nationals pay Nu. 1,200 per adult per night. The current rate runs until 31 August 2027.
Non-refundable, paid with the application. Processing usually takes about five working days and the visa clearance is issued before you travel. Apply yourself online, or let us submit it.
You are free to walk around towns such as Paro and Thimphu on your own. A licensed Bhutanese guide is required to enter dzongs, monasteries and monuments, and to travel beyond those towns. Included on every journey we run.
Full name as printed, passport number, issue and expiry dates, and a clear photograph. Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates.
Through the Department of Tourism's system, together with the Sustainable Development Fee for your nights and your confirmed accommodation.
Usually within about five working days. You travel with the clearance; the visa itself is stamped on arrival at Paro or at the land border.
Both charges are settled before you fly. There is no fee to pay on arrival and no queue to join for one.
No. Indian nationals travel on a permit rather than a visa and may enter with a valid passport or voter identity card. The Sustainable Development Fee for Indian nationals is Nu. 1,200 per adult per night.
It is not a visa requirement. We strongly recommend comprehensive travel and medical cover, including evacuation cover if you are trekking — these are mountain roads and helicopter evacuation is expensive.
Children aged six to twelve pay half — US$50 per night. Children aged five and under are exempt entirely.
Dates can usually be amended before travel; tell us as early as you can. The visa application fee itself is non-refundable once submitted.
Extensions are possible through the Department of Tourism, and the nightly fee applies to the additional nights. It is far simpler to add the nights before you travel.
Tell us your dates and what you would like the journey to include. You will get a written day-by-day itinerary and a full quotation back, with nothing to pay while we work it out.
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