Visitors to Bhutan must either be guests of the government or tourists. All tourists must travel on a pre-planned, prepaid, guided package tour. For specific questions regarding tourism policy not answered on this site you may contact Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) (http://www.tourism.gov.bt/). For experienced Himalayan travelers, these restrictions make Bhutan a rare, delectable treat.

For detail information, please download, final bulletin/Pre-departure information

Entry Points to Bhutan.

By Air:

The easiest way for visitors to enter Bhutan is by air on Druk Air, (http://www.drukair.com.bt/) Bhutan's only national airline operating in Bhutan. Druk Air's fleet consists of two British Aerospace jets, BAe 146s, which are specially designed for Bhutan.

Flights to Bhutan are available from Bangkok in Thailand, Kathmandu in Nepal, Delhi & Calcutta in India, and Dhaka in Bangladesh two times each week. But during the tourist season, flight schedule cam increase. Latest flight schedules are available on request or you can directly check the web site of Druk-Air.

On clear days the flight into Paro offers spectacular views of the Himalayan mountain range, including Mt. Everest, Mt. Kanchenjunga, Chomolhari, Kula Kangri and many other peaks of the Himalayas.

Paro Airport, located in the mountains, is subject weather conditions, which sometimes prevent flight landing and take off. Druk Air itself has an impeccable safety record, without a single mishap since its inception in 1983.

Since the flight schedule is limited with just Druk-Air flying in and out of Bhutan, one has to book their tickets early but for the tourist, the travel agent will take care once the booking is received.


By Road:

Tourists wanting to combine a visit to Bhutan with Sikkim, Darjeeling or Kalimpong (or other places in India) can enter Bhutan by surface through the border town of Phuentsoling. This is the only other entry point to Bhutan other than flying into Paro airport. In the reverse order visitors can fly into Bhutan and exit by surface to India through Phuentsoling.

For those travelling to far Eastern Bhutan there is an option to exit out of the country through the border town of Samdrup Jongkar to Guwahati Airport in Assam of India. Only exiting out of Bhutan is allowed from here not entry. From Guwahati there are flights available to Calcutta and Delhi.

Air Tickets

Druk Air, the national carrier of Bhutan, is the only airline that flies in & out Bhutan's Paro airport. Air tickets will be issued only after your visa is approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bhutan. To expedite this procedure, it is essential that you send us all passport information required to apply for your Bhutan visa (see below). The air-tickets cannot be issued until the visa is approved - and this process takes a week or more. For detail on Druk Air tickets, please check the Druk Air Website (http://www.drukair.com.bt/)

It is also advisable to remit payment for Druk Air flights 90 days in advance to help us obtain your confirmed seats. Druk Airr has introduced e-tickets and the reservation is based on "book and buy", which means we will have to get your tickets issued immediately after the reservations is been made. The details of your e-tickets will be forwarded to you after we confirm and buy your tickets. Once your trip is confirmed, we will send you complete instructions for making payments

Tourist Visas

Tourist visas have to be approved prior to your arrival in Bhutan. With prior approval, original visas are then issued only when you arrive in the country, either at Paro airport or (if by road) at Phuentsoling. Once you confirm your tour we will apply for your visas. We need the following details in order to start applying for visas:

01: Your full name (as it appears in your passport) -
02: Permanent address -
03: Occupation -
04: Nationality -
05: Passport number -
06: Date of issue and expiration of passport -
07: Date and place of birth –
08: Copy of your passport must be sent along with duly filled in visa form

Double check that the information is correct; if there are discrepancies when you arrive in Bhutan, delays and complications can take place.

The actual visa is stamped in your passport on your arrival at the Paro airport. Visa fee of US$ 20 must sent along with your tour payment. You will need to present a passport photo with your passport number written on the back on arrival. You will then receive a visa for the period of your stay in Bhutan. We will process visa extensions for you if they become necessary. Please kindly note that your passport must be valid for 6 months or more to enter Bhutan.

Accommodation

Tourists are kept in comfortable hotels, lodges, guesthouse and resort standardized by the Tourism Council of Bhutan. In the major towns such as Thimphu, Paro, and Phuentsoling, accommodations are comparable to good hotels in the west, while in smaller towns, modest, but adequate, hotels, lodges and guesthouses are available. We will ensure that the best available accommodations are arranged for you. The Tourism Council of Bhutan, regulates hotel standards and all travel regulations in Bhutan. The costs of the accommodations are included in the tour cost.

Since 2006, Bhutan saw some five star hotels. For those travelers interested to stay in the Five Star Hotels/Resorts, we will book the hotel at your cost. The room rates of the Five Star Hotels can be sent upon your request.

Food and Drink

Bhutanese traditional food is hot and spicy. Ematatshi, the national dish of Bhutan, made with red chillis and cottage cheese is something that you should not miss when you are in Bhutan. For our visitors, however, Chinese, Indian, and Continental fares are served in every place. The more adventurous can try the local delicacies. Meals are normally served buffet style in the hotels. On trekking tours, we serve simple but nutritious and tasty dishes, nicely cooked by our cooks. The daily tour cost includes all meals while in Bhutan. Your only extra expenses will be mineral water, liquor, laundry, souvenirs and optional tips to the guide, driver and hotel staff.

 
Tourist Seasons

One can plan a visit to Bhutan anytime of the year but the best period is from September to mid-November in fall and March to May in Spring. The peak seasons, when most visitors come to Bhutan, are during the Spring and Fall/Autumn. There are many festivals during these periods, and visitors come to take advantage both of the pleasant climate and the wonderful festivals. However, Bhutan has limited tourism infrastructure and during peak seasons facilities are packed, so one has to book the tour well in advance or for those wanting to avoid the busy tourist periods the winter months of December, January, February, are recommended if you want to see less tourists.

What to Bring

What you take during you trip is best known by yourself. But the following list will cover your needs for a vehicle-based cultural tour if you take our suggestion. Since you will be travelling in private vehicles, there is no problem about weight than if you were transferring your own luggage on and off various forms of public transport. However, there is a 20 kg (44 lb) weight limit (30 kg or 66 lb in business class) on Druk Air flights. You should try and keep to this weight limit. Even if you are willing to pay for excess baggage, it travels standby and may be offloaded. As with all travel, the less you carry, the easier it is to move about.

Casual clothes are fine, but please also do take along a set of dress-up clothes (jacket and tie for men, dresses for women) for festivals or in the likely event that you are invited to a Bhutanese home or social function. If you have scheduled your trip during a festival, you definitely should carry a set of dressy clothing. Bhutanese people dress quite formally, and dirty jeans do not fit-in on such occasions.

Even in the summer, it can be cool in Bhutan, and it is downright cold in winter. Days can be quite warm, especially in the lower regions such as Punakha and Phuentsoling, and you could start off driving in the cold of dawn and be uncomfortably warm by midmorning. Use a layering system, starting with thermal underwear and adding a shirt, pile jacket and wind-breaker as necessary. If you are not trekking, you will need:

• Underwear (including thermals for cold weather)
• Cotton trousers
• Cotton skirt for women
• Pile jacket or sweater - even in summer
• Down jacket - in winter; not needed in summer
• T-shirts or short sleeved (not sleeveless) cotton shirts *
• Sneakers or walking shoes and socks
• Sandals or flip-flops
• Rain jacket (Gore-Tex if possible), otherwise a poncho or nylon jacket
• Dress-up clothes for festivals
• Sun hat

Unless you are trekking, you won't need to carry a sleeping bag. Most hotels also provide some sort of heating in winter, either an electric heater or a wood stove. The heating with the pile of blankets on your bed will be good enough to keep you warm.

You will be outside a lot, much of the time at altitudes above 2,500 m (7,800 ft); so there is plenty of sun and wind. Bring a supply of sun cream and lip protection, such as Blistex; these items are not available in Bhutan.

Essential Extras

There are several things that you should carry to make a trip to Bhutan more comfortable. All of the following items are essential:

1. A folding umbrella; especially if traveling during the monsoons. Rain is possible any time, and is almost certain from June through August.

2. Be sure to carry ear plugs (and spares) to reduce the noise from the barking dogs at night. There are a lot of dogs in Bhutan as the Bhutanese love dogs.

3. There are occasional electric outages throughout the country; so you should always keep a torch (flashlight) beside your bed.

4. Carry a pair of sunglasses (as protection from high altitude glare).

5. A Swiss army knife has many uses, such as cutting cheese and opening bottles.

6. Bring a small clock with an alarm to help you wake up, because not all hotel rooms have telephones.

Packing

If you are on a cultural tour, it's OK to bring a hard suitcase, though a soft bag is more versatile and easier to pack into the luggage space of a vehicle. For those trekking in Bhutan a strong duffel bag as luggage is best. You will also want a small rucksack (back pack) or waist pack to carry your camera, water bottle and other essentials in the vehicle and when you are walking around town or visiting monuments.

If you need additional information on tour or trek in Bhutan, please do not hesitate to enquire us.