Plan your trip to Bhutan

Every visitor to Bhutan except citizens of India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives needs a visa. Bhutan does not issue visas on arrival; you apply online before travel.

Apply via the official Department of Immigration portal at bhutan.travel/visa. Processing typically takes 5 working days. Approval is granted as a digital visa clearance letter that you carry to immigration on arrival, where the visa stamp is issued.

Indian, Bangladeshi, and Maldivian nationals do not need a visa but must obtain an Entry Permit on arrival (Paro airport or Phuentsholing land border) and pay the SDF.

Tourists from anywhere in the world can travel independently — the previous requirement to book through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator was relaxed in 2022 for international visitors.

Bhutan charges a per-night SDF on top of all other costs. The fee funds free public healthcare, free education, and conservation. As of April 2026:

• International visitors: USD 100 per adult per night.
• Indian nationals: INR 1,200 per adult per night.
• Children 6–12: 50% discount.
• Children under 6: free.

The current rate is valid through 31 August 2027. The rate was reduced from USD 200 in June 2023 as part of a programme to revive tourism after the pandemic. SDF is paid as part of the visa application; for Indian nationals it is collected at the Entry Permit office.

SDF does not include hotels, guides, transport, or food — those are separate. Budget international travellers should plan around USD 200–250/day all-in.

Bhutan's currency is the Ngultrum (Nu / BTN), pegged 1:1 with the Indian Rupee. Indian Rupees are widely accepted (except 500 and 2000 rupee notes, which are not legal tender in Bhutan).

ATMs in Thimphu, Paro, and Punakha accept international Visa and Mastercard, with per-transaction limits typically Nu 10,000–15,000. ATMs in eastern Bhutan are sparse and unreliable for foreign cards. Carry sufficient cash for travel beyond the western circuit.

Hotels and larger restaurants in Thimphu and Paro accept international cards; elsewhere, cash is essential. There is no Apple Pay / Google Pay merchant infrastructure for foreign cards.

Bhutan's climate varies sharply by altitude. Thimphu (2,300 m) and Paro (2,200 m) — the western circuit most visitors see — have temperate four-season weather. Below is a Thimphu reference with the cultural note for each month. Add roughly 5–8 °C if you're at lower elevations like Phuentsholing or Gelephu.

Best months overall: October (clear skies, peak trekking, festivals), April (spring blooms, Paro Tshechu), and November (crisp air, fewer crowds).

Avoid for views and trekking: June–August. The monsoon makes high-altitude treks impassable and fogs in mountain views. Lower-elevation cultural touring is still workable.

• Layers. Mornings can be near-freezing even in spring; midday in the same valley reaches 22 °C.
• Long trousers and full-sleeved tops for temple, monastery, and dzong visits — shorts, halter tops, and short skirts are not allowed inside religious sites and are generally inappropriate.
• Sturdy walking shoes — even non-trekking itineraries involve climbs (Tiger's Nest is 600 m of vertical from the trailhead).
• Sun protection. The high-altitude sun is intense even on cool days. Sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat.
• Cash. See the currency section above.
• A copy of your visa clearance letter — you'll need it on arrival.
• A reusable water bottle. Bhutan has banned single-use plastic. Hotels and most restaurants will refill.

• Bhutan is a deeply Buddhist country and visitors are expected to behave respectfully at religious sites. Remove shoes before entering temples and shrines.
• Walk clockwise around stupas, mani walls, and prayer wheels.
• Do not touch the head of any person, including children — the head is considered the most sacred part of the body.
• Do not point with a single finger — gesture with an open palm. Do not point with your feet at people or sacred objects.
• Use both hands when offering or receiving items, especially money or documents.
• Ask before photographing people, monks, or interiors of religious sites. Photography is forbidden inside many shrines; signage is usually clear.
• Tobacco sales are restricted; importing for personal use carries a 100% duty and is strictly limited. Public smoking is illegal.

Bhutan has one international airport (Paro). Flights operate from Delhi, Kolkata, Bagdogra, Bangkok, Singapore, Kathmandu, and Dhaka via Drukair and Bhutan Airlines. Paro is famously a difficult landing — only a small number of qualified pilots fly the route.

Land entry for Indian nationals is via Phuentsholing (south, from West Bengal) or Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar (south-east, from Assam).

Inside Bhutan, most international visitors travel with a private driver and guide arranged by a tour operator. Public buses connect Thimphu, Paro, Phuentsholing, and the eastern circuit but are slow on the mountain roads.

For driving routes with one-tap Google Maps directions — Western circuit, Paro to Tiger's Nest, Phuentsholing to Thimphu, the Bumthang loop, Chele La to Haa, and more — see the routes page.

SIM cards are easy and cheap. TashiCell (Tashi Infocomm) and Bhutan Telecom (B-Mobile) sell tourist SIMs at Paro airport on arrival; passport and visa letter are required. 4G covers Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, and most of the western and central circuits. Eastern dzongkhags have patchier coverage.

Wi-Fi is standard in hotels and most restaurants in Thimphu and Paro; speeds are modest. International calls are inexpensive over data.

Both television and the internet were legalised in Bhutan only in 1999 — this is one of the most recently connected countries in the world. See the history of that decision.

Altitude sickness is the single most common medical issue for visitors. Most of the western tourist circuit sits between 2,200 m and 3,100 m — high enough to affect a significant minority of visitors arriving from sea level. Symptoms: headache, nausea, poor sleep on the first one or two nights. Drink water, avoid alcohol on the first day, and ascend gradually.

Treks above 4,000 m (Druk Path, Jomolhari, Snowman) require acclimatisation days and a working evacuation plan. Carry a personal first-aid kit and consider a portable pulse oximeter for high-altitude itineraries.

Healthcare in Bhutan is free at public facilities, including for visitors. The national referral hospital (JDWNRH) in Thimphu handles the most serious cases. For evacuation of trekking emergencies, Royal Bhutan Helicopter Services operates from Paro — typically coordinated by your tour operator and your travel insurance.

Tap water is not reliably potable; use bottled or boiled. Bhutan banned single-use plastic in 2024, so most hotels provide refill stations and reusable bottles.

Travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is strongly recommended. Helicopter evacuation from a high pass without insurance can run into the thousands of US dollars.