Practical

Entry and fees

The visa, the Sustainable Development Fee, insurance and permits. Bhutan’s rules changed materially in recent years, so treat older guidance you find elsewhere with care.

The three rules

What you actually have to do

A visa, a nightly fee, and a strong recommendation about insurance. Everything else people worry about is not a requirement.

The visa

Required in advance. US$40 per person, one-off and non-refundable. You may apply directly through Bhutan's official online system, or a licensed tour operator or hotel can apply on your behalf. If you travel with us we handle it as part of your booking.

Indian nationals do not need a visa but do need a permit, issued online or on arrival. Bangladeshi and Maldivian nationals have separate arrangements.

Visa questions

Sustainable Development Fee

A nightly levy set by the Royal Government of Bhutan, funding free healthcare and education, conservation and infrastructure.

Traveller	Per night
Adult	US$100
Child aged 6–12	US$50
Child under 6	Exempt
Indian nationals	Nu. 1,200

Current rate, confirmed to 31 August 2027. Included in every quotation we send.

See what a journey includes

Travel insurance

Not a condition of a Bhutan visa. We strongly recommend it for any trip, and we require it as a condition of booking on our trekking itineraries, where evacuation from a remote camp is slow and expensive.

Make sure any policy covers the maximum altitude of your route and, on the treks, helicopter evacuation.

Our trekking conditions

Three things commonly written online that are no longer true

“You must book through a tour operator to get a visa.” You may apply directly through the official online system. Many people still prefer an operator to do it, but it is a choice.
“Travel insurance is required for a Bhutan visa.” It is not. We strongly recommend it, and require it on our treks, but it is not a government condition.
“Paro is Bhutan's only international airport.” Paro is the principal gateway for international arrivals, but it is not the country's only airport, and aviation infrastructure is being expanded.

What a quotation covers

One figure, and what is inside it

We do not publish prices, because a private trip priced honestly depends on your dates, your group size, the number of nights in each valley and which hotels you choose. A single published figure would be either wrong or padded.

What we do commit to is that the quotation is complete. The Sustainable Development Fee for every night, the US$40 visa fee, all accommodation, all meals, a licensed guide, a private vehicle and driver, and every entry fee on the itinerary are inside the number. Nothing compulsory is added afterwards.

What sits outside it is listed on every journey page: international flights, insurance, a single-room supplement if you want one, drinks beyond those served with meals, and tips. On the treks, personal kit and evacuation costs.

Payment is by bank transfer to a Bhutanese account, with a deposit to confirm and the balance before arrival. We will send you the written terms with the quotation — read them before you pay anything.

A guide among tall prayer-flag poles on a ridge

Permits

Where you need one

Ordinary travel through Bhutan’s dzongkhags does not require a separate route permit for visitors travelling with a tour operator. Some restricted areas, certain high trekking routes and some monasteries do need specific permission, which we arrange. If your itinerary needs one we tell you at the quotation stage rather than discovering it later. More in the travel questions.

Ask us before you assume

Fees and entry rules change, and we reconfirm them before every departure. If something here does not match what you have been told elsewhere, ask.