Bhutan
Western Bhutan is the part of the kingdom most visitors see: Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Phobjikha and Haa, reached by road from Siliguri through Jaigaon and Phuentsholing or by air to Paro. Indian nationals pay a Sustainable Development Fee of ₹1,200 per person per night and need only a passport or voter ID. Go in March to May or October to November for clear skies and festivals.
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Bhutan, in brief
Bhutan begins about 160 km from Siliguri, where the Indian town of Jaigaon meets Phuentsholing at a painted gate. Walk through it and the clocks move forward 30 minutes, the traffic slows down and the shop signs switch to Dzongkha. From here a mountain road climbs for five or six hours to Thimphu, the capital, at about 2,320 m. Paro, with Bhutan's only international airport and the cliff temple of Taktsang, lies an hour and a half further west.
Most first trips stay in the west because that is where the roads are best and the sights are close together. Punakha sits low and warm at about 1,250 m beside the country's most photographed dzong. Phobjikha is a high glacial valley at about 2,900 m where black-necked cranes spend the winter. Haa, over the 3,988 m Chele La, is the quietest of the five and still feels like a farming valley first and a tourist stop second.
Bhutan manages tourism on purpose. Every visitor pays a nightly Sustainable Development Fee, stays in hotels certified by the Department of Tourism, and travels with a licensed guide outside Thimphu and Paro. For Indian travellers the fee is ₹1,200 per person per night, which makes Bhutan dearer than Sikkim but far cheaper than it is for anyone else. We plan honest trips around those rules and tell you where the real savings are. Check current status before you travel.
The reward is a country where the architecture, dress and daily rituals are still part of ordinary life. Office workers wear the gho and kira, archery matches run all weekend, and dzongs serve as both monastery and district office. Food is plain and fiery: ema datshi, chillies in cheese, comes with almost every meal, along with red rice and butter tea.
Why go
Reasons to go, plainly
The Tiger's Nest hangs about 900 m above the Paro valley at 3,120 m. The walk up and back takes most of a day and is worth every step.
Built in 1637–38 where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu meet, it is the most graceful of Bhutan's fortress monasteries. Jacarandas flower around it in spring.
From late October to February black-necked cranes feed in the marshy floor of Phobjikha. The valley keeps its power lines underground for them.
The Thimphu to Punakha road crosses Dochula at about 3,100 m, where 108 chortens stand on the ridge. On clear winter mornings the high Himalaya lines the north.
The road route from Siliguri through Jaigaon and Phuentsholing is the cheapest way in for Indians. It pairs well with a night in Jaldapara on the way back.
Masked dance festivals fill dzong courtyards in spring and autumn. Paro in March or April and Thimphu in September or October are the big ones.
The map
Where to go in Bhutan
The quiet valley over Chele La
Taktsang, Rinpung Dzong and Bhutan's only international airport
The winter valley of the black-necked cranes
Bhutan's front door on the Dooars plains
The old winter capital where two rivers meet
A small capital of dzongs, prayer wheels and no traffic lights
Shape your own trip Tell us your dates and budget. We draw the route around you. Begin Not sure where to start? We match the valley to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. Begin Talk to a planner A first route and an itemised price within one working day. No payment to start. BeginPackages
Routes through Bhutan
Budget tier prices per person, twin sharing. Every package also comes in Value and Comfort tiers, and every route can be changed.
Experiences
Hours worth planning around
Where we book
Stays in Bhutan
Certified farmhouse homestays in Paro valley villages such as Shaba, Satsam and Tsento give the cheapest legal stay in Paro and a close look at farm …
Hotel Druk is a long-established hotel a short walk from the Bhutan Gate and the immigration office in Phuentsholing. It is a dependable first or last …
Hotel Druk is a central Thimphu hotel on Clock Tower Square, within walking distance of Norzin Lam, cafés and the Memorial Chorten. It is a sound …
Hotel Olathang is one of Bhutan's oldest hotels, set in pine forest on a hillside above Paro and built in the 1970s for guests at the …
Dewachen is a stone-and-timber hotel on the slope above Phobjikha valley, with heated rooms and views over the crane roosting grounds. It is the best-known mid-to-upper …
Le Méridien Thimphu is an international five-star hotel in the city centre near the Wang Chhu and the weekend market. It is the most reliable full-service …
Shape your own trip Tell us your dates and budget. We draw the route around you. Begin Not sure where to start? We match the valley to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. Begin Talk to a planner A first route and an itemised price within one working day. No payment to start. BeginDaily budget
What a day in Bhutan costs
Budget
₹4,000–5,500
per person per day: the ₹1,200 SDF, a twin room in a simple certified hotel or farmhouse homestay, public buses in the Thimphu and Paro area, local meals and a share of a guide and car on days outside Thimphu and Paro
Value
₹7,000–9,500
per person per day: SDF, a three-star certified hotel with breakfast and dinner, a private car with driver and a licensed guide, and monument entry fees
Comfort
₹14,000–25,000
per person per day: SDF, the best rooms on the route such as Le Méridien or Dewachen, all meals, a private SUV, a senior guide and flexible timings
Per person per day, twin sharing, for planning. Budget builder →
Month by month
Bhutan through the year
Bhutan by travel style
The calendar
Festivals worth the dates
Paro Tshechu is a five-day spring festival of masked dances at Rinpung Dzong, ending at dawn on the last day with the …
Thimphu Tshechu is the capital's three-day autumn festival of masked dances, held at Tashichho Dzong and the festival ground beside it. It …
The Black-necked Crane Festival is a one-day community festival in the courtyard of Gangtey Goenpa in Phobjikha that celebrates the return of …
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Arriving in Bhutan
The cheapest way in for Indians is by road. Siliguri to Jaigaon, the Indian town at the Phuentsholing border, is about 160 km and takes 4–5 hours by bus or reserved car; Hasimara railway station is about 17 km from the border, and Bagdogra airport about 165 km. From Phuentsholing it is about 160 km and 5–6 hours to Thimphu, or about 145 km and 5 hours to Paro. By air, Drukair and Bhutan Airlines fly into Paro from Delhi, Kolkata, Bagdogra and a few other cities; the approach is famous and weather can delay it. Paro airport is about 50 km and an hour from Thimphu.
Permits
Paperwork to know
Indian nationals do not need a visa. They need a valid passport (six months' validity) or an original voter ID card; minors without either can use a birth certificate with a parent. An entry permit, issued online in advance or at the Phuentsholing immigration office or Paro airport, covers Paro and Thimphu. Travel to Punakha, Phobjikha, Haa and other districts needs a route permit, issued by the immigration office in Thimphu or applied for online. Indians pay a Sustainable Development Fee of ₹1,200 per person per night, with children aged 6–12 at half rate and under-6s free. Other nationalities need a visa and pay USD 100 per night. All tourists must stay in certified hotels, and a licensed guide is required outside Thimphu and Paro. Check current status before you travel.
Guides
Read before Bhutan
Indian nationals need no visa for Bhutan. Carry a valid passport or original voter ID, pay the Sustainable Development Fee of ₹1,200 per person …
An Indian traveller can see Thimphu and Paro for about ₹3,500–4,500 per person per day by going overland from Siliguri, using public buses and …
Shape your own trip Tell us your dates and budget. We draw the route around you. Begin Not sure where to start? We match the valley to your month, your budget and the people travelling with you. Begin Talk to a planner A first route and an itemised price within one working day. No payment to start. BeginQuestions travellers ask
Questions about Bhutan
How much is the Bhutan SDF for Indians?
Indian nationals pay a Sustainable Development Fee of ₹1,200 per person per night spent in Bhutan. Children aged 6 to 12 pay half, and children under 6 are exempt. It is paid with the permit, online or at the immigration counter. Other nationalities pay USD 100 per night. The fee has been revised several times since 2022, so check current status before you travel.
Do Indians need a passport to visit Bhutan?
No. Indians can enter with a valid passport with at least six months' validity or an original voter ID card. Aadhaar, PAN and driving licences are not accepted. Children under 18 without a passport can use a birth certificate and must travel with a parent or guardian. Carry two passport photos and photocopies as well. Check current status before you travel.
Is a guide compulsory in Bhutan for Indians?
Inside Thimphu and Paro you can move around on your own. For travel beyond them, to Punakha, Phobjikha, Haa and other districts, all tourists including Indians must be accompanied by a licensed Bhutanese guide, and treks always need one. Guides typically cost ₹2,500–3,500 a day for the group. Rules have changed more than once since 2022. Check current status before you travel.
What is the cheapest way to reach Bhutan from Siliguri?
Take a bus from Siliguri to Jaigaon or Phuentsholing for about ₹150–250, about 4–5 hours. Cross on foot, collect your permit at the Phuentsholing immigration office, then take a Bhutanese public bus to Thimphu for about Nu 300. Staying your first night in Jaigaon rather than Phuentsholing saves one night of SDF.
Can I use Indian rupees in Bhutan?
Yes. The ngultrum is pegged to the rupee at par and Indian rupees are accepted almost everywhere. Carry ₹100 and ₹200 notes; some shops refuse ₹500 notes. UPI works at many shops in Thimphu, Paro and Phuentsholing through a linked system, but outside towns cash is safer. ATMs in Thimphu accept some Indian cards.
How many days do I need for western Bhutan?
Five nights covers Phuentsholing, Thimphu and Paro with the Taktsang walk. Seven to eight nights adds Punakha and Phobjikha without rushing. Haa needs one extra night or a long day from Paro over Chele La. Allow a spare day in the monsoon for road delays between Phuentsholing and Thimphu.
When is the best time to visit Bhutan?
March to May and October to November. Spring brings rhododendrons and the Paro Tshechu; autumn brings the clearest mountain views, the Thimphu Tshechu and the cranes in Phobjikha. December to February is cold but dry and quiet. June to August is the monsoon, with clouds, leeches and landslides on the southern road.
Do I have to stay in certified hotels in Bhutan?
Yes. All tourists, including Indians, must stay in accommodation certified by the Department of Tourism, which includes approved hotels and registered farmhouse homestays. Your hotel booking is usually asked for during the permit process. Budget certified hotels in Thimphu and Paro start around ₹2,500–3,500 a room a night. Check current status before you travel.
Is Bhutan expensive compared with Sikkim?
For Indians, yes, roughly one and a half to two times the cost of a similar Sikkim trip. The SDF adds ₹1,200 per person per night, certified hotels cost more than Sikkim homestays, and a guide is needed outside Thimphu and Paro. Overland entry, public buses and simple hotels keep a week to around ₹25,000–40,000 per person.