The Ultimate Bhutan Travel Guide

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During our childhood, when asked to draw a landscape scenery, most of us would have ended up drawing the default one – overlapping mountains, beautiful blue river running down through them, and a bright yellow sun peeking through clouds. Well, it so turns out that it’s not entirely a product of our imagination; we have been drawing BHUTAN all along. This was our exact feeling while driving through this Himalayan paradise. Visiting and exploring Bhutan is one of our most cherished experiences and we have compiled all the information in this article, making it THE Ultimate Bhutan Travel Guide you will need to plan your awesome trip!

placesinpixel’s Bhutan Travel Guide

Bhutan – Land of the Thunder Dragon – doesn’t that sound cool, exotic and mystical!! Bhutan is no ordinary place – it is probably the last great Himalayan kingdom, shrouded in mystery and magic, where a traditional Buddhist culture carefully embraces global developments. The Kingdom of Bhutan is a small landlocked country located in the southern foothills of the Himalayan mountain range, sandwiched between China in the north and India in the south.
Although Bhutan shares its geographical border with India, it’s very different from the Indian Subcontinent. Bhutan is a country where development is measured not by Gross Domestic Product, but by Gross National Happiness.
Some facts:
Capital – Thimphu
International Airport – Paro
Currency – Ngultrum (Nu) {1 Nu = 1 Indian Rupee ~ 0.015 USD (July’19)}
Time Zone – GMT + 6
Some FUN facts:
Bhutan is the only country in the world without traffic lights
There is a very old tradition of painting phalluses on their houses to serve as a symbol of fertility (check out this article by culture-trip for more details..)

Bhutan travel VISA (a.k.a entry permit ) has been categorized in two –
1. For citizens of India, Bangladesh, Maldives
2. For citizens of any other country.

If you fall in category #1 (i.e. if you are a citizen of India, Bangladesh, Maldives), you don’t need to apply for a travel visa in advance. You can simply obtain an entry-permit at the point of entry on producing a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity (or Indian voter ID card). The good news is Bhutan entry permit is FREE of cost.

ALSO READ:
? How to EASILY get Bhutan Entry Permit for Indian Citiens.

All other tourists (category #2) must obtain a visa clearance prior the travel with the help of Bhutan travel guide .  Visas are processed through an online system and you will need to hire a licensed Bhutanese tour operator for this purpose (or via a foreign travel agent).
But unlike the entry-permit (category #1), this will not be free of cost. The tourism sector is controlled by the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) which has set a minimum daily package.
(a) $200 per person per night for off-season (January, February, June, July, August & December)
(b) $250 per person per night for high season (March, April, May, September, October & November).
I know what you are thinking – “That’s insanely huge!!”, right? But, don’t get disheartened, for the price that you pay i.e. $200 / $250 includes the following:

• A minimum of 3 star accommodation (4 & 5 star will require an additional premium)
• All meals
• A licensed Bhutanese tour guide for the extent of your stay
• All internal transport (excluding internal flights)
• Camping equipment and haulage for trekking tours
• All internal taxes and charges
• A sustainable tourism Royalty of $65. This Royalty goes towards free education, free healthcare, poverty alleviation, along with the building of infrastructure.

HOW TO REACH BHUTAN

Pro-tip: Although we had taken the “rail+road” option (details can be found in this article), we would recommend taking the “flight+road” option – take a flight to Bagdogra Airport and then take a cab. This is the most optimized way (taking cost + time into consideration).

If you are planning to visit primarily the major cities (like Thimphu, Paro, Punakha) then the best time to visit Bhutan would be March-April-May and September-October-November. These major cities are located in the central (or central-western to be precise) part of Bhutan thereby Spring and Autumn offer the most suitable weather. Do keep in mind that September to November is the busiest tourist season and hence hotels (and cabs) are most likely to charge a bit of peak pricing.

December, January, and February are colder months and you will rarely find tourists traveling to Bhutan around this time. Most parts of Bhutan would be snow-covered and some roads might also be blocked. June to August is the monsoon season in Bhutan. There is rainfall in eastern, western and the southern areas of Bhutan whereas the northern mountains are covered by the monsoon clouds.

We made our trip during the last week of April and the first week of May, and we would highly recommend the same. Weather will be nice and cool, you will get bright and clear skies and you might also be lucky to catch rhododendrons in full bloom.

Festivals – Just like India, Bhutan is also a land of many festivals and the exotic face of Bhutanese culture is captured brilliantly by them. TSECHUs are Bhutan’s most dramatic festivals, wherein a series of religious dances are performed by spectacularly masked and elaborately robed dancers. The dates and duration of the tsechus vary from one district to another but usually take place on or around the 10th day of the Bhutanese calendar. For more details and exact dates of all festivals, kindly check TCB’s website.

With atmospheric monasteries, towering pine trees and a barrage of smiling faces everywhere you go, these are some of the places in Bhutan that should definitely be on your bucket list:

ALSO READ:
? Top places to visit and things to do in Thimphu

Apart from these, there are multiple other enchanting things to do in Bhutan that you should explore and experience a culture that will inspire you. You will find our article on suggested itineraries wherein we have given a detailed overview of the itinerary that we followed and multiple other possible itinerary options.

Accommodation:

Shoestring budget – around 500-800 Nu per night; these hotels will be very basic and some might even lack a few comfort amenities.
Average: between 1,500-2,500 Nu per night you will get pretty good hotels. These will be neat, clean and hygienic and will offer complimentary breakfast, WiFi and many other amenities.
Luxury: There are multiple 4-star, 5-star hotels and a few luxury home-stays available in most of the major cities which are most likely around 3,500-5,000 Nu per night (or even higher..)

Local commute:

There are few places where local buses do ply, however, it is better to take a cab. You can also choose to walk to some of the tourist places in Thimphu.
We would suggest the use of local taxis for sight-seeing and also for exploring different cities. Typically the local cabs will ask around 2,400-3,000 Nu for a full-day. However, during the non-peak season, you can bargain a bit and get it at 2,000-2,500 Nu.
(as always, we did bargain a lot and hired a cab for 6,000 Nu for 3 days!!)

Pro-tip: if you are an Indian citizen, Bhutan will turn out to be a surprisingly less expensive trip. Just to give you inspiration, we did our entire trip in Rs. 34,000!! This included Every.Single.Thing, door-to-door, 2 adults!! And, this is also one of the reasons why we feel that Bhutan is the perfect choice for your first international travel experience! Also, check out our plethora of articles in the Bhutan travel guide series to know more…

ALSO READ:
? Why Bhutan is the Ideal Choice for an Indian traveler’s First Foreign Trip

One of the most distinctive characteristics of Bhutanese cuisine is its spiciness. Red chilies are in fact an essential part of nearly every dish. Red Rice is the main dish with buckwheat and maize as close seconds. Usually, rice is served together with a bowl of vegetables and another bowl of meat.
When in Bhutan, be sure to try the national dish Ema Datchi (a dish based on large chillis and cheesy sauce), a variety of delicious Tibetan style Momos and various meats cooked in spicy gravy. Given the cold climate of the mountain regions of the country, spices and meats make up a large portion of the cuisine, along with locally grown herbal teas.

Here are some related articles in the Bhutan travel guide series which will help you prepare better and travel awesome!

• Bhutan entry permit for Indians – a detailed guide for obtaining an entry permit to Bhutan for citizens of India
• Travel itineraries and inspiration – our Bhutan travel itinerary, other itinerary options and loads of inspiration
• Places to visit in Thimphu & our Travelogue – best places to visit in Thimphu in the form of a travelogue
• Hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery – information-packed guide for the not-so-easy stairway to heaven!
• Why Bhutan is the Ideal Choice for an Indian traveler’s First Foreign Trip – Visa is FREE! Country is safe! People are friendly! + 7 more reasons !!
• A day trip to Chelela Pass and Haa Valley (coming soon… )
• A day trip to Dochula Pass and Punakha (coming soon… )

We are sure that the Ultimate Bhutan Travel Guide will motivate you to plan your next vacation to Bhutan and/or would have definitely helped you to get better prepared. Take a trip of a lifetime to this ancient land of monasteries, fortresses (called Dzongs) and ancient temples—the ‘Last Shangri La’, and be mystified as you explore travel world’s best-kept secret—Bhutan.

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