Bhutan: the daily fee, the rules, and whether it is worth it
Planning · · 2 min read
Bhutan manages tourism deliberately: fewer visitors, each paying more. Whether that suits you is worth deciding before you fall in love with the photographs.
The fee
Visitors pay a Sustainable Development Fee per night, on top of flights, hotels and everything else. The amount has changed more than once in recent years, and there are discounts for children and for longer stays, so check the current figure directly with the tourism board rather than trusting an old blog - including this one.
Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian nationals have different arrangements.
Getting in
Flights land at Paro, mostly from Delhi, Kathmandu, Bangkok and Kolkata, on a short runway between mountains. The overland route from Jaigaon in West Bengal is open to those entitled to use it.
A week that works
- Paro (2 nights): the valley, the national museum, and the hike to Paro Taktsang - the Tiger's Nest - which takes four to five hours return and is the reason most people come.
- Thimphu (2 nights): the Buddha Dordenma, the weekend market, the only capital with no traffic lights.
- Punakha (2 nights): over the Dochula pass to the dzong at the meeting of two rivers, which is the most beautiful building in the country.
When
March to May for rhododendrons, September to November for clear mountain air and the big festivals. Book festival dates far ahead.
What it is like
Quiet, orderly, and expensive for the region. The fee genuinely funds health and education, and the absence of crowds at a site like Tiger's Nest is the thing you are buying.