Uncategorised
The Bhutanese government has set a non negotiable minimum daily tariff. The daily tariff includes all of your accommodation, food, land transport within Bhutan, services of guides and porters, supply of pack animals on treks and cultural programs as appropriate. It also includes a US$ 65 tax, which is used by the government to fund infrastructure, education, health and other programs. The rate is the same for all tours and trekkkings. Your tour operator will take care all of the arrangement for visas, Druk Air reservation, hotel booking, and obtaning permits to visit restricted places. These rates can be higher, depending on the nature of services.
Mandated costs:
- High season US 200 US$ per person per night
- Low season tariff 165 US$ per person per night (July and August are low season)
- Surchage for individual travellers: 40 US$ per night
- Surchage for groups of two persons: 30 US$ per person per night
- Trekkers who make long treks, get a 10% discount on days 11 to 20 and 20% from day 21 on
Most tour operators expect you to pay separately for all drinks, including liquor, beer, mineral water and bottled soft drinks. You’ll also have to pay extra for laundry, horseback riding and extras like massages or a Bhutanese hot-stone bath.
If you want to individualise your itinerary, there are several options, varying from expert guides, special permits and luxury vehicles to cultural shows and courses, special food and premium accommodation. This is added to the daily tariff you have to pay.
Dra Kabo monastery Bhutan
Passport
You need a valid passport to enter Bhutan. Make sure it has sufficient empty pages for stamps, especially if you are travelling via India or Nepal. Also make sure your passport isn’t about to expire (six months or less). In case you loose your passport, you have to travel ‘stateless’ to India, since it’s the only country in the region that can issue a replacement passport. Always carry some additional form of identification and a photocopy of your passport with you.
Flight tickets
Druk air is the only airline that flies to and from Bhutan. Therefore the fares are expensive. You find the latest fares at www.drukair.com.bt. Discounts or special student fares only apply to Bhutanese citizens. Also be aware of the Druk Air rule that if fares are increased after the ticket is issued, the flight company may collect the difference when you check in.
Visa
Prior to your arrival in Bhutan, you must apply in advance for a visa through a tour operator. If you don’t have an approved visa, you will not be permitted to board the Druk Air fligth to Bhutan. All applications for tourist visas must be initialised by a Bhutanese tour operator and approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thimphu. A visa costs 20 US dollar and is approved and issued prior to entry, with the pre-payment of your travel itinerary. Therefore you need to finalize your travel plans well in advance. Recommend is at least 90 days, especially if you travel to Bhutan in the peak months of September, October, November, March, April or early May. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thimphu issues visa to all foreign travelers.
Visa extensions
You will receive a visa for the exact period you have arranged to be in Bhutan. If you want to stay longer than two weeks in the kingdom, you can apply with the Bhutan Tourism Corporation Limited (BTCL) in Thimphu for an extension of your tourist visa. A visa extension for a period not exceeding six months costs Nu 510 (10$).
Restricted area permits
Exept the Paro and Thimphu valleys, the rest of Bhutan is classified as a restricted area. Tour operators obtain a permit for the places on your itinerary. This permit is checked and endorsed by the police at immigration checkpoints strategically located at important road junctions. Your tour operator must return the permit to the government at the completion of the tour, and it is examined for major deviations from the authorised program.
Dochu La pass (3140 m) - Chorten in Bhutanese style
|
REQUIREMENTS TOURIST VISA |
|
Passport > 6 months valid upon arrival in Bhutan |
|
All nationalities need visa which is issued by the Department of Tourism in Bhutan. You have to apply at least 2,5 months in advance. You can do this yourself, but usually it’s done via a touroperator. |
|
Two pictures |
|
General processing time Embassy is at least 6 weeks. Emergency application is not possible. |
|
More information: Tourism Authority of Bhutan tel.: 00975-2-23251/23252 |
|
Before departure passengers must obtain a ‘visa clearance’, which takes about 10 days to process. Airline tickets will not be issued without this clearance. Visa will be stamped in passport at port of entry ( Paro Airport) after payment of USD 20. |
|
Extension of visa up to 6 months can be obtained in Thimphu after payment of Nu 510 (10$) |
|
Visa note: for Bhutan visas, use your full name exactly as it appears on your passport. It is absolutely imperative that your Druk Air tickets have the same name as your passport and your visa! Druk Air will not allow you to board even if your name has changed. |
If you want to purchase old and used items (100 years or older), be cautious. The Bhutanese customs authorities strictly monitor the export of any religious antiquities or antiques of any kind from the Kingdom. You’re not allowed to take items out of the country which haven’t been officially certified as non-antique. Therefore always look for a government seal/stamp.
If you bring electronic devices with you like camcorders, cameras, computers or portable telephones, you have to register them with the customs authorities on arrival at Paro. They will be checked on departure. When you arrive in Bhutan, a customs form is issued. You must fill out this form with declarations and return them to the authorities before you leave the country. Import of plants, soils, et cetera, are subject to quarantine regulations. You must declare these items on arrival. For smokers, all tobacco products will be subject to a custom tax of 100% upon arrival.
When departing from Paro, you have to pay an airport tax of Nu 500 (10 $); this is included in the price of the ticket.
Chimi Lhakhang Buddhist prayer flags in Bhutan
Bhutan knows no trains or domestic flights, so you can only travel by car or bus in Bhutan. The country has a relatively well developed network of roads accessing all major towns. However, most roads are small and badly or not at all paved and unlit. Because of the mountains, steep slopes and deep valleys, the roads know many bends and the average speed of vehicles is restricted to less than 40 kilometers per hour. Steep ascents and descents are typical for road travelling, so you best travel only during daytime. During monsoon and winter months, roads can easily become blocked due to snow or landslides and can take anywhere from an hour to several days to clear, so be prepared that travelling in Bhutan can take quiet some time.
Tourist transport
Travelling on a tourist visa, the cost of all transport is included in the price of your trip. Depending on the size of the group, Bhutanese tour operators use Japanese-made buses, minivans or cars. If you travel to central and eastern Bhutan during wintertime (December to February) or monsoon (June to September) a 4WD vehicle is an advantage, and often necessary.
Public transport
Regarding public transport, the good news is that public buses are cheap. A minibus fare between Thimphu and Paro costs 40 Nu ($ 1), between Thimphu and Phentsholing 120 Nu ($ 3), and between Thimphu and Jakar 202 Nu (4 $). The bad news is that public buses are very crowded and quiet uncomfortable. Daily three or four buses run between Thimphu and Phentsholing, Paro and Punakha. Fares and schedules are all monitored by the Road Safety and Transport Authority.
If you get car sick easily and want some more comfort, another option is travelling with the more comfortable Toyota Coasters, operated by several private operators like Leksol Bus Service and Karma Transport. It costs about 50% more than the minibus fare, but it might be worth it.
