Today I’m sharing a guide to a country that has been on my bucket list for pretty much as long as I can remember: Bhutan!
Now, I still haven’t made it there, but my friend Christian of Unusual Traveler recently visited the remote Himalayan country and lucky for us he agreed to share some of his tips for visiting Bhutan (you might remember Christian from his guest posts about Nagaland and North Korea).
I have to admit it was a little hard for me reading this post because I felt SO envious. As a teenager I was kind of obsessed with visiting Bhutan and at university I enrolled in a Tibetan and Himalayan semester abroad program for the sole reason that it was supposed to include a month in Bhutan.
But then last minute the program was moved to Nepal instead! Ah I was so heartbroken. At least for like two minutes, until I remembered that Nepal was one of my favorite countries in the world – I had lived there when I was five years old so it was really nice to return.
But after that my dreams of visiting Bhutan sort of faded and to be honest I hadn’t thought much more about going there until Christian messaged me last fall telling me about his own trip to Bhutan and much I need to visit Bhutan myself.
And so here are his tips for visiting Bhutan, including why you should go there, places to visit in Bhutan, the visa cost for Bhutan, and his favorite dish there.
The country
Bhutan
places to visit in Bhutan: Tiger’s Nest Monastery!
Why you need to visit Bhutan
Bhutan is the most unique country in the world! There are no other countries in the world that are close to this amazing country.
Bhutan is probably one of the few countries I’ve visited offering me what feels like an entirely authentic experience. I would say Bhutan is probably like how Thailand, India and the other touristy countries were 100 years back.
The people in Bhutan still wear their traditional dresses – no one dresses up in their traditional dresses here just so that tourists can snap a photo of them.
Bhutan was closed for foreigners all the way up to 1974, with only 48,800 tourists visiting in 2015. The reason for the few tourists is of course because of the expensive visa fees.
You can ONLY visit Bhutan as a member of a tour group or on your own with a private tour guide.
The high season fee is the government-set fee of 250 USD each day in the months of March, April, May, September, October, and November. The low season fee is 200 USD for the months of January, February, June, July, August, and December.
There’s also a surcharge of 40 USD for each day if traveling alone. So the fee is 290 USD each day in high season and 240 USD a day in low season if you’re traveling alone.
This price might seem high, but it actually includes a guide, 3 meals a day, stays at 3*/4* hotels and a private driver.
Places to visit in Bhutan
The Tiger’s Nest Monastery is by far the most famous place to visit in Bhutan, and the reason why most people come here, but the Dzongs (fortresses) around the country are also well worth a visit, with Punakha Dzong being the most famous one.
Personally, Laya in far northern Bhutan was my favorite, but it´s only reachable by a hard 2-day hike. Laya is one of the most remote settlements on earth and home to the Layap Minorities.
Getting around in Bhutan
You will have a private driver included in your visa fee, and he will take you to all the places you wan to visit in Bhutan!
Accommodation in Bhutan
All accommodation is also included in the visa fee, so when staying in cities will you stay in 3* or 4* hotels, whereas when going to remote places will you stay in home stays.
What to eat in Bhutan
The food in Bhutan is pretty similar to what you find in Nepal, just with more chilly. Both Tali and Momos are the most popular dishes among the locals. But my favorite local dish was Jasha Maru – diced chicken with chili served with rice.
How to arrange a visit to Bhutan
You will have to book your trip through a government registered agency, as there’s no other way to get the visa. As soon as the agency receives your payment you will receive an email with the confirmation. It’s a painless (but expensive) and fast process.
From when I made the bank transfer to when I received the visa confirmation took less than a week.
Want to know more about visiting Bhutan? Christian has also written a complete guide to everything you need to know about visiting Bhutan.
pin it!
About the author:
Born and raised in Norway in 1988, Christian never had interests in school or study and was always the kid that had to push the limits to see how far he could go when he was young.
And that mentality has stuck with him now on his travels. He gets extremely bored staying at tourist places, and can instead be found exploring remote corners of the world. For Christian, staying at a tourist beach in Thailand is pure torture.
Darren says
I think this was a really interesting article, crazy that it costs so much to visit this place.
It does look totally amazing and I can really see the draw to a visit.
The cost will probably put off the general tourist a bit but many of the travellers I meet would love to visit places like this and i suspect in the most part their budget is more limited..
Its sad if you genuinely like to see those out there places off the beaten track without loads of tourists buzzing about. catch 22 I guess.
Great that we can read about these experiences though 🙂
Silvia says
Yeah, I was so happy Chris at least shared his experience so we can live vicariously!
Renates Reiser says
Bhutan has also been high on my list of places I want to visit for quite some time now. Like most people, the daily fee is what’s held me back. It’s great that it includes pretty much everything you spend money on when you travel, but still, it’s probably a place I’d want to visit with one other person just to get away from that extra 40 dollar daily fee. Christian sure travels to the most fascinating places! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Silvia says
My friend and I are talking about maybe going in November – you should join us!
Renates Reiser says
Cool! Oh, I would love to! xD
Rosie says
That’s a really interesting way of doing a visa; I wonder why they do that? Is it to give them better control over tourism? It’s a good idea and it’s fairly reasonable, though it’s still probably a bit more expensive than what you might spend in a day.
Silvia says
It sounds like it’s to control tourism and protect the country, though I’m not entirely sure. And yeah, definitely more expensive, but also probably worth it!
Joella says
Wait. You did a Himalayan and Tibetan semester abroad? I had no idea such things even existed! That sounds amazing! And you lived in Nepal until you were five? So cool. I would love to go to Bhutan. I also didn’t realise the fee included everything. It’s still a lot but it seems worth it. I can’t stay away from Asia for too long so maybe I’ll get to go next time. I wonder if you have to pay for babies? Ha!
Silvia says
Haha it was fun! And I actually only lived in Nepal for about half a year when I was five. And lol, I wonder about the baby fees!
Jordan says
Such a fascinating article! My sisters went to Bhutan and absolutely LOVED the country! My one sister is a collegiate basketball player and her tour guide organized a game for her with the Bhutan national team 🙂 Really amazing experience and she loved it xo
Silvia says
Whaat that’s so cool!
Danique says
I really had no idea about the visa fees! Bhutan just recently came on my bucket list, while I might go to Nepal later this year. I can imagine why it holds people back, but it must be an amazing experience!
Silvia says
Yeah, it sounds like it’s worth the fees!
Toppedwith says
I actually agree with Bhutan local authorities to have high visa fees. Whilst being very expensive, fees segregate from your very usual tourist to the one that is very much into the culture and enjoy off the beaten track destinations. Plus everything nowadays is very accessible so Bhutan automatically makes for a unique destination. Lovely pictures and great adventure, thank you, Chris, for sharing it with us!
Silvia says
I think you’re right, especially as the money goes to your experience there as well – making sure that you have a guide and driver and places to stay.
Megan | Red Around The World says
Bhutan looks so amazing and totally worth the cost! I would love to visit someday (sooner than later, hopefully!)
Silvia says
Right? I can’t wait to go!
jon says
Great article – you should definitely go! I went there last Fall as a solo traveler and found it to be magic.
Silvia says
Aaah amazing!
Ronit Pradhan says
Paro Taktsang was the icing on the cake. I really loved it, though I had my bike trip for seven days and now that I think of it was totally worth it.
Cathy says
Dear Silvia,
Bhutan is amazing and I have been there 4 times and each times gets interesting and beyond words to explain. If anyone is keen to go, I recently established a tour company. It does sound expensive although some tourists do not realize or aware that USD $65 per night is taken from that USD$250/- for Govt Royalties such as building infrastructures and giving back to the Bhutanese who always welcomes the tourist with open arms to their countries.. As this article has been a year old, Silvia I do hope that you have actually gone to Bhutan by now.. if not maybe you can book a tour with my company. 😉 all the best anyway
Silvia says
I still haven’t been yet – maybe I will get in touch!
Himalaya Trekking says
Absolutely Bhutan is a nice country to visit but its so much expensive.
Bodhayan Bardhan says
But I think it was worth every penny spent in Bhutan. One of the best days of my life.
Ajay Saha says
It was worth every penny spent in this beautiful country. Absolutely amazing, the people were nice, very hygenic and the best part was trekking to Paro Taktsang.
Cring Packer says
I like the Silvia bog post due to her lucid writing style followed by majestic photos. Great to know about the Bhutan travel.
Swati Verma says
Very nice blog.
Tshewang Penjor says
Hi,
Your blog on Bhutan is short and comprehensive for travelers travelling to Bhutan. Thanks for your nice write up on Bhutan. Pictures taken was awesome. Your blog is important for travelers travelling to Bhutan.
Thanks once again
Harish Morwani says
very nice blog with details
Prerna Malhan says
What a lovely and detailed post on my favorite country – Bhutan. I would love to return to visit Laya or sure. Thanks for the motivation.
josec says
very in depth article covers all the major places of bhutan what you can do or see, eat in bhutan. touring bhutan follows the journey across western and central Bhutan.
Peregrine Treks and Tours says
The tourism industry in Bhutan operates on a “high value, low impact” model, which means that tourists are required to pay a daily “minimum daily package” fee that includes the cost of accommodation, transportation, and guide services. The rate for this fee varies depending on the time of year and the type of tour package that is chosen. Generally, the rate ranges from $400 to $450 per person per day for the peak season, and $365 to $400 per person per day for the off-peak season.
Prakash says
Thank you for the great post. Bhutan is one of the best destinations to visit but it is quite an expensive and they hike up the price in Sept 2022.
The Hill Rider says
trust me your blog is as beautiful as bhutan.
Bishnu Lamichhhane says
Great blog! Thank you for sharing.