How Bhutan's costs work
Bhutan prices tourism differently from its neighbours. Every visitor pays a Sustainable Development Fee, or SDF, for each night in the country, and every tourist must travel with a licensed guide beyond the first checkpoint. Those two rules shape every budget, and they are why a cheap trip to Bhutan looks different from a cheap trip to Sikkim or Nepal.
As we understand the rules in 2026, Indian nationals pay an SDF of ₹1,200 (Nu 1,200) per person per night. Most other nationalities pay USD 100 per person per night, a reduced rate that the government has said runs until 31 August 2027. Children aged 6 to 12 pay half and under-6s pay nothing. Bangladeshi and Maldivian nationals have also had their own rates. These rules have changed several times since 2022 and can change again, so check current status before you travel.
After the SDF, the big costs are the guide and the vehicle, which cost the same whether one person or six share them. Hotels, food and entry fees come next. Unlike in much of the Himalaya, you cannot cut costs by sleeping in the cheapest guesthouse in town or hitchhiking between valleys, because tourists must use certified stays and travel with their guide. The savings come from how you arrive, how many people share, and when you go.
A daily budget, line by line
The figures below are indicative 2026 costs per person for an Indian national sharing a twin room in a group of five or six on a saver trip. Non-Indian nationals should replace the SDF line with USD 100 a night.
| Cost line | Per person per day (indicative) |
|---|---|
| SDF, Indian nationals | ₹1,200 |
| Simple certified hotel, twin share | ₹1,250–2,250 |
| Share of guide and vehicle (group of 5–6) | ₹1,000–2,000 |
| Local food, three meals | ₹600–1,000 |
| Entry fees, averaged across the trip | ₹300–700 |
| Total | ₹4,500–6,500 |
Road or air: the biggest choice
Most budget travellers from India come by road. Reach Siliguri by train to New Jalpaiguri or by flight to Bagdogra, then take a bus or shared jeep about 160 km and 4–5 hours to Jaigaon, for ₹150–400 a seat. Walk through the Bhutan Gate into Phuentsholing, where your guide meets you. From there it is about 150 km and 5–6 hours to Thimphu.
Flying into Paro is faster and gives a famous view of the peaks, but one-way fares from Indian cities often cost ₹8,000–20,000, and the road trip back adds two long days. For a group of five, flying both ways can cost as much as the rest of a saver trip combined.
The road has costs of its own: two long travel days of 5–6 hours each between Phuentsholing and Thimphu or Paro, and one more night of SDF and hotel. On a 6-night trip, that still saves most travellers ₹15,000–35,000 per person compared with return flights.
Beds, food and fees
Tourists must stay in accommodation certified by the Department of Tourism. Simple certified hotels in Thimphu, Paro and Punakha cost about ₹2,500–4,500 a night for a double, which is ₹1,250–2,250 each on twin share. Heating varies at this level, so ask. In Haa and Phobjikha, registered farmhouse homestays cost about ₹2,000–3,500 per person with dinner and breakfast and are often the best value in the country.
Eat where drivers and office workers eat. A plate of ema datshi, the chilli and cheese stew, with red rice and dal costs ₹200–400 in a local restaurant; momos ₹120–250. Hotel buffets cost far more.
Entry fees add up. Major dzongs, Taktsang, Buddha Dordenma and museums charge tourist fees, from a few hundred to a couple of thousand ngultrum each. Budget ₹4,000–6,000 in total for a 6-night western circuit, and check current status before you travel, as the fee list has been revised more than once.
Ten ways to spend less
These are the savings that make a real difference, roughly in order of size.
- Use an Indian passport or voter ID if you have one; Indian nationals pay a far lower SDF than most other visitors.
- Enter by road through Phuentsholing instead of flying into Paro.
- Travel in a group of four to six to share the guide and vehicle.
- Keep the trip to the western valleys; each extra district adds nights of every cost.
- Visit from late November to February outside festival dates, when many hotels drop rates.
- Choose farmhouse homestays in Haa or Phobjikha for a night or two.
- Eat local food at local prices.
- Apply for your entry permit online before travel so you do not lose half a day at the Phuentsholing office.
- Buy a local B-Mobile or TashiCell SIM instead of paying Indian roaming rates.
- Carry rupees in ₹100–500 notes; they are accepted at par with the ngultrum in most places.
What a saver trip costs in total
Our 6-night saver trip from Siliguri, covering Phuentsholing, Thimphu, Punakha and Paro, starts at ₹34,500 per person for Indian nationals in a group of five or six. Our 7-night version with two farmhouse nights in Phobjikha starts at ₹40,000. Both include SDF, simple hotels, a shared vehicle and licensed guide, breakfast and dinner, but not travel to Siliguri, lunches or entry fees.
For non-Indian nationals, the same trips cost much more because of the SDF: USD 100 a night comes to roughly ₹50,000 or more per person over 6 nights at 2026 exchange rates, against ₹7,200 for an Indian national, plus a visa fee. For most international visitors, Bhutan is not a budget country, but sharing and travelling in winter still cut costs.
Prices are indicative 2026. Permits, road openings, fees and timetables change: check current status before you travel.
