Bhutan sits between Tibet and India on the eastern arc of the Himalaya, with a little over 800,000 people spread across 20 districts, each with its own dzong: a monastery and government office under one roof. We plan trips here the way locals move: Paro and Thimphu in the west, over the Dochu La to the old capital Punakha, across the Pele La to the crane valley of Phobjikha, then east to Trongsa and the four valleys of Bumthang.
Two rules shape every Bhutan budget. First, the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF): as we understand it, USD 100 per person per night for most international visitors and ₹1,200 (Nu 1,200) per night for Indian nationals, with children 6–12 paying half and under-6s exempt. Second, Bhutan's Tourism Rules and Regulations 2024 require a licensed guide for tourists beyond the first checkpoint, and the Department of Tourism restated this in April 2026. Check current status before you travel.
For Indian travellers the road is the cheapest door. Indians need no visa: a valid passport or voter ID (EPIC) gets you a free entry permit at Phuentsholing or Paro, or online in advance. A shared jeep from Siliguri to Jaigaon costs a few hundred rupees, and the ngultrum trades at par with the rupee. The real costs are the SDF, the guide and the vehicle, which is why our saver trips share one guide and one vehicle across a small group.
What we love here is how close the old Bhutan sits to the road. Monks still winter in Punakha Dzong at the meeting of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu. Black-necked cranes from the Tibetan Plateau land in Phobjikha in late October. Bumthang farms buckwheat and weaves yathra wool. Archery has been the national sport since 1971, and every village has a range. Our pages give you the facts, the fees and the drive times.
