Frequently Asked Questions
PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO BHUTAN
“He who is prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration.”- Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Earlier the better. To ensure that we help you get the air-tickets and book you in the best hotels, especially during peak seasons, we strongly recommend that you book your trip with us at least a few months in advance.
It takes us about 2-3 weeks to process your trip to Bhutan, from the time of our correspondence to the electronic delivery of your visa.
Bhutan is an year round destination providing plentiful opportunities to satisfy your wanderlust cravings.
SPRING (March, April & May)
Spring is the favorite time to visit Bhutan. It’s that time of the year when the Kingdom is festooned with wild flowers like the red and purple rhododendrons and the white, blue and yellow orchids. The blue poppy, Bhutan’s national flower, grows on the thousands of luxurious green meadows that carpet the nation in Spring.
The temperature is mild even up on the mountainsides making the season great for moderate-altitude trekking excursions including white water rafting in the glacial fed rivers. Spring also hosts one of the most iconic and spectacular festivals in Bhutan— the Paro Tsechu— and where you might even get a chance to see the King of Bhutan sitting on the ancient carved stone floor with his people.
See our recommended Spring packages
AUTUMN (September, October & November)
Autumn is the traditional peak tourist season in Bhutan. The sky is the clearest blue with plump cumulous clouds hanging over sunny meadows and rolling hills covered in ranks of blue pine trees. The earth is an explosion of changing colors with golden paddy fields as far as the eyes can see.
It’s a great season to do some high altitude trekking where you will walk through sacred mountains and lakes, cross glacial ravines and streams, and wind through the fabled yak and takin habitats. Takin is the national animal of Bhutan with a cow’s body and a goat’s head. One of the most extreme adventure travels in the world called ‘The Snowman Trek’ also happens to take place in Bhutan in Autumn.
But Autumn is best known in Bhutan for its festivals. From the blistering fire and naked mask dances in the Switzerland of Bhutan, in the central region, to the relaxed and leisurely black necked crane festival in the panoramic Phobjikha Valley, the list of “must-see and experience” are endless.
See our recommended Autumn packages.
SUMMER (June, July & August)
With few exceptions, monsoon in Bhutan is limited to light afternoon showers every three to four days. The season offers one of the most luxuriously green landscapes on the face of the earth from the boundless vista of wooded mountains to the flourishing paddy fields against a clear blue sky after the rain. You’ll also come across a lot of rainbows in the sky.
It is also a season of the festival of mushrooms where edible mushrooms, both grown organically and collected from the wilds are traded, showcased and celebrated.
Summer visit to Bhutan also gives you the chance to avoid the higher daily tariff of USD 250. Instead you can come for USD 200 a day per person. There would be less crowds of tourists and plenty of good hotels and guides to pamper you and take your around. Be warned though— because of the rains occasional road-blocks occur although they are promptly cleared by the roads department in no time at all.
See our recommended Summer packages.
WINTER (December, January & February)
Winter is the time when the south of Bhutan reign supreme. With its delightfully dry and pleasant weather, winter is a great time in the south for bird watching, wild life exploration, village trekking and exposure to pastoral life, or even a bicycle trip along the quiet mountain roads.
Bird aficionados can also see up close the endangered black necked cranes in the eastern and western Bhutan as they migrate to their winter roosting ground in Bhutan from the high Tibet plateau.
Winter is also a good time to get past the higher daily tariff of USD 250 a day and come for USD 200 a day. There would be less crowds of tourists and plenty of good hotels and guides to spoil you and take you around.
PRICING
“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”- Warren Buffet
The daily tourist tariff is USD 250 per person per night for peak seasons SPRING (March, April & May) & AUTUMN (September, October & November). The tariff is USD 200 per person per night for non-peak seasons SUMMER (June, July & August) & WINTER (December, January, & February).
However, this applies for tourist visiting in a group of THREE persons or more. For SINGLE tourist or groups of TWO, a surcharge is levied by the Tourism Council of Bhutan.
The daily tariff per person per day covers the following services whether in the peak-season or off-season.
- A night’s stay in a 3-star hotel or farm stay. (If you wish to stay in high-end 5-star hotels like Aman or Uma or Taj, there will be additional charges).
- All three meals for the duration of your stay.
- A licensed tour guide for the duration of your stay.
- All internal transport via tour bus or SUV. Internal flights are not covered.
- All camping equipment & haulage for trekking packages.
- All internal taxes and charges including a royalty payment of USD 65 to the government. The royalty goes to building roads, bridges, free hospitals and schools.
Yes. In the following ways.
- A 50% discount is given to one person in a group of 11 to 15 persons.
- A 100% discount is given to one person in a group of 16 or more persons.
- A 25% discount is given to full-time students below 25 years of age holding valid identity cards from their schools.
- A 50% discount is given to children between the ages of 6-12 years accompanied by elders or guardians. There is no charge for children under the age of five.
- A 50% discount on the USD 65 royalty is given after the 8th night.
- A 100% discount on the USD 65 royalty is given after the 14th night.
- Tourists availing discounts under sections 1, 2 & 3 will not be eligible for discounts under section 5 & 6.
Yes. As a government policy, individual tourist and smaller groups of less than three persons will be subject to a surcharge— over and above the minimum daily rates applicable.
- USD 40 per night for single individual.
- USD 30 per person per night for group of two persons.
- The surcharge will not be applicable to representatives of foreign travel agents on business study or promotional visit duly approved by the Tourism Council of Bhutan.
As mandated by the Tourism Council of Bhutan, your Bhutan tour package booked with Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La and subsequently cancelled will be subject to the following cancellation charges on the total payment made.
- 10% if you cancel within 45 days or more prior to your arrival in Bhutan.
- 15% if you cancel within 30 days prior to your arrival in Bhutan.
- 50% if you cancel within 14 days prior to your arrival in Bhutan.
- 75% if you cancel within seven days prior to your arrival in Bhutan.
- 100% if you cancel in less than seven days prior to your arrival in Bhutan, OR without giving any notice to us of your intention to cancel.
- 100% if you cancel after your arrival in Bhutan.
- There will be NO refund for early departures from Bhutan.
How do I cancel my air-ticket to Bhutan?
By booking directly with Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La and avoiding the international tour agents. When you book with us, there are no extra hidden fees and payments added into your costs.
Aside from the government approved rates of USD 250 for peak season and USD 200 for non-peak season per person per day (which includes charges for all meals, transport, guide and taxes in the country), you don’t have to pay any embedded expenses levied by international tour agents on you to visit Bhutan.
International tour agents will charge you upwards of USD 600 for peak season and USD 400 for non-peak season, for the same kind of services that Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La give, which is why it has become ridiculously expensive for most people desiring to visit Bhutan.
Also proceeds from the tour we sell to you goes to building children’s public parks across Bhutan and sustaining the scholarship program for disadvantaged urban kids at the Tiny Toes Daycare based in Thimphu.
For more info, please go to About Us and bhutanchildrenparkproject.com and bhutantinytoesdaycare.com
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO BHUTAN
“When you're dying of thirst it's too late to think about digging a well.”
The peak tourist seasons are SPRING (March, April & May) and AUTUMN (September, October & November). Between the two, March, April, October & November are the busiest with the maximum number of tourists arriving in these months.
So if you are thinking of visiting the country during these months, we strongly recommend that you book your tour package and air tickets at least THREE months in advance to ensure your reservation.
On the other hand, if you are the kind of person who doesn’t like crowded tourist scenes, then you have the option to choose to visit in the non-peak seasons, which are SUMMER (June, July & August) and WINTER (December, January, & February).
Here we recommend that you book your tour package and flights at least ONE month in advance to ensure we book you in the best hotels and plan your trip the best way we can.
The fee is USD 250 per person per night for peak season & USD 200 for non-peak seasons. If you’ve been desiring to visit Bhutan but have been constrained by a lean budget, then we strongly recommend you plan you trip during the non-peak months.
If you are travelling alone or as a pair, then a daily surcharge on top of the daily minimum tourist fee is levied as follows:
- Single traveler: USD 40 per person per night
- Group of two travellers: USD 30 per person per night
- Groups of three travellers or more: No surcharge.
If you want to TREK, then April, May, September & October are good. Little chilly, but the skies are blue and the views are clearer. Most significantly, there are no rains and so no muddy trails.
One of the most memorable expressions of Bhutan's remarkable culture is showcased during the festivals in the form of sacred mask dances and folk song and dances performed with great gusto inside the ancient courtyards of the dzongs (fortified fortresses) and local temples, and therefore a huge tourist draw.
The mask dancers wear wooden masks that are richly painted and decorated over elaborate, luxuriantly embroidered costumes. The festivals are wildly popular and takes place during a tsechu (annual festival). The dates for each festival in each region differ with the celebrations in some regions lasting for up to five days.
Bhutanese of all age and occupation throng to these festivals decked in their best traditional clothes and also bring with them their best home cooked meals for an alfresco lunch later. Bhutanese believe that by witnessing the tsechu, by watching the mask dances, they can purify their souls and bring themselves good luck.
The most popular festivals are the Paro Tsechu, around the Paro International Airport area, and Thimphu Tsechu, in the capital city of Bhutan. But the real gems are found in the inner Bhutan region, in the lesser known festivals, which beside being an intimate experience also provide for greater photo-taking opportunities.
Besides the religious festivals, there are other festivals too like the Rhododendron Festival, Black Necked Crane Festival, Royal Highlander Festival, Ura Matsutake Mushroom Festival and Haa Summer Festival, to name a few.
Not for the faint heart. But if you are looking to experience Bhutanese pastoral life for a night, then we strongly recommend homestays in Bhutanese traditional houses which comes with a hot stone water bath in wooden tubs at night alfresco with the stars above you.
If you are in the mood for a locally brewed alcohol made from wheat or rice or maize, or wild potatoes, you’ll be served that too while you are soaked and relaxed in your hot stone water tub. What they lack in modern amenities, the hosts more than make up with their unparalleled hospitality.
By opting for homestay for a night, you also contribute to their livelihood and the money often goes to buying school dresses and shoes for their children.
Travelling from one valley to another, from one destination to another, in the mountainous kingdom of Bhutan, can be quite tiresome. If you’d like to end your trip in a luxurious 5-star hotel for a pampered one-night stay of ayurvedic massages, guided meditations, yoga and other wellness programs, then we can include that in your tour package as well.
The extra cost will be included in your total payment to us. Luxury hotels and resorts include Uma Paro, Amankora, Taj Tashi, Terma Linka and Le Meridian.
BHUTAN VISA
“It has been said that a pretty face is a passport. But it’s not, it’s a visa, and it runs out pretty fast.” Julie Burchill
Note: Bhutan visas are issued to tourists who have booked their tour with a licensed tour company based in Bhutan like the Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La either directly or via a foreign travel agent.
Your visa will be processed by the tour agent with whom you’ve booked the tour AND only upon making full payment of the tour cost (in USD) to it, as mandated by the Tourism Council of Bhutan. Except for nationals of India, Bangladesh and Maldives, all foreign travelers need a tourist visa to enter Bhutan.
USD 40 per person, levied by the Department of Immigration.
Upon completing your payment transaction with Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La, we will apply for the visa on your behalf. And upon getting it, we will then send an electronic copy of it to you.
You’ll print out a copy and at the time of your entry to Bhutan present it at the Bhutan airport check-in counter and immigration point.
You CAN’T apply for the visa yourself and Bhutanese embassies does not offer travel visa services.
No. But you need to send us a clear color scan of your passport. Bhutan travel visa application is a digital submission process and as such smudged or unclear copy of your passport scan will not work.
Please ensure that your passport has at least six months validity at the point of entry in Bhutan.
About 10 days barring national holidays and weekends.
For 15 days. But you can extend it if you wish to stay in Bhutan a little longer. Visa extension fee is Bhutan currency ‘Ngultrum’ (or Nu.) 510 (about USD 8) and paid to the Department of Immigration.
If your Bhutan travel visa is issued on your old passport, make sure you bring it with you to Bhutan along with your new passport. The immigration department will need to verify your details from your old passport.
You’ll be liable to pay a fine of Bhutanese currency Nu. 10,000 (about USD 150) if you fail to present both your old and new passports.
You’ll be liable to pay a fine of Bhutanese currency Nu. 10,000 (about USD 150) if you fail to present both your old and new passports.
So in a nutshell:
- First, book your Bhutan package tour with Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La.
- Second, pay for the tour package in USD to Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La.
- Third, confirm your Bhutan flight-ticket with Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La.
- Fourth, ensure your passport has at least six months validity.
No. You can’t separate visa application from tour package. Visas applications are entertained only after you book and pay for the tour packages to a licensed local Bhutanese tour operator such as Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La.
However, if you are a passport holder of any of the SAARC countries from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Maldives, you can travel backpack style in Bhutan no problem.
But there is a catch. Except for nationals of India, Bangladesh and Maldives, the rest will still need visa to travel to Bhutan. So they must book their holiday through a licensed Bhutanese tour agent such as Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La (which will be cheaper) or with an international tour agent (which will be costly) who will also then take care of your visa and flight arrangements to Bhutan at no additional costs.
SAARC stands for the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation, of which Bhutan is a valued signatory and a member.
CIGARETTES & ALCOHOL
“You're the one who likes cigars right? Try smoking this.” Franco Nero
By law, smoking is banned in public places in Bhutan. So no smoking in restaurants, parks, offices, towns, official buildings, etc. or you’ll be fined.
Most hotel rooms, however, lets you smoke in the balcony. Sale of tobacco products are banned in Bhutan too.
In 2004, Bhutan became the first country in the world to ban outright the sale of all tobacco products. People are though allowed to import tobacco products for personal consumption but they are subject to tax. Also there are restrictions on it.
So am I allowed to bring in cigarettes with me?
Yes. For personal consumption (only) and subject to tax. All foreigners are allowed to bring 200 sticks of cigarettes (standard rectangular carton with 10 packets of 20 sticks each) OR 30 pieces of cigars. You cannot bring both.
All cigarettes are subject to 100% customs duty and sales tax. (About Bhutan currency Nu. 1,600 a carton. About USD 25). Please declare the taxable items at the airport customs and pay the taxes accordingly.
Yes. All foreigners are allowed to bring in one bottle of alcohol but not bigger than one liter. And no tax will be levied. Also there are no bans on alcohol consumption or sale.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
“We always need little reminders that it's gonna be all good.”- Andy Grammer
If you book your Bhutan trip with Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La, we make the arrangements to reserve the Bhutan air ticket for you.
Just send us your passport detail and we’ll send you a reservation confirmation which should last for 30 days for no fee at all. Also make sure that your passport has at least six months validity. Drukair & Bhutan Airlines.
If you book your trip with Bhutan Spicy Shangri-La, we apply for your visa on your behalf as mandated by the Tourism Council of Bhutan.
This means you don’t have to fill up long visa forms or go to a Bhutanese embassy. Bhutan does not run any embassy where you can apply for visa. Visa is issued only after you have made the full payment of your tour package to Bhutan. You need a valid Bhutanese visa to board the airlines.
Before you leave for the airport from your hotel or home for your maiden Bhutan trip, make sure you are carrying with you both your printed Bhutan air-ticket and your Bhutan visa document.
Hot stone water bath is a form of traditional Bhutanese medicine where fresh river water is mixed with local Artemisia leaves and heated with fire-roasted river stones. A wooden tub made of oak or pine is filled with river water and rocks collected from the river and heated on fire deposited into the tub. The rocks are selected from the river based on their mineral content.
Versions of these baths exist all over Bhutan from luxurious five-star resorts to charming rustic farmhouses, from inside tree house-like rooms to out in the open, alfresco, which is great at night.
With all the stars around you, you feel like you are stranded in space. And like all hot stone baths in Bhutan, appointments are necessary and you must give a few hours’ notice so they can build the fire, heat the river stones and draw the bath. Your visit to Bhutan will not be completed without a dip in the hot stone water.
MORE FAQs ABOUT BHUTAN
Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy with the king as the head of the state and the people-elect prime minister as the head of the government. Bhutan became a democracy when its fourth King changed the nation from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 2008, when the nation was enjoying much peace and prosperity
The fourth King, who is today 63-years-old, is an avid cyclist who can often be found pedaling the steep foothills that go around the capital city of Thimphu. He is known to stop and talk to foreigners on the road sometimes.
The fourth King also abdicated his throne for his eldest son who is the present and the fifth King of Bhutan today. Like his father, the son, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, is wildly popular and much loved and revered by the people of Bhutan.
In 1972, concerned about the problems afflicting other developing countries that focused only on economic growth, Bhutan’s newly crowned leader, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, decided to make his nation’s priority not its GDP but its GNH, or Gross National Happiness. Read more LINK
Bhutan, the King said, needed to ensure that prosperity was shared across society and that it was balanced against preserving cultural traditions, protecting the environment and maintaining a responsive government.
Since then the nation has been instituting policies aimed at accomplishing these goals. And the Bhutanese citizens have been the happier for it. So in essence, Gross National Happiness or GNH is the responsibility of the government to create an enabling environment through enhanced policies so that its citizens can seek happiness.
‘Night-hunting’ is one of the oldest, and now prohibited, Bhutanese traditions of courting a girl. It involves a boy sneaking inside a girl’s house at night for purposes of courtship or sex with or without prior consultation.
It was a practice through which young Bhutanese found their partners and got married in the olden days. For the most, the custom existed in the eastern and central parts of the country.
But as the country progressed, this custom was increasingly seen as being exploited by city men to lure unsuspecting village girls with false promises, often resulting in the girl being abandoned with an illegitimate child in her care to boot. The government stepped in and made the practice of night-hunting punishable by law.
‘Ara’ is a traditional Bhutanese alcoholic beverage similar to the Japanese ‘sake’ or the Korean ‘soju’. It is made by fermenting rice, maize, millet, or wheat. It is a clear, colorless distilled beverage and is usually consumed neat with its alcohol content varying from about 16% to 50% alcohol by volume (ABV).
It is brewed privately in the villages and served either hot or cold. If hot, it may be served with smooth additives like butter or egg. It is a Bhutanese custom to offer ara to guests. So if you are in the country side and passing by a village, you are likely to be offered Ara.
If you are in the mood, why by all means humor the villagers. If you are a teetotaler, just smile, raise your hand in front of your mouth, with the back side of your palm facing them, and say: “Mi-zhu. Ka-drin-chayla”. The whole thing, beginning from the gesture, translates to as saying politely: “Thank you so much but I don’t drink.”
Hot stone water bath is a form of traditional Bhutanese medicine where fresh river water is mixed with local Artemisia leaves and heated with fire-roasted river stones.
A wooden tub made of oak or pine is filled with river water and rocks collected from the river and heated on fire deposited into the tub. The rocks are selected from the river based on their mineral content.
Versions of these baths exist all over Bhutan from luxurious five-star resorts to charming rustic farmhouses, from inside tree house-like rooms to out in the open, alfresco, which is great at night.
And like all hot stone baths in Bhutan, appointments are necessary and you must give a few hours’ notice so they can build the fire, heat the river stones and draw the bath. Your visit to Bhutan will not be completed without a dip in the hot stone water tub.
