Country guide · South Asia & the islands
Bhutan
11 places across 6 regions, how to get there, the entry rules for your passport, and day-by-day plans priced in your currency.
- Trip from ₹83,413 per person · 5 days from Delhi in Nov, for two at mid-range ·
- Visa-free on an Indian passport, up to 7 days · no visa fee (other passports below)
- Best Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov · month by month
Flying in
Flights from India
- Paro (PBH) · from 8 Indian cities, from ₹14,000 one way
Entry rules
No visa needed for up to 7 days
No visa, but a free entry permit and the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of ₹1,200 per person per night (₹600 for children aged 6-12, none for 5 and under), which this plan's totals do not include. Apply online at immi.gov.bt about five working days ahead, or at Paro airport or the Phuentsholing immigration office when you arrive, and pay the SDF for every night.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
🚪 Southern Border Towns
The towns on the plains where the roads from India come in: Phuentsholing through the Bhutan Gate from Jaigaon (the usual way in by road for Indians, four hours from Bagdogra) and Gelephu, from Assam, with its hot springs and the new Mindfulness City.
🏔️ Paro & Thimphu
The two western valleys every trip starts in: Paro, with the country's only international airport and the cliffside Tiger's Nest monastery, and Thimphu, the capital, an hour and a half away. The entry permit covers both; everywhere else needs a route permit, issued in Thimphu.
🌲 Haa Valley
A remote valley west of Paro over Chele La (3,988 m), the highest road pass in Bhutan: white and black temples, farmhouse stays and forest walks, open to tourists only since 2002.
🏯 Punakha & Phobjikha
East of Thimphu over Dochula: the warm Punakha valley with the most beautiful dzong in Bhutan, and the high glacial valley of Phobjikha, where black-necked cranes winter from late October to February.
🕉️ Trongsa & Bumthang
The middle of the kingdom: Trongsa Dzong, the royal family's ancestral seat, and the four Bumthang valleys with Bhutan's oldest temples. Seven to eight hours' drive beyond Punakha, or a domestic flight to Bumthang when one runs.
🌄 Eastern Bhutan
Over Thrumshing La into the least-visited part of the country: Mongar, Lhuentse's weavers and Trashigang, with the Brokpa herders of Merak and Sakteng beyond. A trip can leave Bhutan from here by road through Samdrup Jongkhar to Guwahati.
Opens the planner with the usual places in Bhutan picked: change them, the dates or your city there.