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Travel Information

VISA
The Royal Government of Bhutan‘s tourism policy maintains that all foreign visitors travel to Bhutan through a licensed tour operators with a planned itinerary. A visa is required to enter Bhutan but it is not issued abroad. Visitors can travel to Bhutan only through all-inclusive package tours or treks for which the tariff is set by the government. Applications for tourist visa have to be submitted through a government-licensed local tour operator like Bhutan Norphel Tours & Treks or through travel agents abroad who will ultimately contact a Bhutanese agency. "Visa Clearance" from Thimphu must be obtained before departing for Bhutan. Druk Air will not allow you to check in without a visa clearance. Visas will be approved with a reference number in advance and will be stamped in your passport upon arrival in Paro airport or Phuntsholing, if you travel overland from any Indian cities or Nepal. The all inclusive payment for the trip, for which the daily tariff set by the Government, should be made prior to departure for Bhutan. Bhutan Norphel Tours & Treks will handle the visa procedures for you. What we will need from you is a completed visa application. We will provide you with a visa application once your travel dates and itinerary have been confirmed. At that time you must submit your trip payment in full.

Tour Rate/Tariff:
Pricing for all our all-inclusive tour/trek packages are based on the tariff fixed by the government. The fixed government tariff are as below:

Peak Season Rates: All months except January, June and July
Individual traveler: US$250 per night (plus surcharge of US$40/night/person)
Groups of two people: US$250 per night per person (surcharge of
US$30/night/person)
Groups of three or more: US$250 per night per person (no government
surcharge)

Off-Season Rates: January, June and July
Individual traveler: US$200 per night (plus surcharge of US$40/night/person)
Groups of two people: US$200 per night per person (surcharge of US$30
/night/person)
Groups of three or more: US$220 per night per person (no surcharge)
There is a government surcharge of US$40 per night for
individual travelers and US$30 per night per person for groups of two. For groups of three or more there is no government surcharge.
* All our trips are all-inclusive packages. Travelers pay one price, and everything they need for a complete trip within Bhutan is included, leaving out-of-pocket expenses to a minimium. There are also no additional taxes and other surprises. All the Tour/ Trek Packages are inclusive of
All lodging, double-occupancy, in the areas finest accommodations.
All meals,
Flexible handcrafted itineraries
Royalty & Tax to the Government
Expertise and services of experienced English-speaking guides
Good camping equipment, experienced guides, support staff and porters for trekking trips.
All land transportation.
All entrance fees
Pre-departure information and extras listed on trip itineraries.


And is exclusive of
International airfare and en route stopovers
Druk Air airfare
Excess baggage charges and airport taxes
Transfers, expenses and services outside of Bhutan
All types of personal expenses like Beverages (both alcoholic, soft drinks & bottled water), gratuities to trip leaders as deemed appropriate, laundry, mail, phone calls, and cables.

Accommodation
Visitors are booked into hotels approved by the Department of Tourism which are comfortable, clean and safe. Generally, Bhutanese hotels are modest and simple providing basic amenities for a comfortable stay. As you head into central and eastern Bhutan the quality of the hotels goes down a little bit. But we use the best quality available in each region. In general, Bhutanese hotels are modest and simple. Your hotels in Bhutan will provide you pillows, blankets, sheets, towels, bathroom tissue,
and soap. You have to take your own toothbrush, toothpaste, lotions, and
other items. Most hotels will have telephones. However, if the visitors wish to stay in one of the high-end resorts like the UMA, Aman Kora or Zhiwaling, the reservations will be made but the tour tariff does not include the high occupancy cost of such resorts. The visitors will have to make the additional payment directly to the resort.

Food
While traditional Bhutanese food is hot and spicy, hotels and restaurants in Bhutan serve a variety of cuisine like Indian, Chinese and Continental. If the visitor has special dietary preferences, the guides could instruct the chefs on what kind of food to prepare for the visitor.

Druk Air Booking:
There are no direct long-haul flights to Bhutan. The best way to enter and exit Bhutan is by Druk Air, the national air carrier, which links Bhutan’s only airport at Paro Valley with flights to Bangkok (thrice/week), Delhi (twice/week), Katmandhu (twice/week), Dhaka (once/week), and Calcutta (twice/week). You will have to buy international plane ticket and book hotel room in any of the above gateway cities that you choose to connect to Druk Air. The sooner you give us your travel dates, the sooner we can check seat availability on Druk Air and reserve your seats. Due to limited seating and a limited number of flights, Druk Air fills up quickly. During festival times, seats can fill up months in advance. You will also need to let us know from which city you will board Druk Air
*You are required by the government of Bhutan to use Druk Air at least one
way. The only point of entry into Bhutan if driving is Phuntsholing, which
is in southwest Bhutan near the border of India.

NOTE: Druk Air has a luggage weight limit. The limit is 20kg for economy
class and 30kg for business class. It's possible to pay for excess baggage,
but there is a chance that the luggage will have to be sent on the next
flight. Also, there is not a great deal of cabin space, so carry-on luggage should be kept to a minimum.

What to Bring on Your Trip:
Depending on the time of year you visit Bhutan, you may need to modify this
list. Keep in mind that even in the summer sometimes it can be cool at
night. It is best to dress modestly, meaning no tank tops, short skirts,
shorts (except for hiking), or revealing clothing.
The electricity in Bhutan runs at 220/240 volts. If you bring electrical
appliances, you will need to bring an international converter kit and
adapter plugs.
For all tours:
. cotton pants
. long skirts for women
. sweater
. heavy down jacket in winter
. medium jacket in summer
. short-sleeved T-shirts or cotton shirts
. long-sleeved T-shirts or cotton shirts
. walking shoes or sneakers
. socks
. pajamas
. sunglasses
. flip-flops
. rain coat or poncho
. basic toiletries (toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.)
. sunscreen
. dressy clothes for festivals
Additional items for trekking:
. hiking/trekking boots
. socks for hiking boots
. first-aid kit
. flashlight
. hiking pants or shorts
. sleeping bag
. duffel bag for your gear Miscellaneous items:
. small flashlight and batteries
. laundry soap, sink stopper, and clothesline
. small sewing kit
. small clock with an alarm
. umbrella
. motion sickness medication, like Dramamine
. aspirin
. diarrhea medicine, like Imodium AD
. Band-Aids
. tweezers
. small towel and/or washcloth
. altitude sickness medication
. antibiotic cream
. insect repellent
. moleskin for blisters
. snacks, such as energy bars
. bag for dirty clothes
. pocket knife
. safety pins
. small scissors

Bhutanese Currency:
The unit of currency in Bhutan is called the ngultrum (Nu.) equivalent to the Indian rupee which is widely accepted all over the country. Visitors can change their traveler’s cheque or cash at the Paro Airport, Bank of Bhutan or the Bhutan National Bank. Credit cards are accepted only at few select shops and hotels. When visiting smaller towns, visitors are advised to bring ngultrums for their purchase as it may not be possible to exchange their currency. There are no ATMs in Bhutan, and credit cards are accepted only at a few high-end tourist shops. For up-to-date currency exchange information, you can refer to
Exchangerate.com.

Language
While Dzongkha is the national language, English is the medium of instruction in schools and is widely spoken and understood by most of the population.

Time Zone:
Bhutan’s standard time is six hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and there is only one time zone through out the country. Bhutan’s time is 30 minutes ahead of India, 15 minutes ahead of Nepal and one hour behind Thailand. When it is noon in Bhutan, it is 6am in London, 4pm in Sydney and 1am in New York. The country dialing code is +975.

Customs
The Government strictly prohibits the export of antiques, plants or animal products. Visitors are advised to be cautious while purchasing old and used items. They are to be certified as non-antique. Cameras, video cameras, computers and personal electronic equipment must be declared on arrival and will be checked upon departure.

Insurance
Due to the unavailability of travel insurance policy in Bhutan, visitors are advised to be covered with such policy to protect against unfortunate and unforeseen accidents or mishaps. Such travel insurance policy should duly and adequately cover medical assistance and helicopter evacuation.

Shopping
Traditional handicrafts, textiles, Jewelleries, baskets, masks, paintings and woodcarving could be purchased as souvenirs.

Health
While the government of Bhutan does not require the visitors to have any particular
vaccinations to enter the country, visitors may wish to talk to their
doctor about receiving immunizations against certain preventable diseases.
The US Centers for Disease Control has up-to-date travel information about
which diseases that the visitors may want to immunize themselves against when traveling to Bhutan.

The altitude in Bhutan is higher than many people are used to. Though most
visitors will have no problem adjusting, altitude sickness may be a problem
for certain people. Our cultural tours do not reach altitudes higher than
3,500 meters. All of our treks reach at least 3,500 meters, and some of our
treks go as high as 5,000 meters. More information can be obtained on
altitude sickness and prevention from the US Centers for Disease Control and
from the International Society for Mountain Medicine.

Safety issues
There is very little crime in Bhutan, and it is safe for women travelers and
individual travelers.

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