Frequently asked questions
Bhutan is a small Himalayan kingdom located between India in the south and China in the north.
Bhutan has four seasons namely, spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Spring : March, April & May
Summer : June, July & August
Autumn : September, October & November
Winter : December, January & February
1. Spring
The right time to visit Bhutan is during spring season. The weather is absolutely moderate with less rainfall. Valleys in Bhutan come alive with vegetation at this time. You will get to see flowers in full bloom. Moreover, most of the Bhutanese festivals are held in this season and if you are planning to go for trekking, these are the best time to hike and explore the beautiful valleys and mountains of Bhutan. Hence, owing to the above facts it will be a wise decision to visit Bhutan during this time.
Nonetheless, it is possible to visit Bhutan throughout the year as each season has its own unique beauty and charm to appeal the visitors. There is not a single month in Bhutan which has not been visited by the tourists.
Popular Festivals in Spring:
Paro Tshechu
Bumthang Ura Yakchoe
2. Summer
During summer, it is warm in northern Bhutan while it is very hot in the southern Bhutan with heavy rainfall. However, you can always make visit to Bhutan during this season as well and get engaged in cultural tours, cycling tours and short hikes. This is not the right season for long trekking and water rafting.
Popular Festival in Summer:
Haa Summer Festival
3. Autumn
Autumn is another tourist season in Bhutan and it starts from September through October to late November. The sky is clear and you get see a very beautiful view of the mountains and valleys. The temperature is cool and temperate at this time. There is less or no rainfall in these months. Cultural festivals and trekking are the most sold tour packages in these months. Autumn is also the harvesting season in Bhutan which means you will get an opportunity to take pictures of beautiful landscapes and terraces. You will also observe the changing color in the nature as well since the trees would be shading their leaves. Moreover, most of the Bhutanese festivals are held in this season.
Popular Festival in Autumn:
Thimphu Drubchen
Thimphu Tshechu
Bumthang Jambay Lhakhang Drubchen
Changankha Lhakhang Festival
Wangdue Tshechu
Black necked crane festival
4. Winter
Here the winter season starts from late November till February. During the winter season, it is very cold and dry in northern Bhutan while it is cool in the southern regions. Some of the places in higher altitude are covered with snow throughout the year. Bhutan usually experiences snowfall from the month of December till late February. This is the best season for trekking and bird watching. The rare endangered species ‘Black necked cranes’ flies to Bhutan (Pobjika & Bumdeling) from Tibet to spend their winter here.
Popular Festival in winter:
Punakha Domchoe
Punakha Tshechu
Mongar Tshechu
Trashigang Tshechu
All foreign nationals, except visitors from Indian, Bangladesh and Maldives require a visa clearance before coming to Bhutan. Visa can be obtained through a licensed tour operator.
Tourist visiting from India, Maldives and Bangladesh can obtain Visa at the point of entry on producing a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity. Indian tourist can also use Voters identity card (VIC) to enter Bhutan. Visa in Bhutan is issued by the department of Immigration under Ministry of Home and Cultural affairs.
Note: All tourist visiting Bhutan should have a passport validity of more than 6 months
How To Get To Bhutan Via Air.
Bhutan has one international airport in Paro district which is located in western Bhutan. The country currently has just two airlines. Druk Air is owned by the Royal Government of Bhutan and Bhutan Airline is a private airline.
You can fly to Bhutan by Druk Air from these places
Bangkok, Thailand
Kolkotta, India
Delhi, India
Kathmandu, Nepal
Singapore
Dhaka, Banglaadesh
Bagdogra, India
Guwahati, India
You can also enter Bhutan using Bhutan airlines from Bangkok (every day), Delhi, Kolkotta, Kathmandu (thrice a week) and from Gaya (once a week).Bhutan also has three domestic airports; Bumthang in the central, Gelephu in the south and Yongphula in the east. The domestic flight is operated three times every week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
Flight Booking
Regarding the flight booking, we can just book our local flights (flight travelling to Bhutan) and you can buy the tickets yourself. Or if you send us the money in advance we can also buy the tickets for you. For other international flights, you have to do all the arrangement on your own to get to your point of departure for Bhutan
Baggage allowance for Druk Air and Bhutan airline
40 kg max for Business class and 30 kg max for Economy class
Flight Cancellation policy
90% refund for tickets cancelled 30 days or more before the date of travel.
75% refund for tickets cancelled from 10-29 days from the date of travel.
50% refund for the tickets cancelled from 04-09 days before the date of travel.
No refund for tickets cancelled 03 days or less before the date of travel.
Druk Air flight timing:
Bangkok to Paro: 3.5 hours to 4 hours with stopover.
Kolkata to Paro: 1 hour 15 minutes or 50 minutes.
Delhi to Paro: 2 hours 20 minutes
Kathmandhu – Paro: 55 minutes
Singapore to Paro: 5 hours 45 minutes with stopover.
Dhaka to Paro: 50 minutes
Bagdogra to Paro: 30 minutes
Guwahati to Paro: 50 minutes
Gaya to Paro: 45 minutes
Flight timing of Bhutan Airlines:
Bangkok to Paro: 4 hours 25 minutes without stopover
Kolkata to Paro: 2 hours 10 minutes
Delhi to Paro: 3 hours 5 minutes
Kathmandu to Paro: 1 hour
Gaya – Paro: 45 minutes.
SDF $200 per day per person.
For regional tourists, its Nu.1200 per day
“Ngultrum” (Nu.) is the Bhutanese currency and 1 USD= Nu 78. Indian currency “Rupee” is also used in Bhutan as legal tender and 1 Nu. = 1 Rs.
As per the present regulations, you have to use the service of a local tour operator to book your travel.
What to pack’ depends on when you are visiting Bhutan. Bhutan has four seasons namely, spring, summer, autumn, and winter respectively. Please visit ‘Best time to visit Bhutan’ page to understand the weather condition in these seasons. Irrespective of the season, Bhutan can be quite cool in the mornings and evenings. The weather in the afterternoon can be warm or very hot. Due to altitudinal difference, the temperature fluctuates from day to night. So you need different sets of clothes to adapt to the changing conditions. Spring and autumn are the tourist season in Bhutan due to its moderate weather condition and many important local festivals are held in these months. Winter is very cold (occasional snowfalls) in Bhutan with clear blue sky and sunny with little or no rain.
Things to pack during spring, summer, and autumn
Back pack
3 or 4 long sleeved thermal
1 or 2 Warm jackets or woolen sweaters which is perfect for spring, summer and autumn
Cotton or woolen trousers( warm clothes for mornings and evenings)
Thermal underwear ( not required during summer)
Shawl/Scarf
Sunglasses
Hat
Slippers/ Sandals (1 pair)
Sun cream lotion + lip balm +moisturizer + Insect repellent cream
Comfortable shoes with grooves (sneakers, 1 or 2 pairs)
Hiking Boots if you have ‘Hiking’ in your travel plan (1 pair). If it is a short hike, then a sneaker or a running shoe will do.
5 or 6 pairs of socks
Personal medical kit
Camera with high memory storage
Power bank for phone
Things to pack during winter
Back pack
3 or 4 long sleeved thermal
1 or 2 Warm jackets or woolen sweaters which is perfect for spring, summer and autumn
Cotton or woolen trousers( warm clothes for mornings and evenings)
1 thick winter jacket (wind proof) and a pair of gloves if you are visiting during winter or planning to hike in higher altitudes
Thermal underwear
Shawl/Scarf
Sunglasses
Hat
Slippers/ Sandals (1 pair)
Sun cream lotion + lip balm +moisturizer + Insect repellent cream
Comfortable shoes with grooves (sneakers, 1 or 2 pairs)
Hiking Boots if you have ‘Hiking’ in your travel plan (1 pair). If it is a short hike, then a sneaker or a running shoe will do.
5 or 6 pairs of socks
Personal medical kit
Camera with high memory storage
Power bank for phone
“Dzongkha” is the national and official Language of Bhutan. English is also spoken by majority of the people since many Bhutanese study in English medium schools in the country. There are other languages such as sharcops, Lhotsham etc. are spoken by the Bhutanese people
You can directly remit the fund in our Company’s bank account opened with “Bhutan National Bank” (BNB) from your home bank. Once you have confirmed you tour with us, we will give you the proper Bank details
Individual tourists and smaller groups of less than three persons shall be subject to surcharge, over and above the minimum daily rates applicable, as follows:
1. Single individual US$ 40 per night
Group of 2 persons US$ 30 per person per night
2. Single Room supplementary US$ 25 per night.
Single Tent supplementary US$ 25 per night.The surcharge will not be applicable to representatives of foreign travel agents on business study or promotional visit duly approved and cleared by Tourism Council of Bhutan
You are allowed to cancel your trips under the following conditions. Please read and understand the Policy carefully to understand the Cancellation and the Refund Policy for Bhutan Green Chillies Excursion.