Bhutan passport
Bhutan, the secret kingdom of the Himalayas is a treasure! Everything there is absolutely exceptional.
In terms of surface area Bhutan is comparable to Switzerland, but a Switzerland of a thousand and one colors, with dragons, Buddhist monks and virgin peaks that exceed 7,500m.
Travelling to Bhutan is the escape of a life in another world, a world where happiness is paramount! BNB, Gross National Happiness, a Bhutanese concept that gives the smile.
Bhutan is also the only country in the world with a negative carbon footprint! A country that is often considered as organic.
See you in an unknown land, in the Kingdom of the Wonderful
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The Land of Happiness! How better to define this little paradise on ...
View programPractical Bhutan
Formality:
The visa for Bhutan is not a visa that can be obtained in the ordinary way. The application for a visa is not made at an embassy or consulate (as in many cases) but through an approved tour operator.
The application for a visa for Bhutan must be made at least 15 days before the trip. A file is then created, which will have to be accepted by the Bhutanese Department of Tourism and the visa will be issued upon arrival at the airport by the immigration authorities upon payment of US$40. The visa is then valid for 2 weeks / 15 days.
This is not all! There is also a daily cost per person for tourists. To date, the rate to stay in Bhutan is US$200 (January, February, June, July, August and December) or US$250 (the other months) per night and per person for a group of 3 or more people.
For people traveling alone or in pairs, there is a daily surcharge to be paid. This is :
- 40 $US for an individual
- 30 $US per person for 2 travelers
This rate may seem restrictive but it covers: accommodation, meals, guide, portage, royalties, government taxes and visits to monasteries and various monuments.
For a longer stay, a request for a 15-day visa extension can be made on site at an additional cost.
Access:
To get to Bhutan, going through Delhi is certainly the most common way.
Druk Air connects Delhi to Paro three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Note that the booking of flights to Bhutan is also done by the tour operator for Druk Air (Bhutan's national airline) or Bhutan Airlines (private company).
Preferred periods:
March to May and September to November are the best times to visit Bhutan. Outside of these periods you may be confronted with Monsoon or very low temperatures.
Climate:
Average temperatures (Thimphu) source climatsetvoyages.com
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Min (C°) | -3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 10 | 5 | -1 |
Max (C°) | 12 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 15 |
Average Precipitation (Thimphu) source climatsetvoyages.com
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rain (mm) | 25 | 33 | 31 | 55 | 122 | 246 | 373 | 345 | 155 | 38 | 8 | 13 |
Days | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Accommodation:
In Bhutan, there are several types of accommodation. These range from luxury hotels in the big cities to small traditional houses and homestay accommodation.
We position ourselves to offer the best accommodation for each of your Bhutanese stopovers.
Catering:
Bhutanese cuisine is rather varied and each region offers its own culinary specialties.
The Bhutanese do not generally consume much meat, the vegetarian culture is very ingrained in the rites.
However, it is not uncommon to find meat at dinner.
Money and budget:
Bhutan uses Ngultrum, the official currency of the kingdom.
1 $ is equivalent to 74 Ngultrum (January 2020).
A pint of beer costs about $3,66 and a liter of petrol $1,11 (2019).
Essential:
The whole country is inescapable in itself. The beauty of this country can be seen at every glance: Thimphu, Paro, Tiger's Nest, Bumthang, Phobjika Valley, Laya, Trashigang, Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, Dochula Pass...
Special features:
Beware, we drive on the left in Bhutan.
It is the only country in the world to have a negative carbon footprint. The country's constitution requires that forests cover at least 60% of its territory.
In Bhutan, in some regions, artists draw phallus on the walls to protect the locals from evil spirits. This tradition dates back to the 15th century when a monk, an alcoholic and womanizer, used his phallus in rites to ward off the evil eye.
Bhutan is home to the highest peak in the world still uninhabited, the Gangkhar Puensum.
Tourism in Bhutan is very controlled to avoid any overflow.
Motorbike rental:
We have chosen to use the legendary Royal Enfields such as the Classic, the Bullet and the Himalayan for our tours in Bhutan.
However, we are still listening to our customers, we have had requests from people interested in other models for various reasons.
So, do not hesitate to contact us if you have specific requests or wish to make a whole stay in Pulsar!
Country facts
Name :
Kingdom of Bhutan
Capitals :
Thimphu
Curency :
Ngultrum
Population :
808 500
Total Area :
38 394 km²
Time zone :
GMT +6
International telephone code :
+975