1. How much does the tour package cost?
The Royal Government of Bhutan imposes a minimum tariff for all tours. For a minimum group size of 3, the high season tariff is USD 250 per person per night (March, April, May, September, October & November) while the low season tariff is USD 200 per person per night halt (January, February, June, July, August & December). For group size of 1, there is an additional surcharge of USD 40 per night. For group size of 2, there is additional surcharge of USD 30 per night. For children age 5 or below, there are no charges. For children age 6 to 12 accompanied by elders or guardians, there is a 50% discount on daily rates. For full time students below the age of 25 years holding valid identity cards from their academic institutions, there is a 25% discount on daily rates. The tariff covers all internal taxes and royalty, accommodations, all meals, licensed Bhutanese tour guide, internal transport and entrance fees to all attractions. For example, if you are a group of 4 working adults traveling in December on our 7D6N itinerary, your tour package for each person is USD 200 x 6 nights plus visa fees of USD 40 plus return air tickets.  Our tour packages will be invoiced in SGD so there is no need for you to worry about remittance fees. 50% payment is required for trip booking and 50% balance is due 1 month before trip departure. We do not charge any extra above the standard tariffs. On the 24th of June 2022, the National assembly passed the Tourism Levy Bill of 2022. With this new act, the sustainable development fee (SDF) of 65 USD per night has now been increased to 200 USD per night. Along with the increase in the SDF the minimum daily package rate (MDPR) has been removed as well. This basically means that cost of travelling to Bhutan has increased by around 135 USD per night if accommodation, meals, transport, and guides remain the same. This act is the latest tourism bill that has been passed after the Tourism Levy Bill of 2020, as per the Tourism Levy Act of Bhutan 2020.

2. What is the local currency and how much money should I bring for the tour?
The local currency is Bhutanese Ngultrum or Nu for short. Ngultrum is currently pegged to the Indian rupee at parity and you can use Indian Rupee INR throughout Bhutan. So we recommend bringing Indian Rupee for easier exchange conversion in your home country. The major spending you will have is tips to guide and driver. We suggest tips of around SGD 150 and SGD 120 to guide and driver for the whole group for a 7D6N trip. This is still subjected to good service. You can give the tips in local or foreign currency.  Other optional spendings will be probably soft drinks/beer during meals, donations at temples, purchase of souvenirs.  Generally, hotel and restaurant staff do not expect any tipping. As a ballpark figure, we suggest each visitor to bring around 100 SGD worth of INR and 100 SGD of foreign currency (e.g. SGD, USD, EUR).

3. Which month is the best to visit Bhutan?
Traditionally, autumn and spring see more visitors. Summer is the raining season while Winter can be colder but the tour prices are lower and there are less crowds. We feel that Bhutan can be visited all year round. If we have to recommend, we will suggest visiting in autumn, spring or winter.

4. Do I require a visa to visit Bhutan?
All visitors except Indian and Bangladesh passport holders require a tourist visa. Visa application is only done via a travel agency so this will be handled for you. Current pricing is USD 40 for each visitor. So far, we have not known any cases where visa is rejected by The Tourism Council of Bhutan. A passport soft copy is required from each visitor for visa application.

5. Will you take care of our international flights?
Yes, our tour package includes return Drukair international flights between Singapore to Paro, Bhutan. Drukair releases its schedule 3 to 6 months in advance so we are able to confirm travel dates within this advance notice. The air ticket prices for return trip between Singapore and Paro (Bhutan) is around SGD 1370 for 2019. This price is subjected to change.

6. What are the flight timings?

For a 7D6N tour package, most visitors will depart Singapore on Sunday and return on Saturday. Alternatively, it is possible to depart on Thursday and return on Wednesday.

Thursday and Sunday

Wednesday and Saturday

For flights KB541 and KB540, Drukair uses Airbus A319.

Flight timings are subjected to change and we will confirm the flights with every tour booking. If you are flying from elsewhere such as Bangkok or Kathmandu, we will be able to arrange as well.

7. Is travel insurance provided in the package?
Travel insurance is not included in the package. We strongly recommend you to procure your own travel insurance. Please visit our travel insurance page for more information.

8. What are the accommodations included in the package?
Our hotels are 3 star equivalent. Generally, quality is good and service level in Bhutan is high compared to other countries. There is no real need to upgrade the accommodations. But we can do so should visitors have preferences on particular hotels.

9. What amenities are available at the accommodations?
Hot shower, hair dryer, bar soaps, portable heaters, towels are provided by the hotels. You should bring your own toothbrush, toothpaste and personal shampoo/shower foam.

10. What kind of meals are provided?
Most meals will be a buffet of 5-7 dishes of Bhutanese fare. Usually, there will be one meat dish and the rest of the dishes will be vegetarian. We find local food delicious and they use fresh organic vegetables. We especially like Chilli Cheese (if you can take spicy food). However, food can get repetitive so you can always inform your guide on which Bhutanese dishes you would like to have. Your guide will try his/her best to inform the restaurant or hotel in advance to best cater for you. If you like Indian food, most places can dish up decent dishes as added variety.  It is also possible for you to choose to eat at other restaurants. However, it will be at your own expense.  Do read this link for more information on Bhutanese food, you will be able to try most of it during your trip.

11. What are the upcoming festivals which I can coincide my trip with?
Here are the recommended festivals:

If you are visiting during the festival, we will rearrange the itinerary for 1 day at the festival.

12. Can I buy or rent hiking stick for Tiger’s Nest?

Yes, you can rent one for 50 Nu at the entrance of Tiger’s Nest.

13. What is the vehicle used for the trip?
For 2 pax, it will usually be a 4-wheel drive vehicle such as Hyundai Sante Fe, Creta or Toyota Prado. For 3 pax or more, it will usually be a Toyota Hi-Ace. For bigger groups, we may use a mini bus or a combinations of Toyota Hi-Ace. Vehicles will be comfortable with good seats. A bottle of mineral water will be provided each day for each visitor.

14. Can I purchase a local sim card?
You can purchase local sim cards from B-Mobile or Tashicell. There is a booth at the airport which you can make the purchase or our guide can help you to make the purchase in the city. A copy of your passport is needed for sim card purchase.  Expect to pay around 450-650 Nu for 3GB of data for 7 days. Generally, mobile data is available in most places except in rural areas.

15. Do I need to be covid vaccinated? 
As of now, all travellers to Bhutan aged 12 years and over should be vaccinated. Children aged under 12 years are not required to be vaccinated to enter Bhutan. The COVID-19 vaccines should be approved for use by Bhutan Drug Regulatory Authority as per the published list on the website (http://dra.gov.bt).

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