As each itinerary should be utterly unique, there is no ‘one cost fits all trips’, but we want to give you an idea of the kinds of costs to expect, so you can plan your trip to your budget.
Per day costs are per day, or part of. For example if you arrive on a Thursday flight into Paro and leave the following Wednesday morning from Paro, this would be 7 days and 6 nights.
| Service | cost (USD) | note |
| visa | $40 (5 day turnaround) + $10 to express (24 hr) | |
| SDF (Sustainable development fee – tourist levy) | $100 / night | Until 2027; payable with the visa fee |
| driver | $50 / day low season | includes normal* car and all driver’s expenses |
| driver | $70 / day high season | includes normal* car and all driver’s expenses |
| Guide – cultural / generalist | $30 / day low season | includes guide’s expenses |
| guide – cultural / generalist | $40 / day high season | includes guide’s expenses |
| guide – specialist (eg. birding, trekking) | $75 / day low season | includes guide’s expenses |
| guide – specialist (eg. birding, trekking) | $100 / day high season | includes guide’s expenses |
| Accommodation 3* and homestays | $50 to $70 / night | may include driver and guide’s accommodation. Check with the accommodation on booking** usually includes breakfast |
| accommodation 4* | $300 to $600 / night | May include driver and guide’s accommodation. Check with accommodation on booking** usually includes breakfast |
| accommodation 5* | $1,000 and upwards / night | may include driver and guide’s accommodation. Check with the accommodation on booking** usually includes breakfast |
| food | $20 / day for lunch and dinner | lunch is usually $5 to $10 per person including lunch for guide and driver dinner, if had in hotel, is around $10 including guide and driver’s meals |
| entrance fees | between $5 and $10 / site | though mostly free of charge outside of Paro and thimphu |
* a normal car is a Hyundai Creta (4WD) or equivalent. Larger cars like the Toyota Landcruiser or similar cost a little extra. Minibuses of varying sizes are also available and costs vary depending on size.
** some accommodation may charge extra for room and board for guide and driver. Depending on season, some hotels will offer a ‘proper’ hotel room at a discount for the guide and driver, for example $20 / night. Note that in most hotels, when they say they have accommodation for guides and drivers, this is often in a dormitory and in busy periods, space in it is not guaranteed. So we’d recommend booking them a twin room.
Visa and SDF (Sustainable Development Fee, tourist levy). The visa application carries a US$40 non-refundable application fee with a 5 day turn around time. If you want to expedite that and have a 24 hour processing time, you can choose to pay an additional US$10.
When you apply for your visa, you also need to state the duration of your trip and pay the US$100 / night SDF fee. This is refunded in the event that your visa application is rejected.
Guide. Mandated for all visitors. Daily cost is for around 8 hours of guiding. Your guide should be your best friend during your trip, as they can help you with everything, including changes of plan, any issues you face, best places to visit given time and weather, and so on.
Driver and car for, on average 2 to 3 hours of driving (can go longer with the agreement of the driver). This includes their food and accommodation. Note, you may need to pay a surcharge if you want your driver to go off-road or away from the well traveled tourist routes.
This cost is for a 4 wheel drive sedan like a Hyundai Creta, or similar, suitable for 2 people traveling together. Costs increase if you want a higher spec vehicle, like a Toyota Landcruiser, or need to hire for a group. Remember when you are sizing your vehicle, that you will have your Guide with you.
Accommodation – Hotel.bt is a Bhutanese website that provides a by region – hotel class – price search, it looks a little outdated, but provides some really good information.
Not all hotels are on booking websites like Expedia or Booking.com, and you will find only a small number on these sites relative to what is available, so it is worth using us, or your guide (who will often have direct experience of the accommodation in an area), or the Hotel.bt search capability, or any online map search for accommodation.
Outside of Thimphu and Paro, you may find that hotels do not take credit or debit cards. You should be prepared to settle your accommodation in cash, and you can pay in USD (noting that notes / bills need to be pristine and not torn or tatty), or local Bhutanese Ngultrum. Conversions to USD are at the latest bank rate, and you will not be overcharged for the conversion.
Food. Most tour itineraries have a scheduled stop for lunch. Lunch for you and your Guide and Driver is around US$10.
There are three reasons for this stop; first is you are likely hungry after all of the awesome experiences of the morning, second is the Guide and Driver need lunch and a break, and third is that it spreads income from tourism a bit wider. Please note, it’s not much, so the cost of lunch for the Guide and Driver should be covered by you.
The need to stop at a certain time at a specific restaurant can make most independent travelers (myself included) wince, so if that’s you too, talk to your guide about other options, for example picnic lunches at a random scenic spot.