What a Bhutan trip
actually costs.
Line by line, with real numbers - so you can judge any quote you are given, including ours.
Most Bhutan pricing online is deliberately vague. “Contact for price” usually means the number changes depending on how wealthy you sound on the phone.
Here is what the trip costs, line by line, so you can judge any quote you are given — including ours.
The fee you cannot avoid
The Sustainable Development Fee funds healthcare, education and conservation in Bhutan. For Indian nationals in 2026:
| Traveller | SDF per night |
|---|---|
| Adult | ₹1,200 |
| Child 6–12 | ₹600 |
| Child under 6 | Free |
Fixed until 31 August 2027. Over six nights that is ₹7,200 per adult before anything else. Two adults and a nine-year-old pay ₹18,000 in SDF alone.
This is where misleading quotes hide. A package excluding SDF looks ₹7,200 per person cheaper. The first question worth asking any operator is whether it is included.
What the rest costs
Per person per day, for a couple sharing:
| Item | Budget | Comfortable | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDF | ₹1,200 | ₹1,200 | ₹1,200 |
| Hotel, sharing | ₹800–1,200 | ₹1,500–2,500 | ₹3,500+ |
| Car with driver | ₹700–900 | ₹900–1,200 | ₹1,500+ |
| Guide | ₹400–600 | ₹500–700 | ₹700+ |
| Food | ₹800–1,000 | ₹1,200–1,600 | ₹2,000+ |
| Entry fees | ₹400 | ₹400 | ₹400 |
| Per person per day | ₹4,300–5,300 | ₹5,700–7,600 | ₹9,300+ |
Two things move these numbers more than anything else.
Group size. The car and the guide cost the same whether one person or six sit in them. Split between two they are expensive; split between six they barely register. A couple travelling alone will always pay more per head than a family of six.
Season. March to May and October to December are peak — hotel rates rise and the good hotels sell out. Late summer costs noticeably less.
Realistic totals
5 nights 6 days, per person, sharing:
| Couple | Family of 4 | Group of 6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | ₹28,000–32,000 | ₹24,000–27,000 | ₹22,000–25,000 |
| Comfortable | ₹36,000–44,000 | ₹31,000–37,000 | ₹28,000–33,000 |
| Premium | ₹55,000+ | ₹48,000+ | ₹44,000+ |
Six nights seven days adds roughly ₹4,000–6,000 per person. These cover everything from the border onward; reaching the border is separate.
Getting to Jaigaon
| From | Route | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| Kolkata | Flight to Bagdogra, then car, 4–5 hrs | ₹5,000–8,000 |
| Kolkata | Train to Hasimara, then car, 1 hr | ₹800–2,500 |
| Siliguri | Car or bus, 4 hrs | ₹500–3,000 |
| Delhi | Flight to Bagdogra, then car | ₹8,000–13,000 |
Hasimara is the nearest station to Jaigaon, about an hour away, and the cheapest way in from anywhere in Bengal.
Currency, cards and cash
The Ngultrum is pegged 1:1 with the Rupee, so there is no conversion to work out. Indian rupees are accepted almost everywhere, though ₹2,000 notes are sometimes refused. Cards work in Thimphu and Paro hotels and larger shops; elsewhere, cash. UPI is growing but not dependable. Carry ₹10,000–15,000 per person for lunches, entry fees, shopping and tips.
Where money gets wasted
- Booking through a middleman. Many sites take the booking and pass it on, adding cost and confusion. Book with whoever runs the trip.
- Chasing the cheapest quote. Well below the range above means SDF excluded, or hotels you would not choose. Ask which hotels, by name.
- Too short a trip. Three nights spends most of its time on the road for the same fixed costs.
- Booking late in peak season. A fortnight before Durga Puja means whatever hotels remain, at whatever they cost.
The trips this applies to.
Everything above is arranged for you on any of our packages — permits filed at the border, the SDF included, hotels named before you pay.
- 5 nights 6 days — Thimphu, Punakha and Paro. The one most people book
- 6 nights 7 days — the same route without a long last day
- All seven packages, or a custom itinerary built around your dates
Questions we are asked most
Do Indians need a visa for Bhutan?
What is the SDF and who pays it?
What is included in the price?
Where do you pick us up from?
How do I book, and how much do I pay up front?
When is the best time to visit Bhutan?
More from the journal
Planning this trip yourself, or would you rather we did?
We are a Bhutan travel agency at the Indo-Bhutan border in Jaigaon, running trips since 2015. Hotels, car, guide, permits, SDF, breakfast and dinner in one price.