Bhutan Tours from Australia: Best Travel to Bhutan from Australia and Useful Guide about Australia Bhutan Tour Planning

1. When is the best time to visit Bhutan from Australia

Best Time for Sightseeing and Trekking in Bhutan

The best time to visit Bhutan from Australia is normally during the peak seasons, which run from March to May and from September to November. This is the time when the weather in Bhutan is at its best for both sightseeing and trekking in the country.

Throughout the spring and autumn seasons, the skies are generally clear and bright and there is almost no rain. However, the start of spring and tail end of autumn can be a little chilly. Spring and autumn in Bhutan are the peak seasons for trekking in Bhutan, due to the cooler clearer weather in the high Himalayan mountains that run across the north of the kingdom.

Best Time for a Budget Tour in Bhutan from Australia

If you are working on a budget, then the best time is from June to August and December to February. These are the low seasons for tourism in Bhutan, and the cost of the MDP is reduced by 50 dollars per night. You can also get cheaper flights in these low periods as well.

Best Time for Bhutan Festival Experiences

Festivals are held throughout the year in Bhutan, and there is at least one festival in any given month in the Buddhist kingdom. However, the major festival season in the country runs from September to November, and coincides with the autumn season for sightseeing and trekking. With more festivals than at any other time of the year, including the celebrated Black-Necked Crane Festival in the Phobjikha Valley, autumn is the best time to travel.

2. How much is a Bhutan tour from Australia?

The cost of a Bhutan tour from Australia depends on a number of factors, including the number of days you will be staying in the country and the season during which you will be traveling.

Tourism in Bhutan has what is known as the Minimum Daily Package (MDP), a tariff that is set by the government at USD 250 per person per night for the peak seasons from March to May and September to November, and USD 200 per person per night from December to February and June to August.

The MDP tariff, however, includes all of your travel expenses in Bhutan, including the cost of the hotel, tour guide, driver, private vehicle, and entrance fees to the attractions. All Bhutan tours are full board, so all meals are provided as standard, and all you will need to spend on once you are there are personal items or alcoholic drinks and snacks. Water is also provided during the entire tour.

The cost of the hotel you choose can make a difference to the cost of the trip in Bhutan, as the standard for most Bhutan tour packages is a 3-star hotel or accommodation. If you require a higher quality hotel, then the Minimum Daily Package cost will increase accordingly.

The overall cost also depends on your flights to Bhutan from Australia, which can vary from season to season and depending on the route and airlines you use for the lights from Australia.

3. Is it better to travel alone or join in a group from Australia to Bhutan?

One of the decisions facing tourists from Australia to Bhutan is the choice of traveling alone or with a group. The choice of which to do depends on your own reasons for traveling to the kingdom and your budget for the trip.

It is perfectly safe for tourists to travel alone to Bhutan, as the country sees very little in the way of crime, and is probably one of the safest tourist destinations in the world. On top of that, you are escorted by your guide at all times outside the hotel and around the attractions, which means your safety is their main concern.

For those that want to cut down the cost of the trip, being part of a tour can help to reduce the cost of the trip. While the MDP cost is the same no matter how many people are in the group, there is a surcharge for single and duo travelers of 30-40 dollars per person per night, which is not applicable for groups of three or more people.

4. Popular Things to do in a Bhutan Tour from Australia

Bhutan may only be a small landlocked country in the Himalayas, but it has a huge number of things to do and places to go.

Hike to the Taktshang Monastery
The most popular thing to do in a Bhutan tour is to visit the Taktshang Monastery, known locally as the Tiger’s Nest. Lying more than 900 meters up the cliff of the mountain that overlooks the Paro Valley, the monastery is set on a narrow ledge that is said to be where Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) landed on his flying tigress when he first came to Bhutan.

Visit the Most Beautiful Punakha Dzong
Punakha Dzong, in the Central Bhutan Dzongkhag of Punakha, is notably the most beautiful Dzong in the country, and lies on the confluence of the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu rivers. Constructed in the 17th century by the first Zhabdrung Rinpoche, it is the second oldest Dzong in Bhutan, and one of the most majestic structures in the Himalayas.

Attend in Tshechu Festival
Tshechus in Bhutan are the most important festivals in this kingdom, and there is a Tsechu for every area, district, and often town in the country. There are also Tsechus in every month of the year, and one of the most popular is the Thimphu Tsechu, which takes place in the middle of October every year. One of the country’s biggest festivals, it is held over three days in the Tashichho Dzong in the kingdom’s capital.

Experience Local Homestay
One of the best ways to experience the local Bhutanese culture during your stay is to take a homestay for at least one night in a local Bhutanese home that caters to tourists. This is often arranged as part of the tour, if you want it, and you can spend one night with a local family in a traditional Bhutanese home or on a local farm.

Enjoy a Traditional Hot Stone Bath
Hot Stone Baths are a predominantly Bhutanese thing, and are considered to be healthy and regenerative for the body and soul. The bath is filled with local clean river water, and then heated using stones that have been heated on an open fire. The baths contain minerals and natural benefits from both the water and the stones, and are often part of the spa treatments available in Bhutan.

Explore the Ancient Temples and Monasteries in Bumthang
Bhutan has a huge number of temples and monasteries in the area of the Bumthang Dzongkhang in western central Bhutan. Most of the Dzongs and Lhakhangs are ancient, some dating back to the 7th century, and the time of the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, who had several Dzongs built across the north of Bhutan. The Bumthang region is a mild and beautiful area of Bhutan, with stunning landscapes and rolling scenery. Among these hills lie a number of temples and monasteries, including the Kurjey Lhakhang, the Kichu Lhakhang, the Jambey Lhakhang, and the renowned Jakar Dzong.