How much cash should be enough for a Bhutan Tour?

Over the years the cost of a trip to Bhutan has become well known in travel circles. Booking a trip to Bhutan with a travel agency (the only way to get into the kingdom) means paying the renowned Minimum Daily Package (MDP) amount of either US$250 per day for the peak seasons and US$200 per day for the low seasons. The fact that this amount covers almost everything you need while you are in Bhutan, from food and accommodation to your travel and guide, is also well known as the ultimate in “All-Inclusive” package deals. However, while your hotel, food, transport, guide, etc. are all covered by this amount, there are actually still some things that you will need to pay for yourself. The trick is knowing how much you will realistically need for your trip to the last Himalayan Kingdom.

How much cash should be enough for a Bhutan trip?

The currency of Bhutan is the Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN), or Nu as it is written on banknotes. One Nu is worth around 0.014 US dollars, or around 71-72 Nu to the dollar. On average, most people look at paying around 800-1000 Nu per day for their snacks and soft drinks, which can be a little higher if you are drinking alcohol daily. That equates to around just 11-15 dollars per day for snacking and drinks. Keeping around 5,000-10,000 Nu (70-140 USD) handy for any emergencies is also advisable, as you never know what may happen while you are there.

This roughly equates to having around 300 US dollars handy for an average 10-day trip to Bhutan should be enough for your snacks, drinks, and any emergency that might occur. And you may want to bring this with you when you come since the ATMs in Bhutan often have very high service charges.

Things You Need to Pay in Bhutan besides Your Travel Cost

Here are something you may need to pay in cash besides the Bhutan Minimum Daily Tariff you have paid in advance.

Personal Service in Bhutan Hotels

You should also consider the additional services that you may request while staying in the hotels in Bhutan. While your MDP payment covers your accommodation and meals, it does not cover drinks at the bar, snacks and soft drinks between meals, room service, and any of the massage, spa, and Hot Stone Bath services that your hotel may offer. If you decide to take advantage of their facilities, you will be required to pay extra for them. However, most of the larger hotels and hotel chains do accept credit cards for paying for your added extras and charge less in fees than an ATM or a bank.

Horse Riding to Tiger’s Nest Monastery

If you are planning to tackle the hike up to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Paro, then you have the option of hiring a horse to carry you halfway (to just before the café). The cost of the horses that can carry you up to the café, around halfway to the top of the main climb, cost between 20-30 dollars each, and are only available for the uphill run. Horses are not available for coming back down again.

Local Souvenirs and Handicrafts

Another added expense of your Bhutan tour is the cost of your souvenirs and handicrafts to take back home with you after your trip. The cost of these largely depends on what you want and how much you are willing to spend, and you can spend as little or as much as you want to. And since you can always haggle a little with the vendors, you may get it for a bit less than the marked price.

Some of the larger stores and shops in Bhutan, especially in Thimphu, accept the major credit cards, including MasterCard, VISA, JCB, and Amex. However, you may find the processing costs a little higher than you are used to elsewhere in the world. And they often have a minimum amount for credit card payments.

Tips for Your Guide and Driver

One of the unspoken expenses that are often discussed on the web is the cost of the tips for the guide and driver at the end of your tour. In reality, there is no requirement to tip the guide and driver, as they are actually getting paid for doing their jobs. However, as with most countries that have guides for tourists, a tip is often expected at the end of a good and satisfying trip.

You can find several posts telling you that you should tip around 8-10 dollars per day each for the guide and driver. The reality is that there is no “set” amount to tip, and you should tip what you feel the trip was worth and how much you can realistically afford. Tipping is never a requirement when traveling to Bhutan, and gratuities are at the sole discretion of the tourist. But you can be sure that, whatever amount you decide to tip your guide and driver, they will appreciate your gesture greatly, and show you as much.

What should be the best currency to take to Bhutan?

The Ngultrum, the currency of Bhutan, is not available as a negotiable currency outside the kingdom itself, and it is actually illegal to try and take currency home with you. Similarly, you cannot get your money changed to Ngultrum until you arrive, so you should bring your cash in the correct currency.

Banks in Bhutan can manage to change most of the major currencies of the first-world countries, including US Dollars, British Pounds, Australian Dollars, Chinese Yuan, and Euros. However, exchange rates being what they are, some currencies are easier to exchange than others, and have more favorable rates in Bhutan.

It is recommended to carry us dollars for ease of exchange

The best currency to bring with you is the US Dollar. Widely used around the world, the dollar is easy to bring into the kingdom and easy to exchange once you are here. You can change it for Ngultrum at banks, money changers (at the airport), and even your hotel in some cases. And in some places, you can even use it for making the payment for higher-cost items. However, since the price in dollars is actually higher than in Nu, it pays to exchange your dollars for Ngultrum when you arrive. And don’t forget to change the Nu back to dollars when you leave.

Indian Rupees are widely accepted in Bhutan

The Indian Rupee is closely linked with the Ngultrum, and is set as a one-to-one exchange rate. Widely used all over Bhutan, the rupee is the country’s second currency, and you can often find yourself getting rupees in your change, especially if you are paying in dollars. While the Indian government officially prohibits the export of rupees, in practice it is generally ignored if you bring a reasonable amount of Indian currency into Bhutan, and the Bhutanese government has no regulations on rupees in Bhutan. You can use rupees almost everywhere in Bhutan instead of Ngultrum. And while the 500 and 1,000 rupee bills are not officially accepted due to counterfeit banknotes, Rupees of small denomination are usually accepted in most places.

How and where to change money in Bhutan?

Currency exchange in Bhutan is relatively easy, and you can change money at all of the major banks and the main currency counter at the airport, as well as many of the larger hotels. However, if your US dollar bills are pre-1993, they will not be accepted anywhere in Bhutan.

Bhutan has two major banks, both of which are able to exchange most major global currencies, as well as some of the smaller European and Asian currencies. Since Indian Rupees are generally accepted, they cannot be exchanged for Ngultrum. The Bank of Bhutan and the Bhutan National Bank have branches throughout the country, and most can handle dollar and Euro exchanges at least. The smaller banks that have foreign exchange facilities include the T-Bank and Druk PNB, which have branches only in the larger cities, such as Thimphu and Paro.

It also pays to exchange bills of higher denomination when exchanging dollars to ngultrum. The exchange rate is around 10 percent higher when changing 100 dollar bills than when changing 50s and 20s.

There are also counters for money exchange at the Paro International Airport, which can handle more than 30 different currencies for foreign exchange into ngultrum. You can get the same exchange rate at the airport as you can get at the banks, and the rate is linked to the International Forex Rates.

Some of the larger hotels will also exchange your dollars for ngultrum for you, at a small cost. As well as paying the exchange rate fees, you will also often have to pay a commission fee to the hotel for the convenience of the ability to make currency exchanges outside banking hours.

Conclusion of How Much Cash to Carry for a Bhutan Tour

Overall, you do not really need much cash to take with you to Bhutan, since most of the things you will need are already paid for. You will need extra money for additional Bhutan tour costs, such as snacks, alcohol, tips, horse rides, etc. but that still leaves it really up to you to decide how much you want to bring with you, and it should make it a little easier to work out now. Whatever you decide, remember it is best to ring US dollars to exchange for local currency, as it is the easiest to change and most widely accepted.