How to Travel to Bhutan from the United States?

The Kingdom of Bhutan lies in the Himalayas, to the east of Nepal, sandwiched in between the Tibet Autonomous Region (China) to the north hand India to the south. Bhutan is an isolated landlocked country that opened up tourism not long ago but soon became one of the popular destinations for American travelers in South Asia. However, to travel the hidden kingdom that mysterious for the outside world for centuries, there is something you need to know before you go.

How to Get to Bhutan from US?

Getting to Bhutan from the United State is not as hard as some people might think. While the country does have the most exclusive tourist destinations on the planet, taking a trip to Bhutan is relatively easy compared with some of the countries around the world.

Bhutan has two official airlines that are the only airlines permitted to land at the Paro International Airport. Both DrukAir and Bhutan Airlines run flights to Paro from a number of locations in Asia, though they do not have flights outside the nine airports in five Asian countries. If you are traveling from the United States to get to Bhutan, you will first need to get flights to one of the gateway airports for flights to Butan.

Direct flights depart from several cities across the United States to Singapore or New Delhi, which have connecting flights to Paro International Airport. All other flights to the other seven airports, including Nepal, are only indirect flights, with from one to three stops along the route. For Singapore, the flights depart daily from San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, and for New Delhi there are daily flights from San Francisco, Chicago, and New York.

For the leg of the trip to Bhutan, the easiest and fastest route is from New Delhi, which is a flight of only 2 hours 15 minutes and can cost from as little as 338 dollars per person. The flights from Singapore are both longer and more costly, with the 6-hour flight costing anywhere from US$1,100 per person.

Flights to Bhutan also run direct from Dhaka, Bangladesh; Siliguri, India; Guwahati, India; Gaya, India; Kolkata, India; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Bangkok, Thailand. However, getting to these airports from the United States can mean at least one stop along the flight path, which means a higher cost and longer travel time. It’s easy to get Bhutan travel permit for US citizens

Traveling to Bhutan from the United States requires that all tourists have a valid visa and entry permit for travel, which must be approved before traveling. However, while most countries provide the visa from their embassies and consular offices, Bhutan does not. The only way to get Bhutan Visa is to first book yourself on a pre-arranged private tour of the kingdom with one of the many registered travel agencies that provide tour services.

Step 1: Book Your Bhutan Tour with a Local Travel Agency

Once you have decided on your trip to Bhutan, you will need to contact a travel agency that is registered with the Tourism Council of Bhutan and the Bhutan Immigration Department, who will be the ones to make the visa applications on your behalf. A Bhutan visa cannot be issued without a booked tour. The wonders of the Bhutanese tourism policy means that you are guaranteed to get an entry permit to travel to Bhutan unless you are previously banned from entry, as Bhutan does not have a policy against providing visas for any particular countries, with the exception of India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives, who do not need visas.

Step 2: Do the full Payment and Provide the Scanned Copy of your Passport to Get a Visa Clarence Letter

Once you have booked the tour and paid the fee (which is held by the TCB until the end of your tour before it is released to the tour operator), the travel agency will make the application for the entry permit letter on your behalf using a scanned copy of your current valid passport. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the time of exit from Bhutan, and have at least one visa page remaining. Once the Entry Permit is approved, you will receive a Visa Clearance Letter, which you will need to provide the details of in order to book the flight to Bhutan with either DrukAir or Bhutan Airlines.

Step 3: Get Your Visa Stamped on Your Passport at Paro International Airport

When you arrive at Paro International Airport, you will need to present your passport and the Visa Clearance Letter to the immigration desk, who will then stamp the Bhutan Entry Visa into your passport. While this may sound like a lot of hassle to get a visa, bear in mind that you only have to send a scanned copy of your passport, and the travel agency does the rest for you. All of the hassles of applying for the visa are taken out of your hands, and you can relax and let us do it for you.

Travel Bhutan with Escorted by Personal Tour guide and Driver

Independent travel is not permitted in Bhutan under their “High Value, Low Impact” tourism policy, which means that all travelers must be on an arranged tour with a registered travel agency and tour operator. Much of Bhutan outside Paro and Thimphu is classed as “restricted areas”, and travelers will need a restricted areas permit to enter there. Since this is issued to the travel agency once your itinerary is approved, you also do not need to worry about it. The benefits of traveling to Bhutan on a private tour are numerous, not the least of which is that you get a private vehicle, which is normally a relatively new vehicle, a private guide, and a private driver, though for individual tours, this is often the same person.

It is also an advantage to have your own guide/driver for interaction with the locals, though not in terms of language, since English is the medium for education in Bhutan. Customs, traditions, and religious practices are very different in Bhutan, and you will be glad of the help in understanding the local customs and traditions that your guide can provide. All tour guides in Bhutan are registered as guides and have taken qualifying tour guide courses, as well as being very knowledgeable and informed about the country and the customs and traditions. Your guide can normally answer any questions you might have.

Best Time to Visit Bhutan

The best time to visit Bhutan is from January to December, inclusive. Since there are parts of Bhutan that can be visited in every single month of the year, even the most rainy months or the coldest in the north, the best time to visit Bhutan is more likely to be when you can come and depends largely on where you want to go and what you want to do. Trekking is best done in spring and autumn, while there are parts of the kingdom that can be visited in winter, since they have milder weather. Even the rainy season of summer is a good time to visit, if you do not mind the odd shower, as there are also parts of the country that have very little rain.

USD dollars can be used for your Bhutan travel

The currency in Bhutan is the ngultrum (Nu), which is directly linked in value to the Indian rupee. However, there is no need to change your currency in most cases to the Nu, as rupees and dollars are also widely accepted in the kingdom. However, dollars are mostly only used for larger purchases, so it can be useful to change them once you get here if you are not looking to spend hundreds of dollars on one item. Rupees are accepted everywhere, and you can often find both rupees and ngultrum in your change. You can change currencies at any of the major Bhutan banks, or you can just change dollars to rupees before you leave home, as there is no restriction on how much you bring into Bhutan.

At Least USD250 Needed per Day

Your trip to Bhutan is pre-paid, and will normally cost you the amount of the Minimum Daily Package (MDP), which is US$250 per night in the peak season and US$200 per night in the low seasons. However, this does cover everything you will need whilst you are in Bhutan, and the only thing you need to spend on are souvenirs, alcohol, and personal snacks. All accommodation, meals, water, guide, driver, vehicle, and entry to attractions is included in the MDP.

Paro and Thimphu are the must-see places; if you have more time, head to Central and Eastern Bhutan or take a trekking trip.

Most tours in Bhutan are centered on the areas of Paro and Thimphu, but these are not the only places in the country. Paro and Thimphu are just the highest populated places and where the major attractions are. It is a good idea, if you have time on your trip, to get out of the major cities and travel east to the central and eastern areas of the country. The valleys of Bumthang are outstandingly beautiful, and there are some of the oldest monasteries in Bhutan. The trip to eastern Bhutan is a kind of off-the-beaten-path to go. The vast forests in eastern Bhutan offer the great destinations for bird watching and some treks in Bhutan.

Conclusion of Travel to Bhutan from U.S.

Traveling to Bhutan from the United States is not as hard as people might think, and despite being an exclusive destination in Asia, it is exclusive because of the sights and features of the kingdom that you cannot find anywhere else on the planet. Travel to Bhutan from the US can be a concern, especially if you are not near one of the few airports that link with the gateway airports for flights to Paro Airport, but with a little juggling, it can be easily arranged. And since you only have to book the tour and your flights, and let the travel agency do the rest, where is the real hardship? So relax and let us help you plan your trip to the Land of the Thunder Dragon.