Why do over 38% of tourists choose to tour in Bhutan for 8 days or longer?

On average, tourists to Bhutan normally stay in the country for around 7 days, on six-night tours that give them a wide variety of experiences in the country. With a high daily amount required for travel to Bhutan, an exclusive destination in tourism circles, it is a huge surprise to see that around 38 percent of travelers to Bhutan actually stay there for a lot more than 8 days.

With tour periods of up to 12 days being a common travel option for some tourists, the high fees for travel to Bhutan do not seem to be deterring people from traveling to this landlocked and isolated Himalayan kingdom. Here, we can explain why people are spending more time in Bhutan, and how to reduce the cost of your trip so you can too.

Reason 1: Explore Unique Culture in Bhutan

Possibly the main reason people want to stay longer in Bhutan is the chance to experience the unique culture of this ancient kingdom. First-hand experience of a local culture is the best way to understand it more. And there is no better way to get to know Bhutanese culture than to travel east into the heartland of this unique country.

The richest of all the Bhutanese areas in terms of culture lies in the central and eastern areas of Bhutan, in and around Bumthang, Trongsa, and Trashigang. These are the areas where Buddhism first began, and where the traditional culture of Bhutan first grew up. Here, you can locate the first Dzong and first monastery built in Bhutan many centuries ago, and learn of the Divine Madman and the First Zhabdrung Rinpoche, a former Tibetan lama who fled south when his life was in danger.

To find out all about the traditional culture of Bhutan in the central and eastern regions, you need to spend more time in the kingdom. Travel to the central districts of Bhutan takes a long time, and you should consider at least 8-10 days for a trip to Bumthang and Trongsa. For travel to the eastern areas, a trip exceeding 12-14 days is required, as just getting there takes a long time driving.

Bumthang in central of Bhutan

Reason 2: Challenge Mountain Treks in Bhutan

Trekking in Bhutan is a popular activity, and many people head for this unique nation just for the outstanding trekking experience. Trekking in Bhutan is a lot different to trekking in the other Himalayan regions, including Nepal. Hiking in Bhutan is only permitted with a guide and as part of an organized and pre-arranged tour. Even the method of trekking differs, as you do not have to sort out your own camp and food, with a support team that puts up your tents and cooks for you for all your meals.

While there are some treks that you can take on that are short and can be done within a normal week-long trip, many of the better treks take a little longer. For many treks, even if you do not do much sightseeing, you will still need more than eight days to complete the trek, and some require more than two weeks. And if you want to go sightseeing as well, then it takes a lot longer. For example, the Jomolhari treks average at around ten days, to reach the famous base camp at Jangothang and back.

Jomolhari treks in Bhutan

Reason 3: Get Adventurous Experience in Bhutan

Explore the Little-visited Far East Bhutan

If you are planning to travel to the little-visited far east Bhutan, where lemongrass is produced for essential oils, and where the people protect the yeti that they believe roams the eastern valleys and woodlands, then you need to consider a trip of at least two weeks. Travel from the west of Bhutan can take a couple of days, and you need time to get from one place to another.

Try Rafting and Kayaking in Bhutan

The Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers in Punakha are quite popular spots for river rafting. The Mo Chhu river has quite a few rapids before it meets the Pho Chhu. The best part of the rafting trail is going through the rapids around the Punakha Dzong, the most beautiful monastery in Bhutan. Shortly later, you will encounter the confluence of the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu. The rivers Wang Chhu, Sunkosh, Puna Tsang Chhu, Mangde Chhu, Kuri Chhu and Dangme Chhu are good place to try kayaking in Bhutan.

Go Cycling in Bhutan

Set against the picturesque valleys and mountains, there are various paved and moderately paved mountain roads making Bhutan an ideal place to go mountain biking. You can hire a bike from various towns and even villages in Bhutan. Paro valley and Phobjikha valley are great spots to try the sports.

Mountain biking in Bhutan

There are more interesting activities available in Bhutan

Bhutan Tsechu

Bhutan also has a number of interesting aspects that make many travelers want to stay a little longer, including the famous Tsechus that are held in every month of the year. These ancient and traditional festivals often last several days, and if you want the whole experience, you need to be there for the whole festival.

Festivals like the Paro Tsechu, the Jambay Lhakhang Tsechu, and the ever popular Thimphu Tsechu, last for anything from three to five days, and are held to celebrate the birth of Padmasambhava, known in Bhutan as Guru Rinpoche. For all of the major festivals in Bhutan, you have to add the number of days of the festival to your itinerary, as well as time to travel there, if it is in a different district.

Jambay Lhakhang Tsechu

Meditation in Bhutan

Meditation is another popular tourist activity while visiting Bhutan, believe it or not, and the vast amount of peaceful and tranquil locations around the country make meditation tour a hugely popular way to explore this stunning landscape.

However, if you think meditation can be done properly in a few hours, you are doing it wrong. Meditation tours usually encompass a longer period, to allow you to feel the tranquility of the location, and understand the spiritual meanings of what you are doing.

How to cut the cost of Bhutan tour for 8 days or longer?

If you are thinking of taking that longer trip to Bhutan, but are worried about the higher daily cost of an extended tour of the kingdom, then there are some ways in which you can reduce the cost of a longer trip to Bhutan without sacrificing the quality and experience of a trip.

Travel in Low Season

The simplest option for reducing the cost of the trip is to travel in the low season, when the cost of the Minimum Daily Package is cheaper. In the peak periods of spring and autumn (March to May and September to November), the cost of a trip to Bhutan is US$ 250 per person per night. However, in the low seasons, from December to February and June to August, the cost is just US$ 200 per person per night. The lower cost means a more affordable trip, and maybe a longer one.

Travel in Group

Another option is to travel in a group for reducing the cost of the tour. Single and twin supplements are applied to tourists on top of the Minimum Daily Package amounts, and come out at 40 dollars per day for a solo traveler and 30 dollars per day for each member of a party of two. Only parties of three or more are exempted from this surcharge. So traveling in a group of three or more people is an advantage that can save you money.

Bhutan small group tour

Some Discounts Available

You can also get some discounts on the cost of the trip if you are traveling with children. Kids from 5 years old to 12 years old have a 50 percent discount on the Minimum Daily Package amount, and are eligible as members of a group over three peoples. Groups of 11 people and above can also get a discount of 50 percent for one person in the group, usually the organizer, and for groups of over 16 people, a 100% discount is normally given to the one person.

Another option for traveling for longer in Bhutan is the option for a discount. In general, there are certain discounts that you can avail of for trips that are of 8 days and above, which can help reduce the overall cost of the trip. For those planning longer trips to Bhutan, a 50 percent discount is given on the Sustainable Development Fee after the 8th night of travel, and a 100 percent discount is given after the 14th night.

The Sustainable Development Fee is part of the overall cost of the trip, and equates to an amount of 65 US dollars per day per person. This amount goes to the government for the protection of the environment and maintaining a sustainable tourism industry.

There is also currently a Sustainable Development Fee Waiver in effect, which was implemented in November 2017 for a period of three years. The waiver is only valid for those tourists traveling to the six districts of Bhutan in the east of the country, which include Mongar, Samdrup Jongkhar, Lhuentse, Trashiyangtse, Trashigang, and Pemagatshel. With this exemption in place still, until November 2022, you can expect to pay as little as US$ 185 per person per night in the peak season and US$ 135 per person per night in the low season while you are visiting the eastern districts of Bhutan.

Conclusion

Obviously, there are a number of reasons why more and more people are staying longer in the Land of Thunder Dragon, despite the high amount of the MDP for tourists to the kingdom. And with higher tourist numbers come better facilities, since a percentage of the money paid for the tours goes to the government to enable better resources, sustainable tourism development, and better education for the children. And with a lot of ways to reduce the cost of the trip to make it easier to travel for longer, there is never a better time to travel to Bhutan.