Bhutan travel guide

Getting there

Paro International Airport is the only international gateway, with dramatic approaches served by Bhutan's national carriers; overland entry is possible from India at Phuentsholing and other southern border towns.

Best time to visit: Mar–May and Sep–Nov – clear skies, festivals and flowering rhododendrons.

Flights: see the cheapest month to fly from your nearest airport.

Tougher months: June to August brings monsoon rain, leeches on trails and cloud-covered mountain views.

Weather by month in Thimphu

• 12°J
• 14°F
• 17°M●
• 20°A●
• 23°M●●
• 25°J●●●
• 25°J●●●
• 25°A●●●
• 23°S●●
• 21°O●
• 17°N
• 14°D

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Asia/Thimphu. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 3 of 198 other passports can enter Bhutan without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 195 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 0 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Bhutan (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-09-04). Read the advisory.

Stay

Most trips to Bhutan are based around Paro, Thimphu or Punakha. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$150–250 for a backpacker and US$300–500 mid-range, per person.

Connect

Plug types: C, D, G. Voltage: 230 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +975.

Mobile data: set up a travel eSIM or check your roaming plan before you fly, so data works as soon as you land.

Do

• Paro (West · valley & monasteries): Home to the international airport, Tiger's Nest, Rinpung Dzong and the ancient Kyichu Lhakhang temple.
• Thimphu (West · capital): A capital with no traffic lights, giant Buddha statue, the Tashichho Dzong and lively craft schools.
• Punakha (West-central · fortress & rice fields): A warmer valley with Bhutan's most beautiful dzong and terraced rice paddies.
• Phobjikha Valley (Central · glacial valley): A wide, peaceful valley famous for its wintering cranes and the Gangtey monastery.
• Bumthang (Central · spiritual heartland): A cluster of valleys filled with some of Bhutan's oldest temples, plus local cheese and apple brandy.
• Dochula Pass (Between Thimphu and Punakha · viewpoint): A high pass crowned with chortens and panoramic Himalayan views.
• Haa Valley (West · remote valley): A rarely visited valley of farmhouses and temples reached over the high Chele La pass.
• Trongsa (Central · historic dzong): Its huge dzong once controlled east-west trade and is the ancestral seat of the royal family.

Things to do

• Hike to Tiger's Nest. Climb through pine forest to Paro Taktsang, a monastery clinging impossibly to a cliff high above the valley.
• Watch a tshechu. Join locals in their finest dress to watch masked monks perform sacred dances in a dzong courtyard.
• Explore Punakha Dzong. Cross a wooden cantilever bridge to the majestic fortress at the meeting of two rivers, stunning in spring jacaranda season.
• Cross Dochula Pass. Stop among 108 memorial chortens and, on clear days, gaze at a sweeping line of Himalayan peaks.
• Try archery. Cheer on teams at Bhutan's national sport, where targets sit an astonishing distance away.
• Spot black-necked cranes. Visit the glacial Phobjikha Valley in winter when rare cranes arrive from Tibet.
• Taste ema datshi. Eat the national dish of fiery chillies in melted cheese with red rice.
• Trek the high Himalaya. Tackle routes like the Druk Path or Jomolhari trek past yak herders and turquoise lakes.

Eat and drink

• Ema datshi – chillies cooked in cheese, the national dish
• Red rice – nutty rice grown in the valleys
• Momos – steamed dumplings with meat or cheese
• Suja – butter tea with salt

Money and safety

Currency: Bhutanese ngultrum (BTN). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: Not expected, but tips for guides and drivers are appreciated.

Emergency numbers: 113 police · 110 fire · 112 ambulance.

• The currency is the ngultrum, pegged to the Indian rupee, which is also widely accepted (avoid large rupee notes).
• ATMs exist in Thimphu and Paro but can be unreliable; carry some cash before heading to rural valleys.
• Bhutan is very safe with extremely low crime.
• Mountain roads are narrow and winding; landslides can close them in the monsoon, so allow buffer days.