Bhutan altitude

Bhutan’s terrain is high in the north and low in the south. Except for the small Duval Plain in the south, the mountainous areas account for more than 95% of the country’s total area. It is known as a mountainous country. The altitude varies widely across Bhutan. The scenic spots are mainly concentrated in the central valley area, with an altitude of about 1,500 to 2,000 meters. There will be no altitude sickness.

Bhutan travel guide

It is impossible to travel freely in Bhutan

The first thing to say is that it is impossible to travel freely in Bhutan. It is absolutely not possible unless you marry/marry a local from Bhutan. Bhutan has not established diplomatic relations with China and cannot find an embassy visa in the country, so we can only go through local travel agencies in Bhutan.

Transportation to Bhutan

No city in the country has direct flights to Bhutan. Bhutan currently only has diplomatic relations with 22 countries, most of which are South Asian countries, so If you want to enter Bhutan, you must go through a third country.

If you want to enter Bhutan by air, you must obtain a Bhutanese visa. Otherwise, you cannot buy a ticket to Bhutan without a visa. Flights into Bhutan are monopolized by Druk Air, the Bhutanese airline, so the ticket price is Always fixed, no discounts.

Chinese tourists can fly to Bhutan via Nepal, Bangkok, Thailand, Kolkata/Delhi, India, and Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the most convenient to enter Bhutan from Kathmandu, Nepal. The round-trip ticket price from Kathmandu to Bhutan is about US$430. There are four flights per week (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. The return journey is on the same date). Nepal can get visa on arrival; If you enter from India, you need to apply for an Indian visa in advance. However, now you can apply for an electronic visa directly online, which is more convenient. The round-trip air ticket price including tax is about US$730, and there are four flights per week (Sunday, Saturday, Tuesday, and Sunday). 4. The return date is the same); you can get a visa on arrival in Thailand, but the round-trip ticket from Bangkok to Paro Airport in Bhutan is about US$900, which is almost twice as expensive as flying from Kathmandu to Paro. There is one flight to Thailand every day. European and American tourists like to fly from Thailand goes to Bhutan, so travelers who plan to fly directly from Bangkok to Paro are best to book tickets in advance.

If you want to enter Bhutan by land, you can only go through India. Bhutan has two land ports, one is Phuntsholing in the southwest, bordering the Indian state of West Bengal. The famous cities in West Bengal are Kolkata and Darjeeling. You can take a bus from these two cities to Jaigon, an Indian border town on the border with Phuntsholing. If you want to visit western and central Bhutan without taking a plane, you can enter from Phuntsholing. But you must contact the travel agency in advance to get a copy of your visa, otherwise you will not be able to see these documents and the Indian Jaigon border guard will not stamp your departure stamp.

The other land port is at Samdrup Jongkhar in the southeast, which borders Assam, India. Here we go to Eastern Bhutan. Generally tourists fly to Guwahati in India and then drive three hours to Samdrup Jongkhar.

If your financial situation permits, it is recommended that you fly into Bhutan. Not only does it save effort and time, but the most important thing is that you can see the entire Himalayas from the plane. If you take off from Delhi and enter the country, be sure to ask for a window seat on the left, where you can see Mount Everest and the snow-capped mountains above 8,000 meters in Kangchenjunga. If flying from Bangkok, ask for a window seat on the right.

This is how to book a local travel agency in Bhutan

After setting up the itinerary with the Bhutan travel agency, tourists must remit money to the travel agency according to the number of days. Most tourists are a little worried about paying the full amount in advance, but in fact, they can rest assured. The Bhutan Tourism Bureau has very strict management. All tourist payments will be remitted to the Tourism Bureau's account. The beneficiary will indicate the name of the travel agency. If there are no complaints 45 to 60 days after the tourist leaves the country, the Tourism Bureau will transfer the money to Related travel agencies. So payment is a prerequisite for getting a Bhutan visa.

Most tourists in Europe and the United States book their itinerary half a year in advance, pay the money, and then leave half a year later. Bhutan's tourism reception capacity is limited. During major festivals, tourists flock to the hotel, causing great pressure on hotels. Therefore, it is best to book your itinerary in advance so that travel agencies can book hotels in advance and ensure that tourists stay in high-end hotels.

Notify the travel agency immediately after remittance, so that they can go to the Tourism Bureau to check the remittance in time. After receiving the remittance, the tourist office can go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to apply for a visa. The off-season fee is US$200/day (December, January, February, June, July, and August). It usually takes about a week to apply for a visa. The peak season is US$250/day, and it takes at least two weeks to process the visa.

About Bhutan visa issues

All Bhutan visas are handled by Bhutan travel agencies. Tourists need to provide the following information:

Name (must and passport name), address, date and place of birth, nationality, passport number, place of passport issuance, passport expiry date, occupation

Time of arrival and departure from Bhutan

If you If you find it troublesome, you can send a copy of your passport and a scan of your passport photo to the travel agency and ask them to fill it out on your behalf. The current Bhutan visa fee is US$40. The travel agency gets a copy of the Bhutan visa approval form and sends the scanned copy to the tourists. Tourists must print it out and carry it with them.

When the plane arrives at Paro Airport in Bhutan, you need to show a copy of the visa approval form when clearing customs. The customs will use this copy to officially issue a Bhutan visa on the tourist's passport.

Do this on a Bhutan travel budget

The Bhutan Tourism Bureau stipulates that the minimum daily consumption per tourist is US$200/day in low season and US$250/day in peak season. If there is a group of one person, there is an additional $40. Group of two, additional USD 30. There is no surcharge for groups of three or more. If you want to stay in a super five-star hotel in Bhutan, the most expensive tour can cost more than 1,000 US dollars per day. Under normal circumstances, ordinary tourists stay in A-level hotels with good conditions, equivalent to three-star hotels in our country.

Children under 3 years old are free. Children under 3-5 years old only need to pay a visa fee of US$20 and US$30 per day. Children 5 to 12 years old, half price USD 100. Students under 25 years old can enjoy a 25% discount with their student ID. For a group of 11 to 15 people, one person can enjoy half price. For groups of 16 or more people, the fee for one person is free of charge.

Fee of US$200/250: includes daily food, accommodation, transportation, tickets and tour guide. Basically, after paying the money, there is no need for other expenses in Bhutan. Of course, if tourists order soft drinks, alcohol, and laundry fees, they need to pay separately. In fact, among the 200/250 US dollars, the Bhutan Tourism Bureau will charge 65 US dollars on behalf of the country, and the remaining money will be paid into the account of the travel agency that receives you in Bhutan.

Bhutan’s strict regulations and management of tourism services have made today’s tourism industry in Bhutan a reality where tourists are truly God. After collecting the 200/250 US dollars, there will be no other charges or shopping items in Bhutan unless the tourists take the initiative to buy souvenirs. There is no free travel, just follow the guide after you get out of the airport. Food, accommodation and travel have been booked by the travel agency, so just follow along. Bhutan's tourism industry is very developed, and the hotels are in good condition, so there is no need to bring a sleeping bag.

For one or two tourists, the travel agency offers Toyota Overlord or Hyundai Tucson. If there are more than two people, it is a Toyota minibus. In Bhutan, there will never be three tourists crammed into the back seat of an SUV, and they will definitely consider the comfort of the tourists.

If it is during the peak season, especially when it comes to major festivals, you must book early, otherwise the travel agency will not be able to book a good hotel, and you will have to pay 200/250 US dollars to get a poor hotel.