Step by step guide for traveling to Bhutan

Step 1: Decide when to go.

Do some research on Internet or ask your friends and family members who have been to Bhutan before, if any, while deciding when to visit Bhutan. Some factors such as weather conditions, seasons, special discounts or offers may determine your time to visit Bhutan.

The best recommended months are March, April, May, September, October and November but despite these best months, visiting Bhutan is manageable all year round. Winter season (December, January and February) is also a best time to visit Bhutan.

It is advisable that you plan your Bhutan holiday at least a month or two earlier, so that everything can be arranged smoothly starting from flight tickets, tour money transfer, visa applications and logistic arrangements.

Step 2: Decide where to go and what to do in Bhutan.

After deciding your traveling dates, check out for few interesting destinations, attractions and activities that you want to undergo in Bhutan. Western and northern central region of Bhutan receives around 90 percent of its visitor. This is because most of the tourists attracting sites and facilities are located at these regions. Some of Bhutan’s tourists attracting sites are Taktsang monastery (Paro district), Memorial Chorten (Thimphu district), Punakha Dzong (Punakha district), Gangtey valley (Wangduephodrang district) and Bumthang valley (Bumthang district).

With more than 80 percent of its visitors coming for cultural sightseeing tours, Bhutan is definitely a cultural destination.

Besides cultural sightseeing, Bhutan is also a trekking destination. It has around 20 trekking trails, some requiring climbing over 17,000 feet above sea level and few are considered amongst the world’s toughest routes to trek on.

Festivals are another attraction for Bhutan. Different types of festivals are celebrated in Bhutan throughout the year and among this, Tshechus are the most celebrated festival in Bhutan. It is celebrated throughout Bhutan in different villages, monasteries, Dzongs (fortresses) and Lhakhangs (temples). During this festival (Tshechu), different kinds of mask dances which are mostly influenced by Buddhist culture are put on the show by local communities.

Other activities that one can mix up with cultural sightseeing and festival tours are white water rafting and bicycling. Despite Bhutan being entirely located on Himalayan mountain ranges, Mountain climbing activities are forbidden in Bhutan.

Visit www.bhutantourinformation.com to find more tour packages.

Step 3: Select your Bhutan Tour Operator (See Bhutan Travels)

All the tourists visiting Bhutan, except regional (Indian, Bangladeshis and Maldivians) have to book their tour through a licensed Bhutanese Tour operators (like See Bhutan Travels) by law.

While choosing your Bhutan tour operator, kindly check their registration with Tourism Council of Bhutan for authentication. To check registration for See Bhutan Travels – Click Here .

Once you have chosen See Bhutan Travels as your tour operator, do mail us at info@seebhutantravels.com / seebhutantravels@gmail.com or fill up the contact us form provided in our website and send us. We will get back to you via email within an hour with all the details such as tour itineraries, flight details and tour price.

Step 4: Book your flight tickets.

Finalize your Bhutan tour at the earliest and book your flight tickets to Bhutan. With only two airlines operating, flight tickets to Bhutan during peak tourist seasons are booked out for months. You can directly check and buy your flight tickets online or ask us (See Bhutan Travels) to book on your behalf. For details regarding online booking, visit www.drukair.com or www.bhutanairlines.com.

Paro international airport (PBH) is the only international airport in Bhutan. It is located 65 km west of Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. Some of the international destinations from where you can get into Bhutan are Bangkok (Thailand), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Katmandu (Nepal), Singapore, Delhi (India), Kolkata (India), Guwahati (India) and Bagdogra (India).

Step 5: Confirm your tour; wire transfer your tour payment in full

Once you have confirmed your Bhutan tour with See Bhutan Travels, transfer your full tour payment to Tourism Council of Bhutan’s bank account.  Click here to view the banking details to wire transfer your tour money to Bhutan from various parts of the world.

All the tourists visiting Bhutan must transfer their entire tour payment prior to their arrival in Bhutan. Your visa to Bhutan will not be processed without receiving your full tour payment in advance. No credit cards, debit cards or visa cards are accepted to transfer your tour money to Bhutan; it must be wired transferred through a bank.

Along with your tour payment mail us a scanned copy of your passport (photo page) with a minimum validity of 6 months from your expected departure date from Bhutan.

Step 6: Get your visa approval; welcome to Bhutan.

After receiving your tour payment in full and a scammed copy of your passport (photo page), we will apply for your Bhutan visa through an online system to Tourism Council of Bhutan.

After cross checking with your passport and tour payment, Tourism Council of Bhutan will then issue your visa clearance letter within 72 working hours. Once approved, we will mail you the copy of your visa clearance letter. On showing this visa clearance letter, your actual visa will be stamped into your passport at the port of entry.

Click here to view a sample of Bhutan visa clearance letter

Now with Bhutan visa clearance letter and flight tickets in your hand, you are set to visit Bhutan. Welcome to Bhutan!!!