The Bhutan trip cost from India is lower than most people expect, and also harder to pin down. Indians need no visa and pay a much smaller daily fee than other visitors, but hotels, a car with driver and a licensed guide all add up, and quotes online range from ₹25,000 to over ₹1 lakh for what sounds like the same trip.
We are a licensed tour operator in Thimphu, and we regularly build INR quotes for Indian families, couples and groups. This guide shows exactly what a trip costs, line by line, so you can check any quote, including ours.
Bhutan trip cost from India at a glance
| Item | Typical cost (INR) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | Free | Indians get a free entry permit instead |
| Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) | ₹1,200 per adult per night | ₹600 for ages 6 to 11; under 6 free |
| Certified hotel, per room per night | ₹2,500 budget, ₹6,000 mid-range, ₹18,000 premium | Tourists must stay in certified hotels |
| Car with driver, per day | ₹3,000 to ₹5,500 | Sedan for 2, SUV for 3 to 4 |
| Licensed guide, per day | ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 | Per group, not per person |
| Meals, per person per day | ₹1,000 to ₹2,500 | Depends on where you eat |
| Monument entry, whole trip | About ₹2,800 per person | Tiger's Nest alone is Nu. 1,000 |
| Return flight, Delhi to Paro | ₹24,000 to ₹36,000 | Cheaper from Kolkata, Guwahati, Bagdogra |
What makes up the cost of a Bhutan trip?
Every Bhutan trip, booked yourself or through an operator, is made of the same seven parts:
- SDF: the government's nightly fee, the same for everyone.
- Hotels: the biggest variable. Tourists must stay in hotels certified by Bhutan's Department of Tourism.
- Car and driver: tourists generally cannot use public buses between districts, so you need a registered vehicle with a licensed driver.
- Guide: needed beyond Thimphu and Paro, on treks, and for visits to dzongs, temples and museums even inside those two valleys.
- Meals.
- Monument entry fees.
- Getting to Bhutan: a flight to Paro, or a train or flight to the Bhutan border followed by the road.
Since January 2026 a 5% GST applies to tour services such as hotels, transport and guiding. The SDF itself is exempt.
Bhutan trip cost per person: budget, mid-range and premium
Bhutan trip cost per person for 6 nights by trip style: budget about ₹41,000, mid-range about ₹60,000, premium about ₹1,14,000
Here is a classic 6-night trip (2 nights each in Thimphu, Punakha and Paro, including Tiger's Nest) for a couple sharing one room, one car and one guide. Costs are per person, inside Bhutan, before you add your travel to Bhutan.
| Per person, 6 nights | Budget | Mid-range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDF (₹1,200 × 6) | ₹7,200 | ₹7,200 | ₹7,200 |
| Hotel (half a room) | ₹7,500 | ₹18,000 | ₹54,000 |
| Car and driver (half, 7 days) | ₹10,500 | ₹12,250 | ₹19,250 |
| Guide (half, 7 days) | ₹5,250 | ₹7,000 | ₹8,750 |
| Meals (7 days) | ₹7,000 | ₹10,500 | ₹17,500 |
| Entry fees | ₹2,800 | ₹2,800 | ₹2,800 |
| GST at 5% on hotel, car and guide | ₹1,163 | ₹1,863 | ₹4,100 |
| Total per person | ₹41,413 | ₹59,613 | ₹1,13,600 |
Budget means simple certified 3-star hotels and local restaurants. Mid-range means comfortable 3 to 4-star hotels. Premium means the best 4 and 5-star hotels; international luxury lodges such as Aman and COMO cost far more than this.
The SDF is a small part of the total. For a mid-range trip it is about 12% of the cost in Bhutan, while the hotel is about 30%. That is why your hotel choice matters more than anything else. Read our full guide to the Bhutan SDF for Indians for child rates, exemptions and refunds.
Bhutan trip cost for 2 people, solo travellers and groups
Bhutan trip cost per person by group size: solo about ₹99,000, couple about ₹60,000, group of four about ₹51,000
The car and the guide cost the same whether one person travels or four, so your group size changes the per-person cost a lot.
| Same mid-range trip, 6 nights | Per person | Whole group |
|---|---|---|
| Solo traveller (own room, car and guide) | About ₹99,000 | About ₹99,000 |
| Couple (one room, sedan, one guide) | About ₹60,000 | About ₹1,19,000 |
| Group of four (two rooms, SUV, one guide) | About ₹51,000 | About ₹2,05,000 |
So the Bhutan trip cost for 2 people is about ₹1.2 lakh for a mid-range week inside Bhutan, or ₹83,000 on a budget. Travelling as a group of four saves each person about ₹8,000 compared with a couple, and solo travellers pay the most. Families save even more because children under 6 pay no SDF and children aged 6 to 11 pay half. Our Bhutan family tours are built around this.
How trip length changes the cost
Most Indian travellers spend 4 to 8 nights in Bhutan. Each extra night adds the SDF, a hotel night, a day of car and guide, and meals.
| Nights in Bhutan | Budget | Mid-range | Premium | Typical route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 nights | About ₹30,000 | About ₹42,000 | About ₹79,000 | Thimphu and Paro |
| 6 nights | About ₹41,000 | About ₹60,000 | About ₹1,14,000 | Thimphu, Punakha, Paro |
| 8 nights | About ₹53,000 | About ₹77,000 | About ₹1,48,000 | Add Phobjikha or Haa |
Per person, couple sharing, excluding travel to Bhutan. For 5 days and 4 nights, budget about ₹42,000 per person mid-range, plus travel.
Punakha valley, the usual third stop on a 6-night Bhutan trip from India
How much does it cost to get to Bhutan from India?
How to reach Bhutan from India: Drukair fares from Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Bagdogra, and the road route via Phuentsholing
You can fly straight into Paro or travel overland to the border at Phuentsholing.
| From | Route | How often | Typical cost per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Drukair to Paro | Daily | ₹24,000 to ₹36,000 return |
| Kolkata | Drukair to Paro | About 4 a week | ₹16,000 to ₹24,000 return |
| Guwahati | Drukair to Paro | Several a week | ₹14,000 to ₹22,000 return |
| Bagdogra | Drukair to Paro | About 2 a week | ₹12,000 to ₹18,000 return |
| Bagdogra or NJP | Taxi to Phuentsholing | Any day | ₹2,500 to ₹3,000 per car, one way |
| Kolkata | Train to Hasimara, then road | Daily trains | 3AC about ₹1,500 to ₹3,000 one way |
Flight frequencies are from Drukair's current schedule; fares change with season and how early you book. The road is much cheaper, but it usually adds a night in Phuentsholing, which means one more night of SDF and hotel, and a long mountain drive. Our guide to Bagdogra to Bhutan by road covers the route, border steps and timings.
Sample budgets for real trips
Couple from Delhi, mid-range, flying to Paro, 6 nights
- In Bhutan: about ₹60,000 each
- Return flights: about ₹24,000 to ₹36,000 each
- Total: about ₹84,000 to ₹96,000 per person, or ₹1.7 to ₹1.9 lakh for the couple
Friends from Kolkata, budget, by train and road, 6 nights
- In Bhutan: about ₹41,000 each, including one night in Phuentsholing
- Return train in 3AC and border transfers: about ₹3,000 to ₹6,500 each
- Total: about ₹44,000 to ₹48,000 per person
Family of four from Bengaluru, mid-range, 6 nights (two adults, children aged 4 and 9)
- The 4-year-old pays no SDF and the 9-year-old pays half, which saves about ₹10,800 in SDF compared with four adults.
- Fly to Kolkata or Delhi and connect to Paro; check fares for your dates.
Is a package cheaper than booking yourself?
Indians can plan a Bhutan trip independently, but you still need a certified hotel, a registered vehicle with driver and a licensed guide for most sightseeing. Booking each yourself rarely saves much, because the costs are set by the same hotels, drivers and guides operators use. What a good local operator adds is less hassle: permits applied for in advance, route permits for Punakha and beyond, a guide who meets you at the airport or border, and one itemised bill.
What to check in any package quote:
- Is the SDF shown on its own line? It should be ₹1,200 per adult per night.
- Which hotels, exactly? Ask for names, not just "3-star".
- Are meals included, and how many per day?
- Are entry fees and GST included?
- Is it a private car and guide, or shared with strangers?
Six ways to cut your Bhutan trip cost
Six ways to cut your Bhutan trip cost: group travel, low season, mixed hotels, child rates, planning around nights and itemised quotes
- Travel in a group of three or four. The car and guide cost is shared, saving each person thousands.
- Go in the low season. Monsoon and winter months often bring lower hotel rates than spring and autumn.
- Mix hotel levels. Splurge in one place, such as Paro, and stay simpler elsewhere.
- Use the child rates. Under-6s pay no SDF, ages 6 to 11 pay half, and monument fees are usually half price for children.
- Plan around nights. The SDF is charged per night, so an early arrival and late departure give you more time for the same cost.
- Ask for an itemised INR quote. Compare it line by line against the tables above.
Do Indians need a visa for Bhutan?
No. Indians need a free entry permit, issued online, at Paro airport or at a land border, on showing a valid passport or Voter ID.
Do I need a guide in Bhutan?
Yes, for most of a typical trip: beyond Thimphu and Paro, on treks, and for visits to dzongs, temples and museums. A guide costs about ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 a day, shared by your group.
Is Bhutan cheaper by road or by air?
The road is cheaper to reach, but it usually adds a night in Phuentsholing (SDF plus hotel) and a long drive. Flying to Paro costs more but saves a day.
Can I pay in Indian rupees in Bhutan?
Yes. The ngultrum is pegged 1:1 to the rupee, and Indian rupees are widely accepted.
Which is the cheapest month to visit Bhutan?
Hotel rates are often lower in the monsoon (June to August) and in mid-winter. Spring and autumn, especially festival dates, are the most expensive.
Get an itemised INR quote from Orrog
Orrog is a licensed local tour operator in Thimphu. We send Indian travellers a full INR quote with every line shown: SDF, named hotels, car, guide, meals and entry fees, with nothing hidden. Tell us your dates, group size and budget, and we will build the trip around them.
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Looking for a ready itinerary? See our Cultural Tour of Paro Valley, Thimphu tour, Punakha Valley tour or our Punakha Valley Honeymoon Retreat. On your trip, don't miss a Bhutanese hot stone bath.
All prices are estimates in Indian rupees and vary by season, hotel and group size. The SDF and entry fees are set by the Royal Government of Bhutan and can change; we review this page every quarter.