Bhutan: The Country That Charges You $250 a Day to Visit

Bhutan’s Sustainable Development Fee is currently $100 per day per visitor (reduced from $250 that applied through 2023; check current rates as they change). This fee, charged on top of accommodation and tour costs, was designed specifically to limit tourist numbers and ensure that those who come contribute substantially to the national economy rather than backpacker-level spending. Whether this is the right approach is genuinely contested among tourism economists, but it has worked: Bhutan receives a fraction of the tourists that Nepal or Rajasthan attracts, the infrastructure is not overwhelmed, and the monastery landscapes feel visited rather than overrun.

All foreign visitors (except Indians) must book through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator and be accompanied by a guide. You cannot wander independently through the country. This feels restrictive and is restrictive. It also means that what you see is organised thoughtfully, your guide typically speaks excellent English and understands both Bhutanese Buddhism and the practicalities of what you’re asking about, and the experience is more coherent than independent travel in comparable South Asian countries.

Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Paro Taktsang)

This is the image of Bhutan: a monastery perched on a granite cliff face at 3,120 metres, surrounded by pine forests and prayer flags, accessible by a 2-3 hour hike through switchbacks. The 8th-century legend involves Guru Rinpoche flying here on a tigress to meditate. The current buildings were constructed in the 17th century and partially rebuilt after a 1998 fire.

The hike is genuinely strenuous at altitude, particularly for the first 30-45 minutes of ascent. A midway teahouse provides butter tea and rest. Photography is restricted inside the temple complex itself; the exterior views are unrestricted and are the main reason most people make the effort. Start early morning for the best light and fewer people. Cloud tends to settle on the cliff by mid-afternoon.

Punakha Dzong

The most architecturally impressive dzong (fortress-monastery) in Bhutan, at the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers. Punakha serves as the winter seat of the Je Khenpo (chief abbot) and houses several hundred monks. The white-walled buildings, detailed woodwork, and mountain backdrop are precisely what you expect from descriptions of Bhutan and deliver on those expectations. Visit in spring (March-April) when the jacaranda trees in the courtyard are in bloom.

Thimphu

Bhutan’s capital and largest city, approximately 100,000 people. Thimphu famously has no traffic lights; police in white gloves manage intersections, though automated lights have been installed at some junctions in recent years. The National Memorial Chorten, a golden-domed stupa in the city centre built in memory of the third king, has elderly Bhutanese circling it in morning prayer every day.

The Tashichho Dzong houses the government secretariat and the summer throne of the Je Khenpo; partially accessible to visitors.

Ema Datshi

Bhutan’s national dish is ema datshi: chillies (lots) cooked with yak or cow cheese in a sauce. It is genuinely spicy. Red rice (a nutty Bhutanese variety) and momos (steamed dumplings) are the other essentials. Most guesthouses and hotels include meals in their packages; the food is consistently good because the tour operators’ reputation depends partly on it.

Getting There

Paro International Airport is the only international airport, accessible from Bangkok, Delhi, Kathmandu, Mumbai, and Singapore. The approach to Paro, threading between Himalayan peaks in steep turns, is one of the more memorable arrivals in commercial aviation. Only Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines fly into Paro. Book well ahead, particularly for October-November (peak season for clear skies and the main festivals).