If you want to get an idea of how much money it would “officially cost” to visit Bhutan, you can fill in your travel dates and the number of people that will be traveling.
Please see the notes section below for some important information. This calculator does not apply to regional tourists (from India, Bangladesh, or Maldives).
Notes
Minimum Amount
The official minimum tour payment for visiting Bhutan is $200 per night per person for nights during the of January, February, June, July, August, or December (known as the low season) and $250 per night per person for the rest of the year (known as the high season).
In addition to the minimum tour payment, visitors must also pay a $40 visa fee as part of their payment. Without sufficient payment remitted, visas will not be approved by the government of Bhutan.
Services Provided
For your minimum tour payment, guests receive the following:
- 3 Star Accommodation for all nights in Bhutan
- All Meals
- An English Speaking License Tour Guide
- All Internal Ground Transportation
Maximum Amount
The rate that a tour operator can charge has no maximum. Trips involving stays in high class accommodations such as suites, 4 or 5 star hotels, non-English speaking guides, or trekking will often exceed the minimum payment.
Discounts
There are a handful of discounts available but the calculator I have provided here only considers the duration discount.
- No charges for children until 5 except the visa fee.
- Children between 5 and 12 can receive a 50% discount on the price.
- Students below the age of 25 can receive a 25% discount on the price.
- In a group of 11 people, one person can receive a 50% discount.
- In a group of 17 people, one person gets a free trip.
- Between the 9th and 14th night, there is a $32.50 per person per night discount.
- After the 14th night, there is a $65 per person per night discount.
Surcharges
A single person is required to pay a supplement of $40 per night and a group of two people are required to pay a supplement of $30 per night per person.
Foreign Agent Commission
The prices (200 and 250) are the official published rates to visit Bhutan but they include a margin of 10% that is to be used as a commission for agents in foreign countries to sell packages. Some tour operators might reduce a direct customer’s price by 10% (to 180 and 225). This is not suppose to be happening as it undercuts the agent abroad ability to sell packages but we are quite certain that it does actually happen.
Undercutting
Selling packages at a price of less than the net rate is not legal. If you have received offers from a tour operator who is practicing undercutting, you are advised to avoid that tour operator. If the tour operator is found to be selling Bhutan for less than the official rate, then the operator’s license would be revoked and guests visas would be rejected.