There are two airlines that operate flights in and out of Bhutan. Druk Air (also known as Royal Bhutan Airlines) is Bhutan’s national carrier and Bhutan Airlines (also known as Tashi Air) is a private airline which started operating in 2013. There is one international airport at Paro, about an hour’s drive from the capital, Thimphu. There are also some domestic routes in operation, with domestic airports at Batpalathang in Bumthang, Yongphula in eastern Bhutan (close to Tashigang) and Gelephu in the south of the country (see below). You can have a look at the schedules on the Druk Air website and the Tashi Air website to help you plan your trip.

Druk Air and Tashi Air flights can be booked online, but it is usually preferable for you to ask us to make the booking for you and we don’t charge for this service. If you buy the tickets from the airline websites you have to pay for them on purchase, whereas we can hold the seats for you for a period without commitment while we discuss your itinerary with you and you take the time to finalise your travel plans. Also, if we book the seats for you we get advance notice of timing changes, we can assist you with ticketing changes and we will also reconfirm your flights for you automatically as long as we have made the booking for you. Finally we sometimes have access to discounts which are available only to agents and not for direct bookings - we will tell you if these are on offer at the time of your trip.

You will need to arrange your own international flights to your chosen point of entry to Bhutan. You should wait until we have confirmed your reservations with Druk Air/Tashi Air before you make long haul bookings. Bear in mind also that the airline schedules for Bhutan flights are subject to frequent change, and often at very short notice. In view of this, we advise that you leave 5 to 6 hours’ connection time if possible and if you can plan an overnight stay each end of your trip before and after flying to Bhutan then so much the better. These airlines do not take any responsibility for the impact of timing changes or cancellations on any other flight reservations, and we also cannot do so, which means that you will have to bear the cost of any changes to your travel plans caused by changes to the Bhutan airline schedules.

ROUTINGS

The main airports that can be used to fly in and out of Paro are Delhi, Kathmandu, Bangkok, Singapore and Calcutta. There are also flights from Dubai, Dhaka, Bagdogra and Guwahati.

Bangkok flights are usually daily each way with both airlines (and at busy times there are two or three flights a day).  Delhi and Kathmandu flights tend to be almost daily each way (or sometimes twice daily at the peak of the season). Calcutta flights run around 5 times a week with Druk Air and with Tashi Air; and Singapore flights are twice a week with Druk Air. Flights from Dhaka, Bagdogra and Guwahati are usually twice a week in each direction.

Druk Air uses airbuses which seat from 118 to 140 passengers with 16 to 20 business class seats and an ATR that seats around 40 passengers with 8 business class seats.  Tashi Air has two airbuses with 122 seats (including 20 business class seats).

FLIGHT TIMINGS

1. Timings vary depending on whether the flight is direct or has a touchdown, but are broadly as follows:
2. Bangkok – Paro: 3 hours and 15 minutes (or 4 to 4 and a half hours with touchdown) 
3. Bagdogra – Paro: 30 minutes
4. Calcutta – Paro: 55 minutes
5. Delhi – Paro: 2 hours and 20 minutes (or 3 hours and 20 minutes with touchdown)
6. Dhaka – Paro: 55 minutes
7. Dubai - Paro: 4 hours and 30 minutes
8. Guwahati – Paro: 55 minutes
9. Kathmandu – Paro: 55 minutes
10. Singapore – Paro: 5 hours and 55 minutes (with touchdown)
11. If you would like more precise information about flight timings or options please ask and we will be happy to explain further.

FLIGHT PRICES

The price of Druk Air and Tashi Air flights is charged on top of the tour price. Current rates for return flights in economy class as at April 2025 are around US$445 (Kathmandu), US$570 (Delhi), US$935 (Bangkok), US$410 (Calcutta), US$1425 (Dubai) and US$1065 (Singapore). However, the seats are priced in local currency but must be paid for in US$, so the price fluctuates daily and the final price can only be confirmed on issuing the tickets. As a result, the initial quote we give you for the flights will always be indicative only.

Discounted fares are available for children.

TICKETING

The ticketing system used by the airlines allows us to hold seats for a period so you have time to decide on your dates and organise your international flights before we have to issue the tickets. For travel dates which are more than 45 days away, the ticketing date will typically be 30 to 90 days from the date of booking, depending on availability. If seats are still available on the flight we can keep extending the reservation for further periods of 15 or 30 days until the flight fills up and we have to issue the tickets. For travel dates less than 45 days away the ticketing date will usually be around 15 to 30 days from the date of booking (depending on flight capacity) but again can be extended if seats remain available. For travel dates within 14 days, the ticketing date will be just a few days ahead so we can only hold seats for a short period before ticketing.

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE

The baggage allowance is usually 30 kg in economy class and 40 kg in business class, although this may differ depending on the routing, so you should check your ticket. For domestic flights the allowance is 20kg. You can find more detailed information on baggage allowances for Druk Air here and Tashi Air here.

TRAVELLING OVERLAND

It is also possible to enter or leave Bhutan by road via Phuntsholing which is on the Indian border in the south-west corner of Bhutan. This allows you to combine a trip to Bhutan with some time in Darjeeling or Sikkim. Phuntsholing is three or four hours’ drive from the nearest Indian airport at Bagdogra in West Bengal, and about five hours’ drive from Thimphu. It may also be possible to enter or leave in the south-eastern corner of the country at Samdrup Jongkhar. From Samdrup Jongkhar it is about a three hour drive to Guwahati in Assam, which has flights to and from a number of Indian cities.

Domestic flights started operating in Bhutan in 2012, offering flights from Paro to Bumthang and to Yongphola in eastern Bhutan and return. Flights to and from Gelephu are also sometimes available. While we will be happy to consider this option for clients who request it, we are not actively promoting it for a number of reasons.

In particular, there are no vehicles or guides and drivers readily available in Bumthang or the east, so all services have to be sourced from the capital, Thimphu. This presents logistical difficulties in arranging a tour which includes an internal flight and also leads to additional costs arising from the provision of duplicate services.

If you are still keen to consider including an internal flight in your itinerary, please note the following points:

• The schedule varies, but flights are not always daily (depending on the time of year), so we would need to fit the itinerary to the domestic flight schedule.
• The schedule is not 100% reliable. It is not unusual for flights to be cancelled because of weather delays or technical problems, and of course, we have no control over this.
• The drive between Bumthang and Paro takes around 7–8 hours, and if your flight is cancelled, you may have no alternative but to drive this distance in one day to avoid missing your international flight (or missing out on your planned itinerary if you are flying in the opposite direction). If coming from the east, then the drive would take 2 to 3 days, and there would be additional accommodation costs to cover.
• Usually, we arrange for your guide to fly with you to provide continuity (although you would need to cover the cost of this as well as your own tickets). However, your car and driver will take time to return west, so they will not be available for you on your arrival back in Paro. This means we have to provide a substitute car and driver, and of course, we have to make an additional charge for this. The same applies if you are flying from Paro to central or eastern Bhutan, as we have to send your car and driver a couple of days ahead to be ready to meet you, so we will have to provide a replacement car and driver for you on arrival in Paro before you depart on the domestic flight.

In view of the above, the use of internal flights is not totally risk and cost-free, so you should think carefully about whether you want to use this option - we will be happy to discuss this with you further to help you decide what will work best.

Accommodation in Bhutan ranges from basic to luxurious – we’re happy to recommend suitable hotels for you depending on your taste and budget.

Broadly speaking there are three options: standard hotels, luxury hotels, and standard hotels with upgrades.

For more details, contact us for a copy of our guide to hotel accommodation in Bhutan.

STANDARD HOTELS

Standard hotels are generally comfortable and characterful but can be fairly basic, especially as you travel further east. In the main tourist destinations, they are of three-star standard and have rooms with private bathrooms, hot water (at least at some stage during the day), telephone, and electricity.

Plumbing is not always up to the standard you may be used to and the standard-level hotels don’t have central heating. Heaters of some sort will generally be provided, but you may find yourself making good use of thermal underwear and thick socks!

Standard hotels are included in your daily rate. Standard hotels with upgrades offer larger rooms, perhaps a better view or a bit of extra comfort and are available in the main towns from US$25 – US$50 a night (or more for some higher room categories).

LUXURY HOTELS

If you are hankering after a bit of luxury, you could treat yourself to a stay at one of the 5-star establishments. These include Uma Paro, Hotel Zhiwaling and Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary in Paro, Pemako and The Postcard Dewa in Thimphu, Uma Punakha in Punakha as well as Pemako and andBeyond (both offering tented lodges), Gangtey Lodge in Gangtey and Amankora and Six Senses (in Paro, Punakha, Thimphu, Gangtey, and Bumthang).

Other than Zhiwaling, these are mainly overseas owned, resulting from a government decision to allow limited foreign investment in Bhutan. All offer something quite different from any local accommodation - but be prepared to pay for the privilege! If you are interested in sampling the delights of these hotels let us know and we can arrange it for you.

There are other mid-level luxury hotels available (although only Thimphu has a good range of 4-star options) - please ask us for details.

HOME STAYS

At the other end of the spectrum, Blue Poppy can arrange for you to spend a night in a traditional Bhutanese farmhouse. The facilities are very basic, often with just a mattress on the floor, and there may not be an internal bathroom. This is not for everyone, but some of our clients find it an interesting experience and it will give you the opportunity to get an insight into traditional village life and try locally cooked food. You can also have a cooking lesson and join in the preparation of the evening meal. Ask us if you want to include this in your itinerary.

The rules for visiting Bhutan changed dramatically in June 2022 and the old system that had applied since tourism first started in the 1970s was withdrawn. Under the new system, visitors to Bhutan have to pay a sustainable development fee (SDF) to the Bhutan government in order to be issued a visa. Initially, this was set at US$200 per person per night, but in August 2023 it was reduced and the current rate is US$100 per person per night. The SDF is intended to be used to promote carbon-neutral tourism, to support the building of a more sustainable tourism sector, and to support the education and health of local citizens.

The price for the tour is charged on top of the SDF and covers the cost of all the services Blue Poppy will provide for you, including guide, driver, transport, standard (3-star) accommodation, food, sightseeing, and festival visits. Additional supplements are payable for treks and some other activities and for accommodation upgrades. Our pricing is based on a “daily rate” which varies depending on how many in the group. Please contact us for a personalised quote.

TOURS

Discounts on the tour price are available for the following groups of travellers:

• Children up to the age of 5 years travel free.
• Children from age 5 to 11 years accompanied by guardians are given a 50% discount on the sustainable development fee to US$50 per night, and we will also offer a reduced rate for the tour – contact us for details.
• There are currently no discounts available for students, for larger groups, or for longer stays.

FLIGHTS

Druk Air and Tashi Air also offer discounts on flight prices for children:

• Children under the age of 2 pay 10% of the seat price plus taxes.
• Children under the age of 12 pay 67% of the seat price plus taxes.

The following items are covered by your tour payment:

GUIDE

1. - personal guide for the group throughout the tour from arrival to departure.

SIGHTSEEING

1. - all sightseeing and entrance fees, including any festival visits.

TRANSPORT

1. - four-wheel drive car (4 seats, including guide and driver) or for larger groups a minibus - 9 seats.
2. - meet on arrival, airport transfers on arrival and departure, and all overland transport within Bhutan.

ACCOMMODATION

1. - accommodation in standard hotels - twin sharing.
2. - a single room is provided without further supplement for those traveling alone or when there is an odd number in the group. Otherwise, a single supplement is payable for group members who would otherwise be twin sharing.

FOOD

1. - full board throughout the trip in local hotels and restaurants.

If you are upgrading to luxury accommodation we will confirm which meals are included in the quoted room rate. Other meals and services that you take at these hotels can be paid for separately on check out.

TREKKING

1. – (if applicable) - all facilities and staff required on trek including guide, cook, camp helpers, horsemen, and horses to carry luggage and tents. Tents provided include sleeping, dining and cook tents and toilet tent. We provide thin mattresses but you need to bring your own sleeping bag and a pillow or extra mattress as required for additional comfort.
2. Note that the Bumdra trek uses a fixed camp which has more comfortable accommodation than on other treks, but the campsite is shared with other trekkers. (We can also arrange a private camp, but the facilities would be more basic.) The luxury campsite offers a private sleeping tent with a bed (made up with linen and a duvet cover), carpeted floor, lighting and a bedside table, kitchen and dining tents and toilet and shower facilities. For this camp, sleeping bags are not needed, but you may wish to bring an inner liner.

VISAS AND PERMITS

EXCLUSIONS

The following are not included in the tour price:

• Flights
• Items of a personal nature, such as souvenirs, laundry, and tips
• Soft drinks and alcohol
• Mineral water in hotels and restaurants (but water is provided in your vehicle)
• Insurance

Payment for your trip is usually made in US$ via bank transfer.  On receipt of funds in Bhutan the payment is transferred to the government account, as explained further below.

We will provide you with all the information needed to make the transfer once your choice of trip is confirmed. We ask for payment 90 days in advance of the tour to give us plenty of time to finalise the arrangements for your booking. We don’t require payment of a deposit unless you are using luxury accommodation, or if you are visiting in peak season when we may need to issue your flight tickets as much as 6 months or more beforehand (if the flight has filled up). In that case we will ask you to send a deposit for the luxury accommodation and/or payment for the flight tickets as appropriate at an earlier stage.

Once we receive notification from the bank that your payment has arrived we will send you a formal trip confirmation and receipt.

ADMIN FEE

A US$30 administration fee is charged when processing your payment to cover bank charges and other processing costs.

ONLINE PAYMENT OPTIONS

We can offer the option to make payment for your trip by credit or debit card via an online payment link. Please let us know if you wish to use this facility and we can provide details. Please note that in place of the US$30 administration fee applicable if you send funds to Bhutan by bank transfer, there is a 5% service fee charged to cover the costs of arranging access to this service.

SECURITY

Whether you make payment by bank transfer or via the online payment link, on receipt of your money in Bhutan your funds are not transferred to Blue Poppy but are retained by the bank in a foreign currency account to which we do not have direct access. The funds for the SDF will be released to the Department of Tourism and amounts for flight tickets and luxury hotels will be released as necessary, but the remainder of your payment will be held in the government account and will not be released to Blue Poppy until after your tour. This provides you with the security of knowing that your money is safe until your holiday takes place. If for any reason the trip doesn’t go ahead then the government will not give your money to Blue Poppy but will return it to you (subject to any cancellation charges which apply if you have cancelled the trip). So in the unlikely event that we do not run your trip for you, you would not be out of pocket.

Please note that if you decide to book with Blue Poppy you will be booking with us as a local Bhutanese tour operator, licensed and registered in Bhutan, subject to regulation by the Bhutan Ministry of Economic Affairs and a member of ABTO (the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators). Any disputes regarding your booking are to be resolved by arbitration under the laws of Bhutan. Our office in London acts purely as facilitator in corresponding with you regarding your booking on behalf of Blue Poppy in Bhutan.

Your passport needs to have at least 6 months’ validity calculated from the date on which you plan to leave Bhutan. You will also need to make sure that you have a spare page for a visa for Bhutan, as well as space for the visas for any countries you are visiting en route. If you need to get a new passport please do so well before your planned trip so that there is no delay in applying for your Bhutanese visa.

You will need to fill in a form for us with some personal information, and send us a scanned copy of the identity page of your passport (preferably in colour) together with a passport-sized photo (on a clear white background). We will apply for your visa for you once your funds have arrived in Bhutan. Visas are usually authorised in the month before your trip, so long as funds have been received in full at that point.

We will send you a copy of your e-visa once authorised and you will need to carry this with you as you will need to produce it both to the airline on check in and then again when you reach Paro where the actual visa will be stamped into your passport on arrival.  Please note that if you are not carrying a copy of the e-visa you will not be able to board the plane to Paro. Please make sure you remember to take it with you to avoid disappointment.

If you come in overland the process is similar and you need to have your visa authorised in the same way.  Your actual visa will be stamped in your passport when you arrive at the border at Phuntsholing (or Samdrup Jongkhar).

Don’t forget to make enquiries about visa requirements for any countries you are passing through en route even if you are only in transit, but you don’t need visas if your Bhutan flight has a touchdown as you will not be disembarking.

On the same latitude as Miami and Cairo, Bhutan has a climate that varies with altitude. The southern border near India is tropical with a hot, humid climate, while the Himalayan mountains in the north are blanketed with snow almost all year round. Unless you are trekking, most of your time will be spent in the central region between the two. You can get specific information here about temperatures in Bhutan.

There are two main seasons for visiting Bhutan, both of which offer the chance to visit festivals and to trek. The first is in the Spring (March to June). This is the season for wonderful flowers and birds, the days are warm and the mountain peaks are still visible for much of the time. Daytime temperatures in the main centres you are likely to be visiting are around 17 to 22 degrees Celsius, increasing through the season. It can even get much hotter - up to 28 or 30 degrees, especially in low-lying areas such as Punakha or Wangdi. But nights can still be cool at this time of year, especially early in the season.

The other good time to visit Bhutan is Autumn (September to November) when there is much less rain, the skies are clear and the drying of chillies on the roofs of houses provides a very photogenic sight. In September, it is slightly wetter with the tail end of monsoon, with rainfall reducing as you go through the season. September temperatures will be between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius, with pleasant temperatures at night, reducing by about 5 degrees during October/November when nights will also become cool again. If trekking at altitude you need to be prepared for much lower temperatures than are mentioned here.

Summer (July and August) is the monsoon season which means heavy rains, especially in the south. Mountains disappear behind the clouds and the valleys are shrouded in mist. Landslides are frequent occurrences and can cause communication and transport difficulties. However, we don’t actively discourage travel during this season, because it is still a good time to visit Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and surrounding areas in western Bhutan, as long as you are prepared for rain. Striking sights at this time of year are the electric-green rice paddies against a background of the dark forests. In late summer wild orchids are abundant. Summer temperatures will be from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, cooler in the evenings.

Winter (December to February) can be very cold, although December can be a pleasant time to visit western Bhutan, with dry, clear days, good views and plenty of midday sun. Temperatures reach an average of 15 degrees Celsius in the valleys (although nights are much colder, sometimes below freezing). Snow is frequent from mid-January to mid-February.

Although delays on Bhutanese airlines are not uncommon, it is quite rare for a flight to be cancelled altogether. However in extreme circumstances the flight may be delayed until the following day. In that case the airline will be responsible for making arrangements for board and lodging for you for that night.

If you are unfortunate enough to miss a day at the start of your trip we will do what we can to assist by refunding you what we can from that day’s payment, based on whatever is not yet spent and what we can recover for you. For example, we would apply to the government to waive the sustainable development fee for the lost day and we would also do what we can to minimise the charges for the hotel for the lost night. Other costs such as provision of a guide, driver and vehicle will already have been incurred and it will not be possible for us to cancel these at the last minute, so we will not be able to refund your payment for that day in full, but we will do our best to return to you as much as we can in the circumstances.

If your return flight is delayed then you are in a better position! Usually the airline will arrange the additional accommodation for you and if you want to keep your guide and driver for the additional time you are in Bhutan we will do our best to arrange this (if they are not already booked elsewhere). We will make these additional arrangements at the best price we can for you, which we will discuss and agree at the time.

You will be responsible for arranging any necessary changes to your onward international flights. Please note that we cannot be liable for any additional costs or expenses you may incur in relation to your onward travel arrangements by reason of a delay with your Druk Air or Tashi Air flights. We can also not take responsibility for any impact on your planned schedule for your Bhutan trip as a result of any changes in the airline schedules or timing changes for your Druk Air or Tashi Air flights.

You should bear in mind that it is not at all uncommon for Bhutanese airlines to change their schedules at short notice, with a consequent impact on international connections, so it is advisable to leave plenty of time (as much as five or six hours if possible, but preferably an overnight) between your Bhutan flight and your international flight at each end of the trip.

Once booked, Blue Poppy tours that are cancelled are subject to the following cancellation charges:

• Earlier than 30 days before the start of the tour programme: 10% of the rates
• Between 30 and 21 days before the start: 20% of the rates
• Between 21 and 14 days before the start: 25% of the rates
• Between 14 and 7 days before the start: 40% of the rates
• Less than 7 days before the start or cancellation without notice: 60% of the rates
• After arrival in Bhutan: 100% of the rates.

If you cancel your tour after you have sent payment then we will process your refund in accordance with the above list of charges.

We advise you take out insurance to cover the risk of having to cancel your trip for medical or other reasons - every year we have two or three groups who end up having to cancel after they have already paid for their trips, sometimes as little as a day or so before they fly, and it is an expensive venture if you don’t have insurance to cover the costs incurred.

Sometimes it may be possible to postpone the tour instead of cancelling - we can discuss the options with you if this idea appeals. Note however, that once postponed past the date of the original trip the above cancellation conditions will no longer apply and the payments you have made for the tour and flights will no longer be refundable on the same basis, so you should not take this option unless you believe that you will go ahead with the trip on the new dates.

Finally, note that if you have booked any nights in luxury accommodation, then the cancellation terms differ according to the hotel. Generally speaking, once full payment is due on these hotels (around 30 days to 60 days before the date of stay) then no refund is available on cancellations after this point - we can provide further details of the precise terms on request.

The airlines’ refund policies vary depending on the type of ticket. Note that time periods for assessing refunds are calculated from when notification is received at the airline, so there may be delays depending on opening times for their office.

When we first reserve seats for you we will be given a ticketing date. We can continue to extend this for further periods until the flight is full at which point we need to issue the tickets to maintain the reservations for you. Until the tickets have been issued there is no penalty if you decide to release the seats.

CHANGES

Once tickets have been issued, date changes can be made up to 4 days beforehand (2 days before in business class) on payment of a US$20 administration charge. Thereafter, the charge for a no-show or late change of date is US$50. Rerouting of full fare tickets is permitted once, up to 3 days before departure, but the ticket will then be stamped non-reroutable and non-refundable. Route changes to a sector with a lower airfare attract a US$25 administration fee but no refund is given for the fare difference. No fee applies to route changes to a sector with a higher fare, but the fare difference must be paid.

Please note that both Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines (Tashi Air) reserve the right to make changes to the timing of flights at short notice and take no responsibility for any impact such changes have on either international flight tickets or connection times for your Bhutan flights. You need to bear this in mind when selecting a non-refundable and non-reroutable flight option.

REFUNDS

Please note that in the unfortunate event that you have to cancel your flight tickets we will do what we can to facilitate any rebooking or processing of a request for a refund, but we are reliant on the airline to action any requests. While we will do our best to assist you, we cannot commit to do more than what the airline will agree to according to their rules. The basic rules are as follows:

FULL FARE TICKETS

If you ask us to cancel the reservation altogether the refund available will be calculated according to the policy of the relevant airline as at the issue of the tickets. Please ask us if you want up to date details, as they change from time to time.

The current refund policy for Druk Air as of April 2025 is as follows:

• 90% refund for tickets cancelled 30 days or more before the date of travel
• 75% refund for tickets cancelled between 29 days and 10 days before the date of travel
• 50% refund permitted for tickets cancelled between 9 days and 4 days before the date of travel (or 2 days in business class)
• No refund for tickets cancelled 3 days or less before the date of travel (or 1 day in business class)
• In each case an administration charge of US$25 applies

The current refund policy for Tashi Air as of April 2025 is as follows:

• 100% refund for tickets cancelled 31 days or more before the date of travel
• 75% refund for tickets cancelled between 30 days and 11 days before the date of travel
• 50% refund permitted for tickets cancelled between 10 days and 72 hours before travel
• No refund for tickets cancelled less than 72 hours before travel
• In each case an administration charge of US$25 applies

LOW SEASON REDUCED FARE TICKETS

Low season is June to August and December to February. Discounted fares are sometimes available. The rules vary from season to season, so please ask for details.

Different terms may apply in respect of changes and cancellation for tickets issued with the benefit of the low season discount.