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Is Bhutan Worth The $250 Per Night Fee?

The first question you’ll undoubtedly ask yourself before taking the plunge and booking your trip to Bhutan is:

“Will this trip really be worth the $250 per night?”

I asked myself this very question for months leading up to the moment I actually booked the trip.

Because I went during low season (December-February and June-August) I only had to pay $200 per night as opposed to $250.

However, because I was a solo traveler I also had to pay $40 extra per night (groups of two will have to pay an extra $30 per day) + $40 for my Bhutan visa.

Not only that, but my flights to and from Bhutan via Bangkok were $860 total.

And that doesn’t include the $650 I paid for my round trip flights between NYC and Bangkok (a great deal I found on Air China, which is why I went during low season).

So in total, not including souvenirs, extra personal expenses and expenses in Thailand (where I spent a few days before heading to Bhutan to make my layover worthwhile), I paid:

$3,710 for a 9-night/10-day trip to Bhutan

… about the equivalent of what it would cost to backpack around Latin America for an entire summer.

One quick tip before we continue:

Grab my free Ultimate Travel Planning Kit — which also includes a downloadable Google Map of my full Bhutan itinerary.

Add the map to your phone to have it ready to go for your trip!

Yes, Bhutan can be expensive, but let’s look at this more closely.

One misconception some travelers have, or at least I did, is what all this money goes toward.

Instead of thinking of the $250 as a “fee,” think of it as all-inclusive admission.

This includes all your hotels, three enormous meals per day, a private guide, private transportation and attraction admissions.

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Looking out over Lobesa
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One of the world’s highest Buddhas at Buddha Point, Thimphu

Moreover, 35% of what you pay goes to the government to fund efforts like free education, free healthcare (visitors get free medical in Bhutan, too), conservation efforts and infrastructure.

So, not only are you paying for your inclusive Bhutan travel experience; you’re supporting the local people and traveling responsibly.

But, that still doesn’t answer the question whether or not Bhutan is worth the $250 per night.

I know you’re going to hate me for saying this, but the answer is:

It depends.

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A typical lunch in Bhutan

Let me explain.

If you’re the type of traveler who needs 5-star luxury and expects gourmet meals for that price,  Bhutan isn’t for you.

You can definitely get more luxurious accommodations, but you’ll pay $1,400+ per night.

If you want polished cities and hipster hoods, or if driving for long hours around curving potholed mountain roads sounds painful, Bhutan isn’t for you.

That being said, if you want to:

  • Experience authentic culture untouched by Western influence
  • Visit grand temples with golden Buddhas sitting taller than your house
  • Stay on a local farm and help milk cows
  • Take in panoramic views of the Himalayas
  • See women hand-weaving traditional garments and paper being made by hand using high altitude Daphne tree
  • Hear stories of Bhutanese masters slaying demons with their penises
  • Learn the importance of calming one’s mind and ridding oneself of greed and hatred
  • Experience a government more focused on preserving tradition and nature than wealth
  • Munch on homemade rice puffs handed to you through a village window as a friendly gesture
  • Meet people who have no idea what their birthday is
  • and fill up on chili-laced buffets served by smiling locals offering Bhutanese hospitality…

then the price will be well worth it.

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Phalluses are everywhere near the origins in the Chimi Lhakhang monastery

I’m sure you’ve read plenty of blog posts touting Destination X as being “unlike anywhere else,” but seriously, Bhutan really fits the description.

Sure, the younger generations in the capital of Thimphu enjoy their smartphones.

But you’ll still stroll through a charmingly weathered city with buildings made from local stone and clay, hand-painted with Buddhist images like dragons, lotus flowers and offering vessels, colorful prayer flags billowing mantras in the wind.

You’ll head into smaller villages where people walk for days to get their groceries from high in the mountains.

You’ll see houses adorned with wooden phalluses and animal skulls to ward off evil, where women carry bamboo baskets of grass to feed their cattle and men practice slash and burn farming in fields of rice, wheat and broccoli (and marijuana, which grows plentiful in Bhutan).

Bhutan: Unlike Anywhere Else

To prove just how unique Bhutan is, I’ve got a video:

Watch it for an overview of what makes Bhutan unlike any other place in the world.

You’ll quickly understand why Bhutan is so pricey — and why it just may be worth the splurge for you.

Plus, you’ll see some of my favorite Bhutan trip photos.

If you’d like in-depth explanations of each point made in the video, click here.

Bonus Bhutan Travel Resources:

What Everyone Should Know About Planning A Trip To Bhutan

How To Hike To Bhutan’s Breathtaking Tiger’s Nest

13 Things That Make Bhutan Unlike Any Place In The World

6 Highs & 6 Lows From A Trip To Bhutan

Exploring Bhutan’s Phobjikha Valley, Land Of The Rare Black-Necked Crane

Exploring Jakar, The Switzerland Of Bhutan

There’s A Place In Bhutan That Is Obsessed With Penises

10 Amazing & Immersive Experiences To Have In Thimphu, Bhutan

10 Reasons Why Bhutan Should Be Your Next Travel Destination

venice italy experiences
Click here to grab your FREE Ultimate Travel Planning Kit! It includes a Google Map of my full Bhutan itinerary.

Have you visited Bhutan? What is your opinion on the prices of the Bhutan visa and travel packages? 

Essential Bhutan Travel Info:

Recommended Tour Operator: I went with Bhutan Tourister and had an unbelievable time. I highly recommend them. Please use this booking form for inquiries.

Booking Your Trip: By law, tourists visiting Bhutan must have a guide and must pay an all-inclusive rate of $200-$250 per night (low vs high season) + airfare + $40 Bhutan visa fee (unless you’re an Indian, Bangladeshis or Maldivian national) + $30-$40 nightly tariff for duo and solo travelers. This includes your private guide, 3-star lodging, three (huge!) meals per day and ground transfers.

Responsible Tourism: Making it more difficult to visit Bhutan limits the amount of tourists entering the country, helping to preserve the landscape and traditional culture. Moreover, 35% of what you pay goes to the government to put toward free education and healthcare, infrastructure and conservation.

Health: Healthcare is free for locals and visitors in Bhutan. I didn’t encounter any hotels with gyms, so if you’re looking to stay in shape I recommend Yoga Download (900+ yoga classes right on your laptop or phone), TheraBands (inexpensive resistance bands that take up virtually no luggage space) and a FitBit wristband (encourages you to be healthy and is stylish).

Paying For Your Trip: As a points-obsessed traveler, it stung not be able to pay for the trip with my credit card. To pay for your trip you’ll need to transfer the funds in US dollars to the tourism board’s bank account. The fee for me personally through Bank of America was $45 for the transfer, though they were kind enough to waive it for me as I’m a preferred client, so that was sweet. You can easily make the transfer online if you do online banking.

Language: Dzongkha & English

Local Currency: Ngultrum (Nu). As of February 2016, 1 Nu= $0.01.

Tipping: I tipped my guide the equivalent of $10/day, as I read $8-$10/day was the norm on numerous forums and travel agency sites.

Internet: Most of the hotels I stayed at had pretty decent Wi-Fi, though there was one that said they had Wi-Fi and it didn’t work. Homestays will likely not have Wi-Fi. If you want to stay connected I recommend getting a local SIM card from TashiCell, which cost about $10 for the SIM and 10 days of credit (depending how much you’ll use it, I had lots of credit left over but I didn’t use mine much), or a KnowRoaming Global SIM Sticker to affix to your regular SIM for local rates.

Food: If you like heat, you’ll love the chili-laden Bhutanese food, though many hotels cater to tourists with more general meat and veggie dishes. I was never hungry, as portions are huge and heavy, typically featuring a heaping bowl of red rice with pasta, potatoes, fish, cheese-topped chilies, cheese-topped mushrooms, turnip flowers and other meats and veggies. That being said the food won’t be what you write home about; it’ll be the well-preserved culture and heritage as well as the beautiful mountainous, green landscapes, 72% of which are covered in forest, unlike anywhere else.

Booze/Tobacco/Weed: Bhutan is a booze-friendly country (the small capital of Thimphu has 700 bars alone), though note the country is dry on Tuesdays, which is also the day many sites and shops are closed. Despite growing plentifully weed is illegal, and tobacco is illegal to sell. You can bring your own cigarettes purchased from another country, but be prepared to pay a 200% tax on them at customs.

Plugs: The outlets varied at the hotels. In some I was able to plug a standard USA-style plug into the wall, while at others I needed the European two-prong kind. Click here for a visual. It’s recommended to get a TravelMore International Travel Adapter with USB ports so you can charge multiple devices with one gadget.

Dress: While it won’t cause an uproar if you wear a tank top and shorts, it’s a respectful gesture to keep shoulders and knees covered when not in your hotel room. This is mandatory in the local temples (as well as no hats!) which you’ll be visiting a lot of. One travel essential to carry that’s great for this is a scarf shawl — which also works as an airplane blanket!

Essential Gear: Even if you visit in the warmer months it’s essential to bring warm clothes, as the mountains can get chilly all year round. Some items I recommend:

Jessie Festa standing in front of grafitti wall

Hi, I’m Jessie on a journey!

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13 Comments

  1. jon on at 9:24 pm

    Great insights and fotos Jessie! I’ll be taking in Bhutan this year and have been reading your reviews with growing excitement. Every year I look for the less explored, the high culture and natural, and special places with amazing people. Bhutan looks like it is all that (and potholes are included, yay!). Many of the tour agencies are running even higher daily rates to Cuba taking advantage of the demand for travel there. I’d rather take Bhutan (or Indo, or Slovenia, or Iran…).

    • Jessie Festa on at 10:40 pm

      @Jon: Thank you for the kind words! You will have a blast in Bhutan. It truly warrants being called “unique” 🙂 Let me know if you’d like me to connect you with the operator I used. I highly recommend! 🙂

      • Yvonne Yu on at 12:11 am

        Hello Jessie – may I know which tour operator you used ? we’re going in March .

        Thanks

        Yvonne

  2. jalal on at 12:55 pm

    very useful and complete . thanks

  3. blues on at 8:48 am

    i’m not sure to visit Bhutan or not

    i’ve been to tibet and can’t help but feel that they are similar

    thank you for the info

  4. Steve Hiscock on at 9:12 am

    Fairly comprehensive and candid report. Thanks.
    I would add that actually because the sites that tourists visit are dispersed widely, you also get a car and driver.
    When you consider that you get a personal guide, a good car and driver, all accommodation, all meals and all entry fees to parks and attractions, it’s actually a fantastic deal. Try getting all these things in Europe or America and the cost would be considerably higher.
    The guides and driver give exceptional courtesy and service and the country is exceptionally rich in culture.
    I loved Bhutan and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a real cultural, holistic spiritual experience in their life.
    It’s definitely worth it…

    • Daniela Frendo on at 7:39 am

      I totally agree!

    • Jessie Festa on at 9:48 am

      Totally agree. I definitely felt like it was worth the price, especially when you consider there truly is NOWHERE ELSE like it. The tricky part is though that there’s no way to make it cheaper. The price is the price. But it makes it great for those of us who go because it’s more untouched/less touristy 🙂

      • Nicolas on at 11:49 pm

        I respect your enthusiasm for Bhutan, Jessie, and am happy you enjoyed it.
        But for me, having travelled 2 months in Nepal and 6 months in India, among others 4 in Kashmir, Ladakh, Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, I have to disagree when you say there’s “nowhere else like it”… Unless you’ve been in these other locations (esp. Ladakh or Arunachal Pradesh), you can’t seriously claim this.
        For the price of 10 days in Bhutan, you can live easily for up to 3 months in India. Meals, accomodation, transport and guides (when needed) included.
        I truly hesitated to visit Bhutan (money wasn’t an issue at all), but had the opportunity to talk to several people who’d been there. Paying people usually claim – but somehow unconvincingly – that it was the greatest experience of their life, as if not to admit that they didn’t get what they expected for their money. A wealthy friend of mine told me openly she had expected more from her trip there. And a young german volunteer worker – who hadn’t paid for her trip and whose opinion was therefore unbiased – told me she had a greater experience travelling in Sikkim than in Bhutan.

        I’m not saying it’s not amazing – how could I, as I skipped it – but that for that price, there might be better options.

        • Jessie Festa on at 10:22 am

          @Nicolas: Thanks for the input! While I’ve never been to Nepal, I’ve visited India numerous times and found Bhutan to be completelyyyy different, though obviously India is huge and I haven’t been to every city. The thing with Bhutan is the culture is SOOO preserved; in a way that I’ve personally never experienced. It was quite amazing to me and worth the money. I’ve noted in some posts you have to realize you’re paying for the experience — not the food or hotels, which won’t be as good as what you can get for the same price elsewhere.

          Just my two cents. I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t been everywhere. We should meetup one day and do a trip one day — India -> Nepal -> Bhutan — then write the definitive post 🙂

          • karma on at 3:36 am

            thanks a lot for sharing yr experience. wish to visit Bhutan in near future as its just 200 kms from our country. Being a Nepalese, I wish Nepal also had similar system but at a cheaper price. as for now Cost of travelling in Nepal can be very cheap to expensive depending upon individual preferences. coz so many choices are here. At the same time I think Nepal is naturally much more diverse, beautiful and culturally very rich despite being so low economically. hoping you will consider visiting Nepal in near future esp the remote north west part which are so pristine in all respects. esp Rara lake tilicho lake foksundo lake mustang (both lower and upper) manang, pokhara etc. and I m sure u will come back here again and again and u will have countless posts to share with. just an honest recommendation. all the best.



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