Before You Travel When is the best time to visit Bhutan? The best time to visit Bhutan are: March through May in spring, and September through November in Fall. The climate is best in fall, from late September to late November, when skies are clear and the high mountain peaks are visible. This is the ideal time for trekking and for travelling throughout the country. You may arrange your trip surrounding an annual Tsechu (relegious dance festival). Punakha and Paro Tsechus in the spring and Thimphu, Wangdi and Bumthang Jambay Lhakhang Tsechus are the most popular ones. There are also many other less known regional Tsechus that are equally fascinating. Tips: During the peak tourist season and major Tsechu festivals hotel and Druk Air reservations are difficult to obtain. The farther in advance that you book, the more likely it is that we can confirm the resrvation you choose. The rule of thumb is: Book as far in advance as possible, but don't hesitate to contact us at the last minute if free time suddenly comes your way. Do I need a visa and a passport to visit Bhutan? A visa is needed to enter Bhutan but it is not issued abroad. Visitors can travel to Bhutan only through all-inclusive package tours or treks for which the tarrif is set by the government. Applications for tourist visa has to be submitted through a government-licensed local tour operator like Insiders' Bhutan Tours and Treks, or through travel agents abroad who will ultimately contact a Bhutanese agency. "Visa Clearance" from Thimphu must be obtained before departing for Bhutan. Druk Air will not allow you to check in without a visa clearance. Visas will be approved with a reference number in advance and will be stamped in your passport upon arrival in Paro airport or Phuntsholing, if you travel overland from any Indian cities or Nepal. Tips: Your passport should have at least 6 months validity. Will Insiders' Bhutan arrange my visa? Yes. Visa is required for travel to Bhutan. Once we receive your completed trip reservation form, we will process your visa based on the information provided there. Getting There and Away How do I get to Bhutan? There are no direct long-haul flights to Bhutan. The best way to enter and exit Bhutan is by Druk Air, the national air carrier, which links Bhutan’s only airport at Paro Valley with flights to Bangkok (daily), Delhi (twice/week), Katmandhu (twice/week), Dhaka (once/week), and Calcutta (five times/week). You will have to buy international plane ticket and book hotel room in any of the above gateway cities that you choose to connect to Druk Air. Visitors can also enter and exit Bhutan overland from Indian cities of Sikkim, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Siliguri or Gauhati using Bagdogra or Gauhati domestic airport in West Bengal (India). There are daily flights from Calcutta and New Delhi to Bagdogra and Gauhati airports. The car journey from Bagdogra to the Bhutan border town of Phuentsholing takes about 4 hours and it takes about 5 hours from Gauhati to Samdrup Jongkhar. Tips: 1. As Druk Air operates from an airport that is "daylight restricted" and totally dependent on weather, flights can be sometimes delayed. Avoid tight connecting schedules for your ongoing flights and, if time permits, we also suggest that you spend a day or two in Bangkok, Delhi or Kathmandu to recover from jetlag, before joining the tour/trek in Bhutan. 2. If you are coming from North America, Australia or Asia, connect to Druk Air from Bangkok (Thailand). The U.S. carrier with the most frequent flights is Northwest Airlines. It has direct service through Tokyo (with a minimal stopover) from New York, Detroit, Seattle, Dallas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Thai Airways International has direct flights from LA and New York, USA and from London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan. East-coast travelers departing from New York or Washington, DC, may also consider using Virgin Atlantic via London for 19-hour flights to Bangkok. British Airways flies nonstop to Bangkok from London. 3. Choose to connect to Druk Air from Delhi (India) if you are coming from Europe or the Middle East. 4. You can also connect to Druk Airfrom Kathmandu (Nepal), Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Calcutta (India), but there are only a limited number of direct flights to these places. 5. You can enhance your trip to Bhutan by spending a few days exploring a totally different culture in any of Bhutan's neighboring countries: Nepal, Thailand, Tibet, India. 6. Overland routes into Bhutan involves gruelling travel through India. How do I buy Druk Air tickets? As soon as we confirm your reservation, we book Druk Air seats for you. You will be requested to send us the payment and we'll buy and email you the e-ticket. Check out Druk Air website - http://www.drukair.com.bt Will Insiders' Bhutan handle my interational airline ticketing and enroute stopover hotel room reservation? You will need to arrange international air tickets and hotel room booking in whatever place you choose to connect to Druk Air. As most travelers like to use frequent flyer awards, or book air tickets and hotel room through their preferred agents or internet sites, we leave International air ticketing and hotel room booking up to the guests to arrange on their own. How do I pay for my trip? Transfer the trip payment through a Citibank branch or an international bank in your country. Upon Arrival at Paro International Airport in Bhutan Visa Upon arrival at Paro airport, you will have your Bhutanese visa stamped in your passport. As soon as we receive the completed visa application form from you, we will process your visa. Therefore, your visa has been already cleared and the concerned Druk Air offices informed in advance. Customs Export of antiques, plants or animal products are strictly prohibited. You will have to fill out a customs declaration form listing all your electronic goods like cameras, Personal videos, personal computers, etc. and hand it over to the customs authorities on arrival at Paro airport. The carbon copy of the form will be returned to you. Don't lose this document as you will be required to present it to the customs official on the day of your departure from the country. Tour Guide and Driver After the visa and customs clearance, you'll meet your tour guide and driver just outside the airport exit door. They will accompany you throughout your time in Bhutan. Return Travel Arrangement On your departure day, transportation will be provided and, your tour guide and driver will accompany you to the airport. Airport tax Airport facilities charges are already included in your Druk Air ticket price. Free Baggage Allowance You will have to make sure that your baggage is within the allowable weight (Druk Air: 20kgs - economy class & 30kgs - Executive class). If you have excess baggage you'll have to keep aside enough money for an excess baggage charge. Insiders' Bhutan Trips What kind of trips does Insiders' Bhutan offer? We offer both pre-designed and custom designed private tours and treks. All our trips are all-inclusive packages. Travelers pay one price, and everything they need for a complete trip within Bhutan is included, leaving out-of-pocket expenses to a minimium. Trip Pricing? Pricing for all our tour/trek packages are based on the tarrif fixed by the government. All our trips are all-inclusive packages. Travelers pay one price, and everything they need for a complete trip within Bhutan is included, leaving out-of-pocket expenses to a minimium. There are also no additional taxes and other surprises. What's included in the price of Insiders' Bhutan trip? Everything: All lodging on double-occupancy basis All meals Expert designed itineraries Expertise and services of experienced English-speaking guides Good camping equipment, experienced trekking guides, support staff and porters for trekking trips All land transportation All entrance fees Pre-departure information and extras listed on trip itineraries What is not included in the price of Insiders' Bhutan trip? International airfare and en route stopovers Druk Air airfare Travel Insurance Excess baggage charges Transfers, expenses and services outside of Bhutan All types of personal expenses like Beverages (both alcoholic, soft drinks & bottled water), gratuities to trip leaders/guides/drivers as deemed appropriate, and laundry, mail, phone calls, and cables. Can I extend my trip? Yes, it is possible to link together two or more of our trips. There are plenty of opportunities to extend your trip with our trip extension options or by combining one of our cultural tours with a short trek. You will find more details about trip extension options on each trip itinerary summary page. You may also choose to combine your trip to Bhutan with a side trip to any of Bhutan's neighboring countries. For more information, email us. Other Useful Information Health Although no inoculations are required to enter Bhutan, you are advised to have your tetanus vaccination updated. Also recommended are typhoid and hepatitis A. Diarrhea and the upper respiratory tract infections (colds) are the most common illness acquired by travelers to Bhutan. Most of the times, it’s simply due to change in diet or climate. Come self-sufficient with all your usual medicines plus a thermometer, sleeping pills (altitude and time-change can hinder your sleeping), anti-nausea pills, anti-diarrhea pills, water purifying tablets, oral rehydration packets, eye drops, antibiotic ointment and anti-histamine ointment. Detailed information will be sent once you sign up for a trip. Clothing Because of the variety of climates you may encounter in one day, choose garments which can be layered. This means that the majority of your clothing can be worn in layers, so that you can put on more clothing if it is cold or take off layers as it warms up. In general, from June to September cottons and a good sweater will be enough, but from October to May you will need warm clothes including long underwear or woollen tights to wear under trousers, and a down jacket or a warm coat. Also don’t forget to bring an umbrella or a rain jacket. Comfortable sports shoes are highly recommended and mountain boots are necessary if you come on a trek or plan to hike up to Taktsang. In Bhutan, you can get sunburnt quite quickly. Don’t forget to include a sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, and barrier cream for your nose and lips in your packing list. Detailed information will be sent once you sign up for a trip. Language Dzongkha, which is similar to Tibetan, is the official language. However, a growing proportion of the people, speaks English. The language of education in all schools throughout the country is English, so most educated people speak it fluently. Throughout the country, signs, books, menus, road signs, and even government official documents are written both in Dzongkha and English. Currency Bhutan’s unit of currency is Ngultrum, which is at par with Indian Rupee, which is also a legal tender in Bhutan. Check out the following website to find out the current rate of exchange - http://money.cnn.com/markets/currencies/ Credit Cards & Exchanging Money Personal checks and credit cards are not accepted in almost all shops and hotels in Bhutan. Travelers check are accepted in most places. US$ cash is accepted almost everywhere. The money exchange counters at the airport, larger hotels, and the banks, can exchange cash and traveler’s checks. Don’t forget to change money before you travel east or leave for a trek. Tipping and Gifts More than most places in the world, small gifts are important in Bhutanese custom. If you are invited to a Bhutanese home, it is customery to bring a gift. Long argyle socks, ready-to-wear garment, perfume, make-up set, books, key-chains and other small souvenirs are welcome and highly appreciated. At the end of your trip, your tour guide and driver will appreciate a tip. Beside some money, you may also leave some of your used garment and personal items like warm jacket, t-shirts, socks, shoes, and other items that you do not wish to carry all the way back home. Telephone, Fax & Mail Bhutan has an excellent all-digital telephone system for international direct dialing (both telephone & fax). However, if you go on a trek, you will not be able call or fax anyone till you get back to a town. You can send or receive mail but it takes approximately 10 to 14 days to receive mail from anywhere in USA or Europe. Courier DHL and Bhutan Post (EMS) provide effecient international courier service to and from Bhutan. Internet & Email Unless you are on a trek in the mountains, most places you travel on cultural tours have some basic internet/email services. Shopping Foreign visitors will find Bhutan's exquisite postage stamps and various handmade products hard to resist. Among the most fascinating products are thangkha paintings, wooden masks and bowls, bamboo products, silver and metal crafts, and the most beautiful handloom textiles - all made employing ancient technique and skill passed down the generations. Buying and selling of antiques is strictly forbidden in the country. Photography There are several photo shops in Bhutan, but they do not sell equipment or accessories and the quality of their work is very unreliable. Bring as much film as you think you will need. You will be unhappy if you run out of film in Bhutan. Electricity The voltage in Bhutan is the same as in India, Thailand and Nepal: 230V, 50 cycles alternating current (AC). To use your U.S.-purchased electric-powered equipment, bring a converter and an adapter. Wall outlets take either two flat prongs, like outlets in the United States, or Continental-type plugs, with two round prongs. There are plenty of electrical shops in Thimphu that can make an adapter if you have trouble plugging in an appliance. Time Difference  Bhutan Standard Time with only one time zone is: 6 hours ahead of GMT; 2 hours ahead of Singapore & Hong Kong time; 1 hour ahead of Bangkok time; 30 minutes ahead of Indian time; and 15 minutes ahead of Nepal time. Driving Time & Distance between various places The mode of transport within Bhutan is by motor vehicles only. There are no domestic airlines or trains. Motor roads are well maintained, and the main highway runs from west to east connecting all major sightseeing places. The mountainous terrain and winding road restrict the average speed of vehicles to less than 40 km/hour. Business Hours Government offices and most private offices open at 9 am and close at 5 pm in summer and 4 pm in the winter, Monday to Friday.