The short answer
Bhutan is not a cheap country for Indians any more, but it is a predictable one. Since the Sustainable Development Fee for Indian nationals was set at ₹1,200 a night, and a licensed guide became part of every trip, most of your costs are fixed per day. Once you know the daily rate for the guide, the vehicle and the hotel, you can work out the whole trip on the back of a ticket.
We priced a six-night loop from Siliguri, through Phuentsholing, Thimphu, Punakha and Paro, using the rates we see in 2026. A couple booking each piece separately should budget ₹47,000–71,000 per person. A group of six sharing one van and one guide should budget ₹34,000–53,000 per person. Operator packages for groups of four to six, with contract hotel rates, often land lower, at about ₹30,000–38,000 per person. All of these are indicative, 2026, and the SDF, fees and permits can change, so check current status before you travel.
Our sample six-night route
The route below is the one most first-time Indian visitors choose. It avoids the long drive to Bumthang, keeps the daily driving under six hours and includes the Paro Taktsang hike. We assume you reach Jaigaon from Siliguri by road on day one and walk across the gate early.
- Night 1, Thimphu: cross at Phuentsholing by 9 am, permits, then about 165 km and 5–6 hours to Thimphu.
- Night 2, Thimphu: Buddha Dordenma, Memorial Chorten, the National Library area, Tashichho Dzong in the evening; route permit collected.
- Night 3, Punakha: Dochula pass with its 108 chortens, then Punakha Dzong and the walk to Chimi Lhakhang.
- Night 4, Paro: drive back past Thimphu to Paro, about 130 km, Rinpung Dzong and the National Museum.
- Night 5, Paro: the Taktsang hike, 4–6 hours round trip from the car park.
- Night 6, Phuentsholing: about 150 km and 5 hours down to the border; cross back to Jaigaon on day seven.
Line by line: a couple vs a group of six
Every figure in this table is per person, for six nights, at 2026 rates we consider realistic for the budget tier: certified 3-star hotels with breakfast, local restaurants for lunch and dinner, a Bhutan-registered car for the couple and a Toyota Hiace for the group. Guide and vehicle are counted for six days, because on day seven you only walk across the gate.
| Item | Couple, per person | Group of 6, per person |
|---|---|---|
| SDF, ₹1,200 × 6 nights | ₹7,200 | ₹7,200 |
| Licensed guide, 6 days at ₹2,000–3,000 | ₹6,000–9,000 | ₹2,000–3,000 |
| Vehicle, 6 days (car ₹4,500–6,500; Hiace ₹6,500–9,000 a day) | ₹13,500–19,500 | ₹6,500–9,000 |
| 3-star hotels, twin sharing, ₹3,000–5,500 a room night | ₹9,000–16,500 | ₹9,000–16,500 |
| Lunch and dinner, local restaurants, 7 days | ₹3,500–8,500 | ₹3,500–8,500 |
| Monument entry fees | ₹3,000–4,500 | ₹3,000–4,500 |
| Siliguri–Jaigaon return (one car vs two cars) | ₹4,500–6,000 | ₹3,000–4,000 |
| Total per person, indicative 2026 | ≈ ₹47,000–71,000 | ≈ ₹34,000–53,000 |
| Total for the party | ≈ ₹94,000–1,42,000 | ≈ ₹2,04,000–3,18,000 |
Why couples pay more
Look at the table again and you will see that the SDF, hotels, food and tickets are the same per head for both groups. The whole gap sits in two lines: the guide and the vehicle. A guide charges the same daily rate for two guests or six, and a van that seats six costs only a little more than a car that seats four. Spread over six people, the guide drops from ₹6,000–9,000 each to ₹2,000–3,000 each.
That is why we tell couples to travel with another family or two if they can. Two couples sharing a car and a guide save roughly ₹10,000 or more each over six nights compared with going alone. If you have no one to share with, ask your operator whether they run fixed-departure group tours in the month you want. The hotel line is where you have the most choice: a well-run 3-star in Thimphu costs less than half the price of a boutique property in the same town.
Monument entry fees
Entry fees for regional tourists, which includes Indians, are now a real line in the budget, not a rounding error. The sample route visits about eight paid sites. Children aged 6 to 18 usually pay half. These are indicative 2026 rates, so check current status before you travel.
| Site | Fee per adult, indicative 2026 |
|---|---|
| Paro Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) | Nu 1,000 |
| Punakha Dzong | Nu 500 |
| Most other dzongs, National Museum | Nu 500 |
| Memorial Chorten, Thimphu | Nu 500 |
| Chimi Lhakhang | Nu 500 |
| Buddha Dordenma, Thimphu | Nu 300 |
| Black-necked Crane Centre, Phobjikha | Nu 200 |
| Royal Botanical Park, Lamperi | Nu 100 |
Operator or DIY, and ways to cut the bill
You can book every piece yourself: the permit and SDF online, the hotels directly, a guide and a car through a licensed operator. The table above shows what that costs at the rates hotels show to walk-in guests. Operators who send a steady flow of guests get contract rates at 3-star hotels, so a package for a group of four to six often comes in at ₹30,000–38,000 per person for six to seven nights, including SDF, guide, vehicle, hotels, breakfast and dinner. Couples alone usually pay 15–25% more for the same package.
When you compare quotes, line them up against our table. Ask whether the price includes SDF, entry fees, lunches and the Siliguri to Jaigaon transfer. A quote that looks ₹8,000 cheaper often leaves out SDF and tickets, which together come to more than ₹10,000 per person on this route.
Whichever way you book, the same few choices decide the final number. These are the ones that save the most on this route. Sharing the guide and vehicle matters most; the rest add up to a few thousand rupees each, which on a family trip is still a dinner or two at a good restaurant in Thimphu.
- Travel in March, early April or November, when certified 3-star hotels discount more readily than in October or May.
- Take the bus or the train to Hasimara instead of a reserved car to Jaigaon; the bus costs ₹150–300 a seat each way.
- Share the guide and vehicle with another family; it is the single biggest saving on the table.
- Eat lunch where drivers and guides eat; a plate of red rice, ema datshi and dal costs ₹250–400.
- Skip a second paid dzong in the same day; the outside of most dzongs and the courtyards at festival time cost nothing to look at.
Adding Haa or Phobjikha
Most people want one more valley once they see the map. Each extra night adds the same fixed costs: ₹1,200 of SDF per adult, one more day of guide and vehicle, a hotel night and meals. For a couple, that is roughly ₹8,000–12,000 per person per extra night at budget rates; for a group of six, roughly ₹6,000–9,000 per person, indicative 2026.
Haa is the cheaper add-on. It sits about 65–70 km from Paro over Chele La, at about 3,988 m, and the drive takes 2.5–3 hours, so it slots in between Paro and the return to Phuentsholing. Phobjikha, home of the black-necked cranes from late October to February, is about 78 km and 3 hours from Punakha over Lawa La. It needs a route permit, which your guide collects in Thimphu on a weekday. Check current status before you travel.
Questions people ask
Good to know
How much does a Bhutan trip cost for an Indian couple
For six nights from Siliguri, an Indian couple booking everything separately should budget about ₹47,000–71,000 per person, or ₹94,000–1,42,000 for two, indicative 2026. That covers SDF at ₹1,200 a night, a licensed guide, a private car, certified 3-star hotels, meals and entry fees. An operator package for a couple usually costs a little less because of contract hotel rates. Check current status of SDF and fees before you travel.
Is Bhutan expensive for Indian tourists
It costs more than Sikkim or Darjeeling for the same number of nights. The main reasons are the SDF of ₹1,200 per person per night, the licensed guide at ₹2,000–3,000 a day and the rule that tourists stay in certified 3-star hotels or registered homestays. A group of six can bring a six-night trip down to about ₹34,000–53,000 each, indicative 2026, by sharing one van and one guide.
How much is SDF for a 5-night Bhutan trip
For an Indian adult, five nights of SDF is ₹6,000 (₹1,200 a night). A child aged 6 to 12 pays ₹3,000, and a child under 6 pays nothing. A family of two adults and one 8-year-old pays ₹15,000 in SDF for five nights. SDF is charged per night spent in Bhutan, not per day. Check current status before you travel, as the fee has been revised before.
How much does a guide cost in Bhutan
A licensed tour guide costs about ₹2,000–3,000 a day, indicative 2026, and the same rate applies whether the guide looks after two guests or six. Under the rules restated by the Department of Tourism in April 2026, tourists need a licensed guide beyond the first checkpoint, Rinchending for Phuentsholing. On a six-night trip, budget ₹12,000–18,000 for the guide in total. Check current status before you travel.
How much is a car with driver in Bhutan per day
A Bhutan-registered car such as a Creta or Santa Fe with driver costs about ₹4,500–6,500 a day, indicative 2026. For groups, a Toyota Hiace or Coaster costs ₹6,500–9,000 a day. Fuel and the driver's costs are usually included in the daily rate, but confirm this in writing. Indian taxis from Siliguri normally stop at Jaigaon, and you switch to a Bhutan vehicle at Phuentsholing.
What is the cheapest way to do Bhutan from India
Travel by road from Siliguri to Jaigaon by bus or train, go in a group of four to six so you share one van and one guide, choose certified 3-star hotels, and travel in March, early April or November. Eat at local restaurants for ₹250–600 a meal. Doing this, a six-night trip can come down to about ₹34,000 per person, indicative 2026. Check current status of SDF and permits before you travel.
Are entry fees included in Bhutan packages
Not always, so ask. Monument fees for regional tourists are now significant: Paro Taktsang is Nu 1,000, most dzongs and the National Museum are Nu 500 and Buddha Dordenma is Nu 300, indicative 2026. On a standard Thimphu, Punakha and Paro route, tickets add ₹3,000–4,500 per adult. Children aged 6 to 18 usually pay half. Check current status before you travel.
Do children pay full price in Bhutan
No. Children aged 6 to 12 pay half SDF, ₹600 a night, and children under 6 pay no SDF. Monument fees for children aged 6 to 18 are usually half. Hotels often allow a child to share the parents' room, sometimes for the price of an extra bed. Guide and vehicle costs do not change with children, which makes families of four good value per head.
Can I pay in Indian rupees in Bhutan
Yes. The Ngultrum is pegged 1:1 to the Indian rupee, and rupees are accepted widely in hotels, shops and restaurants. Indians may carry up to ₹25,000 in notes of ₹500 or smaller, and above that in notes of ₹100 or smaller, according to the Embassy of India. UPI and Indian cards work in some places, but carry enough cash for lunches, tips and small purchases.