Bhutan trips add $100 a night per visitor, plus $40 visa, through August 2027

Visiting Bhutan starts with a charge many travellers do not expect. Most international tourists pay a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of $100 per person for every night in the country, paid separately from hotels, meals, transport and sightseeing, and usually collected during the visa application before arrival.

Bhutan's Department of Tourism says the reduced $100 rate applies until 31 August 2027, and that the amount after that date is not guaranteed.

Key facts

• $100 per person per night for most international visitors, on top of accommodation and tours
• $40 one-off, non-refundable visa processing fee
• Five nights for two adults means $1,000 in SDF alone
• Reduced rate valid until 31 August 2027
• Indian citizens pay 1,200 Bhutanese ngultrum (or the rupee equivalent) per night instead
• Visa applications can take up to five working days

What does the nightly fee cover?

The SDF is a government charge, not a hotel tax or a percentage of the room rate. The Department of Tourism says the revenue funds healthcare, education, infrastructure, environmental and cultural heritage conservation, and local community development. It is calculated per person and per night, so two people sharing a room pay two fees, and it does not include admission to sights or guide services.

Bhutan introduced a $200 fee after reopening to international travellers in 2022. From 1 September 2023, the government approved a 50 percent discount for most international tourists, limited to the end of August 2027. The reform also replaced mandatory tour packages with a prescribed minimum daily price, so individual services can be booked separately — but the SDF still applies regardless of how little a traveller spends on lodging or food.

Who pays less or nothing?

Indian citizens follow an entry permit procedure rather than the tourist visa process and pay 1,200 ngultrum or the rupee equivalent per person per night; the ngultrum is pegged one-to-one with the rupee. Children aged six to under twelve pay $50 per night at the standard rate, and children under six are exempt. Under the Indian rate, children aged six to eleven pay 600 ngultrum or rupees.

The official FAQ also cites a preferential rate of about $15 per day, or 1,200 ngultrum, for the first 15,000 visitors from Bangladesh covered by the measure. Special visa rules for Maldivian citizens do not automatically exempt them from the SDF. Since 2 June 2026, stays of up to 24 hours in designated zones of the border towns of Samtse, Phuentsholing, Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar are exempt; travelling beyond those zones triggers the usual fee.

How do I apply for a visa?

Most passport holders need a visa approved in advance through the official online system, either independently or with a tour operator or hotel. Applications require passport details, a photograph and travel dates. The $40 processing fee is paid once and is non-refundable, while the SDF is generally paid for the planned number of nights at the same time. A correctly completed application can take up to five working days. Citizens of Bangladesh and the Maldives may apply for a visa on arrival.

Travellers no longer have to buy a full agency package, but official guidelines require a licensed local guide for sightseeing, trekking and travel outside border towns, and accommodation must be in approved establishments.

What do trips cost in practice?

Government charges alone come to $340 for three nights, $540 for five and $740 for seven, including the $40 visa fee — double for two adults. One operator, Byways Tours & Travels, quoted about $870 per person for three nights, $1,425 for five and $1,960 for seven, including SDF, visa, accommodation, meals, guide, driver, vehicle and standard entrance fees but not international flights. Another, Little Bhutan, quoted roughly $1,150 to $1,550 per person for five days and four nights, and about $800 to $1,000 for a return Bangkok–Bhutan flight.

What happens if plans change?

The official FAQ provides for SDF refunds for cancelled or shortened stays and unused nights, subject to possible bank charges, while the $40 visa fee remains non-refundable and may be payable again after certain application changes. Travel insurance has not been mandatory since 23 April 2024, but the Department of Tourism still recommends it.

Tourism businesses have asked for an earlier decision on the SDF rate after 31 August 2027, public broadcaster BBS reported in September 2026, but no extension of the reduced rate has been confirmed. Travellers considering a trip in late 2027 or later should not assume the $100 rate will continue.