There are a number of reasons why Bhutan is so expensive. Foreignerd in Bhutan are required to submit an all-round fee $200-$250 USD per day. This may come as a shock for people who want to visit Bhutan for their next holiday, however, this fee covers many things during the course of your visit.

One of the explanations as to why Bhutan is high-priced is that your daily fee covers the prices of all internal taxes and charges. This might seem like an awful ton of cash to pay; however, it ensures that your holiday is well taken care of and sustained.

Another reason that Bhutan is so high-priced is that a little portion of the daily fee contributes towards free education and free healthcare, while also serving towards the building and renewal of Bhutan’s infrastructure. Of course, this may appear uncommon to have to contribute towards these fees since you are simply embarking on a visit there for a personal holiday, however it helps Bhutan to become more sustainable and a far nicer place to visit for you and for the Bhutanese to live.

It also helps Bhutan to develop and grow following the ideals of sustainability and ecological conservation.

Bhutan government’s policy for Tourism is ‘high price, low impact’. This suggests that Bhutan is using these high costs for a visit to in order to deter tourists from visiting. However, that is not the case. Bhutan does not essentially wish to stop tourists from visiting but at the same time, the government does want to try to ensure that Bhutan remains as pristine and unaffected by the impact of tourism as much as possible.

While you won’t be experiencing four and five star accommodation for the daily fee that you pay, you will receive accommodation decent standard. What this means is that you will not have to pay any additional fee for your accommodation (unless you really wish to stay in lavish location or hotel). 

Your daily fee will also ensure that you receive your meals each and every day of your visit or holiday in Bhutan. Although you may not get to taste and experience five-star level of cuisines, you’re guaranteed to be well fed throughout your trip.

A commissioned Bhutanese guide is additionally included as a part of the fee you pay every day to remain in Bhutan. With a well-informed guide, you’ll be able to visit a lot of places while getting the best possible knowledge about Bhutan.

The daily fee will also cover the prices of internal transport - however, it will not cover your flights to Bhutan so in case you need to take an internal flight, you will have to pay for it separately. There are also no direct flights or discounts available in Bhutan, so this might be another reason why the cost gets racked up and a trip to Bhutan becomes so expensive.

Inspite of all the points above detailing what the daily fee for a visit or a holiday to Bhutan includes, you may still be wondering where exactly is all your money going and why Bhutan is so expensive.

Your money will mostly be contributed to the government. This is to help ensure that Bhutan keeps developing and runs smoothly and successfully. A large portion of the fees that you will have to pay also go towards internal taxes, environmental costs as well as tourism fees.

The cost of visiting Bhutan will also consequently increase as the required daily fee of $200-$290 USD (which is dependent on season and traveller) does not include things like flights, Visas or travel insurance. It is important to take note of these additional costs while planning a visit for a holiday to Bhutan.

 

If you want to include luxury hotels and lavish meals in your itinerary, it will cost you much more than the standard rate to visit Bhutan. You may find yourself paying up to $500 USD per day per person if you wish to experience the very best that Bhutan has to offer.

It’s important to remember however, that these fees are not imperative; you can still have an incredible trip to Bhutan without paying for the most expensive accommodation facilities and meals.

Cost for Different Travel Seasons And People of Different Nationalities

You’ll also pay different amounts of money per day depending on the season that you visit Bhutan in. During low season months such as December to February and June to August, you can expect to pay $200 USD per person per day. However, high season months can cost you $250 USD per day per person, which is also dependent, on how many people there are travelling in a group.

Solo travellers have to pay the most for a visit to Bhutan, with a total of $290 USD. Large groups of people travelling together can usually expect a small discount, depending on exactly how many people are going on holiday together.

The $200-$250 USD cost per day per person is not required for those travelling from the likes of India, the Maldives and Bangladesh. Citizens from these countries can expect to pay as little as $25 USD per person per day.