Currently there are no vaccinations required for traveling to Bhutan. However, visitors coming from an area infected with yellow fever are required to get a yellow fever vaccination and must be administered at least ten days before arrival in the country. Likewise, visitors arriving from a cholera-infected area should get vaccinated, and anti-malarial medication is strongly recommended for travelers visiting rural areas bordering India.

Happy Bhutan Adventures’ transportation is comfortable as we use Toyota delux Coaster Bus, Toyota Hiace Van and then Toyota Land Cruisers for FIT groups. Roads are narrow in some parts, but blacked-toped and well mantained although is windy in the entire country with beautiful scenerary.

The telecommunication services is very good and services available in the Kingdom include: telephones, facsimile, telex, telegraph, international phone links and internet cafes in almost all the touristic places.

Bhutan unit of currency is Ngultrum (Nu.), which is at parity with Indian rupee. Tourists are advised to carry their money in the form of Travelers cheques and cash. Visa, American Express is accepted only in few shops only if you buy goods worth of US$ 100 minimum. We recommend our clients to carry some amount in cash for personal expenses, tips and incidental expenses. The extra money as precautionary measure is always welcome. We do not entertain Visa or any credit cards to make tour payment.

In Bhutan , electricity runs on 220/240 volts, with round hole two-pin and three-pin power outlets. If you bring electrical appliances, also pack appropriate adapter plugs. Thimphu electrical appliance shops stock adapter plugs, but they are unlikely to be available elsewhere.

Photographic oppertunities are immense, the natural scenery is superb, and you will also wish to record the local people, their houses and shops etc.Always ask by gesture if it is alright to do so. Also note that photography in shrine rooms of Dzongs, Monasteries and religious institutions is generally not permitted, so please check with your guide during the visits.

All Happy Bhutan Adventures’ tours are escorted by well versed and knowledgeable guides, trained and certified by Tourism Council of Bhutan under Minisrty of Economice Affairs.

Due to wide range of temperature and climatic conditions it is advisable to bring appropriate clothing. For protection against cold-layered clothing is better than a few thick ones, so choose your cloths accordingly. Cloths should preferably be made from natural materials, which allow the body to breathe better. You will be offending people if you walk around in skimpy or tight fitting clothes. Although there are normally opportunities to wear shorts, we would advise women to wear skirts or loose trousers, men should not wear sing lets. During visit of monasteries, Dzong and other religious institutions you should not wear shorts & hats.

The following is fair list of what you should pack for the trip:

1. Clothes as per season
2. Sunglasses / spare glasses or contact lenses
3. Sun screen, preparation for relief of sunburn
4. Pair of casual shoes
5. Washing kit
6. Shaving kit
7. Towel
8. Hat
9. Umbrella
10. Camera, film and accessories
11. Antiseptic cream

The country's exquisite postage stamps, lovely hand woven fabrics, carved masks, woven baskets, wooden bowls, handmade papers, finely crafted metal objects, Thangka paintings are the items mostly purchased by travelers in Bhutan. Buying and selling of antiques is strictly forbidden in the Kingdom.

The Bhutanese authorities strictly prohibit the export of any religious antiquity or antiques of any type from the country. Cameras, video cameras, computers and personal electronic equipment may be brought into the country but must be listed on arrival and will be checked on departure.

Following with the recent ban of selling cigarettes and tobacco products in the country a traveler is allowed to carry the certain quantity of products in the kingdom for his or her own consumption.

Cigarettes: 1 carton containing 200 pieces of cigarettes
Pipe Tobacco: 3 tins of 50 grams each
Other Tobacco Products: 50 grams

Tipping is purely personal matter. The bottom line in determining whether or how much to tip is to ask yourself how much Happy Bhutan Adventures team members did to make your Bhutan travel experience more enjoyable.

Bhutan time is 6 hours ahead of GMT and 30 mins ahead of Indian standard time. There is only one time zone throughout the country.

All visitors traveling to Bhutan are required to obtain a visa and it is processed and arranged by us. No foreign mission grants Bhutan tourist visa.

We will handle the visa procedures for you. The Govt. will sanction the VISA only after the receipt of full payment in advance. The cost of the visa itself is US $20, which can be further extended with an additional fee of US $15. Visa fee should be paid along with the tour payment and actual Bhutan VISA will be stamped in your passport on arrival at Paro airport.

For all travelers, entering into the country by road through Phuntsholing (border town in the south of Bhutan), the visa is stamped on arrival and Visa Clearance Number is forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thimphu.

Visa applications must reach Bhutan at least three weeks prior to your arrival date to allow time for processing.

There are two possibilities to enter/exit Bhutan, by air with Bhutan’s national airline (Druk-Air) and overland from north-east of India from west-bengal state.

By Air:

Druk-Air is the only carrier that operates flights to Paro, (only airport in Bhutan) and it’s destinations are to the following cities:
Bangkok, Delhi, Kolkota, Bagdogra, Gaya, Kathmandu & Dacca. One can connect your International flight to Bhutan from any of the above cities.

Overland:

The only entry into Bhutan overland is from Phuntsholing, the border town of Bhutan which is 3 hrs drive from Bagdogra airport in West-Bengal state. There are flights to Bagdogra from Delhi, Kolkota, Mumbai & Gauhati (Domestic flights within India). From Bagdogra is only 2 hrs to Darjeeling & 2 hrs to Sikkim also. That’s if one is interested to combine the tour to Bhutan with Darjeeling and Sikkim.

Optional exit from Bhutan is also possible from Samdrupjongkhar, south-east Bhutan to Gauhati in Assam. From Gauhati one can fly to Delhi, Kolkota, Mumbai & Bagdogra. Exiting Bhutan from south-east saves you driving all the way  back on the same road to either Paro or Phuntsholing in south-west Bhutan.

From/To	Distance (km)	Approx Travel Time
Thimphu – Paro	55	1 hr
Thimphu – Phuentsholing	176	6 hrs
Phuentsholing – Bagdogra (India)	170	4 hrs
Thimphu – Haa	115	3 hrs 30 min
Haa – Paro	60	2 hrs 30 min
Thimphu – Wangdue Phordang	70	2 hrs
Thimphu – Punakha	77	2 hrs 15 min
Punakha– Wangdue Phordang	21	30 min
Wabgdue Phordang - Trongsa	129	4 hrs
Trongsa – Bumthang	68	2 hrs 30 min
Bumthang – Mongar	190	7 hrs
Mongar – Trashigang	90	3 hrs.
Trashigang – Trashi Yangtse	65	2 hrs 30 min
Trashigang - Samdrup Jongkhar	185	6 hrs
Gelephu – Zhemgang	133	4 hrs
Zhemgang - Trongsa	111	3 hrs 30 min