The following list will cover your needs for a vehicle-based cultural tour concern about bulk and weight than if you were transferring your own luggage on and off various forms of public transport. There is a 20 kg (44 lb) weight limit (30 kg or 66 lb in business class) on Druk Air. You should hold yourself to this allowance. Even if you pay for excess baggage, it still travels standby and may be offloaded. As with all travel, the less you carry, the easier it is to move about and the less there is to misplace.

Casual clothes are fine, but you would also do well to have a set of dress-up clothes (jacket and tie for men, dresses for women) for festivals or in the likely event that you are invited to a Bhutanese home or social function. Thimphu and other towns in Bhutan have a small-town atmosphere, and you might easily find yourself in the company of a high government official. If you have scheduled your trip around a festival, you definitely should carry a set of dressy clothing. Bhutanese people dress quite formally, and dirty jeans don’t fit in on such occasions.

Even in the summer, it can be cool in Paro and Thimphu, and it’s downright cold in winter. Days can be quite warm, especially in the lower regions such as Punakha and Phuentsholing, and you could start off driving in the cold of dawn and be uncomfortably warm by mid-morning. Use a layering system, starting with thermal underwear and adding a shirt, pile jacket and windbreaker or parka as necessary. If you are not trekking, you will need:

* Cotton trousers
* Cotton skirt for women
* Pile jacket or sweater - even in summer
* Down jacket - in winter; not needed in summer
* T shirts or short sleeved (not sleeveless) cotton shirts
* Sneakers or walking shoes and socks
* Sandals or flip flops
* Rain jacket - Gore-Tex if you can afford it, otherwise a poncho or nylon jacket
* Dress-up clothes for festivals
* Sun hat

All hotels provide sheets, blankets or quilt, and a pillow. Unless you are trekking, you won’t need to carry bedding or a sleeping bag. Most hotels also provide some sort of heating in winter, either an electric heater or a wood stove. The heating, plus the pile of blankets on your bed, should keep you warm.
You will be outside a lot, and much of this time is at altitudes above 2,500 m (7,800 ft); so there is plenty of sun and wind. Bring a supply of sun cream and some lip protection, such as Blister these items are not available in Bhutan.

Essential Extras

There are several things that you should carry to make a trip to Bhutan more comfortable. All of the following items are essential:
Pack a folding umbrella; especially if traveling during the monsoons. Rain is possible any time, and is almost certain from June through August.
Be sure to carry ear plugs (and spares) to reduce the noise from the barking dogs at night. The Bhutanese are Buddhists and do not euthanize or pound stray dogs.
There are occasional electric outages throughout the country; so you should always keep a torch (flashlight) beside your bed.

Miscellaneous Items

Carry a pair of sunglasses (as protection from high altitude glare). A Swiss army knife has many uses, such as cutting cheese and opening bottles. Bring a small clock with an alarm to help you wake up, because not all hotel rooms have telephones.

Packing

If you are on a cultural tour, it’s OK to bring a hard suitcase, though a soft bag is more versatile and easier to pack into the luggage space of a vehicle. You will also want a small rucksack or waist pack to carry your camera, water bottle and other essentials in the vehicle and when you are walking around town or visiting monuments.

Visa Information
 
Druk-Air Tickets and Visas

Druk Air tickets will be issued in Bhutan and sent to you. To expedite this procedure, it is essential that you send us all information detailed below immediately so that the visa application can be made. The tickets cannot be issued until the visa is approved - and this process takes 10 to 14 days.

Visas

Visas are not issued by Bhutanese embassies abroad. Visas are issued only when you arrive in the country, either at Paro airport or (if by road) at Phuentsholing. You must apply in advance. You can either fill in the Visa application form, fill it out and fax it to us or email at the following contacts. We will take care of the rest:

1. Your full name as it appears in your passport
2. Permanent address
3. Occupation
4. Nationality
5. Passport number
6. Date of issue and expiration of passport
7. Date and place of birth

Double check that the information is correct; if there are discrepancies in any important numbers when you arrive in Bhutan, there are delays and complications in issuing the visa.

After the visa clearance is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Department of Immigration, they send a visa confirmation number to Druk Air. Druk Air will not issue the tickets to Paro until they receive this confirmation number.
The actual visa endorsement is stamped in your passport when you arrive at Paro. When the visa is issued, you need to pay US$20 and present a passport photo with your passport number written on the back. You will then receive a visa for the period you have arranged to be in Bhutan. We will process visa extensions for you if it is necessary.

Tourism Policy
 
The tourism policy in Bhutan is “high value low volume” tourism. Tourism has been strictly limited in Bhutan so as to preserve the traditional culture and identity. Bhutanese people are religious and it is important to show respect for local customs and their way of life, especially while visiting religious places.

The tourism industry in Bhutan is based on the principle of sustainability, which means that tourism is to be ecologically friendly and environmentally, socially and culturally acceptable and economically viable. Keeping these in view, tourism is monitored and the number of tourists visiting Bhutan is kept to a manageable level.

Daily Tariff

The tariff for high season is priced US $ 200 per person/per day for visit to Bhutan.
The daily tariff covers a package that include all internal taxes and charges including royalty, accommodation, all meals, services of licensed guides, internal transport.
The royalty portion goes to the government which supports free medical care, free education and other welfare schemes. All visitors make a valuable contribution to the welfare system of the country.

High Season US $ 200
Low Season US $ 165

Surcharges on individual and in groups of less than four:

Independent traveler’s daily surcharges in addition to minimum price apply

a. US $ 40 per night for single traveler
b. US $ 30 per night for two people.