Is Bhutan open for tourists?

Can you travel to Bhutan now?

The long-awaited day is finally here. Get your passport ready! After closing its borders for the past two and a half years, the Kingdom of Bhutan will officially reopen for tourism from September 23. 

Latest updates on Bhutan tourism policy

As the world grappled with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhutan has taken the downtime to rethink its tourism policy moving forward. "What does 'high value, low volume' truly means?", "Are we on the right track on the path of sustainability?", "What can we do to prevent Bhutan from suffering from overtourism?". These questions were heavily discussed within the Kingdom over the past two years.

Thus, on June 24, the National Assembly passed the Tourism Levy Bill of 2022.  

What are the new changes if I want to visit Bhutan?

• Visitors are now required to pay a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of USD200 per person per night
• Visitors can still engage a travel agency like Druk Asia to plan their visit to Bhutan though its not compulsory 
• Visitors are required to pay an entrance fee to visit certain historical or monumental sites

To get updated on Bhutan’s latest travel restrictions and situation in Bhutan, subscribe to Druk Asia’s newsletter.

Get the latest updates on the COVID-19 situation in Bhutan.

Bhutan's vaccination progress and COVID-19 journey

As of March 2022, the government of Bhutan is planning to roll out a nationwide vaccination drive for children aged 5 to 11. Upon completion of the vaccination rollout, the government will work towards easing restrictions. The new COVID-19 protocols will be divulged in phases.

Bhutan's second nationwide vaccination campaign was held from July 20 to July 26, 2021. More than 95% of the eligible population (65.5% of the total population) in Bhutan are fully vaccinated. The kingdom currently has the highest vaccination rate amongst all the South Asian and Southeast Asian countries.

Bhutan detected its first COVID-19 positive case on March 5, 2020. The first COVID-19 case was a 76-year old American tourist who entered Bhutan after visiting India. Since then, Bhutan has closed its borders to tourists. However, repatriation flights are ongoing for Bhutanese returning from abroad.

The government of Bhutan has implemented a mandatory 21-day state-sponsored quarantine for all returning citizens.

Bhutan has a national COVID-19 task force (NC19TF) chaired by Prime Minister Dasho Dr Lotay Tshering to handle the pandemic response in Bhutan. The kingdom has been managing the pandemic excellently and has often been lauded by the international community for its effective handling of the pandemic.

On March 27, 2021, Bhutan conducted its first nationwide vaccination drive and has thus far inoculated about 95% of its adult population. The vaccination campaign lasted for 9 days and was recognised as the world's fastest vaccination drive. The kingdom also achieved one of the world’s highest vaccination rates for its eligible population.

Bhutanese were inoculated with the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccines gifted by the government of India. Recently, the kingdom has received over 500,000 Moderna vaccines from the U.S. government and is awaiting more vaccines to arrive from other countries.  

Read the comprehensive FAQ on visa to Bhutan for all nationalities here

 

Is Bhutan open for tourists from India?

Even though Bhutan shares land borders with India, no regional tourists are allowed in Bhutan. All international tourism activities are still restricted in Bhutan until further notice. 

Paro Airport is certified to be a safe airport

On July 14, 2021, Paro International Airport was awarded the Certificate of Accreditation from Airports Council International (ACI). The accreditation was received as part of ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation programme after evaluating that Paro International Airport has shown to provide a safe airport experience for all travellers. The measures taken at Paro International Airport are in line with the recommended health measures established in the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force Recommendations, along with industry best practices.  

The accreditation is valid for the next 12 months ‘till July 8, 2022.  

The programme is designed to help reassure travellers that airport facilities remain safe and that precautions are being taken to reduce any health risks.