Bhutan is a Himalayan kingdom between India and China. Visitors fly into Paro, in a valley west of the capital, Thimphu, or come overland from India through the border town of Phuentsholing, and from there the days are planned around dzongs, the fortified buildings that look like castles, temples, mountain roads and treks, always with a guide. Bhutan is not covered by Roam Like at Home, so a European SIM pays its operator's own roaming rates for every map, message and photo you send.
Key facts for Bhutan
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: TashiCell (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: ambulance 112; fire 110; police 113
- Embassies: British help comes from Kolkata and US help from New Delhi, where most other countries also cover Bhutan
Visa, guide and the daily fee
Every visitor needs a visa, arranged in advance through a Bhutanese tour operator, a hotel or the Department of Immigration's online system; it is pre-approved and then issued when you arrive. On top of the visa fee comes the Sustainable Development Fee, charged per adult for every night and at a lower rate for children; the Department of Tourism publishes the current amount, so check it there before you budget. You need a guide when visiting places of interest, which can turn away visitors who arrive without one. Your passport needs 6 months' validity beyond the date you leave.
Getting in and getting around
You enter and leave either through the international airport at Paro or by road at Phuentsholing. The weather regularly disrupts flights, so build slack into onward connections. Some areas require permits, and your tour guide will help you get them. Hire cars come with a driver, and if you bring your own vehicle a guide has to travel with you. Road accidents are among the leading causes of injury and death, so avoid night journeys and ride in a well-maintained car with working seatbelts; there are no traffic lights anywhere in the country. Monsoon rains, roughly from June to September, set off landslides that can cut roads for days, so check your route before setting off.
Etiquette, tobacco and the law
Bhutanese people hold their customs and traditions in high regard, and criticising the King causes particular offence; if in doubt, ask your guide. At temples and dzongs, wear smart-casual clothes that cover you from shoulders to knees. You may bring in a small amount of tobacco for your own use, but you must pay duty on it and keep proof of payment to show officials if asked; tobacco has been legal to buy and sell since 2020, yet smoking is still frowned on, especially near religious sites. Antiques may not be taken out of the country, littering is illegal everywhere, and harming protected species can mean prison. Drug offences carry sentences from 3 years to life.
Treks, altitude and natural hazards
Mountaineering is banned, but treks run at many altitudes, and some take you days or weeks from the nearest medical facility; altitude sickness is a risk in parts of the country. Several parts of the country lie on active fault zones, flash floods can follow heavy rain, and the central and southern areas face a high wildfire risk; starting a fire, even by accident, brings a fine.
Healthcare and money
Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu is the one hospital that can provide surgery and emergency treatment; elsewhere care is basic, and complex cases need evacuation to India or Thailand, so make sure your insurance covers emergency helicopter evacuation and repatriation. The ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee, which is widely accepted. Large sums of foreign currency must be declared and cleared with the Royal Monetary Authority.
Getting connected
A travel eSIM added before you fly connects as you land at Paro, so your guide's pick-up message and hotel details reach you straight away. Bhutan has its own 4G plans on TashiCell, and a World plan covers it too, along with India and Nepal if your journey continues there. Before a multi-day trek, ask your guide what signal to expect along the route, and download maps and documents while you are still in town. Keep your home SIM active for bank codes, with data roaming switched off.
Consular protection: who to call in Bhutan
- Dial 112 for an ambulance, 110 for the fire service and 113 for the police.
- There is no British embassy or consulate in Bhutan: British nationals are helped by the British Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, India. US citizens should contact the US Embassy in New Delhi, and Canada and Australia also cover Bhutan from New Delhi.
- Most countries, EU members included, cover Bhutan from their embassies in New Delhi, so check which mission is responsible for yours. If your country has no representation for Bhutan, any other EU country's mission must help you as it would its own nationals (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- Find your own country's embassy in the Telcomia app, whether it sits in New Delhi or elsewhere, and save its address and phone before you fly.
- Dzongkha is the official language, and English is widely spoken.
Questions travellers ask about Bhutan
Will my EU plan work in Bhutan?
Only as roaming at your operator's own rates, because Bhutan is not covered by Roam Like at Home.
How does the Sustainable Development Fee work?
It is a daily levy for each night you stay, paid along with your visa application; children pay less. Check the current amount on the Department of Tourism's website.
Which network does a Telcomia eSIM use in Bhutan?
TashiCell, on 4G where available; a World plan also covers Bhutan.
Can I explore without a guide?
Not at the main sights: places of interest can turn away visitors who arrive without a licensed guide.
The short version
Arrange the visa through a tour operator or the official system, check the current daily fee, install the eSIM before you fly, allow spare time for weather at Paro, cover shoulders and knees at dzongs, pay duty on your tobacco, avoid night drives, and save 112 and 113.
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